Friday, July 29, 2022 - We drive from Valdez to Palmer, Alaska. The six hour drive was outstanding with excellent weather and endless visibilities. The mountains along the route were in full view and quite spectacular. What a beautiful drive with perfect weather.

After setting up the RV, we decided to travel to The Musk Ox Farm in Palmer, Alaska. We got a chance to take an "up close and personal" view of musk ox and how they survive in the wild. It is pretty amazing that they can survive in minus 85 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures. Also, their fur is many times warmer than that of wool. They had musk ox fur "beenies" on sale for nearly $300.

After seeing the Musk Ox Farm, we drove to Hatcher Pass to see the abandoned Independence Mine. This was a gold mine that was active in the 1900s and was the largest gold mine in Alaska. It is now abandoned with some buildings refurbished by the state so that we can see what the site was like when in operation. We hiked the mile up to the site and then explored the mine area. We then returned to the truck and drove up to Hatcher Pass. Pretty steep slopes and no guard rails. The ladies were "uncomfortable."

Saturday, July 30, 2022 - We drive from the Palmer area the Cantwell RV Park in Cantwell, Alaska (near Denali National Park).