July 11, 2014 Friday
Michelle grilled up some mighty fine salmon for dinner last night. Cedar planked with Montreal Seasonings. Pick as many lip smacking adjectives as you like here.
Going to my favorite little hamlet today. Hope, Alaska. Going to a homely little seaport that reminds me of Amity Harbor (Jaws) called Whittier. Going to Boggs Visitors Center/Portage Museum. I'm hoping there's a calved glacier in the bay or at least views of glaciers Portage, Byron, Middle, Burns and Explorer.
Get up people! Daylight is burning! Well, technically it's not. We're at the time of year in this part of Alaska where there's nineteen hours of daylight with the sun setting (hovering on the horizon) around midnight. If you call twilight skies sunset. Today the noon sun would show at 2:05PM. Go figure.
Remember my coffee cup Northern Exposure from yesterday? Well this morning there was a Yellow Troll sitting on top of it singing, "Mommy, Mommy, can I put on your clothes!?" This is a reference to a Whale Fat Follies number where the woman is upset that her husband is going fishing for a few days leaving her home alone. As he leaves, she starts missing him, and begins stripping ON his shirt, fishing vest, wading boots and hat while singing, "Honey, Honey, can I put on your clothes!" Hilarious!!! I should have recorded it.
Michelle grilled up some mighty fine salmon for dinner last night. Cedar planked with Montreal Seasonings. Pick as many lip smacking adjectives as you like here.
Going to my favorite little hamlet today. Hope, Alaska. Going to a homely little seaport that reminds me of Amity Harbor (Jaws) called Whittier. Going to Boggs Visitors Center/Portage Museum. I'm hoping there's a calved glacier in the bay or at least views of glaciers Portage, Byron, Middle, Burns and Explorer.
Get up people! Daylight is burning! Well, technically it's not. We're at the time of year in this part of Alaska where there's nineteen hours of daylight with the sun setting (hovering on the horizon) around midnight. If you call twilight skies sunset. Today the noon sun would show at 2:05PM. Go figure.
Remember my coffee cup Northern Exposure from yesterday? Well this morning there was a Yellow Troll sitting on top of it singing, "Mommy, Mommy, can I put on your clothes!?" This is a reference to a Whale Fat Follies number where the woman is upset that her husband is going fishing for a few days leaving her home alone. As he leaves, she starts missing him, and begins stripping ON his shirt, fishing vest, wading boots and hat while singing, "Honey, Honey, can I put on your clothes!" Hilarious!!! I should have recorded it.
Michelle and I went shopping yesterday for picnic items we would be enjoying today. Since we are driving pretty much most of the day and feeding eight in any establishment would cost a plane ticket, a picnic is the perfect solution. 11:15AM we head out, only two hours behind schedule. When the sun never sets, making a schedule is futile. Down Alaska Highway One, which winds through my Chugach Mountains and borders the Gulf of Alaska, Bob's eyes are as big as saucers, my heart is beating serenely. Michelle, Joseph and Robot are napping, Bill is navigating the damp roadway, Shane, Travis and Danny are in video heaven. We stop for a moment at The Bore Tide sign. Bill wrote down the weekly schedule for these feats of nature. I have witnessed one that had flat boarders riding them. Crazy people - that water is below freezing. Wikipedia states: Bore tide is a tidal phenomenon in which the leading edge of the incoming tide forms a wave (or waves) of water that travels up a river or narrow bay against the direction of the river or bay's current. It was already decided that we would stop in Girdwood's Bakery off the highway for breakfast pastries. Joseph and Travis decided they would go next door for giant Slushies. Girdwood is a town that I could consider home base for a future summer chalet. The mosquitoes aren't so mean here. In the bakery, potty breaks included, we take a while deciding what fresh baked goodies we would take with us. Bill and Bob opt for the GIANT Cranberry Scones. Bob couldn't pass up the Apple Something Fritter. Shane and Danny each get two donuts with sprinkles. I opt for a Cranberry Scone as well. My taste buds cry out for their Coconut Pecan Bar - MASSIVE thing. DELICIOUS thing. Bill gets a gleeful look in his eye as he takes Ittik and Yella Tail towards the counter to ask the friendly staff if they would take a photo with "'y Friend from Texas' Traveling Buddies'. The girl on the right was thinking I would leave Ittik with her. Like the moon must be sale for that to occur. Onwards to our next destination. Whittier, Alaska. |
In the Whale Fat Follies Show, a common saying is there is nothing Shittier than Whittier. Well, if you've never been there before, you would find that highly offensive. I've been there before and they are right on the money. It is a quiet little place that can only be entered by going through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel passing under Maynard Mountain. Maynard.
By sea it is the gateway of the Alaska Marine Highway. Cruise ships, boat expeditions are the starting point if you are inclined to visit Valdez or Cordova. This land tunnel is shared with trains and automobiles so you have to watch the schedule closely o see which turn through belongs to which mode of transportation. It is $12 round trip. So if you want to see Whittier, pay up. If you don't, find a postcard of Whittier. They capture the best of the place.
As of 2006, there were 177 people, 86 households, and 46 families residing in the city which means about 95% of the Whittier inhabitants live/work there. A tall whitish condo/type building they all call home is located on the other side of the track (ha) and within earshot of the river. Those who reside outside the city get discount passes through the Maynard Mountain. Maynard.
Bob and I weren't aware that Bill and Michelle knew folks who worked there as we drove through a sideways freezing rain through this small city. The boats on the left were picturesque. This is the locale you come to for Glacier Tours. Bob and I are considering a four and a half hour tour of six glaciers. The yellow and blue train had passed through before us and was parked so to speak on the right. Blustery day, not many tourists in the area although most shops in town had their "OPEN" signs on - save one. The place we were headed. The Swiftwater Seafood Café.
There were three people unloading a covered pickup truck full of supplies. These are their friends. Our timing couldn't have been more perfect. Margaret, Don and their son Taki were unloading. The Jones Boys assisted, I tried but there were too many Indians so Bob and I walked off to the shore line to take in what there was of the view.
By sea it is the gateway of the Alaska Marine Highway. Cruise ships, boat expeditions are the starting point if you are inclined to visit Valdez or Cordova. This land tunnel is shared with trains and automobiles so you have to watch the schedule closely o see which turn through belongs to which mode of transportation. It is $12 round trip. So if you want to see Whittier, pay up. If you don't, find a postcard of Whittier. They capture the best of the place.
As of 2006, there were 177 people, 86 households, and 46 families residing in the city which means about 95% of the Whittier inhabitants live/work there. A tall whitish condo/type building they all call home is located on the other side of the track (ha) and within earshot of the river. Those who reside outside the city get discount passes through the Maynard Mountain. Maynard.
Bob and I weren't aware that Bill and Michelle knew folks who worked there as we drove through a sideways freezing rain through this small city. The boats on the left were picturesque. This is the locale you come to for Glacier Tours. Bob and I are considering a four and a half hour tour of six glaciers. The yellow and blue train had passed through before us and was parked so to speak on the right. Blustery day, not many tourists in the area although most shops in town had their "OPEN" signs on - save one. The place we were headed. The Swiftwater Seafood Café.
There were three people unloading a covered pickup truck full of supplies. These are their friends. Our timing couldn't have been more perfect. Margaret, Don and their son Taki were unloading. The Jones Boys assisted, I tried but there were too many Indians so Bob and I walked off to the shore line to take in what there was of the view.
The rain, freezing as it was pulled us back to the warmth of the Swiftwater Seafood Café living quarters where we were introduced to Taki and his dog Joy or Joann. Taki went to school with one of the Jones boys. Don invited us to the café side of the building where he offered us a fresh pot of coffee which hit the spot. Thanks Don. While I was taking photos of Danny and Shane wrapped around my midsection, I turn around to change my lens when...whut? There is a new troll standing there. In a snow suit. Smiling up at me. Instant love and named on the spot. Snowshoe Sam. I look at Michelle and Bill both feigning innocence. They got me again. Always, ALWAYS happy to be gotten again by these two. I squeal my delight. That's my way of showing gratitude.
While Michelle, Margaret and Bill were catching up and the Jones Boys were engaged with Taki, Bob and I simply enjoyed being there with friends and friends of friends. What floored us both happened next. Margaret brings out samples of Fried Cod, Fried Halibut Chunks, Fried Shrimp, French Fries and Onion Rings. All hand battered and cooked to order. But we didn't order....
Oh that home made Tartar Sauce was killer!! I could have sucked the barrel dry. Everything was fresh from the fryer, you knew which was Cod, which was Halibut (my personal favorite). Calculating their cost, the bill should have been around $75. Things are high up here by the way. But how out of the norm was this? Coffee, conversation and delicious samplers? AWE-FRICKIN-SOME!!!!!!!!! When we return to Alaska, we will make it a point to come to The Swiftwater Seafood Café for lunch. I'm writing a Trip Advisor Post for them. How can I not?
I purchased a pink T-shirt - white logo and rendering of the place transferred on the front. Don threw in a tub of Toothpicks. How did he know I'm known as The Toothpick Queen? Won my heart right there buddy!! Even a postcard and bumper sticker were added to my bag. They wouldn't take the generous tip we tried to leave for them so it was tucked in their tip jar just the same. Margaret said it will be divided with the staff. Seems like the kind of boss I could work for. The joint is starting to jump with tourists, there's already a group behind us dining on a Shrimp Basket & Halibut Sandwich giving us the thumbs up. Hugs and thanks unopposed, it's hard to leave new friends. Goodbye for now Margaret, Don and Taki - see you soon!
Oh that home made Tartar Sauce was killer!! I could have sucked the barrel dry. Everything was fresh from the fryer, you knew which was Cod, which was Halibut (my personal favorite). Calculating their cost, the bill should have been around $75. Things are high up here by the way. But how out of the norm was this? Coffee, conversation and delicious samplers? AWE-FRICKIN-SOME!!!!!!!!! When we return to Alaska, we will make it a point to come to The Swiftwater Seafood Café for lunch. I'm writing a Trip Advisor Post for them. How can I not?
I purchased a pink T-shirt - white logo and rendering of the place transferred on the front. Don threw in a tub of Toothpicks. How did he know I'm known as The Toothpick Queen? Won my heart right there buddy!! Even a postcard and bumper sticker were added to my bag. They wouldn't take the generous tip we tried to leave for them so it was tucked in their tip jar just the same. Margaret said it will be divided with the staff. Seems like the kind of boss I could work for. The joint is starting to jump with tourists, there's already a group behind us dining on a Shrimp Basket & Halibut Sandwich giving us the thumbs up. Hugs and thanks unopposed, it's hard to leave new friends. Goodbye for now Margaret, Don and Taki - see you soon!
The rain had let up a bit, the temperature still frosty when we left Swiftwater. Though there isn't much to do here, we had to go see the waterfalls and river at the edge of town. Bill, Joseph and I trekked and were awarded the melodic sound of rushing water upon massive stones. Sigh.
As we drip dry in the truck, I ask Bill to go right at the fork in the road. Nothing much to see up that way - the Police and Fire Station façade, The Whittier Museum (which is one room with postcards, a map and some local history), boats and RV's waiting for their owners to love them again. Wanting to go up the curving road to get another view of the harbor, not our luck - the road is closed for construction. The old rusty and lonely housing units remind me of a war zone prison installation. It is called
The Buckner Building, once the largest building in Alaska but was
seriously damaged in the 9.2 1964 Alaska earthquake. It is now just a large,
abandoned government building. Wikipedia tells me: two factors combine to make safe demolition of the building cost-prohibitive: First, there is a potentially dangerous amount of asbestos in the building. Second, the only land-route in and out of Whittier is through the Tunnel in Maynard Mountain (Maynard), so debris would
either have to go through the tunnel or be moved on ships.
The building is a local hang out for kids, and is often explored by tourists.
The safety of the building is marginal, due to the asbestos and questionable
structural integrity. Bears are often found inside the building in the spring,
and it is full of ice and precariously dangling pipes, wires, and substructure.
The floors are almost completely flooded, with at least one inch or more of
water on each level.
This is why Whittier has an ugly wrap in my opinion. That building is an eyesore. So sad. Secretly I hoped the little girl of four we saw on our last visit in this area is happy, being held in her Mother's arms instead of wandering alone crying in the streets in the pouring rain in giant yellow rain boots. We about face and head towards another vantage point of Whittier before we wait our turn to go through Maynard Mountain. Maynard.
The Buckner Building, once the largest building in Alaska but was
seriously damaged in the 9.2 1964 Alaska earthquake. It is now just a large,
abandoned government building. Wikipedia tells me: two factors combine to make safe demolition of the building cost-prohibitive: First, there is a potentially dangerous amount of asbestos in the building. Second, the only land-route in and out of Whittier is through the Tunnel in Maynard Mountain (Maynard), so debris would
either have to go through the tunnel or be moved on ships.
The building is a local hang out for kids, and is often explored by tourists.
The safety of the building is marginal, due to the asbestos and questionable
structural integrity. Bears are often found inside the building in the spring,
and it is full of ice and precariously dangling pipes, wires, and substructure.
The floors are almost completely flooded, with at least one inch or more of
water on each level.
This is why Whittier has an ugly wrap in my opinion. That building is an eyesore. So sad. Secretly I hoped the little girl of four we saw on our last visit in this area is happy, being held in her Mother's arms instead of wandering alone crying in the streets in the pouring rain in giant yellow rain boots. We about face and head towards another vantage point of Whittier before we wait our turn to go through Maynard Mountain. Maynard.
As we line up to wait our twenty two minutes for the tunnel to open for the train and automobiles from the opposing side, Bill practices his speech behind the wheel. Michelle and Danny sleep, Travis, Shane and Joseph lose themselves to the video world. Bob is scoping out the landscape and I listen to my IPod and wait for the upcoming train to pass for photographing.
The train as if on cue calls to Bill and I. He is out and trotting towards the track for a sweet photo spot. I hop out and prance a few feet from his location. What cracked me up was the lady in the passenger seat in the white car behind us. Apparently she watched Bill exit the car. When I get out from the opposite side and walk between our vehicles, she looks and me, then at Bill, then at me, then at Bill. I smile, seeing her brain working out if I am a runaway slave, friend or foe to Bill. I point to my wedding ring, then to Bill. How many seconds did it take for her to get her jaw of the dashboard?
The whoosh of the passing train felt good against my skin, dampening my pores with metal shavings, leaving minute pebbles in my hair and the lingering whiff of train track against train wheel. Going, going, gone. Ten minutes more and we'd be going through after the cars from the other side make their way into Whittier.
In all fairness, the jokes about Whittier being ugly were not true today. Standing on asphalt looking at the misty mountains, the city cloaked in clouds, concentrating on the distant trickle of the many waterfalls and the drip, drip, drip of raindrops slipping off the pines was kind of peaceful. Serene. A moment captured. A moment I was meant to witness. Thank you Jesus - I see where you're coming from.
Engine started, we move forward to our next destination The Portage Glacier which is on the other side of the mountain. You know its name. Leaving behind 'It's Prettier in Whittier on a Cloudy Day' with mellow vibes, I capture another tranquil moment in the back seat to my left. Michelle and Danny holding hands as the windshield wipers keep them in their comfortable sleep.
The train as if on cue calls to Bill and I. He is out and trotting towards the track for a sweet photo spot. I hop out and prance a few feet from his location. What cracked me up was the lady in the passenger seat in the white car behind us. Apparently she watched Bill exit the car. When I get out from the opposite side and walk between our vehicles, she looks and me, then at Bill, then at me, then at Bill. I smile, seeing her brain working out if I am a runaway slave, friend or foe to Bill. I point to my wedding ring, then to Bill. How many seconds did it take for her to get her jaw of the dashboard?
The whoosh of the passing train felt good against my skin, dampening my pores with metal shavings, leaving minute pebbles in my hair and the lingering whiff of train track against train wheel. Going, going, gone. Ten minutes more and we'd be going through after the cars from the other side make their way into Whittier.
In all fairness, the jokes about Whittier being ugly were not true today. Standing on asphalt looking at the misty mountains, the city cloaked in clouds, concentrating on the distant trickle of the many waterfalls and the drip, drip, drip of raindrops slipping off the pines was kind of peaceful. Serene. A moment captured. A moment I was meant to witness. Thank you Jesus - I see where you're coming from.
Engine started, we move forward to our next destination The Portage Glacier which is on the other side of the mountain. You know its name. Leaving behind 'It's Prettier in Whittier on a Cloudy Day' with mellow vibes, I capture another tranquil moment in the back seat to my left. Michelle and Danny holding hands as the windshield wipers keep them in their comfortable sleep.