First signage for Valdez

YAY! YAY! Oh YAY! WE MADE IT! We drove the remaining 340 miles to find Valdez at the end of our journey! This capped off a 6,109 mile trip through nearly the entire length of the lower 48 and on up to Alaska.  The feeling couldn’t have been any better! We pulled into town, giddy with excitement and energy! We took Trixie on a nice-sized loop through Valdez, to the harbor, and past Magpie’s Bakery to see where I will bake endless amounts of pastries, and brew delicious coffee. Cute as can be! Our final stop before heading to our new home was the bottle shop. Celebratory beers were perfect for the occasion and the excellent six-pack of delicious Alaskan Beer had our names written all over it (although, to our surprise, Valdez sells Deschutes beers, but Alaskan adult beverages seemed more appropriate).

The Worthington Glacier, Thompson Pass, headed to Valdez

We finally arrived to Pete and Sarah’s cozy home, 15 miles outside of town. We met their two boys, Chance and Cirque, as well as two of their close friends and neighbors, Sean, Merreley, and son, Elias. The night was perfect. We celebrated with beers and a feast! Merreley and Sean made a fine salad, and Pete and Sarah served the entrée: moose-noodle stroganoff. It was a very friendly and warm welcome indeed.

Bridal Veil Falls, just up the road from our house

That night, we snuggled deep into the warm covers and quickly snoozed off. Yes, it was still light out, even at 11PM, but it didn’t seem to bother us. Our travel weary bodies and tired eyes slept ever-so soundly.