Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Can you see my Alaska post?
If you can't see it in Internet Explorer, go to Mozilla. I just did a HUGE post on our Alaska trip that took me hours to do.
Alaska!!!
We just returned from a trip of a lifetime. Lacey's in-laws (the Twitchells from Elsinore) were gracious enough to invite us to travel to Alaska with them. Shelly's neice, Michelle, was getting married so they were making the trip. Thanks so much for inviting us, Shelly and Jerry! We had a most WONDERFUL time!
We left on July 31. This picture is the beginning of our trip. We stayed at the Excaliber in Las Vegas. We flew out the next morning on flight 141 with US Airways. It was a direct non-stop flight to Anchorage, Alaska. The flight took about 4 hours 45 minutes.
Here we are sitting in the Las Vegas airport. Curt, Lacey, Lyndsay, and Shelly are patiently waiting. We needed to be at the airport two hours early. When we went through security, Curt got stopped and hauled away to a little room where they had to further check him because he set off the alarms. He has a metal plate in his arm and a titanium ring where he had his colon surgery a couple of years ago. They had a wand moving up and down his body. He had to undo his pants in the process. We were beginning to wonder if they would let him on! But, he made it!
Here is the lobby of the Anchorage Airport. You can see Curt and Lacey in the shadows. After we picked up our luggage, we all went to the car rental place. We rented a red 2008 Chevy Aveo; the Twitchell's rented a gray 2008 Camry.
Lyndsay and I by a polar bear display at the Anchorage Airport.
Curt took these pictures as we were driving out of Anchorage. If you click on the picture, you can see the homes up in the hills. We didn't go into downtown Anchorage until the day we got back. We tried to find the LDS temple there but ran out of time. We had to get our rental cars back.
More pictures of the homes in the Anchorage hillside.
Here we are driving down the road around Turnagain Arm. It is a huge bay out of Cook Inlet.
Another picture of Turnagain Arm. Across the water is a small town called Hope that we visited later on our trip. In this bay, we were able to watch Beluga whales (they are white). We weren't able to get a picture of them, though. They would barely surface so you couldn't see much of them.
In front of us is the Twitchell's rental car. Off to the left of their car, you'll see two mountain goats. If you click on the picture, you can see them better. Off to the right is Turnagain Arm.
A close-up of the mountain goat alongside the roadway.
The sign welcoming us to the Kenai Peninsula. We had to go all the way around Turnagain Arm to get to the peninsula. On the Kenai Peninsula you can see every type of terrain found in Alaska except for tundra. You have to go much further north to see that.
Here is the welcome sign for Soldotna, Alaska. They believe the name came from a Russian word meaning "soldier." Another source claims it is an Athabascan Indian word meaning "the stream fork." This is where we stayed from August 1-August 9. It is a beautiful place.
It was interesting to see the fire hydrants in Soldotna. They all have a little pole sticking up so they can be found after the snow falls. The red cement pillars would be covered in snow.
All around the area it is filled in with trees and shrubs. It is hard to see all the wildlife because they are so protected by trees and foliage. We were lucky enough to see four or five bears and a few moose. Moose come right down into town. We had a mother moose and her calf hanging around our lodge during our stay there.
Lacey and Curt on one of the walkways leading to the Kenai River. There are walkways built all along the river in places. You cannot fish from the bank because salmon eggs are deposited there. You can either fish from the walkways or else you have to wade out into the river. You cannot fish from the bank itself.
The Kenai River.
The Kenai River again showing the walkway and people out in the river fishing.
Some salmon eggs left on shore from someone cleaning their fish. The rule on the Kenai is that you fillet and clean your fish right there. You take the filleted portion with you and throw all the rest of the fish back into the river. It helps feed birds, animals, and other fish in the river.
There was a bluff right behind the facility where the wedding took place in Kenai, Alaska. This is a picture of the fishing boats lined up to enter the Cook Inlet to fish.
Looking from the bay out to Cook Inlet.
A road sign near Kenai. Notice the gas prices--$4.69. That is what we paid the whole time we were there. Gas was priced at $4.11 or thereabouts at home ($4.19 in our hometown--the highest prices in the county!). When we left Las Vegas to come home, we bought gas for $3.85.
Two fishing boats.
A bird on the shore.
Lyndsay, Lacey, Logan, Shelly, and Curt at the Kasilof River on our way to Homer. This picture doesn't do the color of the river justice. Itwas always a beautiful blue-green color.
One of the unique signs we saw along the way to Homer.
Another interesting sign . . . .
Some of the plants growing near the Kasilof River.
People here are digging for clams at Clam Gulch, Alaska. After the tide goes out, many clams are deposited on the beach. You have to dig to get them.
This is a Russian Greek Orthodox Church at Ninilchik on the way to Homer.
A picture of the little Russian village of Ninilchik.
This is our rental car, a Chevy Aveo, with the Russion Greek Orthodox Church in the background. We put 1,208 miles on it. That is the ONLY way to see Alaska. Cruises are nice to see the sea life and some of the tidal glaciers. But to really see Alaska you need to drive it.
See that little piece of land jutting out into the ocean? That is the Homer Spit. We drove down there and ate and shopped. It offers a series of boardwalks with shops, charter services, food outlets, gift shops, etc. Homer is the halibut fishing capital of the world.
Glaciers across Kachemak Bay on the way to Homer. Across the bay you can take a tour boat and visit Seldovia--a Russian settlement.
Sign before Homer.
The port on the Homer Spit.
Some of the shops on the "spit."
More shops on the "spit."
The "Salty Dawg Saloon" on the Homer Spit. This is a "must see" spot at Homer. You'll see why in the following pictures.
Just inside the door to the Salty Dawg Saloon. People put their names on money and staple it inside. The two rooms and ceilings inside are covered. Click on the picture to read what some have written on the bills.
A wall inside the Salty Dawg Saloon.
The ceiling of the saloon. Lacey is busy taking her own pictures.
This was one of Lacey and Lyndsay's favorite places at Homer--Buttwhacker's. They customize your fishing trip for halibut. They "pack 'em, rack 'em, whack 'em, and sack 'em." Lacey bought a hoodie here.
Some fishermen unloading the halibut they caught.
More halibut pictures.
An airplane that has the pontoons for landing gear. They were all over Alaska. Most places are so remote, this is the only way to travel there. In fact, if you get a map of Alaska, notice how the majority of the state doesn't even have roads. You either have to fly or get there by boat.
A picture of the room Curt and I slept in at the Salmon Lodge at Soldotna. Lacey also had her own room.
A picture of Lacey's room. We also had a nice living room and kitchen. We bought a lot of our own food since we had a fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. It was really the perfect place to stay.
Lacey in the bathroom.
The moose and calf that hung out by our lodge.
On our trip to Seward and Resurrection Bay, we visited the Alaska Sea Life Center there and got to see many of the ocean animals.
A puffin at the Sea Life Center.
The hills by Seward. Seward is a city on Resurrection Bay. Many cruise ships dock here.
A sea lion.
Waterfalls just outside Seward.
Just outside Seward, you can visit Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park. It is one of the few glaciers you can walk to. We had to hike about two miles (roundtrip) to get up close to it. Most are off the beaten path. There are many tidal glaciers you can visit by boat. Seward used to be the starting point of the Iditarod Dog Sled race. It now starts with a ceremonial start in Anchorage and then the real race starts just north of Anchorage. They then race all the way to Nome, Alaska. Check it out on a map--it is a LONG ways to go by dog sled.
Another picture of Exit Glacier and surrounding mountains.
Lacey, me, and Lyndsay on our hike to Exit Glacier. I don't think there was a day we could go without our jackets. It was around 58 degrees or cooler the whole time we were there. Much different than the 107 degrees we left in Las Vegas!
Notice the blue colors of the glacier. We were told that the snow reflects the white light but all the other colors are absorbed in the glacier. The blue is the other colors coming out of the glacier.
A sign at the end of the trail to Exit Glacier.
Logan, Jerry, Lyndsay, Lacey, and I at the side of the glacier. A shorter hike took you to the "toe" but we wanted to be up higher.
Sign at the glacier.
Outside Exit Glacier's visitor's center is a chalkboard where they keep track of wildlife seen on the hike. Notice we actually hiked with the bears--but we didn't see any. Again, the foliage is so thick they would almost have to be next to you to see them. I don't think I'd like to encounter a bear on the trail.
A moose along the road back to Soldotna.
A building being moved down the Soldotna highway.
Jerry, Logan, and Curt getting ready to do some fishin' on the Kenai River. Lacey is standing next to them in her Buttwhacker's hoodie.
Curt and Logan went fishing on a boat one day--Jerry and Logan went the next day. Shelly's neice's (Sherry) boyfriend, Jason, had a boat and was kind enough to take them fishing. This picture was taken about 10 o'clock at night. It didn't get dark there until 2 or 3 in the morning. That took a little getting used to. I'm not used to going to bed while the sun is still up. They saw a bear on the shore but it was too dark for the bear to show up in the picture.
A picture of the setting sun from the boat. Again, this was taken between 10 and 11 at night.
Logan on the boat.
The sunset and the wake of the boat.
Larry (Shelly's brother-in-law) and Logan with the boat.
Driving down the road to Skilak Lake, about 25-30 miles from Soldotna.
On the road to Skilak Lake, we came across a mother black bear and her two cubs. If you click on the picture you can see them better. We didn't dare get closer--we were afraid we'd frighten them away.
One of the unique signs outside of Soldotna.
Jerry with two of his pink (humpies) salmon he caught on the Kenai River. There are so many different kinds of salmon you really have to know. We thought for sure they were silvers. We just barely missed the king salmon run. If you happened to catch one of those, you had to throw them right back. You couldn't even take a picture or you'd be fined.
Logan with his pink (humpie) salmon. Not too bad, huh?
This is a unique picture. Here is Curt with his "big" catch. The lure was bigger than the fish. We laughed and laughed at this one. He did catch a really nice one which is pictured next. Larry let the boys use his equipment. They all bought waders and the tackle to use. Thanks for the poles, Larry! They had so much fun fishing.
Here is Curt's nice silver (coho) salmon. It weighed from 12-13 pounds--probably the biggest fish he'll ever catch. Logan helped Curt get this one in to shore. They didn't have any nets. The next day he caught even a bigger one (a red salmon) but didn't get to keep it long enough to get a picture. It flopped off the shore as the hook went in one side and out the other side of Curt's finger. Ouch!
One day we took a trip to Portage and Whittier. This is a portion of the Portage Glacier that had "calved" from the original glacier. You can't see the Portage Glacier very well without taking a boat out to it. We didn't have time to get that little side trip in.
An Alaskan Huskie at the train station. We took a 4 1/2 hour train ride up into the Chugach Mountains to see some terrain you don't see by car. It was awesome. I would recommend the train--that's for sure!
A dog sled.
The trian approaching the depot to pick us up.
The conductor on the train.
A picture of Spencer Glacier that you can see only from the train.
Pieces of the Spencer Glacier in a little lake just below it. The glaciers have such an awesome blue color.
The dining car on the train. In the background is Tasha (Shelly's sister with blonde hair), Jerry taking a video, and Curt in his red had looking out the window of the train.
The train went around several "S" curves so we could get a picture of it from the dining car.
One of the glaciers viewable from the train. I can't remember the name of this glacier, but isn't it beautiful?
A waterfall along the train tracks. If you couldn't see the snow on top of the mountains, I would swear we were in Hawaii. It was so green and lush with water and waterfalls everywhere!
A rescue helicopter along the tracks. The train had to stop to let it land.
Boats in the harbor at Whittier. This is the end of the road. You have to go through a 2 1/2 mile long tunnel through the mountain to get there. There is only a one lane road for all the cars and the train. Sometimes you have to wait an hour to get through. We were lucky and got through both ways without even a wait. It is the second longest tunnel in North America. Whittier is on the west side of Prince William Sound. Population is 182. During World War II the United States Army constructed a port and railroad terminus near the glacier and named the port Whittier. The spur of the Alaska Railroad to Whittier was completed in 1943 and the port became the entrance for United States soldiers into Alaska. The port remained an active army facility until 1960. It was a secret port that the Japanese didn't know about during World War II. In 1964, Whittier was severely damaged by tsunamis created by the big earthquake. It had a moment magnitude of 9.2 and registered 8.4 on the Richter scale. It was said the "spit" at Homer dropped 9 feet from the Good Friday earthquake. The earthquake lasted nearly 5 minutes. Two hundred miles southwest, some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by 30 feet (9.1 m). East of Anchorage, areas around the head of Turnagain Arm near Portage dropped 8 feet (2.4 m), requiring reconstruction and fill to raise the Seward Highway above the new high tidemark. In Prince William Sound, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tidal wave destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 people; survivors out-ran the wave, climbing to high ground. Post-quake tidal waves severely affected Valdez, Whittier, Seward, Kodiak, and other Alaskan Communities, as well as people and property in British Columbia, Oregon, and California. Tidal waves caused damage in Hawaii and Japan.
A sign at Whittier. Many cruise liners stop at Whittier on Prince William Sound.
We ate at a very small dining place at Whittier. Whenever we ate out, I always had halibut, salmon, or shrimp because it is so fresh in Alaska. In the picture, starting at the left, is Tasha (Shelly's sister), Lyndsay in the green jacket, Logan, Jerry, Curt, Lacey, me, Shelly, and Sherry. Larry took the picture, but he is in the next picture.
This is Larry, a very funny guy, with Sherry on the left and Tasha on the right. They made this trip so much fun. The Friday before we left, we had dinner at their house (actually Sherry's house). We had halibut, Curt's salmon he caught, steak, baked potatoes, and green salad. It was quite the feast.
Me sitting on the bench and looking out into Prince William Sound.
Another interesting sign at Whittier.
There was a nice waterfall on the other side of Whittier. You can't really drive anywhere there--it is a walking town. So we crossed under the railroad track in this tunnel to get to the waterfall. That is Larry in front.
We left on July 31. This picture is the beginning of our trip. We stayed at the Excaliber in Las Vegas. We flew out the next morning on flight 141 with US Airways. It was a direct non-stop flight to Anchorage, Alaska. The flight took about 4 hours 45 minutes.
Here we are sitting in the Las Vegas airport. Curt, Lacey, Lyndsay, and Shelly are patiently waiting. We needed to be at the airport two hours early. When we went through security, Curt got stopped and hauled away to a little room where they had to further check him because he set off the alarms. He has a metal plate in his arm and a titanium ring where he had his colon surgery a couple of years ago. They had a wand moving up and down his body. He had to undo his pants in the process. We were beginning to wonder if they would let him on! But, he made it!
Here is the lobby of the Anchorage Airport. You can see Curt and Lacey in the shadows. After we picked up our luggage, we all went to the car rental place. We rented a red 2008 Chevy Aveo; the Twitchell's rented a gray 2008 Camry.
Lyndsay and I by a polar bear display at the Anchorage Airport.
Curt took these pictures as we were driving out of Anchorage. If you click on the picture, you can see the homes up in the hills. We didn't go into downtown Anchorage until the day we got back. We tried to find the LDS temple there but ran out of time. We had to get our rental cars back.
More pictures of the homes in the Anchorage hillside.
Here we are driving down the road around Turnagain Arm. It is a huge bay out of Cook Inlet.
Another picture of Turnagain Arm. Across the water is a small town called Hope that we visited later on our trip. In this bay, we were able to watch Beluga whales (they are white). We weren't able to get a picture of them, though. They would barely surface so you couldn't see much of them.
In front of us is the Twitchell's rental car. Off to the left of their car, you'll see two mountain goats. If you click on the picture, you can see them better. Off to the right is Turnagain Arm.
A close-up of the mountain goat alongside the roadway.
The sign welcoming us to the Kenai Peninsula. We had to go all the way around Turnagain Arm to get to the peninsula. On the Kenai Peninsula you can see every type of terrain found in Alaska except for tundra. You have to go much further north to see that.
Here is the welcome sign for Soldotna, Alaska. They believe the name came from a Russian word meaning "soldier." Another source claims it is an Athabascan Indian word meaning "the stream fork." This is where we stayed from August 1-August 9. It is a beautiful place.
It was interesting to see the fire hydrants in Soldotna. They all have a little pole sticking up so they can be found after the snow falls. The red cement pillars would be covered in snow.
All around the area it is filled in with trees and shrubs. It is hard to see all the wildlife because they are so protected by trees and foliage. We were lucky enough to see four or five bears and a few moose. Moose come right down into town. We had a mother moose and her calf hanging around our lodge during our stay there.
Lacey and Curt on one of the walkways leading to the Kenai River. There are walkways built all along the river in places. You cannot fish from the bank because salmon eggs are deposited there. You can either fish from the walkways or else you have to wade out into the river. You cannot fish from the bank itself.
The Kenai River.
The Kenai River again showing the walkway and people out in the river fishing.
Some salmon eggs left on shore from someone cleaning their fish. The rule on the Kenai is that you fillet and clean your fish right there. You take the filleted portion with you and throw all the rest of the fish back into the river. It helps feed birds, animals, and other fish in the river.
There was a bluff right behind the facility where the wedding took place in Kenai, Alaska. This is a picture of the fishing boats lined up to enter the Cook Inlet to fish.
Looking from the bay out to Cook Inlet.
A road sign near Kenai. Notice the gas prices--$4.69. That is what we paid the whole time we were there. Gas was priced at $4.11 or thereabouts at home ($4.19 in our hometown--the highest prices in the county!). When we left Las Vegas to come home, we bought gas for $3.85.
Two fishing boats.
A bird on the shore.
Lyndsay, Lacey, Logan, Shelly, and Curt at the Kasilof River on our way to Homer. This picture doesn't do the color of the river justice. Itwas always a beautiful blue-green color.
One of the unique signs we saw along the way to Homer.
Another interesting sign . . . .
Some of the plants growing near the Kasilof River.
People here are digging for clams at Clam Gulch, Alaska. After the tide goes out, many clams are deposited on the beach. You have to dig to get them.
This is a Russian Greek Orthodox Church at Ninilchik on the way to Homer.
A picture of the little Russian village of Ninilchik.
This is our rental car, a Chevy Aveo, with the Russion Greek Orthodox Church in the background. We put 1,208 miles on it. That is the ONLY way to see Alaska. Cruises are nice to see the sea life and some of the tidal glaciers. But to really see Alaska you need to drive it.
See that little piece of land jutting out into the ocean? That is the Homer Spit. We drove down there and ate and shopped. It offers a series of boardwalks with shops, charter services, food outlets, gift shops, etc. Homer is the halibut fishing capital of the world.
Glaciers across Kachemak Bay on the way to Homer. Across the bay you can take a tour boat and visit Seldovia--a Russian settlement.
Sign before Homer.
The port on the Homer Spit.
Some of the shops on the "spit."
More shops on the "spit."
The "Salty Dawg Saloon" on the Homer Spit. This is a "must see" spot at Homer. You'll see why in the following pictures.
Just inside the door to the Salty Dawg Saloon. People put their names on money and staple it inside. The two rooms and ceilings inside are covered. Click on the picture to read what some have written on the bills.
A wall inside the Salty Dawg Saloon.
The ceiling of the saloon. Lacey is busy taking her own pictures.
This was one of Lacey and Lyndsay's favorite places at Homer--Buttwhacker's. They customize your fishing trip for halibut. They "pack 'em, rack 'em, whack 'em, and sack 'em." Lacey bought a hoodie here.
Some fishermen unloading the halibut they caught.
More halibut pictures.
An airplane that has the pontoons for landing gear. They were all over Alaska. Most places are so remote, this is the only way to travel there. In fact, if you get a map of Alaska, notice how the majority of the state doesn't even have roads. You either have to fly or get there by boat.
A picture of the room Curt and I slept in at the Salmon Lodge at Soldotna. Lacey also had her own room.
A picture of Lacey's room. We also had a nice living room and kitchen. We bought a lot of our own food since we had a fridge, stove, microwave, and dishwasher. It was really the perfect place to stay.
Lacey in the bathroom.
The moose and calf that hung out by our lodge.
On our trip to Seward and Resurrection Bay, we visited the Alaska Sea Life Center there and got to see many of the ocean animals.
A puffin at the Sea Life Center.
The hills by Seward. Seward is a city on Resurrection Bay. Many cruise ships dock here.
A sea lion.
Waterfalls just outside Seward.
Just outside Seward, you can visit Exit Glacier in the Kenai Fjords National Park. It is one of the few glaciers you can walk to. We had to hike about two miles (roundtrip) to get up close to it. Most are off the beaten path. There are many tidal glaciers you can visit by boat. Seward used to be the starting point of the Iditarod Dog Sled race. It now starts with a ceremonial start in Anchorage and then the real race starts just north of Anchorage. They then race all the way to Nome, Alaska. Check it out on a map--it is a LONG ways to go by dog sled.
Another picture of Exit Glacier and surrounding mountains.
Lacey, me, and Lyndsay on our hike to Exit Glacier. I don't think there was a day we could go without our jackets. It was around 58 degrees or cooler the whole time we were there. Much different than the 107 degrees we left in Las Vegas!
Notice the blue colors of the glacier. We were told that the snow reflects the white light but all the other colors are absorbed in the glacier. The blue is the other colors coming out of the glacier.
A sign at the end of the trail to Exit Glacier.
Logan, Jerry, Lyndsay, Lacey, and I at the side of the glacier. A shorter hike took you to the "toe" but we wanted to be up higher.
Sign at the glacier.
Outside Exit Glacier's visitor's center is a chalkboard where they keep track of wildlife seen on the hike. Notice we actually hiked with the bears--but we didn't see any. Again, the foliage is so thick they would almost have to be next to you to see them. I don't think I'd like to encounter a bear on the trail.
A moose along the road back to Soldotna.
A building being moved down the Soldotna highway.
Jerry, Logan, and Curt getting ready to do some fishin' on the Kenai River. Lacey is standing next to them in her Buttwhacker's hoodie.
Curt and Logan went fishing on a boat one day--Jerry and Logan went the next day. Shelly's neice's (Sherry) boyfriend, Jason, had a boat and was kind enough to take them fishing. This picture was taken about 10 o'clock at night. It didn't get dark there until 2 or 3 in the morning. That took a little getting used to. I'm not used to going to bed while the sun is still up. They saw a bear on the shore but it was too dark for the bear to show up in the picture.
A picture of the setting sun from the boat. Again, this was taken between 10 and 11 at night.
Logan on the boat.
The sunset and the wake of the boat.
Larry (Shelly's brother-in-law) and Logan with the boat.
Driving down the road to Skilak Lake, about 25-30 miles from Soldotna.
On the road to Skilak Lake, we came across a mother black bear and her two cubs. If you click on the picture you can see them better. We didn't dare get closer--we were afraid we'd frighten them away.
One of the unique signs outside of Soldotna.
Jerry with two of his pink (humpies) salmon he caught on the Kenai River. There are so many different kinds of salmon you really have to know. We thought for sure they were silvers. We just barely missed the king salmon run. If you happened to catch one of those, you had to throw them right back. You couldn't even take a picture or you'd be fined.
Logan with his pink (humpie) salmon. Not too bad, huh?
This is a unique picture. Here is Curt with his "big" catch. The lure was bigger than the fish. We laughed and laughed at this one. He did catch a really nice one which is pictured next. Larry let the boys use his equipment. They all bought waders and the tackle to use. Thanks for the poles, Larry! They had so much fun fishing.
Here is Curt's nice silver (coho) salmon. It weighed from 12-13 pounds--probably the biggest fish he'll ever catch. Logan helped Curt get this one in to shore. They didn't have any nets. The next day he caught even a bigger one (a red salmon) but didn't get to keep it long enough to get a picture. It flopped off the shore as the hook went in one side and out the other side of Curt's finger. Ouch!
One day we took a trip to Portage and Whittier. This is a portion of the Portage Glacier that had "calved" from the original glacier. You can't see the Portage Glacier very well without taking a boat out to it. We didn't have time to get that little side trip in.
An Alaskan Huskie at the train station. We took a 4 1/2 hour train ride up into the Chugach Mountains to see some terrain you don't see by car. It was awesome. I would recommend the train--that's for sure!
A dog sled.
The trian approaching the depot to pick us up.
The conductor on the train.
A picture of Spencer Glacier that you can see only from the train.
Pieces of the Spencer Glacier in a little lake just below it. The glaciers have such an awesome blue color.
The dining car on the train. In the background is Tasha (Shelly's sister with blonde hair), Jerry taking a video, and Curt in his red had looking out the window of the train.
The train went around several "S" curves so we could get a picture of it from the dining car.
One of the glaciers viewable from the train. I can't remember the name of this glacier, but isn't it beautiful?
A waterfall along the train tracks. If you couldn't see the snow on top of the mountains, I would swear we were in Hawaii. It was so green and lush with water and waterfalls everywhere!
A rescue helicopter along the tracks. The train had to stop to let it land.
Boats in the harbor at Whittier. This is the end of the road. You have to go through a 2 1/2 mile long tunnel through the mountain to get there. There is only a one lane road for all the cars and the train. Sometimes you have to wait an hour to get through. We were lucky and got through both ways without even a wait. It is the second longest tunnel in North America. Whittier is on the west side of Prince William Sound. Population is 182. During World War II the United States Army constructed a port and railroad terminus near the glacier and named the port Whittier. The spur of the Alaska Railroad to Whittier was completed in 1943 and the port became the entrance for United States soldiers into Alaska. The port remained an active army facility until 1960. It was a secret port that the Japanese didn't know about during World War II. In 1964, Whittier was severely damaged by tsunamis created by the big earthquake. It had a moment magnitude of 9.2 and registered 8.4 on the Richter scale. It was said the "spit" at Homer dropped 9 feet from the Good Friday earthquake. The earthquake lasted nearly 5 minutes. Two hundred miles southwest, some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by 30 feet (9.1 m). East of Anchorage, areas around the head of Turnagain Arm near Portage dropped 8 feet (2.4 m), requiring reconstruction and fill to raise the Seward Highway above the new high tidemark. In Prince William Sound, a 27-foot (8.2 m) tidal wave destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 people; survivors out-ran the wave, climbing to high ground. Post-quake tidal waves severely affected Valdez, Whittier, Seward, Kodiak, and other Alaskan Communities, as well as people and property in British Columbia, Oregon, and California. Tidal waves caused damage in Hawaii and Japan.
A sign at Whittier. Many cruise liners stop at Whittier on Prince William Sound.
We ate at a very small dining place at Whittier. Whenever we ate out, I always had halibut, salmon, or shrimp because it is so fresh in Alaska. In the picture, starting at the left, is Tasha (Shelly's sister), Lyndsay in the green jacket, Logan, Jerry, Curt, Lacey, me, Shelly, and Sherry. Larry took the picture, but he is in the next picture.
This is Larry, a very funny guy, with Sherry on the left and Tasha on the right. They made this trip so much fun. The Friday before we left, we had dinner at their house (actually Sherry's house). We had halibut, Curt's salmon he caught, steak, baked potatoes, and green salad. It was quite the feast.
Me sitting on the bench and looking out into Prince William Sound.
Another interesting sign at Whittier.
There was a nice waterfall on the other side of Whittier. You can't really drive anywhere there--it is a walking town. So we crossed under the railroad track in this tunnel to get to the waterfall. That is Larry in front.
Here is a stream at the bottom of the waterfall that was created from the glacier high above Whittier. I just had to touch the water so I could say I touched a glacier. I also took a rock home from the glacial deposit. It was so pretty, and the water was cold!
Curt, Lacey, and I in front of the stream. You can almost see the waterfall above us.
Sherry, Larry, and Tasha at the stream.
Lacey, Logan, Lyndsay, Shelly, and Jerry near the stream.
The waterfall leading down to the stream.
A glacier across the water at Prince William Sound.
This is just after we exited the tunnel from Whittier on the way home. I mentioned early you can't see Portage Glacier unless you are in a boat. The glacier near the water on the right hand side of the picture is Portage Glacier. It is one of the most photographed glaciers in Alaska. Many of the glaciers have retreated a lot because of the climate (global warming). When we visited Exit Glacier, it has receded hundreds of feet from where it was in the 1950's.
Curt holding a moose "shed" that Larry found. He keeps it locked up. They are worth a lot of money.
On the way to Anchorage on our way back to the airport, we stopped at Hope, Alaska. It is an old mining town that is practically abandoned now. Hope was a gold rush town before Dawson or Nome. The buildings and flavor of the early days still charm, with the store downtown serving customers since 1896, and the turn-of-the-century log Social Hall still hosting community meetings, dances and weddings. Hope and the surrounding area swelled to 3000 souls long before Anchorage existed, and now counts about 137. It's a very special place, unlike any other with its wild history and quiet today. Located at the end of the road on the southern shores of Turnagain Arm, the scenic mountain community welcomes you to feel the past and experience its friendly present. Portions of the town were destroyed in the 1964 earthquake.
A cabin at Hope, Alaska.
A sign found on Main Street in Hope, Alaska. Click on the picture to read it better.
Another sign at Hope, Alaska.
After we left Hope, we stopped at a wildlife conservation park near the turnoff to Portage. Here we were able to see many of the animals we really didn't get a chance to see in the wild. They are all there, it is just difficult to see all of them because of Alaska's terrain. We did see bear and moose. Here is a huge elk I know Landon would like to see during the elk hunt this year.
More elk.
The "big" one.
A baby elk that still has its spots.
Buffalo.
A closeup of a buffalo. It has very beautiful eyes.
These are musk oxen. They are very different looking creatures.
Here is a moose with its velvety antlers. He walked close enough to the fence that I was able to touch his antlers.
A brown bear. He was quite friendly. One of the people that work there was getting him to do a few little tricks and then would feed him bread.
A closeup picture of his head.
A coyote was wandering in the same pen as the bear. I guess they must get along okay.
Two cute little black bears eating the grass.
Look at his cute paw.
Some caribou (reindeer). The velvet was just coming off the horns. If you look closely at the front one, you can see some of the bloody antler where the velvet is coming off. Lacey got a good picture of one which had lost most of its velvet. Madalynn and Audrey, this is what Santa Claus's reindeer look like.
More caribou (reindeer).
A polar bear at the (sigh) Anchorage airport. We were really sad to end our trip. This is one that will never be forgotten.
The gate to board flight 116 to get home. We flew into Las Vegas at night. That was a sight to see. The lights at night were beautiful.
This is the plane we flew home on. You hear about planes being late all the time. We actually got to Las Vegas 1/2 hour early.
I'm sorry this was such a long blog, but I wanted to give you a flavor of the trip. If we could do it again, I'd leave tomorrow. Thanks again, Shelly and Jerry, for allowing us to accompany you on your trip. We will never forget the wonderful time we had.
Curt, Lacey, and I in front of the stream. You can almost see the waterfall above us.
Sherry, Larry, and Tasha at the stream.
Lacey, Logan, Lyndsay, Shelly, and Jerry near the stream.
The waterfall leading down to the stream.
A glacier across the water at Prince William Sound.
This is just after we exited the tunnel from Whittier on the way home. I mentioned early you can't see Portage Glacier unless you are in a boat. The glacier near the water on the right hand side of the picture is Portage Glacier. It is one of the most photographed glaciers in Alaska. Many of the glaciers have retreated a lot because of the climate (global warming). When we visited Exit Glacier, it has receded hundreds of feet from where it was in the 1950's.
Curt holding a moose "shed" that Larry found. He keeps it locked up. They are worth a lot of money.
On the way to Anchorage on our way back to the airport, we stopped at Hope, Alaska. It is an old mining town that is practically abandoned now. Hope was a gold rush town before Dawson or Nome. The buildings and flavor of the early days still charm, with the store downtown serving customers since 1896, and the turn-of-the-century log Social Hall still hosting community meetings, dances and weddings. Hope and the surrounding area swelled to 3000 souls long before Anchorage existed, and now counts about 137. It's a very special place, unlike any other with its wild history and quiet today. Located at the end of the road on the southern shores of Turnagain Arm, the scenic mountain community welcomes you to feel the past and experience its friendly present. Portions of the town were destroyed in the 1964 earthquake.
A cabin at Hope, Alaska.
A sign found on Main Street in Hope, Alaska. Click on the picture to read it better.
Another sign at Hope, Alaska.
After we left Hope, we stopped at a wildlife conservation park near the turnoff to Portage. Here we were able to see many of the animals we really didn't get a chance to see in the wild. They are all there, it is just difficult to see all of them because of Alaska's terrain. We did see bear and moose. Here is a huge elk I know Landon would like to see during the elk hunt this year.
More elk.
The "big" one.
A baby elk that still has its spots.
Buffalo.
A closeup of a buffalo. It has very beautiful eyes.
These are musk oxen. They are very different looking creatures.
Here is a moose with its velvety antlers. He walked close enough to the fence that I was able to touch his antlers.
A brown bear. He was quite friendly. One of the people that work there was getting him to do a few little tricks and then would feed him bread.
A closeup picture of his head.
A coyote was wandering in the same pen as the bear. I guess they must get along okay.
Two cute little black bears eating the grass.
Look at his cute paw.
Some caribou (reindeer). The velvet was just coming off the horns. If you look closely at the front one, you can see some of the bloody antler where the velvet is coming off. Lacey got a good picture of one which had lost most of its velvet. Madalynn and Audrey, this is what Santa Claus's reindeer look like.
More caribou (reindeer).
A polar bear at the (sigh) Anchorage airport. We were really sad to end our trip. This is one that will never be forgotten.
The gate to board flight 116 to get home. We flew into Las Vegas at night. That was a sight to see. The lights at night were beautiful.
This is the plane we flew home on. You hear about planes being late all the time. We actually got to Las Vegas 1/2 hour early.
I'm sorry this was such a long blog, but I wanted to give you a flavor of the trip. If we could do it again, I'd leave tomorrow. Thanks again, Shelly and Jerry, for allowing us to accompany you on your trip. We will never forget the wonderful time we had.
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