Day 51B - Richardson Highway to Valdez - 08/19/2011

As reported by Lon G Britton:

The rain pounded the roof of the coach all night.  We got up and moving around 9 am and hit the road about 10:30 for the final 80 mile leg to Valdez down Highway #4.

The rain was non-stop all the way, only varying in intensity.  The mountains were largely obscured by low overcast ceilings. But hey, what are you going to do but make the best of it?   After all this is Alaska!!

                         First scenic stop was Devils Elbow, a deep gorge cut by the Tsama River.

                                 The drop is quite dramatic and current of the river thunderous.

                                                    Next stop was Worthington Glacier

Unfortunately, the gray ovc skies wash out a lot of the beauty.  If you look closely you'll see 5 people hiking the glacier

 Hiking glaciers is dangerous due to the many hidden crevices.  However, looking through a telescope we could tell these folks were equipped and qualified.

You could easily hike about .5 mile to the edge of the glacier, but given the constant rain we decided to try on the way back.  Maybe.

We got back into the coach and continued on to Valdez.  Again with a lot of grade changes and wet roads.  The scenery, despite the rain, was spectacular.

                                   There are lots of waterfalls.  This one is called Bridal Veil Falls.

Pam arranged for parking at Eagles Rest RV park.  It is quite crowded because the Silver Salmon are running and everybody is down here fishing.  After we got settled in, we decided to go have a toddie and find an early supper.  We had to stop here, even though they only had 1 of 3 things mentioned on their sign.

Valdez' favorite pub.  It's the watering hole where Captain Hazelwood had his famous scotch-on-the-rocks before running the Exxon Valdez aground.  We ate elsewhere.  Hopefully, the rain will stop tomorrow.

Day 50B - Breaking up is hard to do - August 18, 2011

Sadly, we had to part ways again.  Jerry and Gail's coach developed some engine issues and it looks like they're going to be down a few days.  They didn't want Heidi guarding the coach alone so they're staying with her.

                                            We left them at the Cummins Dealer in Anchorage

                                              and headed for Valdez via the Glenn Highway

                                            there were a lot of grade changes and frost heaves.

We were stopped for 25 minutes by road work, so Pam made us lunch.  That's the advantage of taking your kitchen with you.

Autumn is starting in some of the higher country.  The color change becoming evident.  We'll have to think about leaving soon.

              Think they get much snow?  The poles on the side of the road are for snowplow orientation.

 The Matanuska Glacier was viewable from the highway.  It heads 27 miles into the Chugach mountains with an average width of 2 miles.

We made it to Glennallen and decided to go a little further south before stopping for the night.  We found the Squirrel Creek State Campground and decided to dry camp.

                                           Lon went in search of firewood and found this place.

He met some real grizzled Alaskans who were "partying".  He called it a "Deliverance" moment and  swore he heard banjos pickin.

       It was all for naught though.  Although we were "dry" camping it started raining hard so no fire.

          Lon and Pam will be reporting in from the road to help keep the travelblog going forward.

Day 49 Anchorage - August 17, 2011

Nothing photo worthy happened on this day.  The Brittons caught up with the Cockerells in Anchorage and compared notes.  It seems both Jerry and Pam got quite ill about 1:30 in the morning and were sick all day.  Gail came up with the fact that they both had hamburgers at a lunch stop in Seward about 36 hours earlier.  Gail had a Turkey Melt and Lon had Fish and Chips, they both felt fine.  It rained all day anyway so nursing their respective spouses was big event of the day.

Alaska Day 48B - Whittier

Pam and Lon veered off to Whittier at Portage Glacier Road.  They knew this was going to be good when they dropped the coach in the Visitor Center parking lot to take the car into Whittier.  There in the lake by the parking lot was an iceberg.  Remember, click on pictures to enlarge.

They paid the $12 toll and got in line for the 11:30 tunnel crossing.  Cars, semis, buses and trains all use this one lane tunnel to get through the mountain.  There are 4 lanes to wait in while while either the train or opposite direction traffic flow through.

Finally they got the green light exactly at 11:30 and traveled the 2.5 mile tunnel to Whittier, a town of 300.  One way in and one way out except by boat.

They paid the $10 parking fee and boarded the Klondike Express, which will do 40 knots, for a 26 glacier cruise, $289 for 2 people which included a very good fish and chips dinner.  Well worth the money.

The glaciers were amazing, they saw 2 "calvings" (when a small portion of the Tidewater glaciers drop into the sea) but didn't have the camera ready for a pic

There was lots of wildlife also, 4 Orca whales, only the 2nd sighting of the season according to the crew

                                                                    and sea otters

                                                                         and sea lions

as well as bald eagles, a bunch of different birds, salmon jumping and a quick glimpse of a black bear but couldn't get a snapshot of them.

We love this picture.  Is this a great country or what?  God bless the USA!!

After the 5.5 hour tour that went 138 miles, on very smooth water, they headed back through the tunnel and dry camped at the Willawaw National Campground in the Chugach National Forest, just a few miles away, for the night.

Pam made crescent rolls and homemade split pea soup for dinner.  With a glass of fine Costco Chardonnay and armed with the "bear spray" they had a campfire and enjoyed dinner in the forest.

All told they took 139 pictures.  Way to many to upload.  On Wednesday, August 16th, they'll hook up with the Cockerells in Anchorage and see what kind of mischief they've gotten into.

Day 48 Seward to Anchorage

Beautiful morning in Seward. Blue skies and warm. Left about 9:00, parted with Pam & Lon at the Portage Glacier Road to Whittier. The Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet looked way different today then the first time through here.

The Golden Nugget RV Park in Anchorage is not our favorite (we have been here 2 other times), but it is the best Anchorage has to offer.

There are magic mushrooms on site.

While walking Heidi, we came across this Beaver coach.

Bring your own patio.

Pam called, they liked the boat ride. Saw a whale.

They should be here tomorrow. Maybe.