Travels of The Mercury: Alaska – Canada Travels 2014, Seward and Exit Glacier, July 23rd to 27th.

Hundreds of bright red salmon swim up Crescent Creek to their spawning beds.

On our way to Seward we stay the night at a forest service campground at Crescent Creek, were we saw our first salmon run. It's really exciting and a thing of beauty to see them coming up the river in waves of brilliant color beneath the ripples of the water. No fishing is allowed here in these protected salmon beds.

Our camp site along the bay at Seward.

In Seward we got a beach-front site at the city campground where we can watch the boats and tides come and go. Otters play or float on the waves just off shore and dive for clams, which seems to be their main activity.

Downtown Seward is a delightful and picturesque place to visit.

One of many murals on Sewards buildings.

Otters play in the bay near our camp site.

We watch the tide come and go. A favorite pass time for those of us who don't live by the sea.

Cormorants roost on the pilings.

We see our first big cruise ship.

A mural of a Raven legend.

Our first hike to a glacier.

Exit Glacier is an awesome sight as it flows out of the ice field above.

Today we hiked to Exit Glacier above Seward. The trail goes to several viewpoints looking down on the glacier. This was one of our bucket list items.

Beautiful scenery on our hike to the glacier.

Spring flowers are in bloom beside the glacier.

Along the trail we find ripening Salmon Berries and Watermelon Berries, drops of sweet goodness that taste a little like melon. Aren't they pretty?

Watermelon Berries.

As we sit at our table in the evening we watch a cruise ship back out of the dock, turn around, and hardly make a sound as it picked up speed and headed out to sea. What a beautiful thing.