Valdez

Leading up to Valdez, we’d experienced a bit of every kind of weather. Overcast and dare I say chilly in Anchorage, Talkeetna was sunny and maybe even a bit warm (for Alaska), and then Byers Lake was snowy and cold. Denali was frigid, heavy wet snow with whiteout conditions. On the drive from Fairbanks to Valdez, we experienced all of that along the way it seemed. But it wasn’t until we were about an hour out of Valdez that the sleet and snow intensified. It wasn’t the heaviest snow I’d seen before, I’m talking to you Iceland, but it was made scary because we were headed across a mountain pass.

Out of the mountains, the roads became a bit easier to traverse, but the precipitation did not let up. It rained on us the entire night. We had 2 nights in Valdez, and I was beginning to wonder if that was a mistake. We’d received intel that Valdez was gorgeous and a must see. The patrons and bartenders at The Fat Mermaid seemed to think it was the place to be. The following morning, all that weather was forgotten, puffy white clouds and bluebird skies. Wow! Valdez was beautiful, and here are a handful of photos to prove that. Which one do you like best?

Almost my favorite!

My favorite, 16x9 crop, love it!