Sunday - Part (2) Whittier

Tunnel Adventures & a Quick Exit from Whittier

After church camp, Micah and Debra followed us on a spontaneous side trip to a little town called Whittier. We figured it might be a fun detour—something off the beaten path. And well… it definitely delivered. Just not quite in the way we expected.

To get there, you have to drive through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel, the longest highway tunnel in North America, stretching 2.5 miles through solid mountain. And here’s the twist: it’s a one-lane tunnel shared by cars and trains. Yep—cars literally drive over the train tracks. It runs on a strict schedule, alternating traffic flow and letting trains through at their turn.

We lined up and waited for our window. Let’s just say, driving into a narrow, dark tunnel through a mountain wasn’t exactly a relaxing moment. A little past the comfort zone for a few of us!

Once we made it through, we rolled into the town of Whittier—a small, quiet spot with just a handful of streets nestled against the water. But then we saw it… a seriously creepy old hotel that looked like it came straight out of a suspense film. Both Micah and Ryan took one look and said, “Let’s get out of here.” No argument from the rest of us.

We jumped back in line to head back through the tunnel—and just as we exited, we saw the train waiting its turn. Perfect timing!

With that strange little detour behind us, we turned our wheels toward Seward, ready for the next chapter of the adventure—hopefully with a little less spooky and a little more sunshine.Read more