| Seward is a fascinating place to visit, and even if you
are only here for a day or so, the region demands a look around. Many
tourists traveling through Alaska will be familiar with Seward due to its
popularity as a central port from which travelers take off to many Alaskan
destinations. It is located conveniently in the Prince William Sound and
acts as a gateway to the Kenai Peninsula and the rest of Alaska. Therefore,
if only for a couple of hours or a couple of days, many people who have
visited Alaska have seen Seward at one time or another. Only the lucky ones
have visited Seward for days at a time, a region with some outstanding
fishing sites, great sea kayaking opportunities, and wonderful hiking
trails. The Kenai Fjords National Park is one of the top destinations in all
of Alaska, and it is as diverse as it is majestic. You can see a multitude
of landscapes, an abundance of wildlife, and breathtaking scenery that you
thought only possible in your dreams. Recently, tourism in Seward has
exploded, which has come as a bit of a shock to the citizens of this once
small town. It's a bit of a mystery why travelers all over the world are
showing such universal interest in this remote location, but perhaps Seward
business proprietors and visitors like myself have plugged the city so much
that our advertising has paid off.
Seward is one of the oldest cities in Alaska, and the area was first
recognized in 1793, when the governor of Russia, Alexander Baranof, stopped
here and named Resurrection Bay. He then built a ship which unfortunately
sank, and not too much was heard about Seward until 1903. At this time the
town evolved into a big Alaskan port city because companies were interested
in building a railroad here that would run north and south for miles. This
venture failed, but all of the talk brought gold prospectors, settlers, and
workers whose families and kin would stay here for good. |
