Valdez and Blueberry Lake

Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, 2018 Valdez through Monday, July 15, 2018 Blueberry Lake

The weather has an impact on how enjoyable a place can be.  The three nights we stayed in Valdez it rained most of the time, the sun only breaking through int he late afternoon for a short while to cast rays across the white-tipped mountains surrounding the bay.

On Sunday I went into town to explore.  My first top, pardon the genealogist here, was the Valdez Memorial Cemetery.

Bear carving as memorial

I enjoy trying to fulfill request for pictures of grave sites or memorials from Find A Grave, an online grave site registry.  I wasn't able to find the one request for this cemetery; however, the community had set a walking path with plaques explaining the evolution of Valdez through the citizens buried here.  It was a nice slice of history.  

The Russian Orthodox church has been established in Alaska for decades; their crosses are distinctive. The top cross bar symbolizes the plaque above Christ's head; the middle where Jesus's hands were nailed; the bottom where his feet rested, pointing up to the right to the penitent thief.

Russian Orthodox crosses

I moved on and took the Airport road to reach Valdez Glacier Park

A small lake is at the end of the glacier and unlike our last visit in 2016, the time it was full of icebergs and floating pieces.  It's wonderful to see the crystal clear ice up close.

Going on in to town, I had some lunch and then visited the Maxine and Jessie Whitney Museum.  Maxine had begun collecting items of Alaska when her husband started working in the state.  She eventually purchased a gift shop from a friend and stocked it with her treasurers.  She was a shrewd business woman.  Born in 1917, she never had children and at 91 is still living, spending summers in Fairbanks and winters in Arizona.

She traveled throughout Alaska getting to know the Native artists and peoples and collecting an promoting their works.  The museum has items from the gift shop she purchased as well as her own finds from kitschy to true art.

ivory figurines

a "giant mosquito" made of wire and plastic

There are over a dozen animals in the collection; two gigantic polar bears, grizzles, wolves, husky dogs, sea lion and numerous birds.  The largest is a moose that towers over 10 feet.

The taxidermy makes them seem to follow you with their eyes; the musk ox and wolf were threatening!

Musk ox

wolf

Numerous plaques explained in Maxine's own words how she acquired the items. 

On Monday we went 25 miles back up the Richardson Highway to Blueberry Lake Recreation Area, one of the most scenic campgrounds according to brochures.  It's surrounded by the high green peaks of the mountains.  A nice, quiet place for one night, our fifth in the row "off the grid".  Pictures later!