Today we are in Valdez for a short port call. We are anchored, not docked, so we will be tendering ashore. We were here back in 1985 on Sitmar Cruise Lines Fairsea. Sitmar was bought out by Princess some years later. 1985 was before the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989. (Bonus points if you remember the name of the captain of the Exxon Valdez whom Exxon blamed for the grounding of the tanker. He accused the corporation of making him a scapegoat. In a 1990 trial he was charged with criminal mischief, reckless endangerment, and piloting a vessel while intoxicated, but was cleared of the three charges. He was convicted of misdemeanor negligent discharge of oil. – His name is below. No points if you got his name by clicking on the link above.)
After breakfast we tendered ashore and visited two museums and one store before reboarding.
Approaching Valdez
Maxine & Jesse Whitney Museum
The Whitney Museum is a really well done small museum with extraordinary taxidermy. (Sue and Jeff would love it.). We beat the crowds and really enjoyed our visit. It’s part of the Prince William Sound Community College. The mosquito is a fake. Everything else was real.
Walking About
Nice color in the trees. That weird looking thing is a section from the Alaska pipeline.
Valdez Museum
The Valdez Museum was packed. All the people from the big Carnaval ship in town seemed to be here. We had a brief look, especially at some old fire engines.
Then we visited the The Prospector Outfitters store. I bought a better set of binoculars (Nocs Binoculars) than the ship provides in the room. Elaine bought a sweater. Then back to the ship.
Dinner was in the Restaurant, the main dining room, with Don and Donna, our new friends from Atlanta.
The name of the captain of the Exxon Valdez was Joseph Hazelwood.
That sure is extraordinary taxidermy. Those moose are a whole lot bigger than the ones Jeff, Dave, and Bobby got back in the 90’s. Love the picture and story of the hunting visor.
I would not have remembered Captain Hazelwood’s name, but recognized it once you revealed it. What an environmental disaster.