Sunday, September 8, 2019
Girdwood to Seward
The rain continued this morning, quite uninspiring. So after breakfast at the inn, we canceled our plan to take a glacier day-cruise out of Whittier and made a quick Plan B instead. The cruises run rain or shine, but we didn't want to spend $160 each for marginal views. Another thing to do on our next trip to Alaska!
Alternatively, we visited the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, a sanctuary that takes in injured and orphaned Alaskan animals to either be rehabilitated and returned to the wild or to live out their lives in spacious enclosures. Since Alaska hadn't turned out to be one big zoo, with a bear or moose behind every tree, this was a great opportunity to observe a variety of animals up close.
Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center, Portage, Alaska
Bull elk
Male sitka blacktail deer
Female sitka blacktail deer
There's a 2-mile loop leading through the 200-acre AWCC that can be either driven or walked. With the intermittent rain, we drove but made many, many stops to get out of the car for a better look. Admission was a measly $16 each, and I couldn't have been happier with our choice to do this instead of the cruise!
Musk ox
Porcupine
Caribou
Moose
Despite nixing the cruise today, we still wanted to visit the unlikely town of Whittier, a strange Cold War enclave located in a beautiful, rugged wilderness on Prince William Sound. The Port of Whittier was established by the U.S. Army during World War II as a secret military post with an ice-free port, to bring in supplies and troops for the defense of Alaska. To this end, the Army constructed a train tunnel through the mountains that otherwise cut off Whittier from the rest of the state.
The only way to Whittier by land is through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, a train tunnel that in 2011 became open to motor vehicles on a limited basis. During daytime hours only, the one-lane tunnel is open to non-train vehicles once an hour going into Whittier and once an hour going out. At 2.7 miles long, it is the longest railroad-highway tunnel in North America. Driving through the tunnel is FREAKY!
Driving through the Anton Anderson railroad-highway tunnel
Temporarily closed after World War II, the Whittier Army Port was reopened during the Cold War, and over 1,000 troops were stationed here. In 1960 the Army closed the base for good, and in 1964 an earthquake destroyed the waterfront and rail yard facilities. In 1972 the City of Whittier purchased the remaining buildings, most of which are still in use today and house the majority of Whittier's 200ish residents.
The first thing one sees after emerging from the tunnel into Whittier is the enormous, concrete Buckner Building, abandoned in 1960. Full of asbestos, it is too expensive to renovate and too historic to tear down. I'd tear it down anyway. What a magnificent eyesore! This is not the building where the current citizens of Whittier live.
Buckner Building, Whittier, Alaska
Graffiti of the North
The second building to catch the eye is the 14-story steel and concrete Begich Towers, formerly known as the Hodge Building. The majority of Whittier's population lives here. The building also houses a grocery store, post office, and community center and is linked to the elementary school across the street via an underground tunnel, so the kiddos don't have to brave the often whipping 60-mile-per-hour winds to get to class.
Begich Towers
Home to a majority of Whittier's residents
In juxtaposition to the Cold War concrete buildings, Whittier is located in a majestic setting on Passage Canal, part of Prince William Sound, and surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. We drove up a mountain for a bird's-eye view and on the way down stopped at a wayside where locals were collecting salmon. There were so many fish, they were literally walking in and just scooping them up.
Passage Canal, Prince William Sound
Scooping up salmon
It appeared there were more boats in the harbor than residents of Whittier. The low-lying clouds made the whole town look spooky. I kind of wish we would have spent a night in this odd place. Maybe next time!
Whittier small boat harbor
More boats than people?
Spooky house on the harbor
Our stay in Whittier was a short one. We caught the 1:30 tunnel opening into Whittier and the 3:00 tunnel back out. You pay a $13 toll on the way in, but they don't charge you going the other way.
Back through the tunnel, we stopped for a picnic at the Bear Valley Scenic Overlook, where we saw little mini-icebergs floating in the water, calved from Portage Glacier. The entirety of the Portage Glacier Access Road was very scenic.
Portage Lake
Mini iceberg
Tom snags an iceberglet
Finally, we continued south on the Seward Highway onto the Kenai Peninsula. It was a beautiful drive. On a clear day, it would be stunning. Before arriving in Seward, we drove out to Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park, one of the few places in the park that's accessible by road.
Welcome to Kenai Fjords National Park
Exit Glacier
The “Lowell Creek Waterfall,” at the beginning of Lowell Point Road in Seward, is actually a concrete spillway. I suppose the concrete was poured to prevent erosion damaging the road, but it's not what you usually think of when you hear “waterfall.” It was kind of pretty and very funny.
Lowell Creek Waterfall
Tonight we're staying at the Harborview Hotel in Seward. The room is huge, with a microwave, fridge, coffee maker, queen bed, and sofa. The hotel has two buildings, and for some reason we're the only guests in our building, with everyone else in the other building. I guess our reputation precedes us.
Our private building at the Harborview Hotel
Though we just had the one room
Another night, another brewpub, this time Seward Brewing Company. Tom went with a burger, but I was totally burgered out and chose a chicken sandwich. More good Alaska food and beer in mass quantities. Old downtown Seward is very cute, but I didn't take any photos since it was dark.
Tom
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