A Birthday Weekend in PWS

For better or worse, we decided to leave the boat in Whittier for the next two months. Yes, he - meaning my husband, who hates rain and cloudy weather, has committed to this town of 190 inches of rain a year. It is well known around the state that a nice day in Whittier is one where it is not raining or blowing or both, which means that nice in Whittier often means it is misting or cloudy. Once in a while, a gift of sunshine blesses all with its presence and mountains, glaciers, fjiords and waterfalls abound. Whittier proclaims itself as the "gateway to Prince William Sound (PWS)," which is probably because the town itself is a little strange is nothing in it worth mentioning. Whittier was founded during World War II when the U.S. Military was searching for a stratigaclly located ice free port to bring supplies into Alaska. Nestled down Passage Canal deep in Prince William Sound the makings of the town Whittier was established. In order to connect this town to the rest of Alaska, two tunnels were built through the mountains and rail tracks were laid and tied into the railway from Seward to Fairbanks. Until 2001, the only way to access this port town of approximately 300 people was via train. Tourist traffic used the passenger cars, while locals and ferry traffic had the option of loading cars on flatbed rail cars.

Finish later . . . .

More photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/jillcaho/PrinceWilliamSound