An older couple coming down the rock staircase beside us informed us we were so very close to the viewing point and gave us some hope. So we stuffed our faces with some food and water and continued on the rocky path. As we zigzagged around another corner expecting maybe another, we finally saw it, the Exit Glacier. Bombarded with the sight of a remnant from the last ice age we took some pictures caught our breath and well with nowhere else to go headed the 2.5 miles back down. 2/3 of the way down I saw a penny on the ground (Sarah…stop laughing) I picked it up and put in my shoe for luck. Ten minutes later I rolled my ankle. I wasn’t impressed with my “lucky” penny and hobbled my way down the rest of the trail. We made it down in good time and well then Doctor Rob made me sit, take my shoes off, drink a beer and tensor wrap my ankle while poking fun of my swollen little sausage toes. I have to say it feels much better today, thank goodness!
Today is our last day on the Kenai Peninsula after a handful of gorgeous days in Homer, Kenai, Seward and our most recent stop, Whittier. When I had researched old abandoned buildings and mines in Alaska before we left I stumbled upon this picture of a very eerie looking war era structure. I had told Robi it would be something worth seeing and as we came closer to the area I began reading more about this town. I found out it is only road accessible by the 2.5 mile long Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. Robi was so unbelievably excited to drive on this one lane tunnel deep within a enormous mountain, both of us just hoping to not have an earthquake ruin our moment of fun.
After passing through this tunnel we came to the small harbor village of Whittier, it has been dubbed “Alaska’s Oddest Town” and for good reason. It almost felt as if we had been taken back to a completely different world. The mountains gaped into the sky and rivers flowed down them from glaciers suspended high above the clouds. The waters of the Prince William Sound were a spectacular shade of aquamarine and the was sun shining through brilliant white clouds.
I convinced Robi to climb a few flights of stairs and peer in to this abandoned relic. Stalagtites had formed on the roof and walls, the wind whipped through the windows and the constant sound of water dripping from the floors above sent chills down our spines. We scurried back down the rusty stairs and continued to peer in the open doors and windows until we were satisfied that this was the creepiest sight that either one of us had ever seen.
There was another building in town, The Begich Tower; it had been rehabilitated into condominiums after the war. It was a sad soviet style high rise and dwarfed the Buckner. After driving around for a little while Robi and I realized that there were absolutely no houses in this little village and that everyone lived in this dauntingly depressing dormitory. Scary.
We had a craving for seafood so we went to the Swiftwater Seafood Café on the boardwalk and had some fish and chips and a glass of cold beer. Halfway through our meal a couple sitting next to us started up some conversation, Robi started on the rooftop tent and they were hooked, they wanted to see the rig. We all finished and headed outside to continue swapping tales and trying to explain the Canadian term “Toque” to a New Yorker. We all decided to go to the local Inn for a drink and throw down some more stories and get to know our new acquaintances. We debated science, shared books and stories and Googled all life’s answers until last call and went our separate ways. It was the bee’s knees. =P
After Robi and I were both awaken out of a dead sleep at 7 am by what we both agreed was a “meow” we hid in the tent until we couldn’t play scared any longer. I made New York style bagels for breakfast and then we walked the boardwalk feeling extremely awake for the hour. We decided there wasn’t much more to see and then headed back through the tunnel and we are now headed back to Anchorage to see some of the sights we left for the way back through. The weather looks like it might hold up for us with breaks in the clouds on the horizon and well no rain, yet.
