Unusual Experiences-Prince William Sound

In April,1990, Lloyd and I were eating in the restaurant atop the Space Needle in Seattle and discussing the possibility of an Alaskan cruise for that summer. A couple seated at a nearby table overhead our discussion and volunteered that they had just completed a two week cruise and that it had rained the entire time. They had not been able to see beyond the railing of their ship.

The cruise we had been considering was over $3,000. No way did we want to risk that much money on a possible rain drenched trip!

So Lloyd used his talents for research and for trip planning. (His job entailed flying every week throughout the western United States so he had plenty of practice.) We used the frequent flyer miles to fly to Anchorage and rented a car.

The United States built a tunnel between Anchorage and Whittier, AL. In 1943 to facilitate troop movement. Our car was loaded onto a railroad car and taken through the two and half mile tunnel to Whittier.

Whittier is called the city under one roof. Built as a barracks for soldiers, the post office, mess hall, grocery store, living quarters are all housed in one large building.

Whittier Alaska

At Whittier we boarded a ferry to cross Prince William Sound to Valdez. Our luck prevailed and the day was sunny, no wind, and warm (Although I was wearing my ski jacket.) Staff on the ferry said it was one of the nicest days they could remember.

As we crossed the sound we were able to view the gigantic glaciers, the multitude of white gulls and bald head eagles. The only flaw was the ugly oil stain along the coast caused by the 1989 Exxon Valdez disaster.

We spent the evening touring around Valdez and enjoying a delicious dinner of fresh halibut. The next day we drove through unbelievable snow covered mountains as we backtracked to Anchorage.

The cost - a little over $300!

Wilma Gundy

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