Page 122 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide 2017 - Alaska

120  ALASK A AREA B Y AREA

polished and tended. A replica of
the Pipeline Workers’ Monument,
dedicated to the men who
built the pipeline, is among the
displays. There are photo graphs
depicting the 1964 earthquake
and Valdez’s rebirth as an oil
town, as well as Native artifacts
and mockups of an old miner’s
cabin, a period photography
studio, and a historic 1880s bar.
The Exxon Valdez spill gets rather
minimal coverage.
The Remembering Old
Valdez exhibit, housed in an old
Display of a trapper’s cabin, Valdez Museum warehouse nearby, con tains a
1:20 scale model of Old Valdez
5 Valdez for a wagon road to connect as it appeared before the 1964
304 miles (487 km) E of Anchorage. the nearby Fort Liscum with earthquake. It also has his toric
Transport map E4. * 4,000. ~ Fort Egbert on the Yukon River. vehicles and a high-tech exhibit
g from Whittier, Cordova. After the 1964 earth quake on earthquakes. A visit to the
n 309 Fairbanks Dr, 835-2984. utterly destroyed Old Valdez, actual site of Old Valdez, east
∑ valdezalaska.org the town was rebuilt at its of town, gives a vivid idea of the
present location. devasta tion that occurred there.
The most important town of As the northernmost ice-free
the Prince William Sound region, port in North America, it was E Whitney Museum
Valdez was named after the bay chosen to be the terminus of the 303 Lowe St. Tel 834-1690. Open
Port Valdez, which in turn, was Trans-Alaska Pipeline (see p186), May–mid-Sep: 9am–7pm daily. &
named by Spanish explorer Don which brought prosperity to the 7 ∑ mjwhitneymuseum.org
Salvador Fidalgo after Spanish town during its construction. For more than half a century,
naval officer Antonio Valdes y Modern Valdez enjoys philanthropists Maxine and Jesse
Basan in 1790. The town was a lovely setting between Whitney traveled around the
founded in 1897 about 4 miles the moun tains and villages of Alaska, buying art and
(6 km) east of its cur rent the sea. Day trips other items directly from
location as a jumping-off and orga nized artists and craftsmen. In
point for prospectors heading cruises to north- the 1980s, they donated
to the Klondike goldfields. eastern Prince their collection to the
With the discovery of copper William Sound Prince William Sound
in the Wrangell Mountains, pro vide good Community College.
Cordova became the terminus wildlife viewing, This museum is thought
of the Copper River and including sightings to have the world’s
Northwestern Railway (see p187) of whales, seals, largest private
and Valdez slid into decline. In sea otters, and collection of Native
the early 20th century, however, birds around Alaskan art, artifacts,
Valdez became the terminus Columbia Glacier. and stuffed wildlife.
Pipeline Workers’ It houses some of
E Valdez Museum Monument the finest examples of
217 Egan Dr. Tel 835-2764. Inuit scrimshaw, as well
Open summer (Memorial Day to as a ship and an aircraft carved
Labor Day): 9am–5pm daily; winter: entirely of ivory. One room is
noon–5pm Tue–Sun. & 7 = filled with nothing but baskets,
Remembering Old Valdez: 436 another is dedicated to historic
S Hazelet Dr. Tel 835-5407. Open Gold Rush exhibits, and yet
summer only, 9am–5pm daily. & another to fascinating rocks
7 = ∑ valdezmuseum.org
and minerals.
This excellent museum, which There is also an extensive
takes at least two hours to collection of Native dolls,
explore fully, reveals the history garments, weapons, masks,
of Valdez and Prince William and household implements. In
Sound, as well as the Alaskan addition, the museum contains
oil industry. The museum’s most larger exhibits such as an old
well-known display is probably Inuit kayak with whale baleen
Ahrens steam fire engine occupying pride the 1886 hand-pumped Ahrens stays, a lovely Russian prayer rug,
of place in Valdez Museum steam fire engine, lovingly and a sofa made of moose horn.
For hotels and restaurants in this area see p243 and p253

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