Scott’s fabulous breakfast of French toast was enjoyed along the Valdez waterfront across Prince William Sound from where Brooke caught her first fish.  I should also mention that breakfast was really a brunch since we started cooking at 11:30.  At three in the morning Scott, Cody, and I all awoke to sirens, trucks racing along the highway behind us, and a guy running through the parking lot shouting.  We didn’t really get back to sleep until around five.  The funny thing is that no one else heard a thing.  Thus we didn’t even leave the tent until after 9:30.  We then spent some time watching the people fishing where Brooke caught her first fish and then we watched the large commercial boats reeling in a large catch.

Before leaving Valdez we went for a hike, visited the local museum, and the library.  The hike was in Duck Point, a bear’s paradise.  When the tidal waters come into the bay the bear not only has abundant fish to choose from, but it also has a multitude of berries and plants to eat.  We came across bear scat that indicated a bear had just dined on some fresh berries.  The hike was beautiful, but I was thankful to be safe back at the car when we were done. I should also mention how the day started.

Scott asked what we wanted to do since it was going to be a tough day without a proper night’s rest.  I commented that I was just thankful we hadn’t been eaten by a bear.  I’m thankful of that every morning, but usually we are a lot more bear weary than we were the night before.  When we entered Valdez they had up one of those giant flashing signs that is usually used to indicate construction in Chicago.  This indicated that there were bear in the area and not to approach them.  (You don’t need a flashing sign to tell me that!) :-)

Later that night Brooke caught her first fish.  Yippee!

There was no running water so we rinsed the fish with our water which happened to be in the van which was uphill from our tent.  The fresh fish water traveled right to our tent.  Scott washed his hands twice, but the fish smell was still very strong.  I just kept hoping that since the salmon were practically throwing themselves at the shore that the bears would bypass our tent two hundred feet away. As it turns out the day started out great with no bear encounters!

Where Brooke caught her first fish.

Pictures from our campsite.

Brooke doing a “Yeah! I caught my first fish dance.”

Watching commercial fishermen.

I forgot to get a picture of the flashing sign, but the sign on the left says it all.  The picture on the right is Scott doing the dishes in the collapsible basin.

Scott head snuggling with Cody

Brooke with her bear whistle

Brooke hiking with her rainbow colored hair bands.

Brooke taking photos.

skunk cabbage

Skunk cabbage is apparently a treat to bears and was found on the path we were hiking.

After our hike we headed to the Valdez Museum.

This is a lighthouse lens from the Hinchinbrook Lighthouse which served from 1910 – 1967 eighty-eight miles from Valdez.  There are sixty-eight glass prisms.  It weighs in at 1,600 pounds and could be seen twenty-two miles away.

This is the Northern Pacific Fur Fish.  Another incredible “fish” story…

The Alaskan pipeline began production on August 1st, 1977.  It was at peak production in the 80’s, producing 1.9 million barrels day.  Today it averages a million barrels a day.  The museum had a half dozen bunnies just chewing away on the lawn.  Between the bunnies and the snow they don’t need to mow. :-)

Horsetail Falls

Bridal Falls

Horsetail Falls and Bridal Falls along the Richardson Highway on our way out of Valdez.  Scott enjoyed the drive from Glennallen to Valdez more than any other drive in the state.  It was incredible, but I also really enjoyed the drive along Hatcher Pass.  Everything is even more incredibly breathtaking when the sun showers us. Yeah for another sunny day!!!