synonymous with summer fun. And for our family, that fun usually involves water. Traditionally, July 4th is a day spent out on the boat enjoying some of the best that summer has to offer: swimming, tubing, friends and family, fireworks and a cook-out.
This year - July 4th looks a little different, although it still involves water:
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| Portage Lake. With a mini-iceberg. |
Just how did we wind up spending our July 4th standing near a glacier? Well. It's my Mom's fault.
No - no, it's not. But I did have family in mind when we started on this outing. Since there is family coming to visit in August, I have been trying to come up with an itinerary of activity. One for sure thing we would like to do is a cruise to see the glaciers and some wildlife. Whittier is the closest port to Anchorage, and therefore, the closest port to get on a tour boat. Since I don't want to leave everything up to chance, I thought we (Steve, Jake and myself along with Rosey and Riley) would take a picnic lunch and make a day trip down to Whittier just to check things out. Plus, it was something different to do - a mini adventure.
Yesterday, we loaded lunch into the cooler and loaded the dogs into the back of the Suburban. Whittier is only about an hour south of Anchorage, so we anticipated an easy drive. Now, if you recall, in other posts I have mentioned that the roads in Alaska aren't all that numerous. There is one highway that leads south of Anchorage and it is a two lane road that follows along some spectacular scenery.
We weren't very far into the trip when traffic pretty much came to a standstill. Not wanting to sit in a traffic jam for the next 30 miles, we opted to turn around, and try the trip the next day. Which is today, July 4th. Turns out, there were two minor accidents on the road that tied up all the traffic. The deputy on TV reminded everyone they needed to pay more attention to their driving, and less to the scenery or the wildlife.
Today, we started out much earlier in the day, and traffic was not a problem. It was about 60 when we left the house and the sun was trying to come out from the clouds. The Seward Highway along the Turnagain Arm is nothing but beautiful.
The road to Whittier includes a one-lane tunnel shared by two-way traffic and a train. You pay your toll and stop and wait until it is time for the traffic on your side of the tunnel to go through. The wait is only about 30 minutes max. Not a big deal, but important information if you need to be departing on a ship at a certain time.
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| Waiting at the Whittier tunnel |
But I digress. Prior to getting to the tunnel we passed the Begich Boggs Visitor Center on Portage Lake, right near the Portage glacier. As we were driving along we caught glimpses of mini-iceburgs in this glacier-fed mountain lake.
As we headed farther south, the weather grew cloudier and wetter. Once we passed through the tunnel, however, we were in a completely different weather system. It was a cold drizzle, everything was wet. Whittier itself is about as big as a postage stamp. There is a marina, several charter businesses, a few restaurants, and the Alaska Ferry docks there (from the Alaska Marine Highway). And that's about it. We managed to walk up and down the town in probably less than an hour. And that's with me stopping to talk and to take pictures.
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| An Inn and Restaurant |
It was cold and wet, so my advice to those who are coming to visit this summer is to be sure to bring some gloves, a hat, and something warm and waterproof. Layers is a way of life here.
Once we saw the town, it was back in line for the tunnel. We stopped back at the Visitor Center and had lunch inside the Suburban. There are very few picnic tables to be seen in this part of the world. I wonder how much that has to do with the wildlife in the area? And speaking of wild life - there have been many bear sightings in Anchorage this summer. I heard of a trail with a sign posting pass at your own risk due to a recent moose kill (by a bear). Also, at one of the intown dog-parks, the beavers are attacking the dogs. Anchorage bills itself as the Big Wild Life, but it seems that some of the four-legged residents in town are taking that a bit too literally.
Anyway, we stopped and had lunch in the truck, and then it was a walk at the lake. I stuck my fingers in the water. Yup, felt like ice water. And the lake is that same beautiful color we noticed when we drove the Alaska Highway. I wish I could capture it better in pictures.
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| I believe that is a small segment of glacier you can see there. I understand that Portage glacier used to come down right to the bottom of these mountains, but it has receded rapidly over the past 30 years and is now only accessible by boat. |
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| Can you see the glacial blue ice? |
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| Jake skipping stones. I don't know why he left off his coat. |
And then we were back in the car, heading towards home. The sun came back out and the weather warmed back up to the low 60's.
There will be fireworks somewhere in town tonight. But not until midnight, so I won't be up to see them. Even then, I don't think it will be dark enough to truly appreciate them. Fireworks are illegal in Anchorage, but right now, that doesn't seem to be bothering my neighbors.
It's a short work week - yeah for that! I wonder where I can convince my guys to go next weekend?
