February 08, 2022
On the boat, you're an active member of the trip. Unlike the big boats, you aren't just a passenger being talked to through a PA system. We are right here on the boat next to you. Have questions? Just ask! Want to go somewhere else, linger with an animal, or change angles for photography? Of course we are here to help you with that.
Our trips run with anywhere from 1 to 6 people. The means that it is a unique, customizable experience. Even with multiple parties on the boat, there's a lot of flexibility in the itinerary.
We love our "job" (it really doesn't feel like work!) So if you call us at 6PM and want a quick evening trip, we will do it if we can!
We love the community of Seward and give back to local charities, sports associations, schools, and the Alaska Sealife Center.
We are a proud member of Whale SENSE, a voluntary education and recognition program for responsible whale watching practices. Seward Ocean Excursions follows and promotes sustainable tourism and has achieved AGA (Adventure Green Alaska) certification.
So we decided, why not start our own business! The rest is history!
The uniqueness of our coastline (and land) gives so many opportunities to get out and see things and explore. I love checking out remote beaches, exploring remote forests, and discovering new things out there. It’s amazing to me how quickly in Alaska (and perhaps especially Seward) you can feel like you’re alone in nature, even if you’re close to town.
Besides those aesthetic things, I love doing outdoor activities with my wife and son including camping and staying at remote cabins, fishing, snowmachining, and flying our airplane.
What's your favorite season to get out on the water? Do you have favorite spots to bring guests? Or favorite animal to spot in Res Bay?
I get asked this question a lot on the phone and on trips, but I usually tell people that all the seasons are my favorite - just different. Growing up in California, I never really had true seasons, and now that I live in Alaska I love the changing seasons, conditions, and activities that happens over the course of the year.
If I had to pick a favorite season to be on the water, it’s definitely the shoulder/winter season though. The views with the snow and ice are epic, and there’s still a ton of wildlife to see. And, of course, less boat traffic which makes it feel like we have the whole ocean to ourselves
My favorite spot in Resurrection Bay is hard to pin down. I also often get asked this, and I jokingly say it all is. I find myself on tours saying “this is my favorite spot” over and over, and it’s funny when people call me on it! But, if I had to pick, either Humpy Cove or Thumb Cove for the tranquility. For favorite beach, Bulldog Cove by Bear Glacier. Favorite island would be Rugged Island.
My favorite land-based animal to see in the Bay is definitely a mountain goat. I love how stable they are on the cliffs. For marine animal, definitely orcas (we see them year-round!).
Advice for aspiring small business owners:
"Set realistic goals and change them if you need to! Don’t start too big! You can always grow later!
Network a lot with other local businesses/etc. Word of mouth is HUGE, and having a good reputation with other local businesses helps. We get (and give) so many referrals from and to local businesses. A strong internet presence is great of course, but word of mouth means a ton."
Seward Ocean Excursions is located at Seward Harbor Slips M-3 & M-5
Seward, AK 99664. They are open year-round for charters & boat taxies and offer local (AK Resident) and military discounts.
Visit their website, or follow their social media ( FB | IG ) to see their incredible views, tour or taxi bookings, and some of what Seward has to offer!
December 01, 2021
"How did it come to fruition? Oh long story, I'll try to keep it short . I've wanted my own business for quite some time. If you sit at the bar at the Cookery after closing you'll hear Chef and I talk about new business ideas for Seward (with a bottle of wine in front of us). But, after COVID and the Cookery closed for the winters, I decided to hang out with my parents in SLC, Utah for the winter of 2020. Did some traveling and car camping through Utah and the parks and did a lot of thinking about my future and what it was going to look like if I stayed on this current course. And to be honest, some tears were shed (okay maybe lots of tears). It's scary being jobless, heart broken, away from your home, friends, living with the parents again, and the life you had planned is suddenly gone.
Anyway, I got back from the road trip, and had a lot of time on my hands. So I talked my parents into getting a puppy. And then I started scrolling through Facebook Marketplace and noticed a ton of really cool vintage and antique furniture and decor for ridiculously cheap...and I wanted to buy it all. I talked to my parents about opening a spot. They always listen to my ideas but I don't think they really thought I was going to go through with it.
I knew of a few empty buildings available for rent in Seward and started talking to the owners to see which would be the best fit for my plan. I talked to other business owners and asked them what they thought about my plan. I knew what I wanted to do but verbalizing it to people and trying to get them to understand was another thing. It was all in my head and getting my ideas out to others was not easy but I had a few people who believed in me and gave me advice and their thoughts. So in December I had decided it was going to follow through with it.
I emailed Judy (Owner of Zudys) and asked her to send me the lease agreement. Then I went and poured a glass of wine and told my parents that I was going through with it. And that their vehicles in the garage no longer had a home as I was going to fill it with goods. Parents were thrilled with that... No, they had a few words of advice and mostly warnings but they are so supportive and without them, Primrose wouldn't exist.
So I shopped and shopped and filled up my parents garage. Also, to be clear, by this point I had found a job up in Park City at a private club serving uber rich people. So I had some extra bucks to spend. Then in March my dad and I drove up all the goods in a trailer! ....That's kinda the short version of how it happened. "
What is your favorite thing to recommend to someone Visiting Seward?
Probably the most epic thing I've done is go on a plane ride over the area.
So incredibly beautiful, this place we call home.
But my favorite thing is to hike Tonsina with friends and dogs.
Primrose Provisions is located in the historic train depot at 501 Railway Ave, Seward, AK 99664. Primrose Provisions is open majority of the year.
Visit their website, or follow their social media ( FB | IG ) to see their incredible views, enticing beverages, appetizing bites, featured makers & unique vintage finds!
November 04, 2021
If you ask a local for recommendations on where to eat - Zudy's Cafe is usually on the list. From their freshly-sourced sandwiches to mouth-watering desserts, to the eclectic art gracing signature green walls, this cozy room in the Historic Seward Train Depot Building is none other than a must-visit when in town.
Meet Judy Odhner, owner of Zudy's Cafe. Growing, Judy's sister had trouble pronouncing her name, calling her "Zudy" - thus born the name this homey cafe dons, at the edge of Resurrection Bay here in Seward, Alaska.
Judy currently lives with her husband, Jan Odhner in Moose Pass, about 25 minutes North of Seward. But the path that brought her here was not direct. The adventure began 31 years ago, when Judy drove all the way from New York to Alaska with her friend Mary Garrett:
"We got to Alaska in the fall. Fairbanks was our first stop as I had a friend at the University. Fairbanks was not our cup of tea so we headed to Anchorage, which was also not our cup of tea.
Weeks later we landed in Moose Pass at Summit Lake Lodge caretaking for the owners during the winter. Moose Pass was teaming with heaps of good looking guys. Just up our alley."
Both Jan and Judy migrated to Alaska from upstate New York, both moving north…but ten years apart. Jan, a local carpenter met Judy at Summit Lake Lodge in Moose Pass. Judy settled in Moose Pass and hired Jan to help build her house. As Judy’s house progressed, so did their love for one another.
In 1993, the house was finished and they soon married and raised two adventurous boys. After the boys left for college, Judy pursued her dream of opening a cafe.
Twenty years later, Zudy’s Cafe was born. Located in the Historic Train Depot, Jan was able to renovate and restore the inside to a cozy little cafe with kitchen views like no other in Alaska. He continues to build, fix and maintain this beautiful building.
"My favorite thing is to come in early to Zudy’s and bake with the sun coming up.
I love working for myself and have learned heaps about people and business in these 8 years."
When asked if she had any advice for aspiring business owners, Judy replied: "Do something you love, and it will never be work."
You can see these amazing views and historic depot for yourself by visiting Zudy's Cafe at 501 Railway Ave, Seward, AK 99664. Zudy's Cafe is open majority of the year, with a few extended closures for much-deserved R&R during the winter/off-season.
Visit their website, or follow their social media ( FB | IG ) to see their incredible desserts, upcoming events, inspiring views and toe-warming vacation photos!
May 19, 2021
September 03, 2020
Take charge of your Alaskan adventure with Seward Ocean Excursions, the only commercial boat tour and water taxi company in Seward that is open year-round! A locally owned, family business offering highly customizable trips, Seward Ocean Excursions is an excellent choice to explore Alaska’s oceans and beautiful coastal landscapes in the manner that best suits you. Small group (up to 6 people) tours allow you to become active members and participants of the boat trip; captains and crew are not beholden to specific routes or timelines, so you are afforded more flexibility as you explore Seward and magnificent glaciers and wildlife.
Captain Bixler McClure is a fifth generation Sewardite with a passion for the ocean and outdoors, so he started Seward Ocean Excursions to share Alaska with others. The company is closely involved with the Seward community and gives back to local charities, sports associations, schools and the Alaska Sealife Center. Seward Ocean Excursions also promotes sustainable tourism and has achieved the Adventure Green Alaska certification.
Contact:
907.599.0499
info@sewardoceanexcursions.com
September 03, 2020
Seward Air Tours is your ticket to the unimaginable. Beyond the 4,000 foot tall mountains towering over Seward lies Kenai Fjords National Park and the Harding Icefield. Typically these locations are only accessed by boat or adventurous hikers seeking unprecedented views of the Icefield. But Seward Air Tours gives you access to these remote landscapes in a matter of minutes. Find yourself immersed in a sea of ice and snow upon the Harding Icefield with one of their Glacier Landings, which can be combined with any scenic tour. Our favorite trip is our Bear Glacier Tour with a Glacier Landing, which features a beautiful blue lagoon, icebergs of every shape and size, pristine rocky beaches and pinnacle rocks, and Kenai Fjord's longest glacier. Guests have described this experience as "transformative" and we hear from guests all the time, "this made our whole trip to Alaska". You have to see it to believe it.
Joey Smith is Seward Air Tours’ Owner, Pilot and Mechanic. With over a decade of Alaska flight experience, and over 18 years of total flying and aircraft maintenance experience, Joey will ensure your flight is fun, unique and most importantly, safe. A Minnesota native, Joey moved to Alaska 14 years ago, and has been with Seward Air Tours since 2018. His admiration for Seward and the surrounding area has only grown. With a heart for adventure fueled by curiosity, he continues to explore the peninsula with zeal, and is eager to share it with you.
Contact info:
907.978.3089
sewardairtours@gmail.com