Today we headed south along the Turnagin Arm to Portage Glacier, the Whittier tunnel and Seward. Explorer Glacier was the first glacier we saw long the drive. We didn’t get to see the Portage Glacier as the visitor center wasn’t open yet for visitors. The lake was also still partially frozen so the boats couldn’t take you out.
The Whittier tunnel is a 2 ½ mile train tunnel that was also opened to single lane car traffic in 2000. Traffic switches every 15 minutes (based on train traffic) to drive straddle of the train tracks. It was quite the experience. Whittier is one of the ferry landings for the Alaska’s Marine Highway and many cruise boats that visit Prince William Sound and the glaciers. The city is very small (not much land between water and the mountains) and there are no houses, everyone lives in the single large apartment complex. Lunch at Whittier was in a little fish shack with the best homemade clam chowder and crab cakes.
We now traveled back the Portage arm road and then headed south to the Kenai Peninsula and Seward through the mountain valleys.
Seward is mile 0 of the Iditarod trail to Nome. The trail was originally blazed by miners to the gold fields of central and western Alaska. It is best remembered for the sled dog run with Diptheria Serum during the epidemic of 1925.
After an overnight stay on Seward’s harbor, we traveled back to Anchorage along the Turnigan Arm. One of our last cache completed was the Chocolate Waterfall virtual at the Alaska Wild Berry products store. The fountain wasn’t working today, but the goodies were great.
Just before heading to the event Spring Meet’n’Greet with MaxB & friends, we saw 2 moose by the airport for great pictures.