In May/June 2023, Jill and I toured Alaska by land and by sea. We traveled from Fairbanks to Whittier by motor coach and train and then sailed from Whittier to Vancouver aboard the Majestic Princess. We had a blast!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, follows our travel day from Cooper Landing to Whittier. Along the way, we learned about glaciers, and in Whittier, we boarded the Majestic Princess to begin our 7-day cruise. We had a great day from start to finish!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, follows our travel day from Cooper Landing to Whittier. Along the way, we learned about glaciers, and in Whittier, we boarded the Majestic Princess to begin our 7-day cruise. We had a great day from start to finish!
Whittier, Alaska (June 3, 2023) It was ‘hump day’ for Jill and me – the day that separated our five-day land tour from our seven-day cruise. As one door closed and another door opened, we were betwixt and between wonderful memories and hopeful expectations.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You might recognize this from Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, a book written and illustrated by children’s author Dr. Seuss. While this book wasn’t about traveling, these words felt apropos to our three-part day.
Oh, the places we went…and the sights we saw!
Oh, the places we went…and the sights we saw!
Of Glaciers
Jill and I slept in – to 7AM, that is. Still, the extra hour or so of sleep felt great.
An hour later, we were seated for breakfast at a window table in Rod & Reel, THE restaurant (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge.
“What sounds good?” I asked Jill as I scanned the menu.
“The Supreme Omelet,” she replied. “Ham, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, home fries, and toast. And you?”
An hour later, we were seated for breakfast at a window table in Rod & Reel, THE restaurant (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) at Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge.
“What sounds good?” I asked Jill as I scanned the menu.
“The Supreme Omelet,” she replied. “Ham, bacon, sausage, mushrooms, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, home fries, and toast. And you?”
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“Ditto, but I’ll skip the toast and ask for a cup of fruit instead.”
It was a serious breakfast for serious eaters, and it tasted great! Our table overlooked the Kenai River – overlooked, that is, when I stood up. Seated? I saw the lush forest and mountains that surrounded the lodge. Jill took this photo of me taking a photo of…me. Why I took this selfie, I do not know. |
When we finished our meals, Jill said, “Dad, we have plenty of time before we leave. I’ve been jealous of the hike you took yesterday. Would you go with me now?”
When my little girl asked, I (almost!) always obliged.
“Sure,” I answered. “Let’s go.”
When my little girl asked, I (almost!) always obliged.
“Sure,” I answered. “Let’s go.”
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We followed the Kenai Nature Trail to the river. It was more of a stroll than a hike. The round trip was about a mile, and a third of the trail skirted the river’s northern bank. That third of a mile was the best place to take in the grandeur of the river and the landscape that surrounded it.
“Dad, look there!” Jill exclaimed as she pointed toward the river. “The color of the water is turquoise!!” |
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My little girl was happy, and so was I because…I could explain the ‘why’ behind the color to her.
“The water in this river comes from Kenai Lake, which we crossed yesterday before we reached the lodge,” I began. “And the water in that lake comes from glaciers across the Kenai Peninsula.” “How do you know that?” Jill asked. “The internet,” I replied. “I was curious about the color when I walked along the river yesterday. Last night, I read an article, How Glaciers Turn Lakes Turquoise, that explained this phenomenon.” |
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And then I said, “The glacial water, which is called meltwater, carries sediment from ground up rock and gravel. The finest particles, which are suspended in the water closest to the surface, absorb the shortest wavelengths from sunlight and reflect them as blues and greens.”
“And turquoise is made by mixing blue and green,” Jill said triumphantly. “Bingo!” |
A few minutes later, we heard the unmistakable sound of paddle blades slapping the water. It was a couple of kayakers – one in a yellow boat, the other in a blue boat – who were working the paddles to their left and right as they navigated the river downstream.
“I did that once,” said Jill. “It was hard work!”
I had no doubt.
I had no doubt.
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When we reached the lodge, I turned back to look at the river and mountains one last time. My jaw dropped, and I shouted, “Jill, take a look at that!”
The scene was stunning! The sun and the clouds had created a halo of many colors around a bright white circle, in stark contrast to the ominous-looking blues, purples, and grays that surrounded it. And from the center of the halo, I saw a near-vertical streak of light, like a sorcerer’s staff, that stretched from the heavens to earth. “Oh my gosh,” she said. “It feels like a sign from our Divine Best Friends. Mom won’t believe it.” Debra was at home putting the finishing touches on her soon-to-be-released book, How to Chat with Archangels: Inviting Your Divine Best Friends into Your Life. |
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“Oh, she’ll believe it,” I replied with a knowing smile.
I sent the photo to Debra, and then called her. She believed…and LOVED IT!
11AM. Time to leave for Whittier on a motor coach bus with the 13-member press team.
Carlos, our guide on the land portion of our Cruisetour, announced, “We will make two scenic stops before we reach Whittier. The first is 45 minutes away. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery.”
I sent the photo to Debra, and then called her. She believed…and LOVED IT!
11AM. Time to leave for Whittier on a motor coach bus with the 13-member press team.
Carlos, our guide on the land portion of our Cruisetour, announced, “We will make two scenic stops before we reach Whittier. The first is 45 minutes away. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery.”
THE.
SCENERY.
WAS.
PICTURE PERFECT!
SCENERY.
WAS.
PICTURE PERFECT!
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Carlos was true to his word. About three-quarters of an hour into our ride, we pulled off the road – we were on Portage Glacier Highway – into a small parking lot and stopped.
“Follow me,” Carlos said when the driver opened the doors. He led us to the shoreline of a beautiful turquoise lake. “This is Explorer Lake, and up there is Explorer Glacier,” he said. Carlos pointed to the V-shaped area between two mountains – the place I’m pointing to in this photo. |
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I jotted down cryptic notes, that only I would be able to decipher, as he talked.
“Do you see the snow-covered shelf at the top of the V?” he asked. “That’s the leading edge of the glacier. A glacier is always on the move, pushed forward – slowly, of course – by its own weight. In other words, by gravity. And the leading edge is always melting or calving, and that activity produces the water that fills this lake.
“Don’t quote me on this, but my understanding is that this glacier was named for the Explorer Scouts who developed and practiced their glacier-climbing skills here.”
(Uh oh...I just quoted him!)
“Do you see the snow-covered shelf at the top of the V?” he asked. “That’s the leading edge of the glacier. A glacier is always on the move, pushed forward – slowly, of course – by its own weight. In other words, by gravity. And the leading edge is always melting or calving, and that activity produces the water that fills this lake.
“Don’t quote me on this, but my understanding is that this glacier was named for the Explorer Scouts who developed and practiced their glacier-climbing skills here.”
(Uh oh...I just quoted him!)
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As Jill stood at the edge of the lake – just before I took this photo – she bent over and dipped her hand in the water.
“Brr! That’s cold!!” “Well, what did you expect from a glacier?” I chuckled. Our next stop, four miles up the road, was near the northern shore of Portage Lake. Like many lakes in Alaska, Portage Lake was carved out by a glacier tens of thousands of years ago. From our vantage point near the shore, we looked south across the lake. |
“Back in the 1800s, Portage Glacier completely covered this lake, and much of the surrounding valley,” said Carlos. “In fact, it got its name because pioneers used the glacier to ‘portage’ between Prince William Sound and Turnagain Arm.
“The glacier retreated during the 1900s, and by the 1990s, you could no longer see it from here. The leading edge of the glacier, which you can reach by boat, is three miles from this spot, past the mountain shaped like a pyramid.”
Close, but no cigar, I thought.
And I would have been disappointed if I wasn’t less than 24 hours from seeing – up close and personal – the largest tidewater glacier in North America.
“The glacier retreated during the 1900s, and by the 1990s, you could no longer see it from here. The leading edge of the glacier, which you can reach by boat, is three miles from this spot, past the mountain shaped like a pyramid.”
Close, but no cigar, I thought.
And I would have been disappointed if I wasn’t less than 24 hours from seeing – up close and personal – the largest tidewater glacier in North America.
Whittier
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“We’re a few miles from Whittier,” Carlos said when everyone was back on board the bus, “and to reach it, we must go through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel – the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America.”
“How long is it?” someone asked. “Two and one-half miles,” came the answer from Carlos. “The original tunnel, which goes through Maynard Mountain, was completed in 1943 for railroad traffic only,” said Carlos. “The tunnel was upgraded for bi-modal use between September 1998 and mid-summer 2000. |
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“By the way, traffic is one way – trains and vehicles go through the tunnel to Whittier at the bottom of the hour and from Whittier at the top of the hour. And because vehicles and trains use the same roadbed, trains go first.”
It was 12:15PM when we pulled up to the tunnel control station. There were several lanes of vehicles, including one specifically for buses. About 30 minutes later, our driver got the signal to proceed. I spotted the Majestic Princess a minute or so after we emerged from the tunnel. The embarkation process was seamless and quick… |
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…and soon after Jill and I reached our cabin, I said, “I’m going to have a look-see at Whittier. Care to join me?”
“No, I have a few things I’d like to do before our meet-up with the press group. See you in an hour?
“Or two,” I replied with a wink.
“No, I have a few things I’d like to do before our meet-up with the press group. See you in an hour?
“Or two,” I replied with a wink.
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“Whittier is located just 60 miles southeast of Anchorage but feels a world away. Surrounded by towering mountains and icy glaciers. Whittier sits at the head of Passage Canal, one of several deep fjords making up the scenic Prince William Sound.”
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~ Whittier Chamber of Commerce
Whittier has only a few hundred permanent residents, but each year tens of thousands of visitors – who reach this city by car, bus, train, ferry, and cruise ship – “enjoy abundant recreational opportunities in this little seaside village.”
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Recreational activities? Perhaps another time. That day, my interest was to see ‘this little seaside village.’
The Majestic Princess was docked in the Whittier Boat Harbor (where else would it be, right?!), and that was where I started my self-guided tour. I picked up a brochure as I passed the harbor station. The harbor, I read, accommodated 350 to 400 boats up to 54 feet in length. The slips weren’t full that day, but there were more boats in the marina than I could count. The gangways were open to the public, which meant I could walk freely from dock to dock to look at the boats. |
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As I walked along one dock, I spotted a ‘For Sale’ sign on the Seaclusion, a 30-foot twin-motor boat with $30,000 in upgrades. The asking price was $60,000. I snapped a pic and emailed it Debra, along with the particulars.
I wrote, “Hon, I texted a lowball offer to the owner. I’ll let you know the outcome when I hear back.” Her reply? “LOL.” I don’t know why, but Debra didn’t believe me. |
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When I turned away from the marina, I ‘discovered’ a handful of cafes and shops at the east end of the harbor. I visited three.
The first was Lazy Otter, which offered sightseeing excursions, books, souvenirs, and “a great cup of coffee.”
The first was Lazy Otter, which offered sightseeing excursions, books, souvenirs, and “a great cup of coffee.”
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Well, I sure could use a great cup of coffee, I thought, so I stepped inside and bought one…and lingered a bit to talk with the owner.
Around my third sip – the coffee was pretty good – she asked, “Have you been to the other side of town?” “Not yet.” “Well, we have an underground passageway – a 500-foot-long pedestrian tunnel – that is much safer than walking across the railroad crossing.” “Thank you,” I said. “I’ll check it out.” (Stay tuned for more on this.) |
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Next, I popped into Log Cabin Gifts, which was chock full of handmade crafts and commercially made souvenirs. I bought a ‘Whittier’ lapel pin to add to my growing collection of pins from Alaska, and a handmade scented bar of soap for Debra.
The last shop I stopped in was the most interesting. |
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“While pulling shrimp pots on one incredibly beautiful but gusty day, with the waves splashing over us – we realized after the sun dried our faces that we were covered in salt.
“And the idea to harvest this beautiful Prince William Sound sea salt was born.” |
The Prince William Sound Sea Salt Company sold pure Alaskan sea salt from deep ocean water – culinary and therapeutic.
Perfect, I thought, because Debra has a collection of culinary spices she bought as we traveled. I purchased a jar of ‘Pure Finishing Sea Salt’ – the “freshest, saltiest salt around,” said the young lady who helped me.
Debra loved the salt and the story behind it!
I located the entrance to the pedestrian tunnel on Harbor Road, near the Whittier Ferry Terminal. The tunnel, with a cement block floor, was made (I believe) from galvanized corrugated steel, similar to what is used in culverts. It was tall and wide - seven feet in diameter, or thereabout.
Perfect, I thought, because Debra has a collection of culinary spices she bought as we traveled. I purchased a jar of ‘Pure Finishing Sea Salt’ – the “freshest, saltiest salt around,” said the young lady who helped me.
Debra loved the salt and the story behind it!
I located the entrance to the pedestrian tunnel on Harbor Road, near the Whittier Ferry Terminal. The tunnel, with a cement block floor, was made (I believe) from galvanized corrugated steel, similar to what is used in culverts. It was tall and wide - seven feet in diameter, or thereabout.
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I quickly discovered that the tunnel was used for more than pedestrian traffic, as my nose detected the earthy scent of marijuana! If I say I breathed in deeply, you won’t tell anyone, right?!
I emerged on Whittier Street, and when I looked back, I saw the train tracks I avoided walking over. I also spotted this memorial, which honored the people who were instrumental in bringing the Alaska Railroad to Whittier. |
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I checked my watch. An hour had passed since I left the Majestic Princess. Time to get back, I thought.
Jill was waiting for me in our cabin.
“Well, was Wittier worth your time?”
“Yes…and no,” I replied. “There wasn’t much to see but, if someone should ask, I can honestly say ‘I saw the sights in Whittier.’”
She got it.
Jill was waiting for me in our cabin.
“Well, was Wittier worth your time?”
“Yes…and no,” I replied. “There wasn’t much to see but, if someone should ask, I can honestly say ‘I saw the sights in Whittier.’”
She got it.
The Majestic Princess
Debra and I loved to cruise. It was our favorite way to travel, and Princess was our favorite cruise line. In fact, we’ve sailed so many times with Princess that long ago we earned ‘Elite’ status, which gave us a few perks including free laundry service.
Our last cruise was in February 2020 – a roundtrip to Hawaii from L.A.
Three years later, I was anxious to see what was the same and what was different, and with a week aboard the Majestic Princess, I hoped to answer this important question: ‘Is cruising as much fun as it used to be?’
If the answer was ‘Yes,’ Debra and I would book a cruise for December 2023. If it was ‘No,’ we’d make plans for a road trip vacation.
Our last cruise was in February 2020 – a roundtrip to Hawaii from L.A.
Three years later, I was anxious to see what was the same and what was different, and with a week aboard the Majestic Princess, I hoped to answer this important question: ‘Is cruising as much fun as it used to be?’
If the answer was ‘Yes,’ Debra and I would book a cruise for December 2023. If it was ‘No,’ we’d make plans for a road trip vacation.
SPOILER ALERT
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A couple of days into the cruise, my answer was a resounding ‘YES!’ – cruising WAS as much fun as it used to be, and maybe better.
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A week after I returned home, Debra and I booked a seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean on the Regal Princess in December and a 14-day Baltic cruise on the Sky Princess in June 2024.
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Jill and I joined the press group for a cocktail reception at 5:30 in the Hollywood Conservatory, followed by dinner (an hour later) at Allegro Dining Room. My main course was short ribs with veggies and potatoes. It was a gastronomical delight!
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We played the evening low key.
To start, we listened to music in The Piazza – a ‘stunning centerpiece’ on most Princess ships. I snapped this photo of the three-story atrium – I LOVED that shimmering blue chandelier – from the Promenade Deck. The ship did not look crowded in this photo, right? Well, looks are deceiving, because the Majestic Princess accommodated nearly 3,600 passengers, and this cruise was close to capacity. Even so, I always felt there was plenty of elbow room as I moved about the ship – decks, dining rooms, pool, etc. etc. "Jill, how about a drink," I said. "There's a bar on deck seven I'd like to check out." "Sounds great!" |
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The bard was Good Spirits At Sea – something new, at least to me. It offered ‘signature drinks’ from around the world. I read the marquee outside the bar...
Every drink is an experience.
Every drink tells a story.
Well, I had my first ‘around the world’ experience that evening – a Gin & Tonic Ultima with Hendricks Gin and “fresh herbs and flavors inspired by Barcelona’s bustling markets.”
Did I like it? Yes. I. Did! |
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The Majestic Princess set sail at 8:30PM, bound for Hubbard Glacier.
And that was the end of our day, a day in three parts – of glaciers, Whittier, and the Majestic Princess.
There’s much ahead to share, so please stay tuned!
And that was the end of our day, a day in three parts – of glaciers, Whittier, and the Majestic Princess.
There’s much ahead to share, so please stay tuned!