Sunday, July 28, 2013 (Williwaw Campground, Chugach National Forest, Portage Lake, Alaska)

We decided last night that we would get  up early this morning and drive the short distance back to the Kenai Visitors Center on the Seward Highway and book a glacier tour of Prince William Sound with Major Marine Tours.  The one we wanted to take was the 5 1/4 hour trip to Surprise Glacier.  We were hoping that there would be room on the tour today...and there was!  By the time we had done all of the paperwork, we had just enough time to get back to the trailer, have a quick bite to eat and get ready for the 10:30 opening of the tunnel...yes, we have a 2 1/2 mile trip through a mountain to get to Whittier!

(Remember...click to enlarge pictures)

First, there was a short tunnel to go through...

Portage Lake...

After paying $35 (we cost a little more than smaller vehicles), we were on our way into the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel.  It opened to highway traffic in June of 2000.  For the first time, both automobile and trains traveled through the 2.5 mile tunnel to Whittier.  The renovation of the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel was a landmark effort.  It is the longest highway tunnel and the longest combined rail-highway use tunnel in North America. 
Because it is a one-way tunnel that accommodates both vehicles and trains, vehicles have to wait their turn to go through, so we had to wait in the staging area (much like a ferry line-up) for the next opening.  It opens every hour on the half hour for vehicle traffic going south to Whittier and every hour on the hour for traffic going back.

They have very strict speed limits and distances between vehicles...but we made it through in about 10 minutes...

We parked in the all-day parking lot ($10) and were on our way to check in for our cruise. 


Since we had about a half hour before boarding, we went for a walk along Whittier's waterfront...

Then it was time to board the M/V Fairweather Express II...








This is the route for today's cruise (blue line)...

 

 And we're on our way...leaving Whittier...

They have a US Forest Service Ranger narrating on the cruise...

Lunch time...Salmon, Prime Rib, Salad, Rice Pilaf and fresh sourdough bread...yum...

Largest Salmon Hatchery in North America...

Returning fish trying to get past the pens to the fresh water...

Steller Sea Lions...

 Fish boats setting their nets...

Washing the Jelly Fish off their nets...

Kayakers in he distance...

 

A "raft" of Sea Otters... 

 

Surprise Glacier...

A little calving going on...

 

 

Rocks hitching a ride on floating ice...

 

 

 

The Crew went "ice" fishing...



 Ahhh...nothing like a margarita made with glacier ice...

Gravel covered glacier at the shoreline...

 

 

Sea Otters in the foreground...

Island Princess...

More kayakers...

Waterfalls...

Gull nesting area...

 

 

 

 

Returning to Whittier...

There were 26 glaciers on this tour...we saw well over 150 Sea Otters...plus lots of Steller Sea Lions...but no Whales...

We docked just before 5:30...in  time to walk back to the truck and get in line for the 6:00 tunnel opening...

And time to relax...what an absolutely awesome day!  We both took tons of pictures...Steve managed to dwindle his down to 187 and mine down to 100...so you can imagine how hard it was picking pictures for the blog!  74 out of 287 pictures were posted...we may try to get a web album of all pictures set up...but that will have to be for another day... It was a two toes up day!!