Alaska 2008: Mendeltna Lodge, AK to Valdez, AK

We got up this morning to gray skies with a touch of blue. We thought, "maybe we will get lucky and the sky will be mostly blue." We were not so lucky!

Our trip today took us on the Glenn Highway from Mendeltna to Glennallen and the junction of the Richardson Highway. The weather to this point was OK, mostly cloudy but dry. Then we turned south on the Richardson Highway. The weather started to deteriorate quickly and we went from partly cloudy to rain in a few miles. Yesterday I said that the Glenn Highway was the most scenic road we traveled on in Alaska. The Richardson proved me wrong. As you drive down the Highway from Glennallen, you have the Wrangell-St Elias Mountains in view to the east, the Copper River shows itself for a while and the Chugach Mountains to the west. The glaciated mountains, or what we saw of them through the rain and fog, were spectacular. We passed and were able to see two beautiful waterfalls, Bridal Veil and Horsetail, as well as the Worthington Glacier. You also catch glimpses of the Alaska Pipeline which terminates at the Port of Valdez. As the driver, I had to focus more on the road which has some long 8% grades and a few "interesting" curves, and could only catch quick glances at the scenery.

As you approach the southern end of the Richardson Highway, it drops down to sea level and Valdez. One of the brochures we have quotes a sign, seen somewhere in Valdez, that states, "Switzerland, the Valdez of Europe." This is in reference to the majestic mountains and glaciers that seem to surround Valdez. Unfortunately for us, the low hanging clouds and rain obscured the view. We could catch occasional glimpses of the mountains when there was a momentary break in the clouds. We are hoping that tomorrow will be clearer and we will get a better look at the mountains that surround us.

Most people are familiar with Valdez because of the Alaska Pipeline Terminal and the Exxon Valdez disaster. The Exxon Valdez spilled its contents on Good Friday, March 24, 1989. Ironically, this was the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Earthquake and Tsunami that destroyed Valdez and killed 31 people in 1964. Old Valdez was never rebuilt and the new town is where we are today. I asked one of the locals if she get concerned when Good Friday rolls around and she answered, "yes, we all wonder what this year will bring."

Since the weather was not great for outdoor activities, we decided to focus on the two museums in Valdez. The first one we went to was the Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum, which houses one of the largest collections of Alaska native arts, crafts and artifacts. It is a small museum but quite interesting. The second museum was the Valdez Museum, which focuses on the history of Valdez.