Valdez AK

Off Richardson Highway, the cruise ship terminal sits 3 mi/5 km northeast of Valdez. Free shuttles take passengers into town. At 200 Fairbanks St., on the Chenega and Fairbanks corner, the town's Visitors center provides free maps and further information; summer daily hours are 8 am-8 pm.

Sightseeing options:

Valdez is the terminus of the Trans-USA Pipeline, an 800-mi/1,300-km engineering wonder. It carries USA North Slope crude oil from the Beaufort Sea to Valdez's ice-free, deepwater port for shipping.

Oil brought wealth to Valdez, but put it in worldwide news when Exxon's supertanker Valdez hit Bligh Reef in 1989. More than 11 million gallons spilled; tides drew the oil away, so Valdez's shoreline was not significantly affected. Elsewhere in Prince William Sound and beyond, however, severe damage resulted. Valdez had already suffered another catastrophe 25 years earlier: an earthquake produced a tsunami that killed 32 residents and compromised structures across town. The community was then relocated 4 mi/6 km west, onto higher ground. (Both the quake and the Exxon Valdez oil spill occurred on…

Most visitors arriving in town change to a boat for Columbia Glacier viewing before returning to Anchorage. Valdez visitors also favour charter fishing and hikes to surrounding mountains, glaciers and waterfalls.

Valdez shore excursions include scenic motor-coach journeys taking in Richardson Highway, Bridal Veil Falls, Thompson Pass and Worthington Glacier, plus historic town tours. A glacier cruise to Columbia, Meares or Shoup glaciers is a popular choice, as is kayaking Prince William Sound; others simply go fishing.

The United States dollar (symbol: $) is Valdez's official U.S. currency. ATMs can be found everywhere.

Visa, MasterCard and other major credit cards are broadly accepted, including for purchases worth only a few dollars; sometimes they may be the sole way to complete a transaction. Overseas visitors should note that goods and services can appear cheaper than they are because taxes and gratuities are seldom included.

Sales tax applies in most states, from 2.9% to nearly 10% of the retail price, with 4-6% typical. Posted prices almost never include it, except for gasoline and, in most states, alcoholic beverages consumed on-premises; it is instead calculated and added when payment is made.

There is no federal official language in the U.S., although English is overwhelmingly the everyday standard and several states have made it their official state language. New Mexico also has Spanish as an official language, where it is widely spoken. French is official in Louisiana and Hawaiian in Hawaii, yet neither comes close to English's use and both are official principally for historical reasons.

For emergencies, call 911.

Many drugstores and supermarkets in major metropolitan areas such as New York and Los Angeles operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Department stores, shopping centers and most other large retailers generally trade Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with shorter Sunday hours, usually 11 a.m. or noon to 5 or 6 p.m. Stores tend to stay open on holidays, except on the most important ones, including Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day, when they are generally closed.