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| Girdwood Ski Resort |
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Our first full day in Anchorage we spent ... going to Whittier!
Nothing against Anchorage, we just enjoy scenery and wildlife over cities. We especially loved the route along the Turnagain Arm. After a lunch stop in the ski town of Girdwood, we drove up around Alyeska and saw a porcupine briefly as he scurried across the road.
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| Porcupine (shot through windshield) |
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| Getting in line for the Whittier Tunnel |
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Whittier lies on the other side of the
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, or as it is more commonly known, the Whittier Tunnel. The controlled one-lane tunnel alternates directions each hour, and is the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America. Whittier is a port for many cruise ships, where many cruise-tour travelers then travel to Anchorage and beyond via rail.
We arrived in Whittier when no cruise ships were in port, so if felt like we had the pretty little town to ourselves.
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| Prince William Sound off Whittier |
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| Susan taking a break in tourist-focused Whittier |
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| The scenery in Turnagain Arm near Portage Glacier |
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On the way back to Anchorage, we looked around the Portage Glacier, but were too late to take a cruise on Portage Lake. We also did not see Beluga whales in Turnagain Arm. What we did stumble onto with great luck was the Bore Tide. This relatively rare phenomenon is like a wave that comes into a narrow area at high tide.
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| Bore Tide coming in |
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| Susan at Earthquake Park in Anchorage |
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The next day we visited Earthquake Park in Anchorage. Most of the 1964 quake's destruction was felt in Anchorage, and the Park area was left in its natural state. Lunch was at a Subway sandwich shop in town and this is where we saw our first person open-carrying. Technically, only Mike noticed it and wisely refrained from telling gun-phobic me until later.
We then went back to Turnagain Arm to look again for Belugas. On the way we stopped at Potter's Marsh, a great birding spot where we saw our first Red-necked Grebes. We never found those big white whales, but we did see Dahl Sheep, including some young, frolicking up on the steep hillside across from the Turnagain Arm.
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| Dall Sheep near Turnagain Arm |
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| Mike and Susan at Turnagain Arm |
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Our three nights at Elmendorf AFB, were great, except for the sound of jets every morning at 8AM! Our functional, clean room was a spacious suite with separate living area, fridge, and WiFi. The washing machines were convenient and free, and we would certainly stay there again if we return to Anchorage. But our space-A lodging was only possible for 3 nights this time, so we made plans to head out in the morning for Seward.
Here's a map of the trip to Whittier from Anchorage.
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