Valdez, AK on Prince William Sound

The Richardson Hwy. offers good views of the trans Alaska Pipeline (above) The pipeline carries oil 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean to the pipeline terminus (above left) at Port Valdez, which is just across the bay from our campground.

In addition the Richardson Highway was Alaska's first road, known to good seekers in 1898 as the Valdez to Eagle trail. Gold stampeders started up the trail again in 1902, this time headed for

Fairbanks, site of a big gold strike. The Valdez to Fairbanks trail became an important route to the Interior, and in 1910 the trail was upgraded to a wagon road, then updated to automobile standards in 1920 and finally hard-surfaced in 1957. History sure is not long ago in Alaska!

Below is a rusty oil tanker still in use & a cruise ship. They come in maybe once a week.

Looking up Prince William Sound toward old Valdez.

Kayaking (below) and Harbor Seals (right) are popular sights right off our campsite in Valdez.




Even Valdez has a Glacier, although it is very small now, just a few feet tall and not very deep.

There is a lot of glacial ice flow created from the Valdez Glacier.

Glacial reflections (left).

Geneva Harris Braxton who was a mulatto woman was married to Braxton. Both were well known in the community and respected. However upon her death, Geneva was not allowed in the cemetery (now called Pioneer or Chinese Cemetery) This sign sits outside the cemetery gates. And in truth it is NOT a Chinese cemetery. One man in the town was Japanese and due to the fact his calligraphy was not understood by the locals, they assumed he was Chinese when buried; thus the name of the cemetery, so the story goes.

The beautiful and unusual Chocolate Lily also known as Indian Rice grows near the old Valdez town site,

As does this pretty Northern Shooting Star.





Along the roadside waterfalls always catch your attention.

Harlequin Duck Pair

Red Throated Loon

Nesting Black-legged Kittiwakes. There are 4 times as many as these nesting along the edge of a bridge. There is a ledge between the road top and the bottom of the bridge. Amazing sight.

Notice his short webbed feet.

The tranquil (top) and the thrilling black bears.



The Fox Sparrow is building a next on the rocks just past our campsite area.

Jerry Funk and Don outside the Funks campsite getting ready to grill our steaks and salmon for the evening dinner. We are camped to the top/right of the Funks.

BBFN, Karen and Don