Glaciers and Gondola - Girdwood Alaska

Portage Alaska (68 degrees, blue skies)

Sometimes Living Large

Means Feeling Small

Viewing glaciers always makes me feel so small. The Portage Glacier was no exception.  We took a quick one hour boat ride out to find this one. It's a beauty.

John told me when he left his first tour of duty in Alaska he stopped here for a few days and hiked out on this glacier. At one time it was at the Visitor Center and easy to access. Now you have to take a boat ride out to it. 

We stayed for a few days in the Portage area and there is a lot to see. It's near a tunnel which takes you to Whittier, a  small coastal town. The road ends in Whittier and you can only continue by boat or plane once you reach this town. There is very little land for houses so almost everyone lives in one 14 story apartment building. They get a huge amount of rainfall - over 200 inches. However, once again the weather was perfect for us and the locals were all smiling. It's a rare event. 

Tunnel entrance

Note railroad track in the middle

You get to Whittier from Portage by a  tunnel which is 13,200 feet long and is the longest highway and combined railway tunnel in North America. What that means is you share the tunnel with a train. We waited in line to enter and on the half hour everyone is escorted in - no stopping allowed. The cost is $13 and free to return on the hour. 

Apartment building for residents in background

It's a very picturesque town surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. Fishing and cruise line tourists are the big industry. We had the best halibut and chips "in the world" according to the owner. We agreed! TIP:  Be sure to stop at Swiftwater Restaurant. Best place to eat your fish is on the back patio overlooking the marina

Halibut catch

The following day we went with Bob and Patsy to Alyeska Resort in Girdwood to ride the gondola. We used one of our Alaska Tour Saver coupons for a two for one deal. The views after the quick ride up were beautiful. There are some nice hiking trails up there too.

Can you find Patsy?

I love the colors in this photo - no retouch

Last but not least was a fun visit to the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. This special place rescues wild animals and gives them a great place to hang out. Get ready to see some cute close ups.

Black Bear resting in his favorite tree

This little black-tailed fawn was born just two days ago. What a cutie

These weird, almost prehistoric looking animals are called Musk Ox. The guide told us they can be very dangerous and oftentimes do not get along. At one time they were thought to be extinct. One lone herd was found and slowly their numbers have increased.

This is only a sampling of what we saw. You can wander or drive around the grounds on your own or take a 1 1/2 hour tour. TIP:  We'd recommend the tour. It was very informative. 

Campground Review:  Portage Valley Cabins and RV Park, 3 star, 30 amp water and electric site on gravel, parking lot style, easy to level, dump on site, no "it"factor, friendly owner, No Verizon signal, WiFi was poor except by office, free DVD movies to borrow. They had problems with black bears getting into the trash. The trash can were not bear proof.