JETT UPDATE:
Tim and I had a hard time getting Jett into bed last night. She kept whining for more food. She made it through the night without getting sick. Breakfast she held down as well. She seems very tired from being sick and on top of that her vet visit yesterday and possibly side effects from the medications. We will continue to closely monitor her.
Woke up to light rain. No sun and low clouds have the mountains socked in. It is still beautiful and possibly more magical in these conditions. Might be a good day to change plans.
Our loose schedule had us on a train today. However our priority is Jett and keeping her with us for the next few days until we feel comfortable leaving her for a few hours. So Plan B it was!! We took off to the strangest town in Alaska
… Whittier.
I just finished reading a book on its history and of the Portage Valley. It was so fascinating to be able to finally see this town. There is an incredible amount of history here. It’s located at the head of the Passage Canal off of Prince William Sound.
Without re-writing the book it has been traveled for hundreds of years by natives, traders, explorers, goldrushers, the U.S. Military and now visitors from all over the world. Here are a few strange facts about this port town. The six story Buckner building (1949) which was abandoned by the military. Had comfortable housing for over 1,000 residents. Included a theater, bowling alley, post office, church, jail and many other facilities within its walls.
The nearby “Hodge” building now known as the Begich Tower (1956) is 14 stories tall. Nicknamed ’the town under one roof’. Used to be the tallest building in Alaska. Currently it’s tied with the top three buildings in the state. It has over 200 apartments in it and houses most of the towns population. And to think there are two underground tunnels, now closed, connecting them. One for pedestrians and the other for utilities. This allowed the townspeople to travel between the buildings in the harsh winters. Also there is currently an open tunnel going to the school across the street to protect the children going to school in the winter.
Whittier has survived earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis. Was home to a secret military installation. Receives 197 inches of precipitation on average yearly. It’s port is deep and remains ice-free during winter. Is also now a cruise port. Vehicular travel is now possible as the train tunnel was converted to a single lane 2.7 mile shared-use car-train toll road (alternating one-way traffic). And it’s just around the corner from Valdez. There is so much more to tell about this picturesque port town. Hopefully this is enough to get you to want to visit it!
In the drizzling rain today we left basecamp to first check out a couple of nearby boondocking locations. Then off to Whittier. I had different visions of it. The book I read, has most of the pictures in black and white and not much detail. Figured it was a dreary, boring little place. This town was amazing! Beautiful. I really liked it when I thought I wouldn’t.
For the Halibut, Tim and I enjoyed a nice lunch at the Swiftwater Seafood Cafe. Strolled around the waterfront. Keeping Jett in the truck nearby. No way could we go through that long tunnel without her with us. We drove all over town. Scouted the campgrounds here. Visited Shotgun Cove and Lu Young Park all before heading back to get in line to drive back through the tunnel.
Love this town! Would not have wanted to see it any other way but in the beauty of the misty rain! The tall mountains were socked in the clouds that only added to the rain-soaked landscape.
We got Jett back to basecamp just in time for her dinner and her medications. So far she has kept that down. Yay!!
Sunset: 11:19 pm
Sunrise: 4:43 am
Wildlife viewings:
Seagulls
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