Smiles and Miles on Our Trips : June 2023

We woke up this morning to a very rainy day and a temperature of only 48 degrees, which wouldn't get much warmer throughout the day. As we wanted to be in line for the 9:30 a.m. crossing through the 2-1/2 mile-long tunnel to Whittier, Alaska, we left the campground around 9 a.m.

Yesterday when we went on the Portage Glacier cruise, we entered into the Kenai Penninsula for the first time. Today we again went into the Kenai Penninsula as we took the train tunnel to Whittier, Alaska.

We reached Whittier by car via the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, after driving along Seward Highway and then taking Portage Glacier Road to the tunnel entrance. After paying the $13 toll, we placed in a waiting line, until we were directed to begin our journey through the tunnel. This is the longest (2.5 miles) highway tunnel in North America, and the first designed for -40 Fahrenheit temperatures and 150 mph winds!

The original railroad tunnel was built by the U.S. Army, and was completed in 1943. The military pulled out in the 1950s, and Whittier transformed into a commercial port. By the 1960s, the demand for vehicle access led to flat-bed rail cars carrying cars in and out of town. It wasn't very efficient and they couldn't keep up with demand. But, it wasn't until 1998 that work began to convert the old tunnel into a modern, computerized, well-ventilated operation that could switch between inbound cars, outbound cars and rail traffic. The project was completed in 2000.

The one-lane tunnel now must be shared by cars and trains traveling in both directions, and it usually needs to be aired out in between trips (with jet turbine ventilation). This unique design enables a single lane of traffic to travel directly over the railroad track saving tens of millions of dollars over the cost of constructing a new tunnel.

Waiting in line for the 9:30 tunnel crossing to Whittier.

We then began the trip through the dark tunnel as our automatic headlights came on. Driving through the tunnel was an odd experience -- as our truck tires slipped in and out of the railroad grooves through the tunnel.

We finally made it to the other side of the tunnel -- and now we're in Whittier and it is still raining.

The "Whittier -- the Gateway to Prince William Sound" sign.

After we drove through the tunnel and into town, we began to drive up and down almost every street. It didn't take us very long -- as there are only a few streets.

We first drove through the harbor area in Whittier (above) and then through the Whittier Bay Campground (below).

Alaska Marine Ferry Terminal is ahead.

And then a whole lot of shipping containers in the industrial/commercial area.

We had planned to do a short historical walking tour, but since it was raining, we just drove around. The most interesting buildings from Whittier's history are the Hodge Building (which has since been renamed the Begich Towers) and the Buchner Building.

The Begich Towers (Hodge Building)are a remnant from Whittier's mid-20th century military days. When the military left, the 14-story building was eventually turned into condominiums. It currently has 196 units, including some that are used as a bed and breakfast.

Begich Towers was originally known as the Hodge Building. It was constructed in three parts with construction taking place between 1953 and 1957. The city of Whittier received the building in 1973. The following year, it was renamed in memory of Alaska Congressman Nick Begich, who died in a plane crash along with another representative, Hall Boggs of Louisiana.

Below is the Historic Anchor Inn Hotel.

Above is a harbor view from the Buckner Building area.

On a hillside, overlooking Whittier and very visible from everywhere is the Buckner Building. This was the original "city under one roof," before Begich Towers was constructed. The Buckner Building was the largest building in Alaska at the time -- big enough to house 1,000 troops. And, it featured a hospital, bowling alley, and theater. It opened in 1953, but by 1960 it was abandoned by the military and the ownership has changed hands many times since then. It seems there is currently no plan to tear it down or fix it up.

After one last glimpse at the Buckner Building, we drove back down by the harbor.

The WWII Railroad Commemorative Monument is located at the corner of Whittier and Glacier Streets and the entrance to the old town. After the first trains began arriving in 1943, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to build a monument commemorating this effort. They erected a monument at the railroad station -- a stone monolith with a 1,200-pound granite plaque. It was an impressive sight, but as time went by it fell in disrepair and was forgotten. But then some locals rediscovered it and the monolith was recreated -- using stone from the original -- and placed in a different spot with the original plaque.

Below is the Whittier school.

Information about the battered ship "Alaska" is above and below is an anchor salvaged from this ship.

Below is information on the Alaska Railroad Locomotive Number 557.

Another Whittier sign -- this one is "Welcome to Whittier Harbor" and it is interesting because it post the latitude and longitude of Whittier, Alaska.

The next few pictures show the Whittier harbor.

We stopped in to see how the Prince William Sound Sea Salt is made. Sea salt is harvested from the deep ocean where mineral content and salinity are higher and the water is cleaner. The information board below tells the process for harvesting the sea salt.

How they make the sea salt is shown below.

Log Cabin Gifts was an interesting and eclectic gift shop with the interesting earthquake hours sign inside the shop.

Then since it was around 11:30 a.m., we decided to eat lunch at the Swiftwater Seafood Cafe. Opened in 1997, Swiftwater Seafood Cafe is a longstanding local favorite.

Mel steps up to the counter and orders us each a fish and chips and we decide to share a bowl of clam chowder.

Not only do they have good prices and portion sizes, but the restaurant's got a great vibe and it's not your average fish-fry joint. Swiftwater used a light batter so we found more fish than batter on our fish and chips platters. And the clam chowder was creamy and rich. Glad we got there when we did because it soon got really busy.

A map of Whittier is shown below.

We saw a only a few more things in Whittier before heading back after lunch. We were really getting tired of the rain by now.

Above is the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Station in Whittier, while below is The Inn at Whittier.

We decided to head back and get in line to go through the tunnel at around 12:30 p.m.

However before we were allowed to go through the tunnel, we had to wait for a train to come through.

Once the train was through, we got the green light to proceed.

And we once again went through the tunnel until we saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Later in the evening around 6:15 p.m. we decided to drive along Seward Highway to the Turnagain Arm over by Girdwood to watch the bore tide.

Turnagain Arm has the second largest tidal swing in North America. It can see tides as large as 40 feet and is only second to the Bay of Fundy. These incredible tidal swings also create another magnificent mother nature feat -- the bore tide.

A bore tide happens when rapidly rising tidewaters are forced up forming a raised front and creating one big wave. The Turnagain Arm Bore Tide is one of the largest in the world and can climb to 6 - 10 feet and travels 10 - 15 miles per hour.

Information board on Turnagain Arm is shown above. Below is an information board on migratory fish travel through Turnagain Arm.

Above and below are information boards on the beluga whales.

After sitting and waiting for about an hour, the bore tide began to come as you can see by the ripples in the water below.

What is a bore tide anyway? It's a breaking wave that rushes twice daily at speeds from 6 to 24 mph. The Turnagain Arm is one appendage of the Cook Inlet where tidal bores occur regularly.