North Pacific Passage to Japan

Valdez (Val-DEEZ) is located on the northeastern edge of Prince William Sound. The town flourished after the road link to Fairbanks was constructed in 1910. It is located at the epicenter of the 1964 Alaska Earthquake suffering catastrophic damage such that the town had to be relocated nearby and completely rebuilt.

Following that disaster, another calamity struck. In 1989 the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground on nearby Bligh Reef, spilling more than 10 million gallons of crude oil into the sound. Today, almost all of the damage has been remediated and Valdez is one of the most important ports in Alaska. It is a commercial fishing port as well as a freight terminal, and it is the terminus for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System.

On Saturday the 20th, our ship docked near the town center and we walked from there to a couple trailheads for hikes and toured three of the four museums in town. We even had time for a beer at the Valdez Brewery during the town’s Oktoberfest celebration.