We drove pretty much flat out from Homer to Moose Pass only stopping for fuel. The landscape is mesmerising and surprisingly different when travelling the same road in the opposite direction.

Less traffic on the road with Salmonfest having concluded on Sunday night but roadworks added some minor delay. With such a limited window allowed by the seasons the multiple projects underway simultaneously is quite impressive.

We decided we would stay in Moose Pass that evening as it is only about 10 miles south of the junction of the Sterling Highway (which leads to Homer and the Kenai Peninsula) and the Seward highway (Anchorage to Seward). We were starting on a northward journey headed ultimately to Denali National Park for our three day campground reservation within the national park boundaries – more on this in later blogs.

Moose Pass began as a construction camp on the Alaska Railroad back in 1912 and is situated on the shore of the Upper Trail Lake. It is a quaint town with an extensive library and an old grocery store. Like most places here in Alaska, it has a story and a history built around either mining, trapping, fishing or construction of the railroad.

We found our first “off-grid” campsite for the night – namely a space in the woods with a picnic table and a fire-pit, no water or electrical hook-up. Known as Eagle Point in Trailhead Campground it is administered by the US Forestry Service. Price $23 per night (our cheapest overnight spot yet) paid for by dropping cash in an envelope in a box at the entry point.

Phil declared that we had finally found the “real Alaska!”

Seward

With a bit of extra time on our hands we decided to to make the drive further down the Seward Highway to its end point at Seward. It has a bustling historic downtown and also has a very attractive and large recreational area along the waterfront with plenty of space to accommodate RVs. In good weather that camping space must enjoy a magnificent outlook of the sea channel cutting through the peaks. We have been challenged by the low cloud on occassion and today was one of those days. When good it is great but when bad it is impossible to appreciate the surroundings fully.

Seward has a deep harbour which, unlike much of the state, remains ice-free. As such it presents itself as a natural gateway to the state and is the drop off/pick up point for a number of the cruise companies. Large numbers of tourists pass through the town if only for an hour or so. It is also the southern end of the Alaska Railroad that connects Seward through Anchorage and on north to Talkeetna, Denali and finally Fairbanks.

It is named after William Seward who was instrumental in securing the purchase (transfer) of Alaska from Russia in 1867. Historically, the Alutiq people occupied the area for over 7,000 years and the location was an existing active trading post.