Alaska's Point of View "FREE" Reservation Service for Seward
Alaska.
Our convenient one stop reservation service handles everything from accommodations to
wildlife & glacier cruises in Seward.
Plus discounts on tours for people that book lodging through us. Knowledgeable staff makes your
trip planning fun, fast and easy!
The Alaska SeaLife Center offers an unrivaled up-close and personal experience with Gulf of Alaska marine wildlife. Witness 1000 pound Steller sea lions gliding past underwater viewing windows, fins diving in a carefully crafted naturalistic habitat, and harbor seals hauled out on rocky beaches. Alaskan king crab, sea stars, and Pacific octopus also await you, as well as a whole variety of inter-tidal creatures and deep sea fishes. There is lots of good information on the Sealife Center at: http://www.alaskasealife.org/
Mt. Marathon Race
Seward is famous for the Fourth of July Mt. Marathon race that's been run since 1915. The race is a 1.5 mile climb up 3,000 feet on a mud-slick trail. The record time is 43 minutes and 23 seconds set in 1981.
If you are going to be in Alaska during this time and you wish to see or participate in the race, make reservations as soon as possible. It is very difficult to find lodging for that day. If you are in Alaska at the time and are not interested in the race, avoid Seward on July 4th, or you will spend all your time fighting crowds.
Silver Salmon Derby Week
Seward, a paradise for anglers, is well-known for silver salmon. Silver salmon start showing up in mid-July and peak in August just in time for the Silver Salmon Derby week. This year the derby will be August 8th (starting at6:00am and ending -August 16th (at noon), 2015. The annual Seward Silver Salmon Derby draws anglers from around the world who try their luck at catching silvers and winning prizes totaling over $150,000. The derby includes daily prizes, mystery fish drawings, tagged fish worth up to $50,000 and prizes for the 50 heaviest silvers. Fish can be caught from shore or from a boat. Charters and boat rentals are available, but be sure to make reservations early.
Seward Museum
The museum is full of wonderful historical information and artifacts of Seward. The hours are 9:00am to 5:00pm seven days a week in the summer with a $2.00 admission fee. There are exhibits ranging from the 1964 earthquake; to the artist Rockwell Kent, who spent a Christmas on nearby Fox Island in 1918-1919; to an Iditarod trail display, telling the story of the sled dog route from Seward -ocean gateway to Alaska-to the gold fields of the Interior in the early 1900's; to information about Seward during World II; to a excellent collection of Native baskets. At 7:00pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday there is a one hour film about the Iditarod trail.
Special Films
The library shows a wonderful film on the 1964 earthquake. At 7:00pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday there is a one hour film about the Iditarod trail at the museum. This begins Memorial Day weekend and ends Labor Day weekend.
The Jackpot Halibut Tournament
Seward is one of Alaska's hot fishing spots for big halibut. It's common to catch fish between fifty and eighty pounds. The big ones come in between two hundred and three hundred pounds. Cash prizes totaling $875 are awarded to three winners each week for the 14 week tournament. Prizes are awarded based on random target weights ranging from 60 to 120 pounds. A grand prize jackpot winner is determined at the end of the tournament. There are also special prize, tagged fish, merchandise prizes and more! The Jackpot Halibut Tournament runs the month of June.
Polar Bear Jump-Off
The 3rd Saturday of January is the Polar Bear Jump-Off. It is a fund raiser for donations to the American Cancer Society. People dress up and jump into the icy, icy sea for contributions. It has become a big activity in Seward and it is growing. Many of the activities include: Dog Sled race, children games, Ice Bowling; Seward Parks & Recreation' Basketball Tournament, waitress & waiter contest, Karaoke contest, seafood feed, Bachelor/Bachelorette Auction - assisting Kenai Peninsula Children with Cancer, arts & crafts fair, book sales, rummage sales, oyster slurping, and parade. Sunday the activities are at the Seward Military Recreation Resort -winter goofy golf tournament, dog weight pull, cross country skiing, snow machine rides and the ugly fish toss.