Hello From Alaska

4,500 miles – Days 21 thru 26 - Part 1

To get out of Dawson City in the Yukon we took a ferry across the Yukon River. Coyote was hitching a ride here. 

Entered Alaska on Monday, June 15 on day 20, via the ‘Top of the World Road’

      For those who know our 1-mile gravel, twisty road with switchbacks to our home in Colorado … multiply that by 175 miles and run it along the top of the mountain ridges from Dawson City to Tok, Alaska. (Yea!… no flat tires, no cracked windows). About half way along that road we crossed the international border and dug out our passports. Then closer to the end, we lunched at Chicken, Alaska (they couldn’t pronounce or spell Ptarmigan) .. Good chicken soup there also.

Raffi (baby coyote’s new name … short for Rafael) and Vicki enter Alaska … finally!

FAIRBANKS

Now Fairbanks was supposed to be a couple days … but a medical mishap needed to be dealt with, so we booked an RV Park for 6 days and decided to see as much of Fairbanks as we could. Well, there is certainly much to see! So pictures … that do better justice than paragraphs.  

Dogs … Mush dogs, sled dogs.

We had an image of fluffy Alaskan huskies … but our notion was quashed when we saw this demonstration. These are lean mean machines, these puppies.  And they really do love, I mean LOVE to run. We listened to Jack London’s ‘Call of the Wild’ driving here and it was a perfect set up to see this.

Sea Planes

… everywhere… mostly on the water. Although just behind this one in the picture is a short landing strip above the beach if they had their wheels on.

Weather

Everyone is asking how cold it is here. This dispels that impression also. We have not worn jackets or turned on a heater for over two weeks.  Wish we'd brought shorts.

 And the sun

ALWAYS.  Dan’s new joke is “Let’s hurry up and get there before it gets dark.” Dark sets the next morning at quarter to 1:00 a.m. and morning is at 3:00 a.m. Even the two hours after sunset till dawn is not dark … just dusk.

However, we figured out the trick for making it dark … close your eyes.

We checked out the Alyeska Pipeline, did some gold panning (mine was worth $14; his was $20); and found a baby pony … he stood only to my knees.

OK ... now you'll have to go check out the next post ... 'Fairbanks' for the rest of the story.

Fairbanks

Part 2 of "Hello from Alaska" Days 21 thru 26 - continued.....

Sunday Mass

     We again returned to familiarity and an opportunity to express gratitude for all the incredible natural and man-made marvels we’ve been privileged to experience. Even here at this little church (Immaculate Conception) we were blessed.

The University of Alaska Museum

This was a impressive museum … thanks for the suggestion, Randy. This was more history (which I love) then was natural exhibits, yet lots of nature in the way of  a standing 8’9” grizzly and a polar bear and lots of all the other animals found in the north.  Also a charming art gallery of local artists … past and present.

A grizzly standing that tall would not even notice my bear spray!

Other Goodies

We also had dinner at a Salmon Bake on Pioneer Park … mmm good … salmon, prime rib, crab legs, salad, desserts and beverages all included.

For those who geocache … they brought us to some great places not found in those pesky tour books.

As this is the summer solstice, there are many kinds of celebrations around Fairbanks, a midnight baseball game (we didn’t go); a Run to the Midnight Sun 10K that started at 10:00 p.m.(we went and watched - lots of strollers and wheel chairs and crazy costumes and even some racers with numbered t-shirts); and a street fair … we went and scored a lot of free stuff and bought some souvenirs.

Saturday found us doing our own 10K. Thanks to our Fitbit … we clocked 16,580 steps which is 6.8 miles. Thanks to our girls for that little toy.

A mystery solved.

At every parking lot … grocery stores, college, etc. we saw some strange posts. Electrical outlets for every parking spot. We thought maybe for electric vehicles. No … heating for the winter. I’m sure they wanted their cars to start at negative 40 degrees when they came out of the stores. So … cords hanging out of every car grill.

     Now you don’t find that in the tour guides!

New Friends

Finally Raffi Coyote (in the center) wants you to meet his new friends (he is as friendly as the people here)… a red fox and a baby grizzly.

Denali Next

Tomorrow morning we head to Denali. We’ll be camping at Teklanika campground 29 miles inside the park. Remember the sunset painting I found in the doctor’s office before we left home? Reports are that this remarkable weather also provides great clear views of Mount Denali. Sure hope so!

I suspect as this is cold-camping (boondocking) ... we will not have Wi-Fi. So adios for a week.