This was our fifth time in Alaska and our first trip to Seward. I am a little upset it took us this long to make it there because it is definitely in my top three favorite stops in Alaska that we have ever done! I daydream of owning a home there one day, I absolutely fell in love with the little seaside port town! So, what did we do that made me fall in love so quickly? Let me break it down for you! Mind you, we were there for 72 hours with our two children (22 months and 3 months at the time), and our service dog Arrow (belgian malinois).

I would also like to note that I have zero affiliation with any of the recommendations below. If you choose to book with any of them, it would be awesome if you could list me as a referral for the next time we are up there!

Hotel

I knew I didn’t want to stay directly in town due to the dog needing to use the bathroom frequently and none of the hotels that had availability really looked to have much room for her to do that on site. We also like our privacy and the quiet for the kids so I booked a premium suite (so Oakley could be in the bathroom in the pack and play), at the Seward Windsong Lodge. It was quiet, had several restaurants on site, always had parking available, room was huge, and very accommodating with Arrow. It was only a 3 mile drive into town as well.

Day One

• The trip from Anchorage to Seward is one of the most beautiful drives you will ever go on. We unfortunately did not have time to make any scenic stops but the highway itself is mountains to the left and water to the right. Truly incredible and even if you don’t stay in Seward or if you are on your way to Homer, it’s breathtaking the entire way. We got into Seward around 7pm, put Oakley to sleep, and then Josh went into town to get some groceries (our room had a kitchenette area), dog food, and some other odds and ends for our time there.

Day Two

• When you travel with little ones, your day starts EARLY and they end early, which I absolutely love! This usually means we go out to breakfast, have a big late lunch, and skip dinner and just drink a protein shake at the end of the day- which helps save $$$ too!
• Breakfast on day two was one of my favorite places we have ever eaten. It was a crepe only restaurant, tucked in a little red barn, on a farm- called Le Barn Appetit. The entire decor was random relics and souvenirs from around the world, ranging from a fully body alligator mount to koala stuffed animals. The food- amazing. The service- amazing. The atmosphere- amazing. PLEASE go if you are in Seward- you won’t be disappointed.
• We then headed to grab coffee at Resurrect Art before our six hour whale watching / glacier trip. The shop also had art and jewelry from local artists for sale. The lemon lavender scone was worth getting as well!
• The whale watching tour was absolutely incredible. You had your own reserved table with very comfortable seating. Lunch was included, there was a bar on board, and the staff was extremely nice. The captain was very knowledgable but also knew when to just keep quiet and let people observe. They also served margaritas with fallen glacier ice at the end of the tour which was so unique! I booked through Trip Advisor.

Day Three

• We started the day off with breakfast at the Lighthouse Cafe. The reindeer sausage was incredible as was the brownie which was named “the best brownie in Alaska”. They do close at 2pm so make sure to head there early in the day if you want to eat there.
• I had booked us tickets at the Sealife Center with entry beginning at 10am. We spent about four hours there. From touch pools to informative feedings, we had an absolute blast. Plus, the sea lion took a strong liking to Arrow and they had a beautiful 30+ minute interaction (video is on my instagram and tiktok)!
• Oakley absolutely loves parks and there was a great one right by the Sealife Center called Blane Park that she played in for about an hour. It was very safe and right next to a campground and a skatepark.
• We had lunch at the Alaska Seafood Grill– the seafood chowder in the bread bowl is the only thing you will need to eat again in your life- highly recommend!
• We had ice cream at the Harbor Street Creamery while we waited to low tide so we could explore the beach and tide pools. The locals called it South Beach and the views are incredible.

Other Notable Activities

• Recommended Food
  • Nature’s nectar- smoothies
  • Zudy’s sandwiches
  • Flamingo- get the bucket of halibut
  • Gold rush bistro- halibut tacos
  • Resurrection roadhouse for happy hour
• Hikes
  • Tonsina Trail
  • Jeep Trail
• Activities
  • There are several helicopter operations in Seward for sight seeing as well as taking clients to the tops of hikes so they can hike down
  • Miller’s landing for a water taxi