Whittier, Alaska

After visiting Portage Glacier on our recent visit to Alaska, our hosts George and Jeannie took the lovely Robin and me to Whittier and Prince William Sound via the Whittier Tunnel, North American's longest railroad-highway tunnel (that's the entrance, above). Personally, I didn't even know there was a one-lane tunnel that alternates between rail and auto traffic.

We waited in a line of cars for our turn to enter the tunnel. At more than two-and-a-half miles, it is the second longest highway tunnel in North America. It is also the only land access to the town of Whittier, on the other side of Maynard Mountain from Anchorage.

For such a small town (177 population; salute!), Whittier has a good number of shops and businesses. Cruise ships and ferries also dock there, and it boasts the smallest U.S. Coast Guard station in the nation, too.

After a fairly extensive look around, we returned to our car and returned to line to wait for the next green light to go through the tunnel (about a fifteen minute wait), leaving Whittier behind...until the next time!