Alaska 1: Kenai Peninsula

Early in the morning I made my way back to LAX and took United to Seattle, and then Alaska Airlines to Anchorage. I arrived in the afternoon and quickly picked up my rental car. I had a hotel reservation for Seward, so it was a bit of a drive down south on the Kenai Peninsula. The drive was stunningly beautiful, with colourful trees, lakes, and snow-topped mountains. On the way, I saw a bald eagle...

Just out of Anchorage...

...and on the Peninsula the sun came out!

When I arrived in Seward, it was cold, quite windy with a few flurries. Next morning there was snow everywhere! I made my way to the Kenai Fjords National Park to take the 2hr-hike to Exit Glacier, but when I arrived at the access road a ranger was just closing the gate. He said it was far too much snow up there, and so dense snowfall and fog that you can't see anything anyway.

Thus, I had to switch to Plan B: The Alaska SeaLife Center. It started snowing heavily, and I took the following video on the car park.

At the car park there was also the Mile 0 marker of the historic Iditarod Trail from Seward to Nome.

The Alaska Sea Life Center had a number of very nice exhibits, including interactive displays, a touch pool, a seabird area and other animals.

The Exxon Valdez accident is still an important topic, as evidenced
by the photos in the Sea Life Center.

Big appetite...

Some views of Seward and surrounding:

Right at the waterfront, close to the Sea Life Center there were a couple of bald eagles sitting on poles. Amazing how close you can get to these beautiful animals!

When I drove along the unpaved coastal road, I suddenly spotted a sea otter not far away in the water. On the way back there were three of them. All busy fishing and eating...

Yummy starfish!