Day 31: Urban Hike to Downtown Seward

Today I Learned That Fish Really Do Jump

Otter in Resurrection Bay (as seen on our walk back from downtown Seward)
This city girl always thought that fish jumping only happened when the cotton is high, and that even then it was a metaphorical jump.  Not so, I found out today.  There isn't a cotton plantation within a thousand miles, and today we saw fish not just jumping but leaping out of the bay.  We saw them on our walk into Seward (more on that momentarily), and while we were recuperating from that walk and sitting in bed and looking out our cottage window.

 It seems that the fish jump at both high tide and low tide, and that they enjoy jumping right in front of fisher-people trying (but not succeeding) to catch them--perhaps by way of ironic taunt.

So, with all of this talk about fish jumping, why is the lead photo of an otter?  Because jumping fish also like to taunt would-be photographers.  They leap up, cause you to focus your camera on one area of water waiting for them to leap up again, and then after you tire of watching NOTHING for about 5 minutes they leap up somewhere else.  Hence, no pictures.

 However-- on our walk back from Seward we did encounter this otter, who was more than willing to be photographed while he munched on a snack.  He's the guy pictured above, and the one starring in today's video:

Wildlife adventures aside, lets step back to the beginning of our day.  We waited for low tide, and then walked along the beach as far as we could (really as far as we dared) and then jumped back up onto the road.
Lisa on the beach at low tide

 This is the same road that M refused to drive on today, and walking it wasn't that much easier than driving it.(Thanks trusty hiking boots.)  It was about 3 miles (an hour walk) into town, and the view was as beautiful as the road was ugly.

 Our first stop was the Alaska Sealife Center, a museum devoted to the local marine life.  We saw lots of fish and other creatures that live in the bay.  Here they are:
Jellyfish--lit up


The Dinner Exhibit


Sea Lions
The seal and sea lion enclosures were accessible on two levels-- so you could watch the seals both above and below the water.  Kinda like this:

Seal from Above (Photo by Bob)

Seal from Above (Photo by Lisa)


Seal from Below (Photo by Bob)


Seal from Below (Photo by Lisa)
If you learn one thing from these photos it is that Bob's expensive iPhone takes much better pictures than Lisa's cheap Android Samsung.

 After watching fish for a bit, we did some browsing in town (our typical bookstore and gallery run) and then headed over to Thorn's Showcase Lounge for a bite of fish.  This was a true 1950s lounge that reminded Bob of many an establishment he had frequented in Youngstown, OH-- right down to the red leather love-seat chairs.
Bob at Home in a Throwback 1950s Lounge
The walls of the place were lined with a collection of 500+ Jim Beam decanters, which just added to the anachronistic charm.  The halibut nuggets and sweet potato fries weren't bad either.

 We had planned to walk a bit further to pick up some fresh fish for dinner, but as the clouds moved in and it started spitting rain, we decided to head straight back to our cottage and raid our food supplies for a late dinner.

 Here's a selfie from the walk back:
Selfie on the Walk Back to our Seward Cottage

And here is a picture of the long and winding bumpy road itself:
The 3 Mile Dirt Road Along Resurrection Bay Leading to Our Cottage

 One of the main reasons we took this trip was to see unique new things that we would never encounter back home in Conifer.  And, on the walk home we encountered one such item: This Tsunami Evacuation Route sign.  I can guarantee that there is not a single one in the whole state of Colorado.
A Sign on the Walk Home

Once we got back to the cottage we collapsed on the bed.  Luckily, just sitting and watching the water was great entertainment.  Here's the view from the bed:

View from the Bed in our Cottage on Resurrection Bay
And of course we spent some time watching fish jump, but as noted earlier not capturing any pictures of jumping fish.  So, I'll leave you with one of a small wave crashing on the rocks just outside our window as the tide rolled in.
Small Wave Crashing on the Rocks as the Tide Rolls In
--Lisa

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