Valdez - Alaska.
How long can you stay? I know people who came to visit Valdez and never left.
1 Day in Valdez:
Visit the Valdez City Museum & the Annex’s 1964 Earthquake …take a stroll on the boat harbor and enjoy the fishing excitement of the daily catches or maybe see sea otters or harbor seals feasting in the harbor, or take an 8 hr wildlife cruise to Meares Glacier where you can see the glacier calving or a 6 hr wildlife cruise to Columbia Glacier the largest tidal glacier in Alaska.
2 Days in Valdez:
Every year many guests tell me they wish they had planned for more time in Valdez. Visitors who enjoy a more leisure pace have time to see the sights and breathe in the majestic beauty that surrounds Valdez and Prince William Sound. The 2nd day one can start with a morning hike on the Shoup Bay trail to see the wildflowers in the meadow and hike to Gold Beach, or hike or drive back to Mineral Creek Trail and hear the birds and have a picnic lunch by the waterfall, or go salmon fishing on a charter, or enjoy the Alaska Native Cultural Museum that houses the largest private collection of Alaska Native Arts. Halibut charters are a great way to see Prince William Sound and the towering mountains and glaciers surrounding it – and it is an all day trip. End your day with a great dinner, take a stroll on Dock Point Trail by the harbor.
3 Days in Valdez:
Sea kayaking Prince William Sound is a beautiful tranquil experience to paddle amongst sea otters in the harbor or kayak to hidden coves with local kayak companies. The new 2006 paved bike trail along Dayville Road along the water gives one an opportunity to see Valdez from across the bay. The bike trail runs beside the best places to fish on shore for salmon, spot bears eating in the ponds, or hike Solomon Gulch Trail to the dam. Shopping in the local stores for outdoor supplies or Alaska mementos, or stop in at Annie’s Sugar & Spice and see free movies on 1964 Earthquake or the building of the Alaska Pipeline. Rent a bike & ride the bike trail starting from town to the Valdez Glacier, or take a guided trek across the Worthington Glacier. Buy some deli sandwiches and head up to one of our favorite places, Blueberry Summit Lake campground area, in Thompson Pass where you can walk the alpine moss, listen to the quiet, and gaze at the rugged peaked mountains formed from the glaciers thousands of years ago. In the late summer one can gather low bush blueberries and crowberries.
More things to do:
Cruising - Cruise Pr. Wm. Sound -wild life and glacier cruise - 6 hr or 8 hr
Kayaking - day guided trips Columbia Glacier, Shoup Bay
Hiking - several trails with moderate hiking to easy - 1-3 hr hikes. My favorite is 1899 Old Military Trail.
Stroll the Valdez Boat Harbor & see daily catch or playful sea otters
Museums - Valdez Museum & Alaska Cultural Heritage Museum
Shops -alaska mementos, sports wear or sports gear, alaska Native arts, paintings, photographs, Anadyr Art Gallery
Fishing - On shore on Dayville Road or charter boats for salmon or halibut
Biking or roller blade - paved bike trail, including new 2006 bike trail Dayville Road
Mountain bike - Mineral Creek Trail or Thompson Pass
Picnic - Worthington Glacier or sunset picnic on Dayville Rd
Birding - Mud flats, Mineral Creek Trail or Shoup Bay Trail
Wildflowers - Shoup Bay Trail, Old Town Valdez, Mineral Creek Trail
Events:
- June: Annual Last Frontier Theatre Conference
- July: Annual 4th of July Street Fair
- Aug : Gold Rush Parade & Fish Fry & Air Force Band
- Sept/Oct: Valdez Arts Council Fundraiser - Music & Cruise Pr. Wm Sound
- Oct : VCVB Oktoberfest
- Feb/Mar : Snow Machine Races
- April: Snow Board & Snow Machine Hill Climb
Valdez Alaska... Come see why we call Valdez home
Planning a vacation in Alaska can be exciting & overwhelming, feel free to contact us or check out our links.
Happy vacation planning!
Yours truly - Rose