Aug 22, 2011 - Day 22 Glacier Bay

We sailed all night and arrived at Glacier Bay about mid afternoon. Again it was over cast and the colors were beautiful. The colors were so great they decided to put a crew out to make a prom film. The glacier makes a sound like a gun shot as it moves. We were lucky to see several breaches. But not able to get a picture. It happens so quickly you don't have time to get a shot. John Hopkins is one of a few glaciers that is advancing. It flows 10 to 15 feet a day. After dinner we went to a comedy show. It was great, my cheeks hurt from...

Aug 21, 2011 - Whittier, AK

Wow, blue sky and sunshine to greet us this morning. We are off to travel through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel which is two miles long arriving in Whittier, AK. We wanted to check out the ferry dock and parking spaces for the RV before having to load on the ferry tomorrow evening (Monday). On our way back to the campground we stopped at a Day Lodge for dinner. We did see some beautiful scenery today; glaciers and waterfalls seem to be everywhere. Portage Valley is a one of those places we didn't hear a lot about; but is very scenic

Aug 21, 2011 - Day 21 Hubbard Glacier

We sailed all night, it was a little rockie but not to bad. Just enough to rock you to sleep. We arrived at Hubbard Glacier late afternoon. It was windy and rainy as we approached the glacier but when we got closer the rain stopped and the glacier was a beautiful blue. We were told that if the sun were shinning it would have appeared to be all white. The glacier is 6.5 miles wide and 76 miles deep. Hubbard is the largest glacier in Alaska. After dinner we went to a musical show called Motor City. All Motown music.

Aug 20, 2011 - Seward to Whittier, AK

Yes it is raining, but we are on the road headed for Portage Valley Campground. After arriving we set up then go for a drive; we stop at the visitor center, there we watch a movie, then head back to the campground where we had a movie marathon with popcorn to end the day.

Aug 20, 2011 - Day 20 Whittier, Alaska

We had a 6 hr. train trip to Whittier. Whittier is where we boarded the ship for our cruse. Along the way we passed a silt field. They worn people to stay off the fields because it will suck you in and you will not be able to get out. Local folklore is a man sunk in up to his waist and they brought a helicopter in to pull him out. They said he was pulled in half. The silt is supposedly thousand of feet deep. We passed through Wasilla but didn't see Sarah Palin. It was rainy most of the day but when we arrived in Whittier it poured. We got a...

Jul 29, 2011 - Glacier Cruise Through Prince William Sound Part 1

Whittier is often referred to as the Gateway to Prince William Sound. Prince William Sound is located on the northern edge of the Gulf of Alaska. It is surrounded by the Chugach National Forest, the second largest National Forest in the United States, and three of North America's major ice fields. Whittier was created by the U.S. Army during WWII as a port and petroleum delivery center. After the war, the Army built the 14-story Begich Towers (formerly housed military families) which now houses more than half of Whittier's residents and...

Jul 28, 2011 - Hiking Byron Glacier and Winner Creek

It was a perfect day for hiking and sightseeing! As we were walking from the parking lot at Byron Glacier, we ran into some Florida folks we had talked to in Soldotna at the campground. Again, we chatted. They asked if we planned to do a cruise from Whittier, and we replied that we did not. They had a two for one coupon that they were not going to use. They generously gave it to us. We booked the cruise for the next day. We thoroughly enjoyed the easy .9 mile hike to Byron. We climbed over the moraine rock and over the ice field. Although...

Jul 27, 2011 - Williwaw Campground in Chugach National Forest

We moved northward and actually left the Kenai Peninsula on this day. We had a short drive to Williwaw Campground outside of Whittier. Again, this is in the Chugach National Forest 4 miles off the Seward Highway. The campground rests at the foot of a mountain bearing Middle Glacier. The views were stunning. Upon entering the campground, we found a posted warning about bears. Hmmm! It was not the normal warnings about their presence and storage of food, etc. It warned that bears were approaching people for food and that one entered an RV!!...

Jul 25, 2011 - Whittier and Glacier Cruise

Today we did the “26 Glacier Cruise” on Prince William Sound aboard the Klondike Express. We left the campground at 8am and headed to Whittier. Of course, it was raining. Along the way we stopped to view the Portage Glacier. Until 2000 the only way to access Whittier overland was by train. In order to allow access for cars to Whittier a major modification of the 2.5-mile-long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel had to be made to handle both railroad and vehicle traffic. The tunnel is 1-lane, and cars and trains take turns traveling through it....

Jul 21, 2011 - Whittier

Day 31 About ninety miles from Seward is a small, isolated town called Whittier. It has a couple of claims to fame. One is that it’s behind a tunnel. The second is that the port on the west end of Prince William Sound has an Alaska Ferry Terminal. It’s also where Princess Cruise ships either end a cruise, or start one, depending on the itinerary. Two years ago we flew into Anchorage, boarded a bus, went through the tunnel, and boarded a Princess Cruise ship. A week later, having gone through parts of Alaska’s Inland Passage, we disembarked...

Jul 19, 2011 - Whittier, AK

We only drove about 30 miles and stopped at Portage Valley RV park. It is just outside of Whittier and we are only staying one night. We went over to Portage Lake and took a one hour boat ride over to Portage Glacier. It was fun to see a glacier up close. A park ranger gave the history of the area and how glaciers are important to the environment. The name of Portage comes from it being the only way into Whitter over the frozen lake in the winter. That was before the road and tunnel. After the tour we headed to the Anton Anderson Tunnel...

Jul 9, 2011 - In Portage Valley

Sabbath: We drove back 9 miles to Girdwood and Alyeska Ski Resort and took the Alyeska Ski Resort Tram to the top of the mountain – from 300 foot to 2300 foot elevation. There was a little bit of snow up there but not much. We were told that this is the longest double-diamond ski run in North America. It is steep! Our son-in-law, Dan, would love it here in the wintertime! After looking around and taking lots of pictures, we came back down the tram, then drove to Whittier, which was established during WWII as a supply port for the war...