Seward, AK 2014 - Day 12

Portage Lake

At 8:00 this morning, we said goodbye to our 675 square foot apartment, loaded up the car, and headed towards Anchorage. About 80 miles outside of Seward, we decided to drive up to Whittier. We passed Portage Glacier and saw a few small, but incredibly brilliant blue icebergs in the water.

We were excited to drive through the Whittier Tunnel (officially called the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel). At two and a half miles long, the tunnel is the longest rail and highway tunnel in North America. After paying the $12 toll, we waited in the staging area for the tunnel to open for those of us traveling to Whittier. It’s a single lane tunnel and it is incredibly nerve-racking driving through it, especially when you see “Help” phones and “Safe Houses” marked along the way. If you saw Sylvester Stallone save all those people from the Holland Tunnel in 1996’s Daylight, then you can understand the anxiety I was feeling. Although having Jackson in the seat behind me with his head sticking out the window shrieking like a maniac, while Chad honked the horn, did keep me distracted.

The entrance to the tunnel through Maynard Mount

We were amazed at how tiny Whittier is. I researched it and learned that just over 200 people live there permanently. It’s known as “The Gateway to the Prince William Sound” and it’s basically just a port city. We turned right around and went back through the tunnel. We stopped at Portage Lake for a while and I have never in my life seen a more beautiful lake. Fed by Portage Glacier, it’s brilliant green, and spectacular. Instagram and other photography apps can never achieve a filter that could make anything appear as glorious as this lake was today.

We continued on and arrived in Anchorage at 11:00. This town reminds me of any other town, but it has a bit of a 70s vibe, which I like. We visited The Hotel Captain Cook and walked around downtown a bit. We took an elevator to the top of a parking garage and looked at the view of the faraway mountains and I felt the yearning to go back and get away from the city. It’s funny how fast and easy you can walk away from some things.

Instead, we drove to Moose’s Tooth which was recommended by our dear friends who used to live here. The wait was forty minutes, which usually would send me packing, but instead we sat outside in the sun and Chad and I talked about life while the kids talked about farts. And Tootsie.

When our table was ready, the kids were starving. We were seated on the patio directly in the sun, which was wonderful, but our tabletop was made of stainless steel which reflected the sun directly into Ashley’s eyes. After some rearranging, we ordered our pizzas and drinks and prepared for a great dining experience. And that’s exactly what we got. Chad and I ordered the Santa’s Little Helper pizza because our friends Thomas and Christina told us to. It had pepperoni, blackened chicken, grilled steak, bacon, roasted red peppers, cilantro, mozzarella, and provolone. It was even better than it sounds and the kids were equally happy with their pizzas.

During lunch, I asked the kids what they miss most about home. Here is what they said:

Ali: “My bed, our own rooms, Tootsie, sleeping in total darkness, and Kellen.”

Jackson: “My PS4, Tootsie, privacy, and being away from you chumps.”

Ashley: “Aubyn, Tootsie, and my own bed.”

Poor Jessie, I hope she doesn’t read this.

We finished lunch and checked in to our hotel room which is about the same size as the apartment in Seward. It has hardwood floors, a kitchen, and the beds are covered with patchwork quilts. And when we turned on the TV, Rocky IV was on.

The boys took a thirty minute nap and when they woke up, they took me on a date to the movies. The girls stayed in the hotel room and watched a Full House marathon because they had zero interest in watching Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. I’m sure you were hoping for a movie review tonight so here you go: The story line was predictable, but it was entertaining nonetheless. And I will never, ever, ever understand how they were able to teach all those apes to talk. 

Alaska Fact #12:

During World War II Japan invaded the Aleutian Islands which started the One Thousand Mile War, the first battle fought on American soil since the Civil War.

The Niemeyers