Our Girdwood and Portage Glacier tour begins with leaving Anchorage to journey down the scenic Turnagain Arm. You'll pass the beautiful waterfall created by McHugh Creek and travel on to Beluga Point. A rocky outcropping that looms over the inlet, the Point provides an excellent view of the entire Arm.
Beluga Point is named after the
whales that swim past it. They come so close
to the Point that you can sometimes hear them blowing as they
surface. Beluga Point is also an wonderful vantage point for
watching the bore tide as it sweeps down Turnagain Arm. Surfacing
approximately two hours after low tide in Anchorage, the bore tide
is a foaming wall of water that can reach up to six feet in
height.
Next stop on the tour is the quaint town of Girdwood, which is home to the Westin Alyeska Prince Hotel, Alaska's largest ski resort. Try riding the tram up Mt. Alyeska (world-famous for its excellent ski trails) and have lunch at the Glacier Express Restaurant on the mountaintop. Or maybe you'd like to go gold-panning at the Crow's Creek Gold Mine. A historical mine built in 1898, eight of the original buildings are still standing. And there is still gold in the creek.
As we head south again, be sure to keep an
eye out for wildlife. Eagles sweep through the skies and Dall
sheep are frequently seen climbing the mountains that line the
highway. If you are up early enough, you may even spot them by the
roadside; they like to lick the salt off
it.
A bit further south you find Big Game Alaska. A refuge for injured or orphaned animals, it is the only drive-through wildlife park in Alaska. Among the animals they harbor are moose, musk oxen, Sitka black-tailed deer, caribou, elk, grizzly bears, and eagles.
Finally, the trek ends at Portage Glacier - one of the most accessible and beautiful of Alaska's glaciers. It pours from a mountain valley down into a clear, blue lake. In the late spring, icebergs that break off the glacier can float right up to the shoreline.
Be sure
to visit the Begich-Boggs Visitors Center to watch their
award-winning film "Voices From the Ice" and learn about
the glacier. Or get a close-up view of it yourself by taking the Portage
Glacier Cruise Tour.
