Valdez, AK - Mother Nature's Playground

Valdez is Mother Nature’s Year-Round Playground.  It has a spectacular mix of tidewater glaciers, rain forests and mountains unequaled in the state of Alaska.  Valdez offers wonderful recreational opportunities throughout the year.  Wild animals, birds and nature flourish in the area.

Valdez is located on the north shore of a deep-water fjord in Prince William Sound.  It is 305 miles by road south of Anchorage.  Valdez was named in 1790 by Senor Fidalgo for the celebrated Spanish naval officer Antonia Valdez Bason.  In 1898 Valdez became a debarkation point for prospectors seeking a route to Dawson City and the Klondike gold fields.  Gold was discovered in the area and Valdez was incorporated as a City in 1901.   Tsunamis generated by the 1964 earthquake destroyed the original city, killing several residents.  Valdez was rebuilt in a more protected location about four miles from the original site.  It is the southern terminal of the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline.  Construction of the pipeline terminal and other cargo transportation facilities brought rapid growth to Valdez in the 1970’s.    

One of the greatest adventures of our stay in Valdez was a cruise on the Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruise.  See picture below of sea lion bulls floating on the buoy in the ocean. They had no clue we were even close to them. 

Valdez is a fishing town and fishing is the main source of income.  Although Buck did not fish in Valdez, we went to a fish cannery and purchased fresh-catch cod and salmon.  We froze the fish in our motor-home freezer and hope to enjoy it with our family when we return home.

This is the time for the salmon run. Adult salmon spend several years in the ocean before returning upstream to the location of their birth.  The salmon  hatchery at Valdez is normally where the salmon were born, so we’ve seen them jumping in the ocean on their return to the hatchery; we’ve seen them at the hatchery trying to mate so that their intended purpose can be accomplished;  and we’ve seen their predators enjoying a wonderful meal on salmon as they’ve tried to accomplish their goal.  Predators include fishermen, sea otters, bears, eagles, wolves and foxes.  Wow!  It’s amazing that at least some of the salmon make it back to the hatchery!  Below is a picture of a post card showing you the salmon. They really were that plentiful

Valdez has beautiful waterfalls. We captured two of them as we traveled the mountainous road into Valdez.  Below are pictures of the Horse Tail and Bridal Veil waterfalls.

Valdez was the last sea-port town in Alaska that we visited.  As we left, we retraced our drive and headed to Tok, the last Alaska town to visit.  We were there only one night and enjoyed a caravan dinner at the one-and-only local restaurant.  After Tok, we will enter the Yukon Territory in Canada again on our way to Smithers, British Columbia (CA) where our caravan members will scatter and go on our own ways.

Alaska, the last frontier, was an exciting place to visit.  The scenery and wildlife made it so. We are so grateful for the opportunity.

US Flag flying above the Stan Stephens Glacier and Wildlife Cruise ship