Friday Facts

Today's Friday Facts will be based solely on this little community of ours - Seward, Alaska.

We have been so lucky to live here the past few months.

We have really felt welcome and have met so many nice people.

We've even found a church - Seward City Church - that we have been going to regularly.

It's so nice to feel welcomed in this new community of ours.

Friday Facts: Seward, Alaska

- In Seward, there is a coffee stand that looks like a coffee cup. Literally, a coffee cup. People refer to it as "The Cup". I haven't tried this place yet, because they are only open in the mornings. And by the time I drive by, there is a line of seven cars. I've only heard great things about it - hence, the line of cars - and only good things especially about their chai tea. I'm going to have to try it one of these days!

- Seward is the mural capital of Alaska. It's true. We (and by we, I mean Seward) were awarded that title in the year 2008. You can read about that great accomplishment on the Seward Mural Society website.

Also, I am going to do a post solely about this fun fact. You can do a scavenger hunt of all the murals in town, and I've been meaning to since I received a bigger, and most definitely better, camera. Be prepared to read, and see, more about Seward's murals soon!
But I will show you the mural I see everyday from my office at work.

I'm sure this mural of the family of whales will be a happy site through those long, dreary, not-to-far-away winter days.

- The state sport of Alaska is dog mushing. Everyone has heard of the Iditarod Race, right? That race first started in Seward, not Anchorage, and was known as the Seward-to-Nome Mail Trail.

For a fun tourist attraction, you can mush and see the dogs they actually race with here in Seward.

- Seward is a rainforest. Yes...a rainforest. A temperate rainforest, but a rainforest nonetheless. And let me tell you, I believe it. Seward is located in one of the largest temperate rainforests in the world. We average nearly 70 inches of precipitation annually. That is a whole lot! September is most definitely known to be the rainy month. And let me tell you, it definitely did. I'm cherishing days like today when the sun is shining and the sky is the brightest blue.

- In Seward, and Alaska in general, how do we know it's the end of summer? Fireweed is one indicator. And this is interesting, once the fireweed gets all the way to the top and dies, that means we only have 6 more weeks before the first winter snowfall. This picture was taken two weeks ago:

 If the saying is true, then there will be only 4 weeks before our first snow fall. Say it ain't so!

Another way to tell is if there is termination dust on top of the mountains. Termination dust is a light, high altitude snowfall that indicates - wait for it - the termination of summer. How clever, right?
 



On some mountains, like this one, you can already start seeing this termination dust. I guess winter is coming whether I want it to or not.

But as of right now, it is such a nice autumn day in Seward. We are leaving to go to Anchorage for the weekend, and I hear the drive up there is just beautiful. Be prepared for an overload of pictures if you follow me on Instagram.

Happy Friday, you guys!