Seward-Valdez

Good morning from Valdez. Last time we talked, we were leaving Seward for Whittier. That was Thursday, June 18. Just outside Seward is a turnoff for Exit Glacier, so we decided to turn off. Exit Glacier is supposed to be accessible by foot, so I was interested.

When we got to the visitor center, we found out the trail to the edge of the glacier was 1.2 miles long. I convinced Barb to give it a try. The first half mile was paved and then flat easy gravel. After that the trail got narrower and started to go up hill. Gradually it became a rough trail with occasional steps and rocks to climb over. At about the 1 mile mark, Barb decided she couldn't make it the rest of the way since the trail became steeper and more difficult. I left her at the side of the trail and continued on. It got fairly difficult, but I finally made it.

I was at the edge (side) of the glacier about halfway up. I could see the bottom of the glacier where it was grinding up the rock into gravel. It was not very big, but worth the hike. I give Barb an 'A' for the effort.

Till we got back to the parking lot, Barb was feeling the effects of the hike and was glad to get back into the motorhome and her comfy chair. We drove to the same campground in Portage, which is not far from Whittier, and spent the night there.

Friday, June 19, we left for Whittier around 8:00 am for another cruise of Prince William Sound. The weather was mostly cloudy, but slowly the sun peeked through. One of the most interesting things about Whittier is how you get there. Connecting Whittier to the rest of the outside world (besides by boat) is a 2.6 mile long tunnel, the longest tunnel in North America. It was originally built as a train tunnel, but around 2000, they laid down a roadbed to allow cars to go thru. It is only on lane, so traffic alternates direction every half hour, except when a train goes through.

Arriving in Whittier, you see it is a working seaport, with few tourist amenities. I imagine it could be a rough town at times. Most everyone in town lives in an apartment building built for the army. The original army barracks was severly damaged in the Good Friday earthquake in 1964 and simply abandoned. This huge concrete structure looms above the town in its rundown condition.

At 11:00 we boarded our cruise boat and set off for the glaciers. The weather turned out to be quite nice and got many good pictures. We stopped close to an active glacier and watched it calve for close to a half hour. What a sight! Pictures to follow.

Back through the tunnel to the campground, hooked up the Tracker, and we were on our way back to Wasilla. For those of you who don't know, you do not have a big choice of roads up here, so you must backtrack to get to where you're going next. In other words, 'you can't always get there from here'.

We got to Wasila around 8:00 pm and checked into the Big Bear campground where we had stayed the first time through Wasilla.

Saturday, June 20, I took the Tracker to have new tires put on, since the old ones would not let me go above 55 without trying to shake itself apart. Don't ask what I paid for those tires, but the Tracker rides MUCH better. We did some shopping at the Wal-Mart and left for Valdez about 1:30 pm.

Valdez is about 265 miles from Wasilla and we expected about a 6 hour drive. Well, we pulled into the Sea Otter RV park about 9:30 pm. The road conditions were not good and far too many picture opportunities. We didn't miss many turnouts, especially as we travelled over Thompson Pass and then through Keystone Canyon. Once again, the scenery is just spectacular and different from what we had seen before. I have soooo many pictures, it will be a long time till I go through them all and sort them out. I will get a few up on the blog soon.

Sunday, June 21, Father's Day. After a great breakfst at Totem Inn, the only place open, we went to check out another cruise. It began to rain and conditions did not look good for a cruise. However, we had heard so much about the captain of the yacht, LuLuBelle, we decided to go ahead and do it. I say 'yacht' insted of boat, because the captain had built it himself and was a notch or two above the other cruise boats. It had mahogany throughout and even oriental rugs on the floor. We were not disapointed. Though it rained the entire trip, and I got soaked taking pictures, (oh, the sacrifices we must make) it was a fabulous cruise in that the captain kept a humorous and knowledgable monologue going the entire trip. What a story teller! His cruises last from five and a half to seven hours, depending on what he finds out in the sound. I got good picks of a whale tail as it dove as well as seals and otters. He also took us into an area off Columbia glacier where we were surrounded by icebergs. Incredible sight! Again, pics to follow.

That brings us to today, Monday, June22. We're packing up to leave and head back to Tok and the Alaska Highway. We leave today with mixed emotions. This trip today marks the turnaround point of our adventure. Anxious to get back home to family and friends, yet sad to leave this wondrous place. We have some wonderful memories so far and will have quite a few more till we get back. We miss you and will miss this place. So, for now, take care, have fun and be safe.

Ron & Barb