August 30th - Saturday - 2008:
Chugach Valley - Wilderness Scenic Tour:
Our next stop on this tour was the Chugach Stream another 10 minutes from the reserve. There we watched red Atlantic salmon on their way to their mating sites. There were literally hundreds of salmon lined one after the other on this stream and they were so close you could almost reach in the water and touch them, this was a beautiful site, also this park is surrounded by the Chugach Glaciers on the mountains.
We stayed in the stream area for about 30 minutes, just enjoying the scenery and the beauty of this entire valley. There were literally hundreds of plant varieties but most surprising was the wild flowers we saw along the road, vibrant and lush everywhere.
Our next stop was the Chugach Inlet, another majestic glacier mountain and sea coast, we were hoping to see some whales migrating but without any luck. We stayed and took pictures for another 15 minutes before proceeding to the Whittier tunnel entrance.
Before crossing over to Whittier, we had to wait in the entrance of the tunnel, the Whittier Rail/Highway tunnel is the 2nd longest tunnel in the world, it is 1.75 miles of nothing but darkness when the bus enters there. If you are driving into the tunnel, there is a $35 fee to use the highway. It can only divert one way traffic at a time, so while we waited for the train to enter into Whittier, the traffic going out of Whittier was next, after that it was our turn. If you noticed I mentioned fees that needed to be paid in both the tunnel and the wildlife park to show how much the shuttle fare was a bargain.
Going through the tunnel seemed forever, all you can see is a an occasional glimpse of light coming from the end of the tunnel. The walls was just enough clearance for a Shuttle bus to pass through and every car behind us had to put their head lights on which was mandatory before entering the tunnel.
We finally arrived in Whittier, population 300, this village is mostly occupied only in the summer months, most of the workers for the Alaska State Ferry, commercial fishing, railroad, freight barges, small boat harbor and military personnel occupy the housing building which at first glance looked like a nice hotel.
We stayed in the stream area for about 30 minutes, just enjoying the scenery and the beauty of this entire valley. There were literally hundreds of plant varieties but most surprising was the wild flowers we saw along the road, vibrant and lush everywhere.
Our next stop was the Chugach Inlet, another majestic glacier mountain and sea coast, we were hoping to see some whales migrating but without any luck. We stayed and took pictures for another 15 minutes before proceeding to the Whittier tunnel entrance.
Before crossing over to Whittier, we had to wait in the entrance of the tunnel, the Whittier Rail/Highway tunnel is the 2nd longest tunnel in the world, it is 1.75 miles of nothing but darkness when the bus enters there. If you are driving into the tunnel, there is a $35 fee to use the highway. It can only divert one way traffic at a time, so while we waited for the train to enter into Whittier, the traffic going out of Whittier was next, after that it was our turn. If you noticed I mentioned fees that needed to be paid in both the tunnel and the wildlife park to show how much the shuttle fare was a bargain.
Going through the tunnel seemed forever, all you can see is a an occasional glimpse of light coming from the end of the tunnel. The walls was just enough clearance for a Shuttle bus to pass through and every car behind us had to put their head lights on which was mandatory before entering the tunnel.
We finally arrived in Whittier, population 300, this village is mostly occupied only in the summer months, most of the workers for the Alaska State Ferry, commercial fishing, railroad, freight barges, small boat harbor and military personnel occupy the housing building which at first glance looked like a nice hotel.
Wow. I haven't read this blog in its entirety before...
ReplyDeleteLOVE YOU GRANDPA I MISS YOUUUUUUU