Best of Alaska

a collection of photos from our trips to Alaska over the years

July 14, 2010 - Valez ->Whittier->Homer.<br />
<br />
Aboard M/V Aurora on the way to Whittier, we passed through the changing colors of Prince William Sound. The glacial waters from the ice melts are distinctly greener, or a paler shade of blue, than the dark blue waters of the ocean. The two waters mix when the glaciers melt and waterfalls pour down the mountains into the sea, but the layers are quite distinct and can be easily spotted. <br />
<br />
Earlier today we checked out of our tiny log cabins at the Eagles River Rest Stop at 6ish, and drove down to the Valdez port. It was quite cloudy and a brisk cold prevailed. Everything on the Aurora seemed quite familiar and intimate, considering we had traveled on it just the previous night, from Cordova to Valdez. After a hearty breakfast in the ship's kitchen, we picked spots by the window and marveled at the waters and the numerous tiny islands.<br />
<br />
Aurora arrived at Whittier around 2pm, after passing by several glaciers, waterfalls and numerous gulls. We made it to the Whittier tunnel just in time. The second longest tunnel through the mountains in the US is shared by both road and rail traffic and has brief slots every hour when it stays open. You miss one slot and get to spend the whole next hour in Whittier. Would have loved to do that, except that we had a long drive to Homer ahead of us. <br />
<br />
Whittier to Homer was pretty much nonstop and uneventful, 2pm-6pm drive fuelled by coffee and Subway. The Seward Highway splits off, one road headed into Seward, and the other, the Sterling Highway, to Homer, via Soldotna, Ninilchik, and provided plenty of photo-ops along the way. We arrived at Bay Avenue B&B at Homer, our home for the next three nights. K did all the driving, but the rest of us were so tired by the end of the day we hit the sack at 7pm! Homer Spit will have to wait for tomorrow.<br />
<br />
PS: just got wireless access, posting late

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July 14, 2010 - Valez ->Whittier->Homer.

Aboard M/V Aurora on the way to Whittier, we passed through the changing colors of Prince William Sound. The glacial waters from the ice melts are distinctly greener, or a paler shade of blue, than the dark blue waters of the ocean. The two waters mix when the glaciers melt and waterfalls pour down the mountains into the sea, but the layers are quite distinct and can be easily spotted.

Earlier today we checked out of our tiny log cabins at the Eagles River Rest Stop at 6ish, and drove down to the Valdez port. It was quite cloudy and a brisk cold prevailed. Everything on the Aurora seemed quite familiar and intimate, considering we had traveled on it just the previous night, from Cordova to Valdez. After a hearty breakfast in the ship's kitchen, we picked spots by the window and marveled at the waters and the numerous tiny islands.

Aurora arrived at Whittier around 2pm, after passing by several glaciers, waterfalls and numerous gulls. We made it to the Whittier tunnel just in time. The second longest tunnel through the mountains in the US is shared by both road and rail traffic and has brief slots every hour when it stays open. You miss one slot and get to spend the whole next hour in Whittier. Would have loved to do that, except that we had a long drive to Homer ahead of us.

Whittier to Homer was pretty much nonstop and uneventful, 2pm-6pm drive fuelled by coffee and Subway. The Seward Highway splits off, one road headed into Seward, and the other, the Sterling Highway, to Homer, via Soldotna, Ninilchik, and provided plenty of photo-ops along the way. We arrived at Bay Avenue B&B at Homer, our home for the next three nights. K did all the driving, but the rest of us were so tired by the end of the day we hit the sack at 7pm! Homer Spit will have to wait for tomorrow.

PS: just got wireless access, posting late

valdez MV aurora whittier july 2010 alaska boat fishing waters homer

From Daily Photos 2010