Homer to Anchorage Wednesday, August 6, 2003
Drove 200 miles back up the Sterling Highway with views of snow-capped volcanoes to Anchorage. We’ll stay here for two days for “downtime” and do laundry and other housekeeping stuff.
Anchorage to Valdez Thursday, August 7, 2003
Left Anchorage on the Glenn Highway to Glenallen and then on the Richardson Highway to Valdez. We ran into construction on the Glenn Highway with only one lane open with lots of mud and gravel for over 14 miles. Dramatic views of 16k foot mountains. Just outside of Valdez on the Richardson Highway we saw Worthington Glacier right near the road. Arrived in Valdez about 5pm, but couldn’t get a waterfront RV spot, so settled for one in the back with hopes of changing it to a waterfront site tomorrow. Walked around exploring the town of 4,000 people.
Valdez Friday, August 8, 2003
Great weather today (record-breaking mid-80 degrees) – and we were able to change sites to be right on the harbor. 
We took another walk around town this morning and got information on hikes and lakes in the area from the visitor center. 
Hiked 5 miles with views down to a river that ended at a nice waterfall. Back in the 40s, this trail had actually been a dirt trail and there had been a bridge over the waterfall, but an avalanche destroyed the steel bridge and they then built a new paved road down along the river in the 50s. The steel I-beams and grating of the original bridge are still visible in the falls. The hike gave us some much needed exercise. We sat at the edge of the water, and ate dinner at our site overlooking the harbor. 
Spike has really become accustomed to traveling and likes the beach as much as we do. A really nice day.
Valdez Saturday, August 9, 2003
We woke up to a minor oil spill here in Valdez. 
The smell was horrible and the Coast Guard was putting out white fabric ballasts to protect the little harbor area right in front of our RV (the regular boat harbor was unaffected). Jack talked with them and they said it was a 50 gallon spill (the Exxon Valdez spill was multiple millions). They worked all day to hose off the rocks and mop up little bits of oil with white absorbent cloths that float on the water. We saw hardly any oil, but the smell was terrible all day. We drove out to a salmon fish hatchery on the other side of the bay. There, hundred of thousands of salmon were dying or dead all around the shores on the other side of the bay, but there was no one at the hatchery to ask what was happening. There were some fish going up a fish ladder into the hatchery where the eggs are taken and raised in the hatchery and released the next year, but thousands were flopping around just outside with seagulls everywhere feeding on the dead fish. We couldn’t figure out why there were so many dead fish – it could have fed a third-world country!
Valdez Sunday, August 10, 2003
The oil smell is almost gone today and the weather is sunny and warm, about 75 degrees. Today is Gold Rush Days, honoring Valdez’ past. We first went to the craft fair – three tables, two with food and one with jewelry.
We then went on a two-mile hike along a raging creek. 
To get to the trailhead, we had to drive five miles over a road that was only marginally drivable – a 4-wheel drive would definitely have been a plus. Multiple waterfalls and at the end of the trail was an old building that was a tram used in to pull people over the creek to a Roadhouse back around 1912. 
There were lots of copper mines in the area. Came back to town just in time to watch the parade – definitely better than the craft fair. They had 27 entries/floats and then they opened up the local museum to everyone for free. We stopped by to check the museum, especially to see the Exxon oil spill exhibits. A nice little museum that highlights the gold rush origins and the 1964 earthquake that destroyed Valdez. They picked up what was left of the town and moved it 4 miles west to its present location where there is bedrock instead of a silt base. Tomorrow rain is expected and we will begin the 710 mile drive to Haines down to the head of the Inside Passage where we will catch the ferry.
Valdez to Tok Monday, August 11, 2003
Took showers in the campground showers – what a great feeling after the last couple of months of taking showers in the RV with limited hot water and low water pressure. Stayed in Tok at the junction of the Glenn Highway from Valdez and the Alaska Highway, about 250 miles from Valdez. The day is cloudy with light showers, the first day without sun in a while. A good day for driving and we saw a pair of trumpeter swans in a lake along the way and views of 16k and 18k snow-covered mountains. The road was terrible – for 30 miles or more, there would be a spot where the pavement was torn up every ¼ mile with washboard gravel that was muddy where it rained and dusty where it didn’t. The campground is nice with lots of space with trees between sites and they have full hookups, plus internet access.
