Photos by Gigi Obren
Larry: I moved to Valdez, Alaska January 20, 1980, following a 3 day snowstorm. I immediately fell in love with our town’s beauty. I had traveled here searching for the famous Alaskan Gold (jobs and money), eventually working at Harborview Developmental Center until it closed, and Providence Valdez Medical Center until retirement. With the help of family, friends and small town love, I raised two wonderful sons here.
Gigi and I make adventures in fishing, skiing, hunting, gathering, and community service the center of our Valdez life. Today I am known as the “guy in the green boat” (A Tolman Skiff I built). This boat has allowed many people (strangers and friends alike) an opportunity to experience PWS.
If I have to tell you why I love Valdez, it might mean you haven’t lived here. Amazing people, outstanding educational opportunity, jobs, and the most important part, FISHING. Best kept secret about Valdez? The FISHING!!
2002: Gigi: I took a 4 month drive from Flagstaff after getting licensed as a Physical Therapist, seeking adventure. Drove to Valdez when it was socked in, spent the night in a tent in pouring rain, determined to get through an interview and leave Valdez forever. I met Roxann (PT) and Mo, and hospital team, some families of LTC residents, had a lovely lunch at the old Rose Cache, met George Keeney, and signed up for EMT class. Moved to town in a week, started as a PT at hospital and began the EMS course on the same day, and never looked back.
I was so fortunate to participate in the Traveling Health Fair out on Prince William Sound, fit bike helmets on a ton of heads, played in the community band, sung with the madrigal group for Ren Fair, and joined an amazing funny and talented group to entertain for The Museum Club Fundraisers and Frosty Fever. I’ve worn a lot of goofy costumes!!
This amazing town has so much to offer recreationally and I’ve tried to participate in many activities (as long as going fast down a hill is not involved). Biking to work all year, x-country skiing, snow shoeing, paddling, rafting, hiking, ice skating. Even climbed up on a stallion shaped iceberg at Valdez Glacier Lake, then had to swim in to shore.
OH MAN, I met this wild man and then the real adventures began. We had kinda a secretive initial romance at the hospital. I got “Larried” in 2009! We have fished and hunted and hiked the Chilkoot, primitive camped at Susitna lake, floated the Wiluk and Gulkana, snow machined into watch Iditarod, explored glaciers all year. Did I say we fished? Dip netting for Reds, mooching for Silvers, Women’s derby, halibut, lake trout, grayling, dollies, cod, shrimp, SQUID, herring… so much fishing. Valdez has superseded any expectations. On slower days, helping around Epiphany Lutheran Church with flowers and yard work, pie sales…
There is so much to always do in Valdez, we’ve never been bored. Theatre Conference plays, Women of Distinction, Arts Council, pickleball, amazing hikes right in town, a great pool, PWCC gym, city recreational activities, and Gold Rush of course. So much pie baking, after the amazing berry picking! Of course, fly fishing is Larry’s passion.
We are chocolates lab people. Kin is our lovely pup now. She is a ptarmigan retrieving beast. And sweet as heck, loves all her Valdez friends and “aunties”, hikes, paddles, fishes, loves to be on the boat, snow machine, 4 wheeler, (and her favorite delicacy is rabbit poop). And now she is assisting in supporting some folks around town with her gentle demeanor, so following in Larry’s and Gigi’s footsteps as care providers.
We love the generous way this town supports it’s own.
We have wonderful friends, and are part of the Valdez Fire Department Family. We so graced to be able to call Valdez our home.
