Anchorage, at population 35,000, is Alaska’s largest city. We had our usual city tour the next day so that we would know where the shops, fuel, groceries and recommended restaurants could be found. In the afternoon, we caravanned To Turn again Arm, The Wild Animal Park and Portage Glacier.
Turn again Arm is another glacier-carved inlet that Captain Cook named because he sailed just so far up and had to turn around and go back to the ocean because the water was shallow and wasn’t the path he was looking for. The tide coming in twice a day is called a Bore Tide and the Bore Tide in Turnagain Arm is huge; one of the biggest in the world. It is the only one that occurs in the far north and the only one that is bordered by mountains, making it the most unique and most geologically dramatic bore tide in the world. 
The tide is easily viewed, as the road follows along its 40-50 mile length. Harbor seals often ride the tide into Turnagain Arm and Beluga whales may come in a half hour or so later once the water gets deeper looking for a meal. Did I mention the seals?
The rain just didn’t want to stop so we continued on to the animal park which takes in injured wild animals from the area and either keeps them for viewing if they can’t be rehabilitated or they release them into the wild once they are well and healed. We saw a herd of Wood Bison that was scheduled to be released into the wild in 2013 after their numbers increased to the point they wouldn’t be so tentative. They seem to be a tad smaller than the plains buffalo.
Other animals we saw were bears, musk ox, elk, moose, a one-winged bald eagle and orphaned musk ox and moose babies. So cute!
Next, off to Portage Glacier in the rain, rain, rain. We are all praying for some sunshine. Portage Glacier may be hard to see but it isn’t difficult to see where it has been. In the last few years, the glacier face has begun retreating from the lake it created. A small section in the center has exposed bedrock but much of the glacier face is still in the water and extends down more than 100 feet into Portage Lake. Portage Glacier is still considered a valley glacier. Nearby are several “Hanging Glaciers”, that is glaciers that come part way down a mountainside. Glaciers that reach the sea are called tidewater glaciers and glaciers that end in lakes are also called …yes, freshwater glaciers.
During the day on Tuesday, July 24, Connie and I drove to the Native Heritage Center where we heard native songs and dances performed by a group of young people who were chosen to perform at the center during the summer months. These people were from all over Alaska and living in their native villages and concentrating on preserving their heritage and songs, dances and stories. The costumes changed with every performance to represent their tribe. The outside exhibits were so well done. Duplicates of early day abodes and many signs giving the locals of all the different tribes, where they came from and how they lived in different parts of what is now Alaska. The tribes represented were: Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, Unanqax, Alutiig (Sugpiaq), Inupiaq, St. Lawrence Island Yup’ik and Cup’ik. Connie bought a beautiful coffee table book on all the different tribes and their stories. Really very interesting.
We had a “date night” on Tuesday, July 24. First we had a visit with still another dog mushing team. Kelly Griffrin and Newton Marshal, the world famous Jamaican dog musher who made us laugh and laugh and laugh. Then off to a wonderful BBQ chicken, beef brisket, corn fritter, coleslaw and fries dinner with a wonderful locally made movie about Alaska (which I bought a copy of – can’t wait to show it back home) and then to the Chocolate Factory to see a 20 foot chocolate waterfall.
Next day through the 2 1/2 mile long Wittier tunnel which is one way at a time and shares the space with the trains. Sure am glad they had their schedule figured out right. We boarded a glacier boat and went on a tour of all the different kinds of glaciers out of Wittier. We did see one tidewater glacier calf off a few small calves of ice. Lots of ice floating and sea otters and seals. Before returning to Wittier, we were served an awesome prime rib dinner and “glacier ice margueritas”.
Tomorrow, we’re off to Homer at the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula for our halibut fishing trip.
Connie is falling off on sharing her lessons for the day. We are closing in on the end of the tour part of our trip and we are so excited about the fishing and then more fishing on our own after the tour is over.
No comments:
Post a Comment