I thought I would post some photos that I took with my phone on the first day at Hannah’s house in Valdez.

She is a very good seamstress and has a whole large room devoted to her sewing.  She has everything she needs there.  Her husband made custom work spaces for her and she has picked up things here and there to decorate with (she even has things she found during her visits to CT!).  She has a flannel wall so she can lay out quilt pieces on it before sewing and a most amazing stock of fabrics.

Hannah doesn’t do much sewing in the summer because she and her family also have a food truck.  She spends most of her extra time keeping it stocked and running smoothly.  They have delicious foods and the best ice cream.  If you’re in Valdez, look them up and go enjoy some yummy Alaskan treats including Halibut tacos and Caramel Cinnamon ice cream.

She drove me all around town and showed me the points of interest, all with the backdrop of the most gorgeous mountains.  It was a rainy morning and perfect for driving and visiting some of the small shops, the library, and a museum.

There is an old Valdez and a new Valdez…..or, “Old Town” and “New Town”.  The first was so severely damaged in a major earthquake that they pulled it down and rebuilt at a different location.  The museum had a scaled model of the old town, posters, photos, videos, and artifacts.

This man had such a friendly smile that his photo made me stop and notice.  He “cared for pets in Old Valdez, acting as the unofficial veterinarian for the town.”

I did a touristy thing.  I held the big gun for a photo.  Thanks, Hannah!

There was a small room dedicated to handiwork and needlecraft.  This quilt was on display with a plaque that explained that as the Quilter’s husband was dying, he asked his wife to spread this flag quilt she was currently making over him.  It was his last request and she never completed the quilt.

As we were getting ready to leave, I heard this man and his wife tell the museum desk worker that they were from “upstate NY” so of course I had to ask where.  Turns out they lived in the same city my Mom works and he grew up in a small town nearby.  He was a Christian and his dad was a Baptist preacher.  He knew last names of my family and my grandfather,  the church I grew up in, the college I attended, and we had mutual acquaintances.  It was such fun!

Large mural in town.

The library!!

I did a whole blog post about our love for Rosemary Wells and she sent me autographed books!  Therefore, it was a great thrill to see her original artwork in the children’s section of Hannah’s library.

We sat and spent the most time in the little “Alaska” library room, which was full of every book about Alaska that they had, including posters and papers.

Hannah found a book and read some of it out loud.  It was written by a man who met the love of his life in Alaska and they had a lifetime of adventures together.

“Ruth with a fifty-five-pound beaver.”

Last photo in the book, “I longed to see Ruth picking wildflowers.”

Oh it was just too delightful.

Also at the library I was able to add Miracles on Maple Hill to my Newbury awards collection because it was on their free shelf.  I also read the whole book while on my trip.  It was delightful and don’t you agree that books are the best souvenier?

We visited the old town sight, which was very interesting.  There is a map of it, and markers to show where each building used to stand.  Some of the buildings were actually moved to the new town and we visited some of those, as well.

**no words** for the beauty.

Two of Hannah and Ryan’s girls; Sarah (the babysitter) and Bekah (the baker).

Their two boys; big brother Jacob set up a tent right in their bedroom and put cots in it.  Then, they strung up the kindle so they could lay there and watch videos in the tent.

And  little brother LUKE.

Luke is 4 years old.

Sarah graciously let me have her bedroom while I was staying with them.