Will Valdez be redundant?

Question

Seeing Valdez will increase travel time substantially, so I’m wondering if it offers much differing scenery and activities compared to Homer and Seward, where we’ll be spending three nights each?

travel dates will be the first two weeks of August

Below is our itinerary

If I should keep Valdez, do you think it would be better to break up the drive going Anchorage to glacier view, o/n glacier view, then on to Valdez

Drive to Palmer as soon as we land in Anchorage, spend one night in Palmer, and then drive from there directly to Valdez?

Thank you!!

Land anchorage and drive to Palmer (versus spend the first night in anchorage)

Palmer

Reindeer farm

Musk ox farm

hatcher pass

?O/n 1N Sheep Mountain Lodge en route to Valdez to break up the drive (versus drive direct from Palmer to Valdez)

Matanuska glacier

Dall sheep

Valdez 2N

En route thunderbird falls, mantanusla glacier, kings mt overlook,sheep mountain, Keystone canyon, horse tail falls, bridal falls

Salmon hatchery

Worthington glacier

Keystone canyon and waterfalls

Car ferry to Whittier—see prince william sound. Try to find one that goes past rookery falls

Whittier drive to Seward

Seward 3N

Kenai fjords cruise

Sea life cntr

Kayaking resurrection bay

Dog sled

Homer 3N

Katmai bears day trip

Homers split. Seafarers memorial for possible eagles

Gull island

Dinner at skaters in halibut cove

diamond ridge hike

Gridwood 2N

Wildlife conservation center

Aleyska gondola and hike

Coopers landing and Russian river falls

Home

Answer

Valdez does offer unique scenery and experiences compared to Homer and Seward, but whether it’s “worth it” depends on your priorities and tolerance for driving. Valdez sits at the head of Prince William Sound, surrounded by high mountains, glaciers, and waterfalls. It’s less touristy than Seward or Homer and offers access to spectacular ferry and boat tours, including wildlife viewing and glacier calving experiences that you won’t get in Homer or Seward.

Key differentiators of Valdez versus Homer/Seward:

Scenery: Dramatic fjords, waterfalls, and glaciers along the road and in the sound itself. Worthington Glacier is accessible and offers short walks.
Activities: Opportunities for kayaking, wildlife viewing, fishing charters, and car or ferry tours of Prince William Sound. Rookery Falls is notable if you take a boat tour.
Less crowded: Valdez is quieter and less visited, so you get a more remote Alaskan experience compared to Seward/Homer.

Given your itinerary, consider the following:

If you enjoy unique fjord/glacier scenery and want a quieter stop, keeping Valdez is worthwhile.
If you are already doing multiple glacier views (Matanuska, Kenai Fjords, Whittier ferry, Worthington), Valdez could feel somewhat repetitive in terms of icefield/peak views, but the landscape and water access are different.
Breaking up the drive with an overnight en route (e.g., Sheep Mountain Lodge) is a smart choice. Driving straight from Palmer to Valdez is long (~6-7 hours without stops), and splitting it makes the trip more manageable, especially with many stops planned along the way.

Suggested approach based on your itinerary:

Option 1: Land in Anchorage, overnight in Palmer. Explore Reindeer and Musk Ox farms, Hatcher Pass.
Option 2: Drive from Palmer to Sheep Mountain Lodge for an overnight stay to break up the long drive to Valdez. This allows for stops at Matanuska Glacier, Dall Sheep viewing, and scenic overlooks without feeling rushed.
Option 3: Continue to Valdez for 2 nights. Take a Prince William Sound ferry tour that passes Rookery Falls, explore Worthington Glacier, Keystone Canyon, and waterfalls. This maximizes your experience without overloading travel time in a single day.

Conclusion: Valdez is not redundant if you value remote fjord scenery, glacier access, and a less-touristy Alaskan experience. Splitting the drive with an overnight on the way makes the logistics much easier and more enjoyable. You’ll experience landscapes different from Seward and Homer, even if there is some thematic overlap with glaciers and mountains.