Valdez, AK to Home, 10

This rig was one of two traveling together from Kentucky I think.  The trailer is home made and I got to peek inside of one...They have thought of almost everything.  

This picture is of the Alaska Hwy in the Yukon.

Our drive from Tok to Valdez was done in one day.  The road to Glennallen was a bit of a roller-coaster ride, but by then we were use to it...no, not really.  Unsure if you can ever get use to it.  Travel in a motor home is different than traveling via car or truck.  For one thing, you hear everything.  Especially if you forgot to put that pillow in the microwave, or the cabinet, to keep things in place.  Anyway, our plans were to spend a week in Valdez then head toward Anchorage and the Kenai.  Plans change, and as you know, ours did.

The drive to Valdez is one of the most beautiful and akin to the drive to Haines.  Beautiful snow covered mountains with glaciers can been seen.  Once reaching the summit, you begin the drive down toward Prince William Sound and it takes your breath away.  We had clouds at the summit this trip, but it was still awesome...all the way to the bottom and sea level.  Once there, you have about a 20 min. drive to New Valdez.  Valdez was, for the most part, destroyed by the 1964 earthquake.  Because it couldn't be safely rebuilt, it was moved West by several miles.  It now sits across the inlet from the Terminus of the Alaska Pipe Line and the City looks as though it has always been there.  On our first visit to Valdez, in 2004, we spent time at their museums, walked on Worthington Glacier (just barely), went to see where the original Valdez had been, drove to the Pipe Line Terminus (as far as we were allowed), Elwyn fished a little, we watched all types of boats come and go, including the Alaska Ferry and a few Oil Tankers at the Terminal across from Valdez and observed wild-life right in front of us...such as Eagle and Otters.  This year we also saw a Humpback Whale feeding just off the jetty.  I took pictures...but only got the back, the tail or a fluke...never quite ready when he/she would surface.

Our spot in Valdez...nice!

We pre-booked RV space at Bear Paw Adult RV Park, which is located on the channel to the boat harbor.  Our motor home faced the inlet and the ferry dock in 2004 and faced the boat channel this year.  We think it is a perfect location no matter where you are, even though is a bit pricey at $40 per night.  However, it is located within easy walking distance of anything in the downtown area, including fishing charters, day cruise tours, restaurants and shopping.  We found the bakery just a short distance away, but you need to get there early...sold out of most everything by 1:30pm.  There are several RV parks in Valdez as well as one east of town, located in a less populated area...of course, Valdez isn't that populated.

Fireweed buds...

This is OSCAR and he hangs out in the Valdez Boat Harbor.

We left Valdez this year with a firm conviction to return again.  This is the second time we have been here and the second time we had to leave Alaska for urgent reasons.  Some say that maybe we shouldn't visit Valdez...but we think our next trip will be to drive directly to Valdez to begin our Alaskan Adventure.  Thinking about 2011 or 2012...most likely it will be in 2012.  Do you think the roads will be better?  No!  The first two days of our return trip were over those very rough roads we previously told you about.  Therefore, we only made about 800 miles.  We had planned on doing at least 500+ per day.  So we did have some hard driving ahead of us, but knew the roads wouldn't be quite as bad as those just traveled.

6/23 Valdez, AK - Beaver Creek, YT:

Border Crossing was smooth going as they all had been this trip.  I believe this was the first time we were asked if we had a pet on board...which we affirmed...and then ask if she was up to date with immunizations, which we also affirmed, and sent on our way.  They were doing road work at the border, so it was a bit slower because of that.  We stayed at Westmark Inn RV Park, arriving around 7pm...not our preferred time of arrival.  It was an okay stop.  Had we followed the instructions of the clerk, we would have been heading the wrong direction in our site.  Always pays to scope things out a bit.

6/24 Beaver Creek, YT - Teslin, YT:

We navigated the rough road to Burwash Landing and must say, we were glad it was now behind us.  Stopped in Whitehorse just long enough to get the mud, dirt, grime, rocks off the motor home and car at Pioneer Campground's Pressure Wash, which only cost $5 (Canadian) for both.  That is the cheapest we have ever spent to wash them; still can't believe it.  It was a little tricky to get out of there however.  You take a tour of the upper camping area...not turning where she told us too, but instead taking the longer loop back to the wash area and out to the highway.  We called Dawson Peaks Resort from Teslin and received no answer.  It is about 7 miles south of Teslin, so we just decided to try anyway.  On our arrival, we were met by another camper who explained to us that the owners had an emergency, left early in the day for the hospital in Whitehorse.  Not sure when they would get back, but to pick a spot...and there was most likely only one left we would fit in without disconnecting.  We took it.  We were disappointed that the restaurant was closed, but understood.  Around 7pm (about 1hr after our arrival) we were able to pay for our site and told us she did have some pies...rhubarb to be exact...and would be happy to serve us after 8pm.  So we brought the computer over to check messages and had our long awaited Rhubarb Pie, with ice cream.  Yummmm.  We like this RV park...but the sites are not always real level.  Site #10 is the best, if I remember correctly.

We didn't take any pictures of the famous "Sign Forest" in Watson Lake, so stopped on the way back for this one.  There are thousands of signs posted.  We have never posted one, but have thought about it.


6/25 Teslin, YT - Sikanni River, (Pink Mtn.), BC:

Do Not stay at Pink Mountain RV Park.  It is advertised as the best...NOT.  We stayed there in '06 and it was terrible.  We understand that it is still terrible.  Sikanni River Campground is a better choice, although limited.  A small campground, electrically challenged, few sewer hook-ups and some narrow sites, but long.  Doesn't matter...nice people, nice location and we stayed here on our way north.  So, we called while on the road a short distance away.  They told us they would stay open for us, as we were looking at a little after 8pm for our arrival time.  Sure enough, they were waiting.  The owner loves Ravens, as I do, and had told me of a book, which I bought. I thanked her for the book recommendation and made a mental note to send her a copy of my Raven Picture, taken in Haines on a previous trip.  We had our choice of one of three pull throughs available.  As it had rained, we selected the one without puddles, forgoing sewer, which we didn't need anyway.  It was narrow, but was just fine for an overnight.
 

6/26 Sikanni River, BC - Lac La Hache, BC:

We arrived at Big Country Campground & RV Park around 7pm.  Stayed here on our first night in Canada and now appropriately our last.  We had just travel in four days what had taken us weeks to do.  We still had another two days of travel ahead of us, so an early departure time was in order, as had been each of the last 4 days.

6/27 Lac La Hache, BC - Albany, OR:

For some reason, I had expected to arrive at the border around 10am or no later than 10:30.  What was I thinking?  I guess I forgot that we were in the motor home.  Anyway, we got to the border around 12:30pm and found our place in line.  Had made a list of things we had on board/purchased and began to let the agent know.  After mentioning the oranges, it became apparent we should have check to see what we could bring into Washington.  Citrus is one of the items they check, a few years ago it was beef.  So, the request was made for us to pull over to a designated parking area, take our passports only, no water, no food, to immigration while an agriculture inspection was done of the motor home.  Of course Cleo remained, and was under the couch.  The agent took our passports, requested us to sit down while he went to the motor home.  I think we told him about the cat...and that she would most likely stay under the couch...which she did, thank goodness.  This all took about 10 minutes, but seemed more like 30.  He returned with a bag of citrus items, but didn't take my avacados, thankfully.  He explained that we shouldn't rely on the web-site, but instead call the phone number to verify what we can bring across in the future.  Light conversation began, and he asked where the cat was in the motor home.  I replied, "She hides under the couch."  Then asked how she traveled in the motor home.  Now, I wasn't trying to be flippant in my answer, but responded "Under the couch."  He looked at me, then grinned...whew!  I explained that she was a good traveler, but did it all 'under the couch.'

Being it was Sunday, we headed straight down I-5 through Seattle and Portland without any traffic problems.  Actually the most traffic we had was at the border and through Bellingham.  There has to be a better way to get to I-5 rather than the road from Lynden to Bellingham.  We will have to check that out sometime.  Arrived in Albany, OR at Blue Ox RV Park, where we have stayed before, sometime around 7pm.  We had called ahead and been given a site number, a pull-through so we wouldn't need to disconnect the car.  Guess my explanation of 39' motor home with a tow car didn't quite register.  It was at the far end, which meant it would be very difficult to negotiate with the 'toad' the next morning.  No matter, our rig and car barely fit in length, but it was a really nice site!

6/28  Albany, OR - Harbor, OR

We did disconnect the next morning and it is a good thing, as a light pole may not have been there after we left.  We stopped in Reedsport briefly on our way to the coast and arrived home in time to go have dinner out.  Just grabbed a few things from the motor home for the night and unpacked the next day.  If we were asked if we would make the trip again, we would have said no this day and actually, for several days.  However, we will do it at least one more time.

What we learned:

1. Don't order Halibut in Whitehorse...Bad, BAD Halibut!

2. Do order Halibut in Valdez, especially if you eat at The Wheel House...Best EVER!

3. Fast Eddy's Restaurant in Tok, AK...Is not FAST!

4. Just when you think the road is getting better...It ISN'T!

5 .Keep your camera around your neck at all times...otherwise you MISS the SHOT!

6. When the lights on the dash start acting up...things are going to get BAD!

7. When you think you can make it to the top of the hill as things are going bad...STAY PUT!

8. Always give your wife a CB, otherwise she lays on the horn to let you know...you're near the EDGE!

9. When you remove your hearing aids...things are QUIETER!

10. She can actually take photos from the motor home while moving...yes, they are BLURRY...SO?

11. Long driving days...make both spouses very TESTY and Cleo HIDE!

12. Enjoy what you do, what you see, what you love, and all that GOD has made...LIFE IS GOOD!

See you on the road....

      somewhere...sometime...soon!

E and J