North to Alaska

[ArdraF]

Aren't you glad you have a good camera?  Your photos are coming through beautifully.  We're enjoying them all.  And the narrative, of course.

ArdraF

 

[Jeff]

Thanks Ardra, the Z-50 does do a great job.

 

[Jeff]

Day 43 Fairbanks

We were in no hurry to leave the Teklanika River Trading Post this morning. The campground is in a tranquil setting alongside the Teklanika River and the runway for the owner?s Maule Rocket bush plane. He also is an avid collector of all sorts as you can see from the photos.

The Trading Post has all types of Alaska souvenirs and clothes as well as comical mannequins and stuffed animals.

Our next stop on the way to Fairbanks was Nenana, the site of Warren Harding's driving the last spike signifying the completion of the Alaska Railroad. The town has converted the local railroad station into a small museum and gift shop.

One of the more interesting events in Nenana is the annual Nenana Ice Classic. While waiting for winter?s end in 1917 engineers building the railroad bridge started a contest to guess when the ice would go out. They designed and built the tripod that was set in the ice and attached by a line to a clock on shore. When the tripod went through the ice the clock was stopped and the winner determined. The Classic this year was for $308,000 in prizes shared by contestants who purchased $2.00 tickets. (An interesting side note: the data is so exact and continuous for 90 years that it is being used by studies of global warming.)

The Park Highway leaves Nenana and follows a ridge above the Tenana River Valley into Fairbanks. We arrived in mid afternoon and settled into the Chena Marina RV Park located on a local airport and seaplane base. The photo of the takeoff was taken out the windshield of the motorhome. The last photo is at 12:57AM, it never really gets dark here this time of year, sunrise is in three and a half hours.

We will be here at least until Monday and use the time to check out Fairbanks and take a break from the trip.

 

[Jeff]

Day 43 More Photos

 

[Smoky]

Jeff:

Ron R has a gorilla about that size and it looks so very cool behind the steering wheel going down the road! 

 

[Ron]

Jeff:

Ron R has a gorilla about that size and it looks so very cool behind the steering wheel going down the road!   

Now Smoky that isn't just any gorilla that is Bert and yes he is our Toad driver and he does get attention at times.  Great pet to travel with.  No messes or back talk what so ever. ;D

 

[Shayne]

That's what my trouble is,  I need a co-pilot other than the Boss.  Probably get more help with parking the rig and directions .  LOL  Shhh Wendy  I know it's another lump on the noggin coming.

 

[Jeff]

Day 44 Fairbanks Riverboat Discovery

The day started with not very promising weather, heavy rain and fog and a forecast of more. We had scheduled a three hour cruise on the stern wheeler riverboat Discovery and it was not looking good all morning!

At noon the rain let up and by 1:30PM the sun was peeking through the gloom and promising good weather for the cruise.

We spent a delightful three and a half hours on one of the best activities of our trip. The Discovery is family owned and has been in operation over four generations and fifty-seven years. All of the children and grandchildren have worked on the boats and most are qualified USCG stern wheeler captains.

Our trip down the Chena and Tanana Rivers included a float plane takeoff and landing alongside and interesting commentary of the life along the river. One log home being rebuilt after a fire is owned by a former Madison, WI attorney named Jack McMannus who crashed an airplane in Peoria 25 years ago and became a customer of the company Jeff worked for there.

We stopped for a riverside presentation by David Monson, husband of the late Susan Butcher, four time Iditarod dog sled race winner, about the kennels they have raising Alaskan huskies for racing. The dogs were also present for a close up discussion when we stopped at the Chena River Abathascan Village where we saw examples of the 10,000 year old culture of the first residents of Alaska.

Our next stop was a demonstration of a Abathascan Fish Camp where the natives spent the summer catching and smoking fish that was one of the basics of their subsistence lifestyle for centuries. The salmon, caribou, and moose were the three essentials of their survival.

After returning from the cruise we drove a few miles to the Ester Gold Camp for dinner. Ester is located near the richest creek of placer gold in the world, Cripple Creek on the outskirts of Fairbanks. We decided to pass on a show at the Malamute Saloon in Ester because of the hour and returned to watch the seaplane arrivals at Chena Marina.

We are going to meet Lee and Jeanne Faust in the morning for a late breakfast and then drive to Chena Hot Springs for a soak and a visit to the Igloo Hotel there.

 

[Jeff]

Day 44 More Photos

 

[Smoky]

Just curious Jeff.  How much were they selling those bears for?  I'd like to get  friend for Bert!  ;D

 

[Shayne]

It's alway interesting to view the Indian culture and clothing.  It's beautiful no matter what tribe or clan you find anywhere.  At least for me it is.  Never changes as to the beauty.

 

[Betty Brewer]

Jeff,
It continues to be like deja vu.  We have some of the exact shots. We'll have to do a movie night picture show sometime again to make the comaprisons.
We did stay and watch the show at Ester Gold camp.  Entertaining and funny.  Did Sue buy a hat at the gold camp.  Did you watch the Northern lights show there?  This was the only place we saw them!
Your journal is such a succinct detailed and informative one.  I'm learning all about Alaska again.  Thank you thank you for sharing.

Don't forget while in Fairbanks to fit in a tour of the Ice house sculptures and the good Thai food.
Betty

 

[BernieD]

Jeff

Does the Ester camp restaurant still have the "all you can eat" crab legs"? We remember the the show afterward and it was most enjoyable. And as Betty said, don't miss the ice sculptures. We were there when they were still remodeling the theater for display. Would love to see how it turned out.

 

[Tom]

I'd like to get  friend for Bert!

Bert already has a friend Smoky - see attached.

 

[Jeff]

Jeff,
It continues to be like deja vu.  We have some of the exact shots. We'll have to do a movie night picture show sometime again to make the comaprisons.
We did stay and watch the show at Ester Gold camp.  Entertaining and funny.  Did Sue buy a hat at the gold camp.  Did you watch the Northern lights show there?  This was the only place we saw them!
Your journal is such a succinct detailed and informative one.  I'm learning all about Alaska again.  Thank you thank you for sharing.

Don't forget while in Fairbanks to fit in a tour of the Ice house sculptures and the good Thai food.
Betty

Betty:

Thanks, lets do it.

No hat at Ester. We watched a Northern Lights show down in Watson Lake on the way up. We are moving over to North Pole tomorrow and have talked about coming back over to the Ice Scuptures.

Which Thai restaurant?

 

[Jeff]

Jeff

Does the Ester camp restaurant still have the "all you can eat" crab legs"? We remember the the show afterward and it was most enjoyable. And as Betty said, don't miss the ice sculptures. We were there when they were still remodeling the theater for display. Would love to see how it turned out.

Bernie:

They haven't run out of crab legs yet. Ice sculptures tomorrow if we have time.

 

[Jeff]

Day 45 Chena Hot Springs

After having a late breakfast with Lee and Jeanne Faust in town we headed 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks to Chena Hot Springs Resort. The drive is through the Chena Recreation Area and is a popular local camping, boating, fishing, and outdoor area.

Chena Hot Springs has been curing the aches of miners and tourists since the turn of the century with its mineral hot springs. It includes its own airport, hotel, campground, the Aurora Ice Museum, and of course the hot spring pools.

The resort was purchased from the State of Alaska by Bernie Carl in 1998 and is being turned into an energy independent community. The thermal hot springs not only provide heat but through the use of a geothermal power plant produces 400kw of electricity to keep the Aurora Ice Museum cool through the summer months. A water ram provides water for irrigation, two vehicles are fuel with biodiesel generated by the resort, and they are working on a hydrogen generator powered with geothermal energy to create hydrogen for powering all engines including vehicles.

We arrived in time for the 1:00PM tour of the Aurora Ice Museum that is the creation of world champion ice carver Steve Brice and his wife that includes an igloo, ice bar, and hotel. The Aurora is kept to a cool 20 degrees in the summer so wearing warm clothing is a must. The hotel includes 6 rooms that have been used three times, only once all night!

Some of the carvings represent Brice?s world winning designs and are all lighted with LED lights that generate no heat. The museum does not melt except for damage done to the bar?s surface by alcohol and some sublimation to smaller pieces like statues fingers  that have been repaired. Several weddings have been held in the museum and receptions are held there. One event with 50 people raised the inside temperature 5 degrees and had to be cut short.

After the tour Sue headed for the hot pool while Jeff toured the resort including displays on geothermal energy. When we pulled into the parking lot there was a 20 year old van converted into an RV with a wood stove chimney sticking out the roof. Jeff discovered the owner, River Jack, selling stories and carvings outside the restaurant. Jack has done a little of everything in Alaska including prospecting, herding caribou, and mushing dog teams. He now winters in the wilderness near Chena Hot Springs in a tent and has photos galore of his winter home that he reaches by canoe. It was an interesting afternoon.

It was also a good day for moose. Two young moose strolled into the resort for a drink of water while we were there and on the drive back we spotted two more in the Chena River.

We drove back to Fairbanks for dinner and spent another relaxing evening in the RV park.

 

[Jeff]

DAy 45 More Photos

 

[Shayne]

You still have us in Awe  Thank you.

 

[ArdraF]

I can't remember if we ever went to Chena Hot Springs, but I KNOW we never saw that fantastic ice hotel.  WoW!  Gorgeous photos.  Definitely a place to see.

ArdraF