Images of Anchorage to Valdez along the Seward, Sterling and Alaska Marine Highways – Southern Alaska, taken in July 2015.

I was finally on the road heading south from Anchorage driving along the Seward Highway. The view of the mountains over the water was spectacular even though the skies were overcast. The road traveled along the Turnagain Arm and I pulled into several overviews to take in the sights. Pulling up to one in particular I noticed several people looking and pointing cameras up high toward the cliffs overhanging the road. They were viewing Dall Sheep bouncing from impossible spot to unmanageable position! It was incredible watching them but it wasn’t the only opportunity on this leg of the trip that I would get to view exceptional wildlife at work. Later as I was driving along the Sterling Highway near the Russian River I would catch a glimpse of large birds on a sandbar in the Kenai River. I pulled over as soon as possible and made my way across the road and down to the river where I saw 10 to 12 Bald Eagles. I staked them out for two hours, watching and photographing those magnificent birds. I could have stayed there all day but I had to get to Seward to take my trip to Kenai Fjords National Park (in an upcoming gallery).

Days later leaving the Kenai Peninsula I had to make my way to Whittier along the Prince William Sound so that I could board a ferry, car and all, to Valdez. The only way to get to Whittier was through the one lane Anton Anderson tunnel, the longest combined vehicle-railroad tunnel in North America at 2.5 miles long. I pulled up to the toll booth and asked what the fee was. “13 dollars” was the reply. That seemed a bit much so I asked the attendant how much it would be one way because, after all, I wasn’t coming back through it again anyway. “13 dollars, and I’ll let you come back through for free whenever you want to”. What a deal that was!

Once in Whittier I drove onto the Alaska Marine Highway ferry to Valdez. This 7 hour journey was a pleasant trip along the southern coast of Alaska and included some great views along the Valdez Arm. Once back on land I also visited Old Valdez, condemned after the 9.3 magnitude earthquake in 1964.