(July 6 – July 15, 2018 – Seward and Glacier View, Alaska)

From Homer we made our way to Seward, Alaska, for a week-long stay. The day we left for Seward started as a glorious sunny day for travel along the Kenai Peninsula. As we drove the Sterling Highway along the coast we had rare clear views of the majestic Illiamna and Mt. Redoubt volcanoes across the Cook Inlet. Further along we enjoyed views of the rushing Kenai/Russian River, as well as the picturesque Kenai, Tern and Upper/Lower Trail lakes. Our course followed glacier-carved valleys between rugged mountains. As we turned on the Seward Highway towards the coast we ran into increasingly heavy overcast and rain. 

Around Seward

Travel Itinerary 2018 – Alaska Part III

We arrived at the Stoney Creek RV Park safely and setup camp between rain showers. Set in a forest clearing right next to a rocky stream, the campground looked quite scenic, from what we could initially see with the overcast. Tattered clouds hugged surrounding forested mountain slopes, giving us occasional glimpses of jagged rock and snow fields at higher elevations. It was only later when the clouds had parted that we could fully appreciate the magnificent mountain vistas around the park.

Skies were overcast with occasional mist or rain for most of our stay in Seward, but we did have a few gloriously clear days. Despite the damp and gloom, we enjoyed many day-trips around the area. If anything, the rain made the rare sunny days all the more memorable.

Highlights of our stay include a visit to the Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park, sight-seeing around Seward and to the Lowell Point Recreation Site beach. We also enjoyed several meals and micro-brews at the Seward Brewing Company and the Exit Glacier Salmon Bake.

Photos from around Seward

Around Glacier View

From Seward, we made our way towards Valdez, Alaska, nearly 420 miles. To break up the long drive we stopped for two nights at the Grand View Cafe & RV Park in Glacier View, Alaska. 

Weather was fair for our drive to Glacier View – partly cloudy to overcast skies and just a few sprinkles. Our route along the Seward Highway to Anchorage took us back through the spectacular scenery of the Kenai Peninsula and along the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet. We were sorry to leave the Kenai behind – this was some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery we had ever seen.

The road between Palmer and Glacier View, AK-1, the Glenn Highway, also passed through spectacular scenery. This narrow two-lane highway wound through the Matanuska River valley, presenting grand vistas of rugged mountains, forested slopes, pristine lakes and the glacier-fed Matanuska River at nearly every turn. Most spectacular was the Matanuska Glacier, a river of ice flowing through a deep valley from the heart of the jagged Chugach Mountain Range.

Located at the base of Sheep Mountain, the Grand View RV park had spectacular views of the Talkeetna and Chugach Mountain Ranges. There was a lot of wildlife in the area – Dall Sheep grazed on the slopes above the campground and a moose crossed the road right by the campground entrance. The park also has a nice café – we enjoyed one of their pizzas.

Photos from around Glacier View

Tire Trouble at Glacier View

After setting up camp at the Grand View park, I noticed that one of our trailer tires was in very bad shape and was nearing a tread separation. The opposite tire on the same axle also showed a similar pattern of uneven wear, but was not as bad. I suspected that the rough roads during our trip had knocked the tires out of alignment. 

Rather than risk driving on the spare with a second worn tire, I decided to replace both tires, if possible. The area around Glacier View is very remote and the nearest tires services are in Palmer (60 miles). 

That evening I used the campground WiFi (we received no cellular service here) and found a tire store in Palmer with tires matching our specifications in stock. The next morning I jacked up the trailer, removed both damaged tires, and drove to Palmer for the replacements. Returning to camp I replaced the tires on the trailer. 

Whew! Good to go again. Now I need to closely monitor wear on the tires and get an alignment done when practical. Now, on to Valdez…

That’s all for now. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!