Seward, Alaska, Travel Hints

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Travel Hints     |     Tours and Activities     |     Walks and Hikes around Seward     |      Transportation

Many parts of vacationing in Alaska will be different than elsewhere, especially if one hasn't traveled overseas or to neighboring countries.  Our attitude toward life is a bit more down to earth, more practical, than in the "Lower 48."  Here, being practical gives one greater social status than wealth. 

How does this effect your travel plans?  For you gals, whatever you are planning to bring in jewelry and makeup can be cut in half.  Think of comfort more than style when packing clothes--that good pair of shoes that will keep your feet dry on the trail will do just fine in the nicest restaurants.  Guys, you're going to love it here.  Leave your ties, button down shirts, sport jackets and slacks.  Getting dressed up for a night out on the town means putting on a clean shirt and pants.  

When packing, I always recommend starting with the best rain gear your budget can afford.  You may come up here and never see a drop of rain; on the other hand, it may rain every day you're here.  Even if it doesn't, a rain jacket makes a great wind breaker.  Add a couple of layers underneath the rain gear and you will be toasty warm and able to enjoy the beauty of the day.  Keep in mind, rivers are about 35 degrees, the ocean is around 40 degrees, and few lakes are warmer than 45 degrees.  So even on warm days, the air temperature out on a fishing or tour boat will be, let's say, refreshing.  A good pair of trail shoes that will keep your feet dry will be worth their weight in gold.  If you have a little mud on your shoes when you go out to dinner the waiter will know you have visited the State of Alaska--the one that starts 100 feet off the highway.  This is a good thing.

When you are making your lodging reservations, it is important to ask the proprietor if your room has curtains that block the light out.  Living here, the days get longer gradually, and you get used to sleeping with the sun still above the horizon.  Visitors generally find if difficult to fall back to sleep when they wake up at 3 in the morning and the sun is up.  The long days also play havoc with your eating schedule.  With the long days and a busy travel schedule it is easy to loose track of time and find restaurants closing when you're ready to eat.  This is especially important to keep in mind if you're traveling with children.  As you may know, hungry children get grouchy.  Of course if you want to see wildlife, the middle of the "night" is the best time--that is to say shortly after sunrise or before sunset.  In addition, the roads and trails are empty.  After dinner is a great time to take a short drive or a walk on one of the local trails.  If you have a long drive day, think about an extra early start and breakfast down the road a few hours.

I have traveled all over the world and have found when it comes to customer service, Alaska is more like an unindustrialized than an industrialized country.  It's not that people care less about your needs; the truth is that they care more.  But after you've lived here for a while you get so used to shipping delays, lost packages, damaged goods and weather delays that you just start taking "stuff" in stride.  Life in Alaska moves a little slower.  Here is another thing to keep in mind that may help in those difficult situations:  Most of the Alaskans that you will come in contact with have a short summer season to make their annual income.  It won't be uncommon for the person on the other side of the counter from you to have been working 10 to 16 hour days for 20, 30 or even 100 days without a day off.  This is not an excuse for poor customer service, but a little empathy can make a big difference when you're trying to get on the next tour. 

Last, don't forget what I mentioned earlier.  The real Alaska starts 20 minutes out of Anchorage.  Half the population of Alaska lives in and around Anchorage; it's just another big city.  If you want to visit a big city, go to New York or New Orleans.  I recommend if you arrive in Alaska via Anchorage, not to linger on your arrival but get out of town, even if it means a late drive.  Waking up to the wilderness smell and slow pace of rural Alaska is worth the effort.  Save The Alaska Heritage Center and other Anchorage activities until the day of or the day before your departure because you will want to be close to the Airport anyway.