Alaska - I helped buy Alaska and all I got was a town named after me

After breakfast on our first full day here in Kenai, we met up with our tour guide and two ladies who were the only ones from their friend group that wanted to take this tour today. The tour is known as the Explore Historic Seward and is described on the website as a 7.25 hour tour currently retailing for $49.95 per person. The tour is basically a shuttle ride into the small town of Seward with optional side stops to Exit Glacier and/or a ride on an Iditarod dog sled at extra cost. Your guide will provide tips on places to check out while in town but otherwise this would be a ride into town, choose stuff to do on your own, and meet back up to get a ride back to the lodge at a certain time scenario. Anything that costs admission is your responsibility as well.

Given our small group, our guide treated it like a private tour and her a hired driver promising to take us wherever we felt like going and pick us up whenever and from wherever in town when we called her. Our guide was full of great stories and tips so it was like chatting with a new old friend during the drive.

Our tour companions for today. The young lady in the blue jacket and glasses is our tour guide.

We all agreed to our guide's offer to stop at a beautiful lake.

Then it was on to the Benny Benson Memorial. John Ben "Benny" Benson was the 13 year old student who designed the state flag of Alaska. His design won a contest held back in 1927 even though Alaska was still only a territory until 1959. He described his design choice as blue for the Alaska sky and the forget-me-not flower, the North Star for the future of Alaska, and the Big Dipper for the Great Bear which represented strength and power. 

Once in the center of town, the other two women in our group chose to visit a grocery store while we opted for the aquarium known as The Alaska SeaLife Center. Our guide dropped us off first and drove off with the other two women. We purchased two general admission tickets which according to my picture cost around $20 each then for adults. The small print says that Alaska residents, AAA members, seniors, and military discounts are available. 

Now the website lists ticket price breakdowns as $29.95 for an adult and that is considered age 13 and above. Military discounted price is $25.95 and a child aged 3-12 is $17.95. 

Just in case you have trouble telling your entrances from your exits, they have helpful signs when you walk up to the first exhibit just past the ticket lines.

Do you ever just look at a warning on a product label and wonder the story behind why the company had to put that on there? I.E. a tube of Preparation H says "Not to be taken orally." What aquarium visitor tried to smuggle out some salmon in their pants to inspire this sign?

The SeaLife Center is quite extensive for such a small town and you easily spend a couple hours wandering among the tanks. The harbor seals were really in the mood to put on a show for us.

Swimming forward on his belly and floating the other way on his back makes for one tired harbor seal

Next up was one of my favorite exhibits - the Seabirds:

Can a puffin have a bad feather day?

This guy looked like he was living his best life:

Time for some more tank life:

Our cruise tour guide Lori taught us the 5 finger method for remembering the different types of salmon. Your thumb rhymes with chum, your pointer finger stands for sockeye (as in poke someone's eye out), your middle finger stands for King (because it is the tallest/biggest), your ring finger stands for Silver and lastly Pink for your pinkie.

There's also a back patio viewing area where you can step outside and view Resurrection Bay with a couple signs referencing what you're seeing.

Back inside to make our way down to the lower levels brings us to a tank of Manatees! Friends of Chessie perhaps?

Doesn't this make you want to climb in there and rub his belly?

I don't know what you were called sir so I shall dub thee  - the stink eye fish:

Same fish - now swimming up and away from me - that's not an air bubble by his mouth:

Hey, who told this guy I chose the King Crab legs for dinner the other night?

I'd also like to apologize 4 years in advance for choosing your fellow man as my new food to try on the last RCL sailing. Is he waving and flipping me off at the same time? 

This guy was dabbing before dabbing was a thing:

Someone (not us) decided to share their displeasure at finding the otter tank empty:

Seems all the otters were away at Hogwarts:

Our guide/driver had suggested her favorite place for lunch in town so we sauntered that way after the aquarium. It turns out that she was also there getting lunch so we offered to have her join us. The place was called Zudy's Café and we enjoyed a meal of warm paninis and chips. Service was a little slow though but the company for our meal was delightful. It was great asking her questions about living in Alaska and working for Princess.

Next up - a walk along the waterfront and an earthquake.