ALASKAN ADVENTURE

Depart: Valdez, AK Arrive: Cooper Landing, AK (Motel) 400miles Driving around on the Glenn HWY thru Anchorage. We could have taken the Ferry from Valdez to Whittier. About $350 for Truck and Us. But it only leaves 2X a week. Also, we wanted to stop in Anchorage for shopping. Valdez Marina right downtown: On Richardson Hwy #4 to Glenn Hwy #1: Stopped at Worthington State Park on the way out. Hiked closer to Worthington Glacier. We did our shopping in Anchorage and continued on to Kenai Area. We ended up staying the night in Cooper Landing in a small Motel that would allow Cisco for a $20 fee. We got the last room. It was just a place to crash! Not a place I would go back to. So both Jeff and I believe that an Alaskan 1 Mile is = to 2/3 miles in the lower USA?? LOL! *Live Today. Not yesterday. Not tomorrow.  Live Now!

Monday night we all went out for Halibut dinner. Since we did not get to go Halibut fishing we all decided to enjoy a Halibut dinner. It was tasty!!! I would like to thank Virgil and his family for there hospitality and letting us hang with them in Valdez. Also, for the entertainment the grandkids gave us. Thank you, Virgil, Cindy, Lindsie, Nick, Daegan, Rylan and Landon!!!!! Nick and Landon: Lynsie/Landon/Rylan/Diane:  This was just after Landon SAT in the Puddle! Rylan/Lynsie/Nick/Landon/Virgil/Cindy: Don, I, Jeff and Cisco had to crash the Picture: This is the END for Jeff and I in Valdez. Don and Diane will be staying on to see more sites. Returning with Virgil and Cindy to Fairbanks on Thursday, for Diane to fly home Friday. Valdez is a beautiful place and I Highly recommend it!

Jeff and I opted to stay in the Keystone Hotel instead of camping in the rain. I believe we made the right choice. I have not mentioned the weather to much, cause I had hopes it would change. We have had a few good days, but most of our time here in Valdez has been wet. July 23 (Sat) Jeff and I explored Valdez today. Virgil, Don and there families will arrive tonight. They are all caravanning with Motor Home, Boat, 4 wheeler and family. We went out on Allison Pt and saw a bunch of fish trying to swim up stream. The Sea lions were leisurely eating them. Jeff and I went to the fish cleaning are to see the charter fish people bringing there fish in. This guy caught all these fish. Jeff and I checked out the Valdez Glacier Lake and Valdez Glacier: Skipping rocks: July 24 (Sun) Diane and I explored Valdez. Virgil, Nick, Don, Jeff and Rylan all went out fishing on Virgils boat. Diane and I walked around town, the harbor, Valdez Glacier Lake, museum and Allison point.

Depart: Fairbanks, AK Arrive: Valdez, AK     (365 miles) We packed up our truck the night before so we would not wake up anyone at Virgils and could just take off bright and early. I plugged in our cooler and filled it full with our cold items of food. When I went to plug my phone into the truck, I found out the Batteries in the truck was dead. Remember when I said we were trying to slip out and not wake anyone. Well every time Jeff would use his new handy dandy devise to charge the Batteries, the horn would blow. We did get a charge from Virgil, but after an hour of running the truck, we still got a Battery lite on the dash. So to make sure all was well we went to the Chev dealer in town and they managed to get us in. They cleared the alarm and all others that came up do to the battery being drained. We managed to get on the road by 1pm. Before Truck was Good to Go: After: These are pictures that I took along the way. We did see a Mama Moose and her baby, plus a lone huge

Day 18: July 21, 2016   (Fairbanks-Old Town area) Don, Diane, Jeff and I went to the Fairbanks Information Center, which had kind of an Alaskan Museum we roamed for free. Also, got lots of info on Fairbanks Area and even info on Valdez. This information center is in the old part of town. Diane and I walked a few blocks to the restaurant we met the guys at. Virgil and Cindy took us to the Salmon Bake Dinner in Pioneer Park for Dinner. It was an all you can eat of Cod, Salmon and Prime Rib.  It was really good! Very unique and fun to go with a group. Diane and I got the same sweatshirt for a Souvenir.... *Food brings us Together!

Day 17: July 20, 2016 Today Diane and I went on the Riverboat Discovery Tour at 1:30pm. On the way we stopped at the Dennys "The Northern Most Dennys in the World" It took us an hour to get our food. Then Jeff dropped us off at the tour Location. Little History: Riverboat Discovery Captain Charlie Binkley first arrived in Fairbanks in 1898 with dreams of piloting sternwheelers on the great river systems of Alaska and the Yukon. A great family tradition was founded in Fairbanks and over 90 years later his descendants still continue to carry passengers on Alaska's rivers. The Discovery Sternwheelers are the only remaining authentic sternwheelers left in the state. Cruising done the river a Bush Pilot took off and landed right by us. Cruising the River: The Pump House Restaurant: Sled Dog Demonstration: Susan Butcher Champion of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race 4 times passed away in 2006 from Cancer. Her husband and daughter have continued her legacy and her

Day 16: July 19, 2016     (Night Time) I forgot to mention we went to Virgils and Cindys Grandsons T-ball game. I have never been to a T-ball game and it was great fun to see the enthusiasm that these little kids had for playing ball. This was one of my highlights and I did get a few action pictures of the boys. Daegan(6yrs) #11 throwing the ball. What a throw it was!   Rylan(4yrs) #5 Running into home.