We need to get to Whittier, Alaska.
If we don’t make it to Whittier, we can’t get on the Alaska State Ferry. If we don’t get on the ferry, we can’t get to Yakutat. If we don’t get to Yakutat, we can’t have five days of fun and fishing at the Yakutat Lodge. So we need to get to Whittier.
Lucky for us, there is a tunnel to Whittier. However, this tunnel is unusual. It is shared by both trains and cars. The railroad and blacktop aren’t side-by-side; they are on top of each other.
Sometimes this tunnel is a train tunnel and sometimes it’s for cars. It’s also one way, so it is crucial to read the schedule carefully. How crazy is that?
This odd tunnel came about because the American military wanted to use Whittier as a deep sea port during World War II, so they built the train tunnel (get the full story here.) After the war, tourism kept Whittier alive. People put their cars on train cars to get them through the tunnel. It wasn’t until 2000 that the tunnel included a roadway.
This is not the only tunnel like this (there are a few others), but it is the longest. I can’t wait to have my turn. We plan to get to Whittier with time to spare (I really don’t want to miss the ferry.)
Footle and Grok 