9/4/08 – 9/5/08 Portage – Whittier
Upon leaving Seward, we decided to stay with the water, try our luck at finding a glacier cruise and check out the town of Whittier. Whittier is accessed off the Portage Glacier Road, a short detour from the elbow of Hwy 1 at the bottom of Turnagain Arm. The Portage Glacier Road affords excellent views of the Explorer, Middle, Byron and Portage Glaciers. We enjoyed the Blue Ice trail from the parking lot of the Williwaw Salmon Viewing Platform, which is an easy walking loop by the river and the Middle Glacier. The Begich, Boggs Visitor Center is quite informative and has good indoor areas to view the Portage and Byron Glaciers.
To access Whittier you must travel through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (aka the Whittier Tunnel.) This 2.5 mile tunnel was built in 1943 solely as a railroad tunnel, but later was converted to accommodate automobile traffic. The traffic flows one way through the tunnel at half hour intervals, with exceptions made for the trains. Passenger vehicle tolls are $12 round trip; fees are higher for larger vehicles such as RVs and trucks.
Whittier is a small community of only 200 permanent residents. However with the summer cruise ships, tourists and fishermen, the town is often bustling with activity and people. The town was originally established as a “secret port” by the U.S. Army during WWII. Two large army buildings still dominate the landscape of the town – one is abandoned and the other 14 story building is currently used as condos to house permanent and summer residents of Whittier.
We stayed at the Anchor Inn, a unique property with apartment-style rooms. For some local flavor, we visited the Overview Lounge atop the hotel property. Waking to yet another rainy and cold day, we opted to not take a cruise and headed up to Anchorage to stock up for our visit to Denali.
Middle Glacier
Middle Glacier
Spawning Salmon
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (Whittier Tunnel)
To access Whittier you must travel through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (aka the Whittier Tunnel.) This 2.5 mile tunnel was built in 1943 solely as a railroad tunnel, but later was converted to accommodate automobile traffic. The traffic flows one way through the tunnel at half hour intervals, with exceptions made for the trains. Passenger vehicle tolls are $12 round trip; fees are higher for larger vehicles such as RVs and trucks.
Whittier is a small community of only 200 permanent residents. However with the summer cruise ships, tourists and fishermen, the town is often bustling with activity and people. The town was originally established as a “secret port” by the U.S. Army during WWII. Two large army buildings still dominate the landscape of the town – one is abandoned and the other 14 story building is currently used as condos to house permanent and summer residents of Whittier.
We stayed at the Anchor Inn, a unique property with apartment-style rooms. For some local flavor, we visited the Overview Lounge atop the hotel property. Waking to yet another rainy and cold day, we opted to not take a cruise and headed up to Anchorage to stock up for our visit to Denali.
Middle Glacier
Middle Glacier
Spawning Salmon
Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel (Whittier Tunnel)
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