Valdez to Palmer

6-27-09

We spent 3 days in Valdez, it is the prettiest place yet. We should have spent more time there but we decided to move on. I will post a couple of pictures of the drive as we came out.

While in Valdez we were across the bay from tanks that receive the oil from the Alaskan pipeline. The oil is then loaded onto the tankers which take it south to the refineries. We were told at least one tanker a day leaves Valdez heading south.

We started our day at 40 degrees and drove through wind and rain and finished with 70 degrees. Once again we had stretches of bad road mixed with the good.

We saw an unusual sight that must have been a day care group. There were two strollers for lack of a better word that each carried 6 little kids. They were accompanied by 4 adults, one of whom was carrying a small baby.

Our traveling companions all went in different directs for a while. Bob and Pat (she’s the lady who was taken to the hospital) left us to go to Anchorage to get a cat scan. It was done and they found nothing. When we left Valdez this morning Bill and Carol decided to visit a cooper mine and we drove to the Palmer Elks Club. They will catch up in a few days.

The Elk’s club here sits on Finger Lake, we would have a nice view if not for the other motor homes in the way. Late this afternoon we heard what sounded like an airplane taking off, except you would hear the engine rev and then shut down. Two guys went running by the front of our MH with cameras heading toward the lake. Being curious I grabbed a camera and followed, where to our surprise we saw a float plane pulling a water skier. The plane never left the water. This went on for some time. Other boats were on the lake and quite near the plane at times. Never before have I seen a plane pulling a water skier and I bet you haven’t either.