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Tag Archives: Valdez

Road Trip! (Anchorage to Valdez)

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Bad Photography, Travel

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Boats, Glacier, Harbor, Nature, Photos, Road Trip, Travel, Valdez

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Moni likes to take pictures of the road.

Between her new job and our move into a new apartment, my girlfriend and I haven’t had much of a chance to to travel together this summer. We did manage to sneak out for a week or so in mid June. What we decided to do this time was a quick road trip from Anchorage to Valdez. Of course, getting to Anchorage required a little flying time, but that’s old hat. We had to make a couple purchases for the new place, so that meant staying a couple days in the vicinity of Anchorage, so we found a lovely bed and breakfast in Palmer.  After that, we hit the road!

Not literally, of course. I ain’t got nothin’ against the highway.

AnchtoValdez.png

Anyway, the trip was about a 5 hour drive, but we made plenty of stops. We traveled along the Matanuska river for quite some time, made a brief stop a bit south of Glenallen, then headed off toward Valdez. To say that we found a number of beautiful sites along the way would be putting it mildly.

Valdez itself was absolutely wonderful. I hit a couple museums (The Whitney Museum and the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive) and we hung out at the docks for a time. We ate at the Fat Mermaid a couple of times and made stops at Mike’s Palace and Fu Kung. …suffice to say that we were well fed. We also ran into the folks from Sweet Cheeks Bakery, run by the parents of a coworker, but we didn’t get back in time to get our cinnamon buns. Still, …all of Alaska is just one small village! You just can’t travel through this state without finding connections to the people you meet. Eventually, we bought tickets on a tour boat, which of course meant that I got sick (yes I took some meds), but mostly that was just amazing. I almost never opt for a paid tour, but I’m very glad I did this time.

On the last day as Moni and I were strolling around downtown getting ready to say goodbye to the place, a random guy came out of Mike’s Palace and asked us if we lived in the area. The answer was ‘no’, of course, and then he proceeded to tell us that he had lived here himself once, 30 years ago. I cringed inside as he launched into his efforts to tell me about the good old days. A few minutes later I felt a twinge of sadness as he left us with tales of bar fights between Okies and Texan (oil workers) spilling out of the Palace and onto the street. Apparently, the police had once been disarmed so as to enable the fight to continue. Additional stories involved a pair of Korean prostitutes who paid him extra for a pizza every night so as to have a place to stay. Just how much of this was true, I have no idea, but the stories were a good deal more entertaining than I had anticipated. I found myself wishing we’d run into him before lunch rather than after and on the verge of leaving. Still, a few more eagle pics and off we went.

Hell, even the shopping we did back in Anchorage before boarding the plane back home went well.

I wish every vacation was this cool.

(You may click to embiggen!)

 

Ruins from Old Valdez
Ruins from Old Valdez
Columbia Glacier
Columbia Glacier
Mountains in the Background
Mountains in the Background
On the Wing
On the Wing
Factory across the water
Factory across the water
Snow Goose BnB
Snow Goose BnB
The chunks of ice on top got there when they were thrown up out of the water as the ice broke apart.
The chunks of ice on top got there when they were thrown up out of the water as the ice broke apart.
This juvenile whale was playing around the boat for about half an hour. ...his mom was not amused.
This juvenile whale was playing around the boat for about half an hour. …his mom was not amused.
St. Innocent, Russian Orthodox Church in Anchorage (Moni really wanted to see this one)
St. Innocent, Russian Orthodox Church in Anchorage (Moni really wanted to see this one)
Random Waterfall empties into the sea
Random Waterfall empties into the sea
Yep, lotsa bunnies too!
Yep, lotsa bunnies too!
Looks Kinda Smug for a guy that lives on the scraps tossed out by fisherman!
Looks Kinda Smug for a guy that lives on the scraps tossed out by fisherman!
When you look into the scenery, sometimes the scenery looks back at you.
When you look into the scenery, sometimes the scenery looks back at you.
Copper River
Copper River
Blues happen
Blues happen
Almost there
Almost there
Just purdy
Just purdy
Are these guys ever not angry?
Are these guys ever not angry?
Water will fall
Water will fall
Mountains over trees
Mountains over trees
This, I'm told, is an oyster catcher.
This, I’m told, is an oyster catcher.
Well hello there!
Well hello there!
Almost an island of sorts
Almost an island of sorts
Local ruffians!
Local ruffians!
Heading Out
Heading Out
That mountain was framed!
That mountain was framed!
Glacier
Glacier
Horse Tail Falls
Horse Tail Falls
Lotta little ice
Lotta little ice
Moni likes to stop and take pictures of the road.
Moni likes to stop and take pictures of the road.
Big chunk of ice
Big chunk of ice
Closest I could find to street art
Closest I could find to street art
Random roadster (Anchorage)
Random roadster (Anchorage)
Columbia Glacier has the blues!
Columbia Glacier has the blues!
Couldn't get over the color of the water
Couldn’t get over the color of the water
You otter sea the mountains!
You otter sea the mountains!
Abandoned structure along the Matanuska
Abandoned structure along the Matanuska
Local Humor
Local Humor
Athabascan footwear (Copper River Heritage Center)
Athabascan footwear (Copper River Heritage Center)
Matanuska River
Matanuska River
Bit of color
Bit of color
Model Athabascan food cache.
Model Athabascan food cache.
Columbia Glacier
Columbia Glacier
The view from the Snowgoose BnB
The view from the Snowgoose BnB
Worthington Glacier
Worthington Glacier

 

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The North Pacific Fur Fish

23 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Animals, Minis

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Amusing, Cyptozoology, Fish, Fur Fish, Museum, Nort Pacific Fur Fish, Odd Weird, Totally Cereal, Valdez

North Pacific Fur Fish

North Pacific Fur Fish

So, today, my girl and I happen to be in Valdez. I decided to pop into a museum or three, and, …and well, Moni said something about me being a nerd and told me she was going to take a nap. Lot she knows! Moni totally missed learning about the North Pacific Fur Fish. It really is an amazing specimen. Just see what the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive has to say about it:

North Pacific Fur Fish

This fish is reported to have been a rare sight in the waters of Prince William Sound. Its fur coat is an adaptation to the frigid glacial waters of the area This is one of a few ever caught.

The Northern Pacific Fur Fish was a popular tourist attraction during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This original Fur fish hung for many years on the Valdez Gift Shop.

* New information just in suggests that the Fur Fish is still alive. It has gone through further adaptation since this specimen was caught. It is rumored that one caught recently was not fur covered, but was instead covered in Fore-Tex with a Thinsulate liner.

If you believe this story then you are in for a lot of laughs during your stay in Valdez.

Fur Fish donated by museum supporter Jim Thompson.

So, there it is. I learned about a really really rare breed of fish, and Moni doesn’t know anything about it, because she took a nap instead of going to the museum with me. She knows all about the Mojave Penguin, but she doesn’t know about this one, and I mean to keep it that way. So, shhhh!  My dear readers, please don’t tell Moni. This fish will be our secret!

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