Tuesday, June 25, 2024

Charles M. Schulz, the mastermind behind Peanuts, once said, "Happiness is waking up, looking at the clock and finding that you still have two hours left to sleep.” While a luxurious lie-in wasn't exactly on the cards, the freedom to sleep in a bit before a 1:00 p.m. engagement in Whittier was a welcome luxury.

The day began around 10:30 a.m. with a scenic drive along Turnagain Arm. The beauty of Alaska demanded photo stops, even a playful chase after the Glacier Discovery train. The journey itself was a taste of the adventure to come.

The first stop was the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America. This 2.6-mile marvel burrows through Maynard Mountain, once exclusively for rail traffic. After an $80 million upgrade, it now welcomes vehicles, navigating them through its single lane at 25 mph, always 35 feet apart. Meeting Robert Krol in the parking lot was a serendipitous beginning to the Whittier experience. Click here to see a very well done YouTube video of traveling through the Whittier tunnel.

This is a one way tunnel used by vehicles from Anchorage on the half hour, vehicles from Whittier on the hour and used by the Alaskan Railway in between. A ticket cost us $13.00.	The Glacier Discovery operates between Anchorage and Whittier and south on the Seward rail line as far as Grandview whistle stop then back again. It is a seasonal train operating between May and September.	EMD GP40-2 was built for the Alaska Railroad in 1976. It was repainted in the modern paint scheme in 2000. Check out this video on the Glacier Discovery going through the Whittier Tunnel.
The train crew will move from GP40 #3010 to the Chugach Explorer railcar for the trip out of Whittier.	Chugach Adventures offers a Spencer Glacier rafting trip and so the Glacier Discovery generally has two baggage cars to carry all the rafts and equipment.	Next in line is coach 204....
followed by coach 205.	Bringing up the end is DMU #751 "Chugach Explorer"	Movie: Glacier Discovery departs Whittier
Video: Glacier Discovery prepares to enter the tunnel	Along Placer Creek	Along Placer Creek

We went into town and snagged a cache before meeting up with Robert Krol at the Princess building. Thom Connolly joined Robert in escorting us to the beach area where the new Norwegian Cruise Line Terminal was being built.

For as long as I can remember, Princess Cruises and Holland America Lines dock was the only game in town. Now there's s a new kid in town. The City of Whittier and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings collaborated with Huna Totem Corp. on the project, which sits on 20 privately held acres. Although Norwegian has the first right of scheduling on the double-birth pier, and terminal, they are open to all cruise lines. The $80 million 30,000-square-foot terminal holds a flexible interior with movable walls and partitions so it can be divided according to function including Whittier community events.

We wanted a tour of the terminal's interior, but Tor Wallen, manager of the new Whittier terminal, did not return phone calls. No big deal. Our tour guides knew the interior details which included a dedicated lounge for crews, storage space for cruise lines, WiFi, ship for ships and a large-capacity water tank. We drove around the outside and took a bunch of photos. The building looks as if it is nearing completion. The parking area and dock still have a long way to go to being finished. Eventually, there will be accommodations for bus service as well as Alaska Railroad service.

The double-birth pier as seen from the east.	Terry kept walking the beach to get closer photos.	Construction continues on the pier.
Looking back at the Princess terminal building	Construction area begins here	Entrance to HUNA dock - pump house & water tank
Future parking lot	Whittier Cruise Terminal building	A look inside the window
North side HUNA terminal - generator set for power	North side - dock end of HUNA terminal	North side terminal building
North side - dock end	Entrance from the dock end	The double-birth pier
The double-birth pier	The double-birth pier	Beautiful pristine lake dotted with residences
South side terminal - supposedly future train loading and unloading area	South side - dock end	The double-birth pier
The double-birth pier	Terminal	View further back
View from even further back	Beautiful pristine lake dotted with residences	Beautiful pristine lake dotted with residences
Beautiful pristine lake dotted with residences	Looking down towards terminal from old shooting range	Old Sawmill track
Old Sawmill track	Old Sawmill track	Old Sawmill track
This photo was one Robert sent me during my trip. This is one of a series of autonomous trucks. They've been here for over a year.	PACCAR has partnered with Aurora, a leading autonomous driving technology company, to develop and commercialize autonomous Peterbilt trucks.

With local knowledge returning to work, the afternoon was dedicated to the geocaching pursuit. Two adventure labs were completed and a couple of caches were successfully snagged. After a long day, the 4:00 p.m. exodus through the Anton Anderson Tunnel was a welcome sign of a return journey, with a quick stop at Portage Glacier Visitor Center for a virtual cache.

Progress Rail Ballast Regulator, ARR BR-32. A snow blower is attached to the broom.	Progress Rail Ballast Regulator, ARR BR-32. Front has a snow plow attached.	Retired #1076 was acquired and saved from scrapping by the city of Whittier and is now leased for $1.00 a year to the Whittier flotilla of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Retired #1076 was acquired and saved from scrapping by the city of Whittier and is now leased for $1.00 a year to the Whittier flotilla of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.	1943 WWII Railroad Commemorative Monument. Also note the 48-star flag flying in honor of WWII veterans and pioneers. This memorial area was unveiled Labor Day, 2018.	We grabbed a virtual geocache (GC9P521) at the Portage Glacier Visitor Center. Our mission was to sit next to Smokey and take a photo together.

The original plan to attend a Geocaching trash cleanup event at Windsong Park, preceded by a coffee shop meetup, hit a snag thanks to construction delays on the Seward Highway. Arriving ten minutes late, the experience was far from ruined. A warm welcome from Louise (geocaching name "frexweez") and the other geocachers, along with a bonus of Swiss chocolate from a couple visiting from Switzerland, created an atmosphere of instant camaraderie. After bagging a cache inside the coffee shop, the focus shifted to the park cleanup. The electric wheelchair became a mobile trash-collecting machine, and Terry joined a group venturing into the woods, retrieving both litter and caches.

Soon after popping out of the Whittier Tunnel	Turnagain Arm view	Windsong Park clean up
The local geocaching club helps keep Anchorage clean	Check out the club's website at Geocache Alaska	Local geocacher's license plate

With the cleanup complete and goodbyes exchanged, the group made their way back, grabbing some much-needed Taco Bell for a late dinner. A quiet evening of reading and journaling at Curt & Renee's capped off the day, with the promise of restful sleep thanks to the blessed black-out curtains.