On May 15th and 16th, Seward celebrated the 9th Annual Mermaid Festival and Harbor Opening Weekend.
Jane and I look forward to this event every spring. Not only do we get to break in the camper for the year, we get to hang out in a spectacular location with our friends Ron & MJ.
The day before the festival, Jane and I decided to camp at one of our favorite campgrounds near Moose Pass. Ptarmigan Creek Campground is a small, 16 site facility, and that’s exactly why we like it. A perfect, quiet spot for the first night in our camper.
The day after our peaceful stay at Ptarmigan Creek, we drove 30 miles to camp on the shores of Resurrection Bay in Seward. It is a city run campground with over 500 campsites. During the Mermaid Festival/Harbor Opening the campground is nearly full. It’s a busy, busy start to the season.
Fifty feet away from our campsite is a historic landmark. In 1910, nearly 10,000 stampeders arrived by ship in Seward on their way to a new gold discovery 938 miles away in Iditarod.
That’s not all the rock obelisk represents. Another important event in Alaska history was the serum run to Nome in 1925. An outbreak of the highly contagious diphtheria occurred in Nome which was without a serum.
In a relay race against time, a diphtheria antitoxin was delivered to Seward by steamer ship. From there it was transported to Nenana by train. From Nenana, 20 different dog mushers traveled 674 miles in 5 1/2 days to Nome to deliver the serum. The heroic efforts by many, in brutal winter conditions, prevented an epidemic spreading to over 10,000 people living within the Nome region.
Well, enough of the history lesson…
The Mermaid Festival/Harbor Opening began on Friday. The opening music act was Capt. Randy, a sailor, who happens to write and play music. His set was a perfect way to kick things off.
Inside or outside, it’s a great weekend to hang out with friends.
It’s mer-magical!
Jane and I always recommend that our guests make Seward a part of their Alaska travel plans. It’s a great little seaport town, with a great vibe. Whether it’s on the way to our cabins, or on your way back to catch a flight out of Anchorage, making the stop is well worth the time.
(p.s. Thanks Ron & MJ for the use of your photos).
Happy Mother’s Day