Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
Drive To Anchorage
Leaving Valdez, I expected a short drive to Anchorage. Instead, the day turned into a nine-hour journey with a stop at the Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center, an unexpected conversation about beavers with a park ranger, colorful mountain landscapes, views of the Matanuska Glacier, and a noisy introduction to Anchorage.
Valdez Old Town
Rain turned out to be the perfect excuse to explore the Old Town Museum and the site of the original Valdez. Survivor interviews, recreated buildings, and a driving tour of Old Valdez transformed the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake from history into something deeply personal, revealing how an entire community was rebuilt just a few miles away.
Meares Glacier Tour
The day after kayaking Columbia Glacier, I returned to Prince William Sound aboard the Stan Stephens 26 Glaciers Cruise. Meares Glacier, whales, puffins, bald eagles, sea lions, waterfalls, and unforgettable conversations made this one of the highlights of my Alaska adventure.
Columbia Glacier Kayaking
Experienced a full-day excursion to Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound, including amazing kayaking among brilliant blue icebergs, harbor seals resting on floating ice, and the thunder of glacier calving. It's an unforgettable opportunity to explore one of Alaska's most spectacular—and rapidly changing—tidewater glaciers near Valdez.
Valdez Museum & Oil Terminal
The Valdez Museum covers more history per square foot than most places I've been — the 9.2 earthquake that liquefied the waterfront and forced the whole town to move four miles, the $8 billion pipeline that eliminated Alaska's income tax, and an exhibit on Lee Wulff, the father of modern fly fishing, who grew up fishing these exact waters.
Thompson Pass into Valdez
Forty miles from Valdez on the Richardson Highway — walking up to Worthington Glacier, watching helicopter pilots train long-line loads over Thompson Pass, descending through fog, ice fields, and waterfalls, and booking a kayak trip to Columbia Glacier on Prince William Sound. One of the most spectacular drives in Alaska.