Seward Stays with you (Day 5)

Dawn broke on Day 5 of the VanGOgh VanVenture, and I could not wait to get moving towards Kenai Lake. Thank goodness I camped at a grocery store, because refueling the van and my system with a big ol’ Starbucks Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew came in clutch. That stuff is like rocket fuel, and I’m fairly sure it was the only way I was able to power the most epic day of my entire adventure. Day 5 was one of those days that will flash before my eyes when my time comes, it is absolutely a treasured memory I’ll always hold close to my heart.

I retraced my steps to the original view point in Cooper Landing and stumbled all the way down to that amazing water. I marveled anew at the most beautiful glacier lake in America. Lake Louise in Banff was my North American bucket list body of water, but you guys, I swear, this spot should be your #1 wishlist destination for Turquoise magic. The view was lovely from the Cooper Landing Cliffs, but I worked my way around to Quartz Creek Campground on my uncle’s suggestion. The day use area and boat ramp are really easy to access and the simplest way to walk right into that unbelievably beautiful blue lake. I was able to set up the camp stove and fix myself a great breakfast and take some time to really enjoy the water and I suggest you do the same. They have pit toilets, potable water to refill your reserves, and it’s right around the corner from food and beer… what more could you ask for?

The plan was to head to Seward and hike Exit Glacier, so I had every intention of bypassing breakfast brews at Cooper Landing Brewery. The branding and signage made it impossible for me to pass by, I just had to turn around and try it. My signature turquoise was everywhere and some late season lupine told me it was a solid decision before I even opened the door. The taproom is BEAUTIFUL, the local art on display is fantastic, the merch is delightful, their flights come in little tin fishing boats, there is free popcorn and a sandwich food truck called Blue Yeti. Honestly, it wasn’t my favorite beer of the trip, but their Last Supper Seltzer (made with Oregon cranberries/raspberries) was fantastic and something I’m still craving weeks later. They have a pay it forward program where you can pre-purchase people beer. So if you are a solo female traveler heading to Cooper Landing, there’s a beer in an adorable mason jar waiting for you on me. I got a little work done on the wifi and picked up brewery merch to commemorate the beauty of Cooper Landing and the lake. Unfortunately, you cannot see that gorgeous water from the deck despite its proximity. No regrets on this stop though because I did it again before I left Alaska.

After a quick detour, I got back on track and headed to Seward. I pulled off quickly at Vagt Lake to take some photos of the gorgeous glacier lake, ample fireweed, and an easy to access railroad trestle. It’s about 25 miles outside of Seward and completely worth a ten minute tiny field trip. I am proud to say that I forwent the luggable loo and made use of the woods to break my over 20 year streak of refusing to pee outside. Yet another achievement unlocked, I continued on my way.

I was told that Exit Glacier was the closest glacier to access and you could just walk right onto it. The latter part of that message didn’t turn out to be true, but the two mile hike wasn’t terribly strenuous and the park is stunning. If you don’t plan to take a boat trip to the Kenai Fjords, the Exit Glacier Park is the only portion of the Kenai Fjords State Park that you can access by car. They did a really wonderful job with this park. My favorite part was the clearly marked signage indicating the glacier’s retreat over the years. If you don’t believe in climate change and global warming, this park is an excellent primer. As I took in the views of the glacier, a ranger gave us some interesting information. Exit Glacier tends to retreat 20 feet each year, but in 2020 it retreated a whopping 100 feet. 10 years ago a wall of ice was so close you could reach up and touch it, and you had to lean back to see the top of the glacier from the platform. Now it’s a tapered tail a pretty decent distance away. I selected the goldilocks/middle of the road hike. You have a couple of options to see this glacier. There is a shorter/easier hike and a super strenuous hike with 1000 foot elevation gains per mile to get to the Harding Ice Field. The ice field is the mothership of the Kenai Fjord glaciers and is supposed to be unbelievable to see. It was already mid-afternoon and an 8 hour hike straight up a mountain wasn’t in the cards for me. The ranger said she is shocked by how hard it is every single time she does it, so good luck to you if you are so inclined. I had a coworker do the hike a week before I arrived and her pictures were spectacular. If you are capable of that kind of crazy, please do it and share :)

As I left the park, I noticed several pull off spots for recreational vehicle parking. I took note that they might make a good place to overnight, and headed into town to explore Seward. Yet again, no mapping was necessary. I pointed my car from Soldotna to Seward, the Exit Glacier turnoff is clearly marked before you get to town, and backtracking to the downtown area was simple. A quick drive through town is the easiest way to orient yourself, it’s not very big and you can get the lay of the land and a feel for what you might like to do with a ten minute tour.

All that I knew I wanted to do in Seward was to get out to the Kenai State Park to explore the fjords. I was told repeatedly that the 6 hour Major Marine tour is a MUST see. The website showed that they were sold out, but I called and asked if they could possibly fit in a solo rider. I was willing to forgo lunch and an indoor seat, but they sold me an adventure ticket and told me to head to their office the next morning. This is my favorite part of solo travel. Most everywhere you want to go will try to accommodate you. It is glorious, especially for this “practically planned” field trip of mine. That’s 2 out of 2 sold out cruises that I was able to attend in peak summer season in Alaska. It doesn’t hurt to ask politely, I’m just saying.

Seward is home to Olympic sensation Lydia Jacoby, and the town’s pride for her was evident everywhere I looked. I didn’t watch much Olympic Coverage on the road, but even I couldn’t escape the clips of the town of Seward rallying around their hometown girl. The scenes from the high school gym made my eyes misty, and those onion chopping ninjas threatened to get me again as I took in all of the billboards, banners, and signs in her honor.

It was getting pretty late in the day so my Milepost Guide and I had a hot date at the waterfront. I enjoyed the wind and waves, but there really wasn’t anything else that I was dying to do in Seward. Our cruise a few years ago left from Resurrection Bay, so I had already done a bit of wandering there. Seward is the mural capital of Alaska, so a little walk around town checking out the interiors (and exteriors) of the shops makes for a great field trip. Primrose Provisions has an adorable selection of new and vintage gifts and drool-worthy charcuterie boards. Be sure to pop into the BEAUTIFUL Brown and Hawkins Mercantile and attached Cobble Art Gallery right on the main drag of 4th Street. The building, the art, and the locally made gifts were absolutely lovely and I couldn’t stop smiling meandering down the road.

Seward Brewing, which had a fantastic selection of beers, is serving up a unique pho banh mi sandwich. This is a trend that I’ve been dying to try for awhile, but hadn’t made it’s way to Nashville. Low in authenticity, high on flavor, I was a total fan and am looking forward to trying more on my travels. I really enjoyed my dinner and was ready to call it a night and try to get a jumpstart on blogging the adventure thus far. I drove around Seward looking for a place to sleep and was confronted with a lot of no camping signs and very full campgrounds, so I went back towards Exit Glacier and those pull offs that I noted on my hike.

I pulled into the first empty turn off space, hit a big dip, and found myself looking at a whole bunch of tents and bubbas that were giving me some serious side eye. I didn’t even put the car in park, I swung it in reverse and I backed that van right back over that bump and tried for another spot. I was slowing to check if a spot was open and noticed a car disappearing into the woods. I had been hoping to hike to the glacier outwash to do some blogging, never imaging that I could potentially sleep on it. I followed a car into miles of gravel and the stream of glacial melt. There were dozens of cars sprinkled around the park, and I bumped and jolted my way down the beach until I found a view that absolutely took my breath away. There were several girls camped out a few feet away with hammocks hung in trees, fantastic music playing on the speakers, and we all hung out enjoying the magic of the world around us. Every driveway was blocked by a boulder except this one particular pull off with a driveway out to the water. This wasn’t in any guidebooks, no locals told me to do this, sheer happenstance and luck brought me there and to these people. I could not believe my good fortune, the pure randomness of happening upon this unblocked entrance, and winding up in parking spot paradise. My heart rate was high, I was glowing with glee, and I felt so sure that everything happened exactly the way it was supposed to be.

Inspired by my new friends and their incredible bonfire, I walked down the river and grabbed an armload of driftwood. I’d specifically saved the cardboard insert from my blackout curtains and a paper bag from the grocery store in case I put my rusty fire skills to the test. My girl scout fire making skills were refreshed by my sweet neighbor Whitney in a backyard movie night fire, and miraculously the lessons stuck! I made myself a fire on my first try, and felt like super woman in my little camp chair watching the sun go down on the mountains, the eagles fly overhead, listening to the water flow behind me, and thrilled with every single moment that lead to the pure perfection of that moment. I was unbelievably happy, proud, content, and excited about the road ahead when my fire died and I climbed into bed to prepare for another big day.