Our 2013 Alaska RV Adventure: 08/11/13

Sunday, August 11, 2013

On to Valdez, AK

08/09/13

A beautiful sunrise greeted us as we continued our journey on the Glenn Highway. The road became bumpy with some major construction as we neared Glennallen, AK where we joined the Richardson Highway southbound to Valdez. The weather deteriorated quickly as we entered the coastal mountains. Low clouds, fog, and rain became prevalent (and would stay with us throughout our stay in Valdez). We settled into the Bear Paw RV Campground and found Mike’s Restaurant in Valdez for a wonderful dinner with Bobby.

Saturday really didn’t dawn, it just poured down. We wondered in Bobby’s flight on ERA Airlines would arrive this evening. Bobby packed after lunch and Joy and Don drove him to the airport. The flight was running about 1 hour late but the locals just shrugged their shoulders without complaint. Alaskans get used to the weather here as it does not cause the frustration apparent with a visit to any airport in the Lower 48. He got on returning to Anchorage on a ticket and then caught a Delta flight to Minneapolis and St. Louis early Sunday morning.

We very much enjoyed Bobby’s visit to us having shown him a great deal of different geography here in Alaska.

RV Report: Glenn Highway is good to the Matanuska Glacier area then deteriorates eastbound until Glenhallen. The Richardson Highway southbound is rough until about 30 miles north of Valdez.

Diesel Fuel: $ 4.72/gallon

Sunday morning is again cold and wet here in Valdez as Bob and Sharon do some laundry and Joy grocery shops at Safeway. We will travel later today north about a hundred miles to Chitina as we prepare to enter Wrangell-St. Elias National Park traveling the McCarthy Road some 60 miles to Kennicott.

View south from Glenn Highway

Wrangell Mountain Range appears on the Glenn Highway

Another National Park for Joy

Southbound on the Richardson Highway

Approaching the coastal mountains, rain and fog

First views of Worthington Glacier

Bobby takes an up-close look

Looking south right up into the Bagley Iee Fields

Bobby and Joy endure rain and cold for a closer look

Just north of Valdez you join the river valley

Small Boat Harbour at Valdez, AK

Bobby fishing the Upper Kenai River and travel toward Valdez, AK

08/07/13

Wednesday morning found Bobby, Don, and Bob Relyea up early and out on the Upper Kenai River with guide Mike Adams drift-boating fishing for trout and salmon. With cooler, drizzly conditions the trio faired pretty well catching a number of trout and three nice salmon. We did a bit of laundry and had a nice dinner of barbeque at the only local restaurant.

Bob lands a beautiful trout but it's Catch and Release

Bobby hangs onto his first salmon

Bobby is all smiles landing his first Kenai River salmon

Later in the day he lands another

08/08/13

Thursday dawning foggy, rainy, and cool as we packed up at the Russian Falls Campground in Cooper Landing, AK. Joy and Bobby took the Jeep ahead planning at stop in the Potter Valley to hike to Byron Glacier (where Sarah, Jason, Joy, and Don had hiked). No such luck as fog had all but obscured the views. Don followed solo in the motor home with Bob and Sharon up the Seward Highway toward Anchorage.

Joy and Bobby took the opportunity to stop at Humpy’s Restaurant in Anchorage for lunch to enjoy a previous treat – the Crab Roll. Early afternoon found all gathering at the Fred Meyer’s in Palmer, AK before driving about 20 miles north of Palmer to see Hatcher Pass, an old mining community in the mountains. This gravel road still is passable westward to Willow, AK. After some sightseeing we returned to our coaches traveling westward about another 60 miles to near the Matanuska Glacier stopping at a beautiful roadside campground – Grandview RV Park.

Bobby barbequed dinner for all – burgers and reindeer sausage.