Portage Glacier from the MV Ptarmigan on a cruise around Portage Lake.

It looks like a beautiful day in Southcentral Alaska, the perfect kind of day to get out and enjoy some of what makes our state so wonderful. And the artists at the Girdwood Center for Visual Arts have put together a special event that brings together some of the best things about Alaska –- art and the outdoors.

The GCVA is hosting its inaugural “Art on the Lake” cruise tonight aboard the mv Ptarmigan at Portage Lake. Daily the Ptarmigan takes visitors and locals on a one-hour tour of Portage Lake and close to Portage Glacier. A tour is one of the best ways to see a glacier in Southcentral.

Tonight’s trip is special because it will be two hours long (instead of the usual hour) and will feature art on the boat from GCVA members, food, wine and music. Several artists will be busy creating while the tour progresses.

Tickets are $50; $30 for 12 and younger. The tour begins at 6:30 from the Ptarmigan’s regular loading area at Portage Lake. For more information, call 783-3209; tickets can be purchased by calling 277-5581.

-- Steve