When I planned my trip to Alaska, I was looking for a great way to travel around by car to enjoy Alaska's beautiful scenery and view wildlife. To start my expedition, I opted to fly into Anchorage, rent a car, and take the scenic drive along Seward Highway down to Seward.

If you do research to plan this trip, you will hear about the spectacular views and incredible attractions along this route. No matter how much you read and plan ahead, nothing will prepare you for what you'll see and experience, especially if this is your first trip to Alaska.

Plan Your Day Trip

AnchorageI planned to make this trip in one day, and I had just the right amount of time to explore some of the great attractions along the way. If you look at a map or check distances, you'll conclude you could theoretically make this drive in around 2 and a quarter hours. There are many terrific attractions you'll want to explore on the Kenai Peninsula, but plan ahead to take the time to enjoy what's available along the way.

There are many opportunities to view wildlife at various stops along the Seward Highway drive. I stopped at the Anchorage Coastal Wildlife Refuge at Potter marsh to see if I could spot any interesting water birds. What turned out to be most entertaining were the Canada geese! Certainly not a rare sighting, but the dozens of goslings were a joy to watch.

My next stop along the Seward Highway was the Beluga Point Interpretive Site. I did not see any Belugas, but the mountain views were spectacular. If you look across the Turnagain Arm while stopped here, you will see Hope, an old gold rush settlement. You can visit this settlement when you are on the Peninsula. If you are interested in learning about the gold rush history of this area, stop by at the Indian Valley Mine just down from the Beluga Site. The Crow Creek Gold Mine is located just off the Seward Highway on the Alyeska Highway, too.

Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center

MooseI was more interested in wildlife viewing than gold history, so I bypassed a side-trip to Alyeska and made my next stop at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This was the highlight of the trip along the Seward Highway for me, and I spend over 3 hours at this incredible park. It's a beautiful drive-through wildlife viewing park surrounded by mountains, and I took spectacular photos here. The fencing in place to keep the animals at a safe distance is widely spaced, so you can take photos through it.

The habitat areas for the animals at AWCC include natural features, so the animals are comfortable and very content, plus they are able to engage in their "wild" behaviors. You will see bears, moose, bison, the beautiful Musk Ox, elk, eagles, coyotes and other animals here, so bring plenty of film.
The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, and you will feel as if you get to know the animals as you learn about their fascinating individual stories. The AWCC is a refuge, so many of the animals are here because they were orphaned or injured and cannot be released into the wild.

Portage Glacier

Portage GlacierPortage Glacier is an excellent place to stop and enjoy spending sometime relaxing at an approximate halfway point along your journey. You will take the Portage Glacier Highway to Portage Lake, and get your first glimpse of icebergs.
I opted to visit the Begich, Boggs Visitor Center and spend some time learning about glaciers before visiting Portage Glacier. There is an excellent film called "Voices From the Ice" you will see at the visitor's center. After learning about the Glacier, I decided I had to see it up close.

You will get an excellent view by taking a ride on the MV Ptagmigan. If you've never gone boating through water featuring icebergs, you'll probably find it as thrilling as I did, and I was also incredibly impressed with the Glacier and surrounding views.

Last Stop: Seward

SewardI had planned to take the tunnel from Portage to Whittier just to see what it was like, but I found I had spent so much time at the AWCC, it was almost evening by the time I left Portage Glacier. I made the rest of the journey to Seward in a little over an hour, and managed to get a glimpse of Exit Glacier, on the way into Seward, too.

Seward is a busy port town, and I was looking forward to spending a night there. I booked my accommodations at the Holiday Inn in Seward. You can get great rates on this hotel through HotelsCombined.com online. It is one of the nicest Holiday Inns I've ever visited. The indoor pool is great, and my room was very clean and comfortable. It was a great place to check in to after the scenic Seward Highway drive.

Alaska (Eyewitness Travel Guides) author: DK Publishing asin: 0756623030