Off the Ship and Onto the Train

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Geo: 60.775, -148.683

I was amazed at the efficiency with which Princess handled the disembarkation. We arrived at the port of Whittier around midnight, and by 0630 people were heading out. They had people scattering to all kinds of destination, with some leaving by bus, train, and catamaran. With almost 2,000 to handle, it was never crowded or chaotic and seemed to more effortlessly. I wasn't aware Princess was a German company. ;-) We had our seating assignment on the train, and by 0800 we were on board and on our way. Whittier is a funny little town, which wouldn't exist if it weren't for World War II. The Army needed a place to bring in supplies, and the existing port at Seward requires a long sail around the peninsula. They constructed the longest rail tunnel in the world at the time – more than 2 ½ miles straight through the mountain, and linked the new port with the existing Alaska Railroad. The army built a tall multistory building to house troops, as there is little to no other land available to build. Since the Army's departure, almost all of the town 186 residents reside in this one building, which also houses the school and grocery store. It's called the world's only "city under one room." The rail track runs directly to the port, so we literally walked off of our ship and onto the train.

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Photos

Arrival in Whittier
The tall building to the right, is the high-rise I wrote about.