To A Guide to Seward, Alaska

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Seward’s Small Boat Harbor was built north of the historic townsite in 1964, and a vibrant community has grown up around it. A major renovation of the harbor began in 2000, and is now the area that draws most visitors. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 3:50 pm.

This is a few hundred yards from the southern end of the Alaska Railroad, on the Seward docks. The northern end is at Fairbanks, 467 miles away. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 3:20 pm.

Two large sculptures by Alaskan artists were unveiled on the lawn in front of the Alaska SeaLife Center on June 8, 2011, World Oceans Day. In the foreground is Salmon, by Brad Hughes - this rock sculpture weighs 12,500 pounds. In the background is Bull Kelp, by Lisa Rickey - it is a stainless steel depiction of Bull kelp, a common sea plant, attached to a rock, moving under water. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 4:20 pm.

The square in front of the Alaska SeaLife Center is a very scenic, people-friendly place. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 4:20 pm.

This is Mount Marathon, 3,022 feet (921 meters) high. Each July 4th, a race is held from downtown Seward to the summit of Mount Marathon and back - the record time so far was set by Bill Spencer in 1981, at 43 minutes, 23 seconds! This photo was shot a couple of weeks after the 84th running of the race, on July 22, 2011 at 4:15 pm.

Some of the contestants in the July 4, 2004 Mount Marathon race.

The Iditarod National Historic Trail runs 1,000+ miles from Seward to Nome. Through the city of Seward, it is a very pleasant paved walking path along the waterfront, but much of the trail through the wilderness is rough or even impassable. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

Interpretive signage along the Iditarod Trail walking path in downtown Seward makes the pleasant walk educational as well. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

This wonderful children's playground was built on the Seward waterfront in May 2008. There's a time-lapse video on YouTube that compresses the 6 days of construction to 6 minutes. This photo was shot on July 22, 2011 at 4:25 pm.

The view across Resurrection Bay to the peaks on the Resurrection Peninsula on July 22, 2011 at 4:30 pm.

This photo was shot from the deck of the cruise ship Radiance of the Seas on June 4, 2006 at 6:35 am. You can see what a cruise from Vancouver to Seward looks like in the extensive photojournal at YourAlaskaCruise.com. The mountain in the center is Mount Marathon.

A line of glacier cruise boats in Seward's Small Boat Harbor on June 4, 2006 at 7:35 am. Glacier cruises and fishing are the two biggest draws in this section of "Alaska's Playground", the Kenai Peninsula.

The view down Resurrection Bay from Seward's cruise ship dock on June 4, 2006 at 8:10 am. A glacier cruise boat is heading out, and Seward's waterfront RV park can be seen along the shore.

A view of the harbour in 2001.

Kayakers preparing to head out into Resurrection Bay from Seward's small boat harbor in July 2002.

Seward's small boat harbor in 2002.

Looking across Resurrection Bay from Seward in 2002.

The Seward City RV park along the beach, with a tsunami evacuation warning sign at the entrance!

One of the historic homes along 3rd Avenue in 2001.

One of the historic homes along 3rd Avenue in 2001.

The Alaska Railroad station and Mount Marathon in 2001.

The view down Railway Avenue in 2001.

People enjoy the sunshine from the square in front of the Sealife Center in July 2002.

Downtown Seward in 2001.

Downtown Seward in 2002.

The historic Van Gilder Hotel in 2001. Built in 1916 during the railway boom, it was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1980.

The historic Van Gilder Hotel in 2002.

The historic postcards are in the collection of Murray Lundberg, and the current photos are © 1998-2003 by Murray Lundberg.