The trip to Valdez

7/10/10

We left our camp in Tok 7/8/10 with regrets. Our destination was Valdez but we didn't really hurry along. If you know Alaska roads you will understand why. It 's slow go. Our first night out we stayed in a camp along the Copper River with our picture window pulled up facing the river and our recliners at the ready. Installed in the recliners plotting our next move or maybe napping I yelped and ducked as a BIG BIRD headed toward the trailer window. Bosco missed the sight I saw and wondered (not for the first time, I might add) what the heck was wrong with me. Turns out we had eagles in camp, and we could watch them fish the river, and catch the thermals above camp. Ah, the retired life. Picture at left is the Copper River later in our drive

The next day we scurried around to leave camp ....at 10:30. Last ones out again. The Michagan tribe left at 05:30: I"m sure just to make us look bad. We only were looking at a 3 hour drive so we did a lot of sightseeing; stopping at Wrangell-St. Elias Mountain Visitors Center where we did a 1/2 mile nature hike and looked at both the Visitor Center exhitbits and the exhibit lodge. Stopping for lunch on the way we headed on to Valdez. The pictures tell the story! Picture at right is view out of our trailer window at lunch.

We are snug in Bayside RV park packed pretty near cheek to jowl but nice people. Valdez poplulation about 3600 people and 9 million fish. The pinks are running, we went out to see them fishing last night. Woke up this AM to rain, turns out Valdez gets 300 inches of rain a year. So, we may wind up fishing in the rain.

                                           Picture  below is at Thompson pass summit.