Lots of kitschy fun places around AK!!
Some gastronomic delicacies to start the lovely day in Homer...breakfast (Midnight Sun Crepe) at the Wild Honey Bistro—lovely French music in the background!!...then on to the Two Sisters Bakery for my favorite chocolate bread and a jalapeño bun for the upcoming hike in Whittier!!
Headed to Whittier...through LOTS of Forest fire smoke in the Sterling area.
I met my sister at the Begich-Boggs Visitor Center...left her vehicle, and we drove the van (that was a genius thought!!)... through the Anton Anderson Tunnel to Whittier.
We started our hike at 6:00pm. We hiked through Portage Pass down to Portage Glacier. Amazing evening!! We thought we were the last ones on the trail, but did meet a couple at the glacier who were heading back out.
When we finally started back...there were a couple of Belgians setting up camp at the lake’s edge. I scoped out a place where I’d want to tent camp someday in the future!!...UGH!!...lug a tent and sleeping bag up there!!??...TOUGH for me to do!!
We made it back down to the parking lot at 11:15pm. What a SURPRISE!!...The tunnel back out of Whittier closed at 11:00pm!!...SHUCKS!!...what NOW??!!...we were STUCK overnight in Whittier!!
My sister had a dr appt in Anchorage the next morning at 9:45...so there was a time factor on getting back!! Fortunately, the tunnel opened back up at 6:00am!!
We hadn’t had anything but trail snacks to eat...so we headed to the Anchor Inn restaurant...which fortunately still had an OPEN sign shining in the window!! Even though the lights were on...there was no one to be seen!!
After a bit, I heard a noise in the kitchen...looked in and there was the cook washing dishes. I asked her IF they were still open!! She said they closed at 11:00pm (the website says they close at 9:00pm!!)...we told her we missed the tunnel pass...and was there anywhere else to get something to eat??...she said no...not to worry...she’d cook us whatever we wanted!! I said...like what??...she said anything...a burger, fried fish, grilled cheese...so...we said “whatever you have!!”
She said she had some halibut and would make us fried halibut and fries. We were so absolutely flabbergasted...and of course grateful!! At this time, the hostess/waitress came back into the restaurant...she was surprised to see us as she was just getting ready to head home!! She realized the nice cook was preparing us a meal...since we were STRANDED in Whittier!! We paid and she said we could take the food TO GO...up to the 3rd floor tavern...where I could get a beer—which I really thought at this point...I NEEDED!!
What an added BONUS the tavern was for the evening!! It was NOW midnight thirty...and the tavern was THE happening place in the sleeping burg of Whittier!!
The patrons were playing pool and hanging out...and the classic ROCK was blasting!!...WOOHOO!!
Beverly...our SUPER friendly bartender from Uvalde, TX...bonded with us like kindred spirit sisters!! She had been the bartender there at the Anchor Inn Tavern for 30 years!!...she of course told us her life story!! :-D
One patron came to the bar to chat with Beverly...and after finding out WE were stranded in Whittier ...told us we now earned the POW (Prisoner of Whittier) T-shirt!!...which we could buy sometime at the Harbor Store!!...YES!!...on our next visit there!!
I just could NOT stop laughing the entire time of this evening’s adventure!! It was something like an episode of the Twilight Zone!!
We enjoyed the delicious dinner...yes, I had an Alaskan Amber—YUM!!...and then we asked Beverly and the patron where we could park the van to get a couple hours of sleep!!...they wondered why we didn’t just hang there...the tavern was open until 3:00am!!...DUH...have another Alaskan Amber!!
Oh well...not...They directed us back toward the tunnel to an RV parking lot. We decided to just park outside the lot, since the signs said to go back into town and pay a fee!!...DUH!!...we were only going to be there for a few hour...so why in the heck would we PAY!!??
We caught a few winks and then headed back to the tunnel at 5:30am!!...and VOILA!!...the gate was OPEN and we were FIRST in line to head out!!
We stopped in Girdwood for a morning drink and potato chip snack!!...My sister said...ONLY IN ALASKA would she be caught dead wearing PJ bottoms out in public!! I told her I wouldn’t tell a soul!!...PSYCHE!!...at least she wasn’t wearing furry house slippers...which is what many fashion conscious folks would do in TEXAS!!
I enjoyed the drive to Anchorage...past Turnagin Arm...my first trip back since arriving in AK in May...
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