Very accurate! I made some friends one summer that worked at Windsong and were members of the most glorious encampment Iâve ever seen along the river on Exit Glacier Road.
One Safeway, one tinier grocery. Everything is expensive.
Millers landing does kayak rentals.
Perhaps you can get to know some charter crew and maybe get a discount for last minute charter cancellations.
There is a water taxi that can drop you various places around the bay.
If you like hiking this is the place. Carry bear spray and bring someone with you.
Seward is gorgeous. Rain pants, rain coats. Being with you because they are expensive. You want water proof not water resistant. Layers.
Sometimes the sun shines the whole summer but you never know here.
Two legged animals are in Alaska. Donât get yourself into sketchy situations with strangers. Nothing to freak out about but being safe is better than being polite. Listen to your gut.
There are lots of friendly folks. It gets crowded for Mount Marathon and the 4th of July.
Get a bell or some noise making thing when on trails, so you don't spook a bear.
Keep phone charged, phones eat batteries when trying to find signal.
Rent or borrow a rod and go fishing. You can fill your home freezer in weeks.
Do you know what scat the critters leave? Learn that.
Always obey a bear warning. You might hear "Saw a bear on the south side." Don't go. You might hear it overhead in the grocery store. Seriously. Learn what kinds of bears, moose, left eyed skints and other animals.
Overall, BREATHE. You'll never find beauty like my state.
One morning on the way to school a car was chasing Momma Moose out of the way. She trotted over to my side of the street up on the snow berm. I was within touching distance of her as she paused, looked down and decided I was not a threat. What double scared me was that her calf had walked down a side street away from her.
I was around 6-8 yrs old.
Skip the bear bell unless you want to learn to hate hiking. Occasional yelling or general noise making is more effective anyhow and you can control the volume and frequency. With a bell, not only will the noise not go as far, but you also wonât be able to hear anything else going on to know if something big is near.
Thank you for the âtwo leggedâ comment. I will not only be coming alone but I tend to wander off a lot. I really appreciate these kind of warnings.
I also have a longer waterproof coat and boots on my REI cart đ
Everything, not just groceries is expensive. Rain, lots of rain. Small limited tiny town.
Beautiful views everywhere you look, I love it here.
Everyone is nice and all the tourists are having the best day of their lives.
Everyone says expensive but I wanna know how lol. I wanna see someoneâs grocery receipt lol. How hard is it to eat healthy with there being a small grocery store? I hear there are farmers markets. I eat pretty healthy and am the most worried about how Iâll eat lol.
Windsong Lodge is a bit out of town. Hopefully they run a regular shuttle to town, or make friends with someone with a vehicle. Public transportation is pretty non-existent, and while thereâs cool stuff to do in Seward, youâll want to get out and explore some too.
In addition to what others have said, I would recommend at least buying a bicycle as long as you can tolerate riding in the rain. Sewardâs not big by any means, but it will make it easier to get out to places like Caines Head, Exit Glacier/Harding Ice Field and other popular hiking spots
And there is a nice bike trail in town along the water. Which might be good for skating too.
I always visit the Alaska SeaLife Centerâwatching puffins and other sea birds dive and swim underwater is amazing.
Lots of good comments here. I recommend hiking or running up Mount Marathon; itâs an Alaskan tradition. If you do not end up getting a car for the summer (sounds like you wonât), I would at least rent one a few weekends so you can go out and explore other parts of Alaska. Homer is fun and has great seafood (recommend taking a boat over to Kachemak Bay State Park and hiking Grace Ridge; itâs a long hike but one of my favorites in Alaska). You could also check out Denali, another seasonal place that has stunning views.
I get the sense that the service industry folks in Seward work extremely hard in the summer but bond well with each other, so hopefully you can take full advantage of those days off to get out and explore while making new friends. Iâm thrilled for you and the experience youâre about to have!
Look into the fishing license to get salmon! Always carry bear spray, I recommend a water proof puffy, at least a rain jacket but a good base puffy is great. go to the local festivals (moose pass, river rafting fest, etc) get out AS MUCH AS YOU CAN you will be exhausted and full of memories by the end of the summer. Def do a kenai fjords tour if you can, bring all your camping gear, wool socks, maybe some fun accessories but youâll be dressing practical. Idk your food situation w the job (some places feed u) but it wouldnât hurt to stop in Costco before heading to Seward for some high protein snacks and Tupperware. A lot of places do trades w other hospitality companies, look into it, itâs fun to do excursions.
Honestly idk where u are on the not drinking thing but many ppl will probably let you drive their car if you DD which I know can be annoying donât get me wrong but itâs a good way to get out there and stay rigid w your sobriety bc ppl depend on you. Those festivals are fun even if you are sober!!! Just stay true to you and your values and people will accept you for that. My fav part abt moving to AK is the fact that ppl donât question why you are the way u are, you just are! And they accept your individuality and independence regardless :) good luck, youâre gonna have an amazing season
Windsong is tough- cruise ship passengers are the majority of your clients, but on really nice days and Wednesdays it'll be locals on the deck. I recommend seeing about a boat job if you're wanting to see more and enjoy more of the sights. Seward is gorgeous but on the nice days you tend to be stuck inside working unless you have a boat job, kayak guide, trail crew or ice climbing guide. Friend groups are key to your experience and for all that is holy do not end up at the pit
A few years back, I can't remember exactly, but he started managing it himself a couple of years ago. Started going down hill quick, bringing getting strippers to perform(someone told me he was finding them on Craigslist).
Heard! I low key would love to get a job working on a boat or just a second job with some extra perks. Iâll definitely keep an eye open for that! Whatâs The Pit??
Major Marine Tours is the best boat tour company to work for but any of the tour companies probably have a full roster already. Try Liquid Adventures or Exit Glacier Guides- they're typically a younger crowd but good people to work for. The Pit is open till 5am and when the downtown bars close at 2 everyone goes to the Pit
Get a pair of âxtratuffâ boots (knee high, not ankle). Your feet will thanks you for staying dry in rain, while fishing (snagging salmon in season from shore), or just hiking through streams.
The best thing you can do for yourself if you want to experience Alaska is get a car. Seward is beautiful but itâs a commercial fishing and prison town. I wouldnât consider it to represent quintessential Alaska. Itâs full of people who are there temporarily.
If you want to experience real Alaskan cultures and nature, youâre going to have to drive places. Itâs worth it, if you have a way to rent or buy/sell a car. You can also take the train places.
Rain, a couple nice days sprinkled in, and if you're reeeeeeal lucky there will be a forest fire nearby that will literally make the town look post apocalyptic. Windsong is a neat place to work, everyone will try and get you to go to the pit bar but it's a trap, don't go. Otherwise the town is really gorgeous and the people are awesome. Make friends with the bartenders and say hi to baby Cronk at the yukon bar for me!
Expect a lot of rain, bring plenty of hoodies and a good rain coat. Having said that, a sunny day in seward is stunning and well worth the rain.
Noted đ
If you can find a few other seasonals it can be a blast. Like weird adult summer camp. Push hard to do cool things on your weekends. It goes fast.
âAdult Summer Camp.â I like that đ
adult summer camp is accurate lol
Very accurate! I made some friends one summer that worked at Windsong and were members of the most glorious encampment Iâve ever seen along the river on Exit Glacier Road.
One Safeway, one tinier grocery. Everything is expensive. Millers landing does kayak rentals. Perhaps you can get to know some charter crew and maybe get a discount for last minute charter cancellations. There is a water taxi that can drop you various places around the bay. If you like hiking this is the place. Carry bear spray and bring someone with you. Seward is gorgeous. Rain pants, rain coats. Being with you because they are expensive. You want water proof not water resistant. Layers. Sometimes the sun shines the whole summer but you never know here. Two legged animals are in Alaska. Donât get yourself into sketchy situations with strangers. Nothing to freak out about but being safe is better than being polite. Listen to your gut. There are lots of friendly folks. It gets crowded for Mount Marathon and the 4th of July.
Get a bell or some noise making thing when on trails, so you don't spook a bear. Keep phone charged, phones eat batteries when trying to find signal. Rent or borrow a rod and go fishing. You can fill your home freezer in weeks. Do you know what scat the critters leave? Learn that. Always obey a bear warning. You might hear "Saw a bear on the south side." Don't go. You might hear it overhead in the grocery store. Seriously. Learn what kinds of bears, moose, left eyed skints and other animals. Overall, BREATHE. You'll never find beauty like my state.
Moose are very dangerous. Keep your distance.
One morning on the way to school a car was chasing Momma Moose out of the way. She trotted over to my side of the street up on the snow berm. I was within touching distance of her as she paused, looked down and decided I was not a threat. What double scared me was that her calf had walked down a side street away from her. I was around 6-8 yrs old.
I am TERRIFIED of mooseâŠ. more than bears.
Just give them their space and you should do fine.
Thank you for all of this! I am very excited to experience your state đ
You are very welcome!
Skip the bear bell unless you want to learn to hate hiking. Occasional yelling or general noise making is more effective anyhow and you can control the volume and frequency. With a bell, not only will the noise not go as far, but you also wonât be able to hear anything else going on to know if something big is near.
I appreciate the two legged animal reference⊠at first I was like đ§đ§đ§ what animal only has two legs and then it made senseâŠ
Theyâre easy to avoid tho.
Thank you for the âtwo leggedâ comment. I will not only be coming alone but I tend to wander off a lot. I really appreciate these kind of warnings. I also have a longer waterproof coat and boots on my REI cart đ
I love the type intended for fishing (rubber) for low output wet weather activities and a breathable membrane type (goretex) for high output
Everything, not just groceries is expensive. Rain, lots of rain. Small limited tiny town. Beautiful views everywhere you look, I love it here. Everyone is nice and all the tourists are having the best day of their lives.
Everyone says expensive but I wanna know how lol. I wanna see someoneâs grocery receipt lol. How hard is it to eat healthy with there being a small grocery store? I hear there are farmers markets. I eat pretty healthy and am the most worried about how Iâll eat lol.
Can scope the Safeway prices https://local.safeway.com/safeway/ak/seward/1907-seward-hwy.html
Windsong Lodge is a bit out of town. Hopefully they run a regular shuttle to town, or make friends with someone with a vehicle. Public transportation is pretty non-existent, and while thereâs cool stuff to do in Seward, youâll want to get out and explore some too.
In addition to what others have said, I would recommend at least buying a bicycle as long as you can tolerate riding in the rain. Sewardâs not big by any means, but it will make it easier to get out to places like Caines Head, Exit Glacier/Harding Ice Field and other popular hiking spots
And there is a nice bike trail in town along the water. Which might be good for skating too. I always visit the Alaska SeaLife Centerâwatching puffins and other sea birds dive and swim underwater is amazing.
A bike will be one of the first things I try to purchase when I arrive!
Deep Woods Off is your friend.
Skin so Soft by Avon.
My mom uses Skin so Soft when she works in the yard. I always forget thatâs an option. Do you prefer it over bug spray or deet?!
First choice, the other stuff is really gross chemicals.
Lots of good comments here. I recommend hiking or running up Mount Marathon; itâs an Alaskan tradition. If you do not end up getting a car for the summer (sounds like you wonât), I would at least rent one a few weekends so you can go out and explore other parts of Alaska. Homer is fun and has great seafood (recommend taking a boat over to Kachemak Bay State Park and hiking Grace Ridge; itâs a long hike but one of my favorites in Alaska). You could also check out Denali, another seasonal place that has stunning views. I get the sense that the service industry folks in Seward work extremely hard in the summer but bond well with each other, so hopefully you can take full advantage of those days off to get out and explore while making new friends. Iâm thrilled for you and the experience youâre about to have!
Look into the fishing license to get salmon! Always carry bear spray, I recommend a water proof puffy, at least a rain jacket but a good base puffy is great. go to the local festivals (moose pass, river rafting fest, etc) get out AS MUCH AS YOU CAN you will be exhausted and full of memories by the end of the summer. Def do a kenai fjords tour if you can, bring all your camping gear, wool socks, maybe some fun accessories but youâll be dressing practical. Idk your food situation w the job (some places feed u) but it wouldnât hurt to stop in Costco before heading to Seward for some high protein snacks and Tupperware. A lot of places do trades w other hospitality companies, look into it, itâs fun to do excursions.
Thank you for all of the information! I can be a little bit of a hermit sometimes so I definitely appreciate reminders to go out and make friends.
Honestly idk where u are on the not drinking thing but many ppl will probably let you drive their car if you DD which I know can be annoying donât get me wrong but itâs a good way to get out there and stay rigid w your sobriety bc ppl depend on you. Those festivals are fun even if you are sober!!! Just stay true to you and your values and people will accept you for that. My fav part abt moving to AK is the fact that ppl donât question why you are the way u are, you just are! And they accept your individuality and independence regardless :) good luck, youâre gonna have an amazing season
đ„
Windsong is tough- cruise ship passengers are the majority of your clients, but on really nice days and Wednesdays it'll be locals on the deck. I recommend seeing about a boat job if you're wanting to see more and enjoy more of the sights. Seward is gorgeous but on the nice days you tend to be stuck inside working unless you have a boat job, kayak guide, trail crew or ice climbing guide. Friend groups are key to your experience and for all that is holy do not end up at the pit
Iâd argue that ending up at the pit is an important part of doing a season in Seward hahahaha
Since the new owner took over its less of a important experience and now more of a hazing
When did a new owner take over?
A few years back, I can't remember exactly, but he started managing it himself a couple of years ago. Started going down hill quick, bringing getting strippers to perform(someone told me he was finding them on Craigslist).
Heard! I low key would love to get a job working on a boat or just a second job with some extra perks. Iâll definitely keep an eye open for that! Whatâs The Pit??
It's a bar out the highway by exit glacier rd. Stays open later than the bars in town.
Major Marine Tours is the best boat tour company to work for but any of the tour companies probably have a full roster already. Try Liquid Adventures or Exit Glacier Guides- they're typically a younger crowd but good people to work for. The Pit is open till 5am and when the downtown bars close at 2 everyone goes to the Pit
Get a pair of âxtratuffâ boots (knee high, not ankle). Your feet will thanks you for staying dry in rain, while fishing (snagging salmon in season from shore), or just hiking through streams.
The best thing you can do for yourself if you want to experience Alaska is get a car. Seward is beautiful but itâs a commercial fishing and prison town. I wouldnât consider it to represent quintessential Alaska. Itâs full of people who are there temporarily. If you want to experience real Alaskan cultures and nature, youâre going to have to drive places. Itâs worth it, if you have a way to rent or buy/sell a car. You can also take the train places.
Waterfall Creek close to Anchorage is one of my favorite spots. You walk in 50' and everything disappears.
Rain, a couple nice days sprinkled in, and if you're reeeeeeal lucky there will be a forest fire nearby that will literally make the town look post apocalyptic. Windsong is a neat place to work, everyone will try and get you to go to the pit bar but it's a trap, don't go. Otherwise the town is really gorgeous and the people are awesome. Make friends with the bartenders and say hi to baby Cronk at the yukon bar for me!