Highway Sights

I realized I had left out an interesting portion of our travels, so I'm back tracking a bit.  Did you notice? 

Shortly after we left Valdez (and it was raining again), we had a very short stop so I could get a picture of Bridal Veil Falls.  I stood under the camper overhang so my camera lens wouldn't get wet.  There were numerous waterfalls all around us but this was by far the largest of them.  Plus, there was a road marker to let us know of the upcoming pullout.

Later, we had a chance to see the Manatuska Glacier which wound it's way through the valley between the Chugach Mountains.  The glacier's average width is 2 miles and at the end it is 4 miles wide.  Information in the Milepost book says it has been fairly stable for the past 400 years, so we weren't worried about it overtaking us on the highway.

We made an unplanned stop at this small historic park in the very tiny town of Sutton.  Actually, we passed it and had to turn around and go back half a mile.  After all, we were here, so why not take the time to learn something about the local area and have a chance to stretch our legs at the same time?  This park is located right off the Glenn Highway, which was completed in 1944, linking the Alaska Canada Highway to Anchorage.

At this site was an abandoned plant that washed and dried coal.  The coal washing process took out the impurities and after it was washed and dried,the coal was put into a separate storage facility.

The park include several small historical buildings.  The tiny house on the right was the former post office for the town of Sutton.

At last!  A Hall of Fame we can relate to!  No wonder we felt at home when we stepped into the yellow wood building pictured above.

Norm held up the Alaska state flag in front of the post office as Don walked down the path.

In another part of the park was a whole section relegated to Athabascan culture.  Below is spirit house.  It sits on top of the grave of  John Goodlataw who lived from  1870 to 1935.  The Spirit houses are a combination of Athabascan culture and Russian Orthodox beliefs.  First of all, the Indian must be buried with their head upriver.  Then a blanket is put on top of the grave to keep the person warm.  The relatives must wait at least 40 days before erecting the spirit house so the spirit doesn't become trapped. Sometimes the clan members use specific colors for their houses.

Here is an example of a Nay'dina'aa Na Xa Hnax house (Chickaloon River Winter Log House).  Winter lodges were built in the forest and abandoned temporarily when the people went to their summer fish camps.

On the walls were branches and leaves, each labeled and their uses defined.

Wish we had known about the Wormwood before this. All of us seem to have aches and pains at this point in our life.  However, it didn't say how to prepare it for medicinal use.  Should I boil it and then strain out the leaves or make it into some kind of paste?  

I wondered what happened to Jerry, and there he was, taking a short nap on the fur covered bed.  I interrupted his short siesta and told him it was time to move on.!