Valdez, AK to Whitehorse, YT

Valdez was founded in 1897 as a gateway to the gold fields. Its residents survived a tsunami as a result of the devastating1964 (9.2) earthquake. The quake caused unstable terrain, so a new town was built four miles west of its original location. It took four years to build the 800 mile Trans-Alaskan pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez; it was completed in1977. Valdez was devastated by its second disaster in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez oil tanker, with its drunken captain, hit rock and spilled thousands of gallons of oil just outside the harbor. Wildlife was destroyed as was the fishing industry for years, but after a massive cleanup effort, few traces of the spill remain.

As we left Valdez we drove to Allison Point, past the historic Old Valdez Cemetery, hoping to see an oil tanker filling up from the pipeline. We got as far as a security gate but were not even allowed to photograph from a distance. On our way back to the main road, we were amazed to see two large black bears catching and eating fish in a spawning area. The bears would take a big bite and throw the fish away. While the wounded fish lay flopping in misery, the bears were yanking out a new catch. What a telephoto opt we enjoyed from a safe distance! Jerry threatened to leave Gloria if she did not get back in the car.

The drive from Valdez, AK to Whitehorse, YT required a stop in Tok, AK. We camped in our tent as the temp dipped to 28 degrees. Brrrr! In Haines Junction we stayed in the warm, cozy cabin we had rented on our way to Alaska. The scenery along the Alaska Highway was breathtakingly beautiful as the leaves were beginning to turn. Beyond description were the glaciers, wetlands, craggy mountains with snow covered peaks and deep crevasses, and mountains with minerals and vegetation appealing to the Dall Sheep. We counted over 30 of them on Sheep Mountain.

We had shipped 28 pounds of salmon from Jerry’s catch to our home in Virginia, but we kept a couple of fillets for us. We broiled half at the Blessing House for a last night feast. We had kept some of the roe and had them for breakfast with our eggs the next morning. Along the way south at Snag Junction, we found Small Lake, a perfect place to consume our last fillet. The water was as blue as the sky; the sunshine was profuse, and the fire ring was stocked with dry wood. What a romantic lunch by the fire! We grilled the salmon with red onion slices and added the last of the roe. We were thrilled to have this scenic, secluded, lakeside spot all to ourselves.

Valdez, AK

Valdez is the most northerly ice-free port in the Western Hemisphere. We arrived at the Blessing House B&B late Saturday night; it proved to be a true blessing to us. Breakfast was provided, and we had use of the kitchen and many other amenities throughout the day. From our bedroom window we could view three beautiful glaciers. We attended services by the First Baptist Church early on Sunday aboard the Lulu Belle. Another Christian couple told us of a beautiful, spotless yacht built by its captain 30 years ago for chartered fishing expeditions and/or sightseeing in Prince William Sound. However, on the Lord’s Day, the captain donates the boat and his service to the church. The message was uplifting, and we had a lovely cruise beginning with eerie fog and ending in bright sunshine.

One highlight of our three days was Jerry's bringing in his limit of six 8-10 pound silver salmon. The biggest one broke his line after a long hard fight, so he said. While he was fishing, Gloria was watching a large number of active aggressive chum salmon as the females attempted to lay their eggs. When the female turns on its side, it is using a fin to dig a nest. She lays her eggs and moves away so the male can cover them with his sperm; she returns, covers the eggs, and swims away only to die a short time later. The male lives only a short time also. Hundreds of fish were pushing, biting, and shoving in the pond, and there were many dead ones nearby. Out of the 2500 eggs a female lays only five or six adult salmon survive to spawn the next year or two.

Palmer, AK

The 30 mile drive from Anchorage to Palmer was awesome. The grandeur of the mountains contrasted with the cultivated fields and the fenced farmlands enclosing cattle, horses, and other livestock. The tiny, colorful flowerrs and leafy plants were not daunted by the craggy snow covered peaks. We stopped at what must have been Alaska’s original strip mall. It has been abandoned and is only a ghost of its former self, but It is a photographer's dream come true. It has a variety of goods to include rusty Cadillacs, an old hairdryer, a gas pump, Caribou antlers and more. Jerry was thrilled! He left with the “collectable” in the photo. As we peaked, poked and pushed through the items outside of the locked buildings, the train from Anchorage to Palmer crossed our path. It was filled with State Fair goers.

Just as we paid for our admission tickets to the fair, we felt droplets of rain. This did not deter us; we put on our raincoats and sloshed up and down the rows of booths. The venders were cheerful and did not seem to mind the weather. “It's like this every year; we know that if we need rain it will come during fair week,” said one vender selling portable structures. Judging took place in various large buildings, and we were glad for the shelter. In one we saw goats, rabbits, chickens, cattle and record sized cabbage, squash, and fruits. Other buildings featured baked goods, clothing, and quilts. Musical performances by local artists were in large tents. It was “Kids Day,” so there were also many activities and exhibits for tots to teens. We had a great time recalling the Ohio State Fair and Ohio’s many county fairs we enjoyed when we were young.

Alaska Native Heritage Center

The Alaska Native Heritage Center, located next to Ft. Richardson, allows visitors to learn about many Alaskan Native cultures. There is a 26,000 sq. ft. Welcome House and five traditional village settings, situated around a lovely small lake. Story tellers are located in each setting to explain life in their particular culture. The five Native cultures are: Athabascaan, Yupik/Cupik, Inupiaq, Aleut/Alutiiq and Tlingit/Haida/Eyak/Tsimshian. We were treated to a dance presentation by a group from the latter group. They wore tribal “button” robes and used tribal drums. There was also a craft show among the various exhibits. The people were carving ivory, sewing tiny beads onto fabric, and weaving small baskets from various grasses. There were many beautiful items for sale, but they were quite expensive. Video presentations in various locations explained traditional techniques for fishing, hunting, cooking, building kayaks and constructing dwellings.

Back to Anchorage

We are back in Anchorage for a second time and will stay for five days. As we drove from the Kenai Peninsula into the suburbs, we gasped and gaped at the sight of Mt. McKinley in all its glory. We were over a hundred miles away from the The Mountain, but the skies were clear and it was aglow. We had a roomy suite at Fort Richardson Lodging. Our touring included the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Alaska Native Heritage Center, and another trip to the Forest Ranger’s exhibit in the Federal building. Anchorage is also home to the Ulu Knife Factory. The Ulu, the ubiquitous knife found in every store in Alaska is truly practical. It's curved blade is used for everything from lopping off a fish’s head to slicing tomatoes.

The Anchorage Museum houses excellent cultural heritage exhibits and historical artifacts. Our docent gave an excellent tour, which included information on the early settlers, the goldrush, and the building of the pipeline from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. There were models of cabins, boats for fishing and/or transportation, and specially made ship and aircraft models. The “pig” used in keeping the pipeline open was the highlight for Gloria. There were graphic pictures of the devastation caused by the 1964 earthquake. The main floor has six connecting galleries of Alaskan art, including Mt. McKinley by Sidney Laurence. Another famous, featured Alaskan artist, Eustace Ziegler, was a prolific painter who survived the Great Depression through his works. He once said that he had painted 100 pictures each year for 65 years. The Children’s Museum was more contemporary and child friendly.

Anchorage is a relatively new city, but it's over 250,000 people make up half of Alaska's poplulation. It is 50-50 male and female. It is a modern city in every respect, and the climate is favorable for year-round living. Anchorage is home to an Air Force base and an Army post. Without them, its economy would probably be in trouble.

Whittier, AK

We drove to Whittier via the tunnel off the Seward Highway. The tunnel is used by vehicular as well as train traffic. Nearby Whittier Glacier was named for the famous poet, John Greenleaf Whittier. The town was first built as a port by the U.S. Army during WWII and remained an active military facility until 1960. It is now a small inlet village, one mile square. It is famous for its fishing expeditions and cruises to view the glaciers and wildlife in Prince William Sound, a fjord of Passage Canal. The majority of the townspeople live in one of the two large condominiums built by the Army in 1948. There were other military buildings all connected by underground passageways. The tunnels allowed movement during the cold winters. The largest building, once Alaska’s biggest, was badly damaged during the 1964 earthquake and remains empty.

We had a delicious lunch and met the school’s only elementary/middle school teacher. There are 35 students in her class. She said that most of her students live in her building, and they all use a tunnel to the classroom, which is located behind the larger condo. We left for Seward when the rains canceled our plans to take a cruise.

When we left Homer three days later, the sun was shining brightly, the breezes were warm, and we decided to return to Whittier. We were fortunate to claim the last two tickets for an amazing cruise of the Sound. We saw many glaciers, icebergs, sea otters, and a wide variety of birds. Our captain, cruise director, and U.S. Forest Ranger were friendly, informative, and knowledgeable. We were on deck most of the six hour tour, mesmerized by the mountains, glaciers, and sea life. We even saw a glacier calving (parts of the glacier breaking away into the water). The ranger told us that such a warm, clear, sunny day is rare in the Whittier area.

In bottom left, note Gloria holding Flat Samuel (cutout of our grandson) toward an iceberg with a large glacier in the background. He gets lots of attention at our various stops for those who know about Flat Stanley. He is holding Flat Esther, his pet.

Seldovia, AK

We drove to the Homer Spit and cruised to the historic community of Seldovia. There are no roads to this lovely little, picturesque village of 300 people. It is only accessible by air and sea. Our Cook Inlet cruise lasted a few hours, and we saw many species of birds unique to the area along with kelp and pods of sea otters. Thousands for birds perch on the lovely rock formations that seem to grow out of the water. Seldovia was our port of call, and we were allowed to stay for three hours. The village was settled around 1800 by Russians as a trading station and is one of the oldest in the Cook Inlet. The name means Herring Bay. By 1898 it belonged to Alaska, and its post office was built that year. Seldovia flourished in the 1900s because it is on one of the only ice free harbors in Alaska. Today, the largest employer in town is the Seldovia Village Tribe.

Seldovia has retained much of its old Alaska charm and Russian traditions. The
Quaint little St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church was built in 1891. It is now a national historic site. We strolled the old part of Seldovia, admiring the buildings on tall pilings and the small shops. We were awed by the thousands of salmon swimming under the Seldovia Slough Bridge. Jerry’s salmon lunch was the best ever. To our surprise, we spotted an Airstream trailer parked beside a lovely log house. Seldovia is a little hidden gem that no visitor should miss visiting.

Homer, AK

We entered Homer and were immediately overwhelmed with a spectacular backdrop of mountains and glaciers gleaming in the afternoon sunshine. We were in time to enjoy fellowship and ice cream with some of our NORVA Airstream friends. Ralph and Louise, Ed and Beth, and Sally and Chuck are on a National Alaska-Canada Airstream Caravan that lasts for a couple of months. The caravan was parked practically next door to our motel. We were disappointed to miss Edgar and Kathy, who had gone to Anchorage for motor home repair work. Gloria was so thrilled to see old friends that she found it difficult to sleep that night.

A wonderful narrow peninsula called The Spit extends from Homer. On The Spit are all kinds of cute little gift shops, cruise lines and fishing trip companies. We also drove Skyline drive and the coast road south of Homer on a sunny day. The glaciers, twisting water ways, and the relaxed atmosphere endear the town to its longtime residents as well as to tourists. Many people freely admit to having come to Homer to visit and have ended up staying. The Pratt Museum had well documented and photographic historical exhibits. A ranger was operating an active “bear cam” situated 100 miles away. We watched with amusement as two young grizzlies played for over an hour in the water below the falls at McNeil Island. There is a cabin outside the museum which was home to many different people as they arrived in Homer over a few decades. We peeked in the windows as we listened to recorded voices of residents recalling their arrival and the time they spent in the cabin. There is much to see and many places to visit by plane on the Kenai Peninsula. We will need to return.

Seward

We had a lovely drive along the Cook Inlet and Turnagainarm from Anchorage to Seward. Huge glaciers abound on both sides of the Seward Highway. The Alaska RR train swept past us from time to time as we stopped for many photo opts. Capt. James Cook had sailed into the inlet looking for the Northwest Passage; later it was renamed Turnagain and then Turnagain Arm.

Seward Military Resort was our next oasis. It is surrounded by the magnificent Kenai Fjords National Park. We gaped at the beauty of the immense Harding Icefield, 50 by 30 miles in size; we hiked to the very edge of Exit Glacier. We were mesmerized by the incredible natural beauty of the Chugach National Forest.

Seward was the site where the original Iditarod sled dog race began in 1973. It followed the old 1920s mail route between Seward and Nome. We saw that monument as we walked the harbor shoreline and watched with amusement as the sea otters played nearby. The sea otter has a dense coat of fur—over 600,000 hairs per square inch. It is also one of the softest pelts that we have touched. The Salmon Derby was coming a close, and fishermen/women/ children were bringing their catches to be weighed, measured, and photographed. Not only Salmon, but Halibut, Rockfish, Red Snapper, etc. were hanging on the “brag lines.” The Forest Ranger station had an excellent bird exhibit. The Harbor Club for lunch gave us an upstairs view of the Seward Port as well as the main shopping street. Our halibut meal was topped off with a delicious rhubarb crisp.

After having camped in the rain in Anchorage, we thoroughly enjoyed three nights in the military resort. Amenities included WiFi in the spacious recreation room along with a huge television screen plus a convenient laundry next to the lounge/rec room plus free coffee. We hope to return to Seward in a couple of years; Jerry would love to spend some time fishing there.

Touring Anchorage

Sunday we attended the Muldoon Baptist Church located just minutes from Elmendorf AFB. It has a large, well equipped, sanctuary, but few attendees. The salmon, halibut, and other fish are running, and nearly every town in Alaska is having some sort of fishing derby. The pastor gave this as the reason for so many empty pews.

After church we again found ourselves downtown. The Anchorage Visitor Center is a log structure with a gorgeous garden growing wildly on its sod roof. The Egan Convention Center is next door and it too has visitor information. Trolleys provide an excellent tour of the city, including the airport that allows for large and small aircraft to include float planes. A huge number of Alaskans 16 and older have a pilot's license. To our amazement, we saw a marina used only for float planes; each slip had its color coordinated storage shed. When the sign says, “Beware of low flying aircraft,” BEWARE!

After the trolley tour we returned to Resolution Point to get pictures of the Captain Cook Monument. Englishman James Cook may have been the world’s greatest seafaring explorer/navigator/chart maker. This is also a perfect spot, on a clear day, to see Denali, but the Mountain stayed hidden in the clouds. We returned to camp as the skies opened and down came the rain. We stopped at the hospital next door to the famcamp and used their lovely vacated lounge to work on our Blog until bedtime. There would be no camp fire!

Camping in Anchorage

We arrived at Elmendorf AFB along with the Thunderbirds and the Blue Angels who were providing an air show for the entire city to enjoy. Because of the show, no rooms were available at the Base Lodge. We decided to purchase a bigger tent at the PX and stay in the Famcamp. It is located in the forest; the sites are large, and we were assigned a convenient site next to a heated bath house and laundry. We pitched our new “igloo” and left for downtown Anchorage and the famous weekend market. As we strolled past the numerous vendors, we were treated to flyovers by the Thunderbirds. They swooped overhead and then split off dramatically; one flew straight up, another spiraled toward the ground, and the other two streaked toward the AFB. Later in the afternoon the roaring Blue Angels formation swooped so close that we could easily read the gold “US NAVY” painted on blue. Our hearts skipped a couple of beats! God Bless America.

The market is on a bluff overlooking the Alaska Railroad Station. Railroading is still big in Alaska due to its vastness and limited highways. The railroad had its beginning in 1915. President Wilson decided that the route would go between Seward and Fairbanks. That was the year that Anchorage had its beginning with a tent city at the site of the current depot. A little vintage, picturesque engine sits in front of the station. We were told that it is fully operative. See our Nenana and Talkeetna posts for more details on the railroad.

On the hillside, we visited the Alaska Statehood Monument, a giant bronze eagle with President Eisenhower’s image imbedded within its folded wings. Alaska became the 49th state in 1959 during Ike’s presidency.

We returned to our camp site to find a moose cow and her calf walking along the edge of the trees near our tent. We watched as they grazed for quite some time and then faded into the woods. We made tea and munched on cookies in front of our campfire while we played cards and enjoyed the sunset until 10 p.m. Later, as we snuggled, warm and dry, in our sleeping bags, the familiar sound of rain drops speckled the roof of our tent.

The Old Log Roadhouse at Talkeetna

After leaving Denali, the skies closed with heavy gray clouds that opened in full force as we headed south toward Anchorage. Nevertheless, we enjoyed Alaska’s vast valleys, rugged peaks, and rolling forests. With billowing clouds hanging on their tops, they were amazingly beautiful. Thanks to The Milepost our curiosity was aroused concerning quaint Talkeetna located 15 miles off the Seward Highway. We decided to have lunch at the Roadhouse, known for its fantastic bakery; it is Talkeetna’s oldest restaurant and lodge. It was built with huge logs around the time of WWI as a billet for railroad workers. Both the lounge, decorated in early Salvation Army, and the dining room had a charming, homey atmosphere filled with happy, chatting customers and appetizing aromas coming from the busy kitchen. There was no individual seating, so we shared our meal with fellow diners, both foreign and domestic. The Cuckoo clock interrupted us every half hour, but of course the time was never right. Everything served came in large sizes and was delicious. We decided to be adventurous and spend the night at the Roadhouse with its boarding house atmosphere. After unpacking, we took a walk in the rain to thoroughly check out the village, a haven for fishermen, mountain climbers, and airplane tours. At dinner time, we were entertained at the Mountain High Pizza Pie by a trio of “good old boy" musicians. When we returned to the Roadhouse, we treated ourselves to mixed berry pie ala mode in the lounge, where extemporaneous music was provided by an overnight guest. After a great night of sleep in our rather primitive room, we enjoyed warm raspberry muffins right out of the oven along with free coffee before leaving for Anchorage.