Allison Point, Valdez

 We drove the 14 miles to get to the other side of the Port of Valdez.  It would have been 3 miles, if we had a boat!  This road leads to the Solomon Gulch Hatchery.  We saw quite a spectacle with the sea lions "fishing" and the gulls presenting some stiff competition!

Robert did some more fishing, farther up the road, while I was entertained by Harbor seals snorting and "roaring"!  

At the far end of this road, is the end of the Alaska Oil Pipeline.  With high security at their gate, no vehicle traffic is permitted in there.  We can see the pipeline and its equipment, from across the bay near the Valdez Marina (3 miles away!)  We see oil tankers docked there every day. 

We did a short hike on the Dock Point Trail, with some pretty views of the harbor.  We had the experience of going on this hike at low tide.  Forgot to look at the Tide Tables, which everyone here has and is well-versed on.  So we did a low tide pic, and later in the day, a high tide pic!

Low Tide

High Tide

At the Civic and Convention center, there is an ascent that leads to an excellent 360 degree view of the city and Bay.  It's the Overlook Trail.  All we had to do was climb 82 steps.  The view point is the highest in Valdez.  It was worth it!

Today, is day 1 of 3 Gold Rush Days, here in Valdez.  It's a 3 day annual event that commemorates the start of the Gold Rush here, that extended to Fairbanks.  There are events in town, with a lot of community participation.  It's also a fund raiser for high school scholarships.  The celebration is at a central location at the docks, had music, booths with food, beer, crafts, baked goods and many other items.  Many women dressed the part for old time saloon dancers.  In one of the pics you can see some of the dancers being transported inside a jail car all over town.   (Hoosegow!) 

We had an awesome, memorable time here in Valdez.  Our next stop, is Tok, tomorrow.  It is also our last stop in Alaska!