Tourist Time

It's that time again! Our first cruise ship of the season is in today...these folks are halfway through a 72 day world cruise. Last year our cruise ships came exclusively from Vancouver BC with the exception of the first and last cruises which had originated in Asia. For most people however, Whittier marks one end of their trip as it's the end of one 7 day cruise and the beginning of another.

There's also a noticeable uptick in vehicle traffic. This year the Alaska Marine Highway is operating a weekly ferry between here and Bellingham. We also have daily service to Valdez and Cordova, so there are two ferries most days and three once a week.

With all of this activity around town, there are lots of funny stories to tell as we interact with visitors. Just a few...

:: Stacy pointing out to me how some of these people around us must not be from Whittier. When I asked her why she thought that she pointed out, "They're wearing hats and gloves and it's HOT out here, Mom!". It was a nice, sunny, 50 degree day after all!

:: Being approached by a stranger and asked if there's a bear "over there" behind the school. After we told him "Not right now!" he continued to ask questions as if he was under the impression we had a bear tied up out back for him to get his picture taken with.

:: Another stranger pointing out exactly what Stacy noticed. "Look! Those children aren't even wearing jackets and we're all bundled up. They must be used to this!". Yup...we sure are!

Don't get me wrong...it's fun to meet all of these folks and they're vital to our economy. But they do give us a chuckle from time to time as well!

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