We’re camped on Paxson Lake on the Richardson Highway, the road to Valdez.
Today will be our last day of driving through areas we haven’t visited before. We’ll stay in Valdez tonight and take the Alaskan Ferry from Valdez to Whittier in the morning. Then, after a short drive to Anchorage, we’ll return the motorhome.
Despite our love of back roads, we are ready for blacktop today. The Richardson Highway is hailed as some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world, and it is, but it’s comparable to the spectacular scenery we’ve experienced on this entire trip. Spectacular – every day!
Despite our love of back roads, we are ready for blacktop today. The Richardson Highway is hailed as some of the most spectacular mountain scenery in the world, and it is, but it’s comparable to the spectacular scenery we’ve experienced on this entire trip. Spectacular – every day!
A destination within the park itself is the town of Kennecott, a historic copper and silver mining town that became a tourist destination in the 1980’s. Kennecott is about 90 miles from the turnoff from the Richardson Highway, first taking the Edgerton Highway to Chitina, and then McCarthy Road, a narrow, gravel 62 miles which ends at a foot bridge at the Kennicott River, near McCarthy where cars are parked. A 4.5 mile hike takes you to Kennecott, or a private shuttle leaves from the footbridge, going to Kennecott every hour. Shuttles are also available from Chitina if you choose not to drive the road. Air charters to McCarthy are also available.
We need to make it to Valdez by tonight, and we’ve just cleaned the dust out of the motorhome, so visiting McCarthy/Kennicott goes onto the bucket list for next time. This would be a great place to hike. Exploring this area in more depth is compelling. We’ve been in Alaska for nearly a month, and still wish we had a few additional days.
As we continue down the Richardson Highway, we see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline which parallels the Highway, although it’s not obvious, is underground in most areas, and is well covered by foliage where it is above ground.
A ceremonial glass of wine is consumed while sitting on the edge of the Tiekel River.
We need to make it to Valdez by tonight, and we’ve just cleaned the dust out of the motorhome, so visiting McCarthy/Kennicott goes onto the bucket list for next time. This would be a great place to hike. Exploring this area in more depth is compelling. We’ve been in Alaska for nearly a month, and still wish we had a few additional days.
As we continue down the Richardson Highway, we see the Trans-Alaska Pipeline which parallels the Highway, although it’s not obvious, is underground in most areas, and is well covered by foliage where it is above ground.
A ceremonial glass of wine is consumed while sitting on the edge of the Tiekel River.
The Worthington Glacier, 28 miles north of Valdez, is one of the prettiest we’ve seen and one of the few in Alaska that can be easily accessed by paved highway. A short hike takes us right to the glacier.
Road markers used by snowplows help us to envision the height of snow here in winter.
Worthington Glacier is located in Thompson Pass. The scenery here is especially breathtaking.
Keystone Canyon, shortly before getting to Valdez, has rock going straight up with gushing waterfalls on both sides.
Valdez is a unique place. The town was moved 4 miles from it’s original location following the devastation of the 1964 earthquake and tsunami. It has an ‘old’ personality with all new buildings. Mileage signs have not been changed, so when driving into Valdez, 4 miles need to be added to the distance to Valdez.
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