there's no fireworks in alaska

When i was little, all fourth of July's involved a pig-pickin and a greased up watermelon you had to fish out of the pool. We inevitably watched the pops in the park firework display on TV or nearby somewhere. It was always a blast. As i discovered this past weekend, in Alaska there are no big fireworks displays--simply because it doesn't get dark enough out.

Instead, we spent the 4th exploring Whittier and the Kenai Peninsula. Click on an image for a big version--especially in the last section.
1. Portage Glacier: It was a glacier day....we saw lots of them and they were very lovely.

2. Whittier Tunnel: This tunnel through Maynard Mountain is the second longest highway tunnel and the longest rail/road combined tunnel in  North America. I cannot even begin to tell you how excited Adam, the tunnel snob, was about this one. Most of the tunnels i have ever been through have support concrete that forms a spherical or arch shape throughout. This one doesn't. This one is just the rock of the mountain reaching over your head for 2.6 miles. It is one lane, so the traffic flows in each direction for 15 minutes, unless there is a train going through. Whittier is a really tiny little town, nestled at the base of the mountains on the edge of the sound. It is surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of waterfalls this time of year as the snow continues to melt off the mountain tops.

3. Seward and the Amazing Race: Then we headed off down the Kenai, to what is affectionately known as Alaska's playground. It was beautiful, remote, and looked to definitely be bear and moose country...but alas, they were still eluding me. Seward is where everyone who isn't camping seems to go for the 4th. They have the Mt. Marathon race--which is this nutso race where everyone runs straight up a mountain (3000ft or 900 m) and then runs back down. It takes just over 40 minutes for the fastest ones. This pic is the mountain from our watching spot. Here's the action sequence:

4. Navid Erfani's car: I found Ducky's car.