Our next planned stop was Seward (population 2,796) at the head of Darby Cove along the eastern side of the Kenai Peninsula. To drive there from Valdez would have taken about 9 hours of road time, covered 420 miles, and required an interim 3-day stay at a RV park mid-way. No thanks! We had places to go and see before Hanna keft. Fortunately, the AMHS (Alaska Marine Highway System) had a terminal at Valdez with a convenient sea route and schedule to Whittier (population 318). The distance from Whittier to Seward was only 88 miles, a 110 minute drive. We bought our tickets without any hesitation. We were first in line for driving into the hold of MV Aurora; however, because of SidArthur’s combined length of 48 feet and 4 inches, the cargo master loaded us last.
It was a very tight fit side-to-side. MFI took her best shot; but eventually had to maneuver backwards in order to square up to the marked parking spot. The crew members who guided her in complimented her experienced driving skills.
The Aurora departed Valdez Terminal exactly on time under overcast and rainy skies, and we headed straight to the galley/cafe for coffee and some breakfast. Both were pretty tasty, the service was prompt and cordial, and we found a comfortable roomy booth before the crowds descended. The cruise was over 6 hours, so we returned to the cafe for lunch and more coffee. On deck, there was seating in a solarium, and a considerable number of airline-type seats throughout the large interior lounge. Once we’d claimed our seats in the lounge, I wandered around the ship for some pictures.
I appreciated the amount of art hung on the walls, the artistic design incorprated into the interior, and the beauty in the way the ship’s lines were stowed.
MV Aurora was designed by Nick & Spalding Associates of Seattle, WA and constructed at Peterson Builders, Inc. in Sturgeon Bay, WI. She is 235 feet long, 57 feet wide, has a domestic gross tonnage of 1,280, and a service speed of 14.5 knots. She can carry 250 passengers and the equivalent of about 33 twenty-foot vehicles. Her smaller size enables the servicing of smaller communities, such as Whittier and Valdez, within the AMHS route network.
The weather increasingly cleared throughout the cruise, and the lighting for my photos improved accordingly. It was easy to understand why sailors are drawn to and love life at sea. For us, it was crazy island formations, lots of fishing boats, more snow-capped mountains, and a few stunning glacier views. No complaints!
By the time we docked in Whittier, the weather was mostly sunny and relatively warm. Because we were last to offload, I left the ship and got permission from a crew member, who was directing departing traffic, to stand in a safe position to video SidArthur’s exit.
About 5 miles out of Whittier, we came to a huge parking lot at the entrance to the Whittier Tunnel, officially named the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel after the U. S. Army Chief Civil Engineer who led its construction. Whittier was only accessible by sea until World War II, when in 1943 a railroad tunnel was constructed for $5.3 million in response to the perceived threats of the war. In the 1960’s, the Alaska Railroad began providing flatbed railcars to accommodate the growing demand for public vehicle transportation between Whittier and Anchorage. However; the demand continued to grow until the Whittier Access Project was completed in 2000. For somewhere between $10 and $68 million (unsure of why the huge discrepancy), the tunnel was enlarged and strengthened, the ventilation was improved, a fail-safe crash prevention system was installed, and a vehicle access road with parking lot was constructed from Whittier to the tunnel entrance.
Full disclosure The tunnel was only 2.5 miles long, which to be accurate, is just the longest “dual-mode” transportation tunnel in the United States. Unique and interesting, but not really that big of a deal. Nonetheless, we were now quickly headed to Seward. Driving all the way would have been untenable. BTW…
