Valdez, like most places we’ve been, was in-between seasons and kind of quiet.
However, one thing that is not seasonal is the long standing tradition of eagle feeding in Valdez, which happens every evening around 5pm. Not too sure how I feel about this one – all normal guidance is to not feed wild animals to prevent them becoming dependent and associating humans with food. Telling myself that it probably helped the floundering local eagle population to recover, it was amazing to see these huge creatures gracefully sweep down, their timing perfect to catch the herring thrown high in the air with either their beaks or their powerful talons. And there’s only one permit to do this in the whole of Alaska and that’s right here, right now.
The quiet lull of the seasonal interlude didn’t stop the woman in the Safeway liquor store demanding ID from both of us when buying beer. As we’d just gone out for a casual walk and then just happened to think we’d stock up with a few beers on the way back, I didn’t have my ID with me. But surely that didn’t matter? Darren was buying the beer, I just happened to be tagging along for the ride? Nope, didn’t wash. OK, so I’ll go stand outside as if I’ve never even met Darren, and he can start over, come in alone and buy the beer? Nope. Really? Seriously? So now neither of us can buy beer because one of us doesn’t have ID? Correct. Grrrr.
Twenty minutes later, I trudged back with my ID. My brain in another cartoon universe was punching her whilst calmly explaining her flawed logic. I won’t go into it here but I am more than happy to regale you next time we catch up in person with all the reasons this was so wrong. In real life I gritted my teeth with my tail between my legs, politely produced my ID and collected the beer. Sometimes you just have to go with it. Obtaining beer is one of those times.
A defining moment on our trip, it was the first real chance we’d had to buy bottles of Alaskan beer in Alaska. (The Haines brewery we’d previously visited only had draught beer – no bottles!). This meant our collection of beers acquired along the way was now complete: one for each US State and Canadian Province/Territory that we’d passed through. Even though Darren racked up a few States before I joined him, it seemed only right that I help him out with all the beers! What a way to spend the night – blogging and drinking with your best friend, cozy and warm in the campervan, with seafront mountain views. I could get used to this campervan lark 🙂
