Day 29 - Fairbanks, Alaska to Denali National Park

Sheryl & Bob Price Rig#10   Wednesday, July 7, 2010  Fairbanks to Denali--July 7
Day 29--to Denali National Park(travel day)

Our travel day began as it does quite often--breakfast out. The four amigoes (Marvin, Dee, Sheryl & Bob) went to the local Denny's in Fairbanks. A fact which you all may not know is that this Denny's is the northern most one in the world. They have a sign outside the restaurant.On the way Marvin and Dee saw Denali but we didn't get a view.

We stopped at the little town of Nenana which means "a good place to camp between the rivers" in case you didn't read your Milepost but then somewhere else I read that the Nenana River was named for a Philippine card game. Oh well! During the early 1920's it was the construction base for the Alaska Railroad. Pres. Harding drove the golden spike in 1923 signifying its completion. Today it is the hub for the tug/barge shipping on the rivers of the Interior. Personally I don't know how they do it with the rivers being so shallow and silt-laden going 12mph downstream and 5mph upstream. The lady at the visitors center gave us a good speal for going to see differnt things and we were gullible. While the boys slept Dee and I went exploring. We stopped at all the appropriate gift shops all the way thru town. We walked down to the general store to look at her collection of hand made items and Dee was lusting after a warm winter pull down hat lined with beaver fur and another fur on the outside. It was beautiful. We mosied on down past the "Moocher's Bar" to the Depot and perused their items where I did make a couple of small purchases. Upon leaving we saw the monument to the completion of the railroad.

We stopped in at the small, quaint St. Mark's Episcopal Church. Lots of wood carving at the end of the pews and on the altar plus the altar cloth had a lot of bead work on it. A lovely church.

As we walked down to the Cultural Center by the river we passed the Tripod they use to put out on the ice that is hooked to a line on shore which is then hooked to a clock. When the ice breaks and begins to move downstream it will break the line and the time will be recorded. This breaks the tedium of a long winter, I guess. The Cultural Center had a number of items, pictures, furs and history and a gift shop. They had two books written by Miles Martin, the same guy our bus driver was telling us about on our trip to the Artic Circle. He was saying that his first woman had a few cards short of a full deck. They had a very long boat with little depth to it and they use these type of boats for races like the regattas in the lower 48. I don't know how they keep water out of the boats. Across the river from the Center was a large white cross and upon inquiry found out that it was originally the cemetery for the local native people, but young man there said that now everyone want to buried there. A missionary who served in the area many years ago was buried over there when she died.

While we were all standing around near the road by the Visitor Center the lady who runs the gift shop across the street came over to see if we wanted to see a demo of the Ulu knife. She told us this story. Two of the native boys had decided they were not going on to further schooling after high school and the missionary was very concerned. They went on to tell her that they had a plan and that plan was to produce the Ulu and package it and get the Good Housekeeping Approval stamp and sell them to tourists. She was impressed with their plan. The Ulu's originally were made from old saw blades with bone handles and when they took them to Good Housekeeping they were not impressed and could not endorse them. So the boys took their concerns to heart and made them from stainless steel and the handles from a sealed polished wood and received the stamp of approval. Now you know the rest of the story. These are only made in Anchorage, Alaska.

We passed the sign for the Clear Air Force Station which is a ballistic missile early warning site. Bill Kern did you see that the town of Anderson hosts an annual Bluegrass Festival? We also made a stop at the Tatlanika Trading Post and wandered their gift shop and looked at all their old equipment and stuffed animals--the biggest of which was a huge polar bear that is in the record books. That was our last stop, but I found the change in landscape as we travelled today to be interesting and then to get back into these beautiful peaks.

The evening was topped off with our briefing and a wonderful supper provided by not only the staff but a large potluck by fellow caravaners. I think we can all say that we did not leave hungry.

Thanks to everyone. Another busy day tomorrow. Goodnight Mrs. Calabash, where ever you are.

Day 28 - Fairbanks, Alaska (free day) Optional Tour to Barrow

Point Barrow, AK                 Ivan and Shirley Yurtin Rig #12                                   July 6, 2010

We decided to sign up for a trip to Point Barrow, AK. Our dear friend, Hal Miller served on a naval vessel called, McKinley back in 1949 which sparked Ivan’s interest in flying to Point Barrow. We were able to make reservations w/Alaskan Airlines. So off we went!! As we approached Barrow from the air, we first noticed that the lakes were frozen. As we descended the next significant thing we noticed was that there were no trees or shrubs as far as you could see….it was only flat tundra.

The airport terminal was an old, blue metal commercial building that looked like a factory. The shuttle driver picked us up and drove us to the Top of The World Hotel. It was a long two story building that had simple rooms. We had dinner at Pepe’s Restaurant next door that was run by 81 yr old Fran.

Fran has lived in Point Barrow for over 40 years. She had a restaurant in her home for years, but now manages Pepe’s. She does not cook but employs good people. She also leads tourists down to the ocean at 5:30pm each day for a dunk in the Arctic. In order to qualify you must submerge completely in the frigid Arctic. For doing so, you must pay $10 and will receive a patch and certificate from the Polar Bear Club. Fran has made the plunge many times and tried to get 80 of her friends to join her last year for her 80th birthday. She was only able to convince 67 brave souls to do it with her.

The Mexican meal of Enchiladas was good. Afterwards we roamed the immediate area for photos—including those along the ice buildup in the ocean. We noticed that parking spaces for workers at the bank, police dept and other businesses had electrical cords in each space to plug in engine heaters. None of the roads in town are paved---they consist of powdered dust that billows every time a car passes. Four wheeler ATV’s are also a common form of transportation.

 Our tour guide, Bana, was a native Inupiat Eskimo. He said that the population of the whole area is 4500 and one fourth of the population is under the age of 18 years. The village hunts whale for food and harvests about 34 whales each year to feed the village. The Inupiat are not allowed to harvest whales to sell….only to feed the village. The whale harvest is in the early spring and late fall. The whale is harpooned behind the eye, which is the most vulnerable area, and at that time a bell is sounded. Then most of the villagers come on the ice to help tow the whale from the water onto the ice so it can be butchered. The blubber and bones and waste items are placed in a pile so that the polar bears will come in and eat. The whale meat is either eaten boiled or frozen raw. Ivan had a chance to eat some of the raw whale meat. It tasted a little fishy.

They only get about 13” of snow and 8” of rain a year, but it is a very cold and dry environment. It is very cloudy most of the summer with only 5 days of sunshine. The temperature during our visit ranged from 30 – 36 degrees F and it was cold and windy. The Inupiat Eskimo Corporations control most of the utilities and government offices. A contractor we met that had been working in Barrow for the past 9 months said that Barrow was very political and the government controlled most of the utilities and schools (which was where most of the jobs could be found). The city had several gas wells that supplied the heating for the village. The village had one fairly large grocery store and one gasoline station. Gasoline is delivered to Barrow once a year in August. In our visit to the grocery store the price for a gallon of milk was $10 and the price of a dozen eggs was $8.

On our tour we didn’t get to see a polar bear but we saw a Snow Owl and the Tundra Swans. We got to visit the Inupiat Heritage Center where the local Eskimos performed their native dances for us. We were then invited to join them in their local dances, which we did. It was very enjoyable. There were enough people so we all joined in for the Blanket Toss. A large blanket made of whale skin is woven with rope around the outer edge for handles. About 25-30 people hold the perimeter of the blanket while a person is in the middle of it. The blanket is pulled outward and the person in the blanket is propelled upward and can reach heights of 20-30 feet. This is used to be able to see whales and game at far distances, since there are no trees on the Tundra.

We were able to visit the old Navy base that my friend, Hal Miller, delivered supplies to in the early 50’s. His ship, the McKinley, was only able to get into the Barrow port in mid-July with ice beakers assistance. The Navy base was later converted to a Navy Research facility and more recently donated to Barrow for a university. However, all the old corrugated metal Quonset huts are still standing. There is also an Air Force Radar and Communications facility near the old Navy station that one local person said was kept pretty quiet as far as people coming & going. It’s assumed that this is an Air Force Radar Defense Command Center.

Our tour guide, Bana drove us to the airport and we bid him farewell. It was a packed full day of facts and adventure trying to understand how these people survive under extreme conditions. We sure were glad to be back to our RV with all the modern conveniences and feeling so

Day 28- Fairbanks, Alaska (free day #2)

July 6, 2010                                                                                        Barry & Monique Zander

Let’s start with the highlight of the day – Jeff Totten and Ira Miller entertaining their caravan comrades plus neighbors on the banjo and bass guitar, respectively, and joined by a few musicians who happened to drop by the River’s Edge RV Park. But more about that later, since it climaxed our second free day while in Fairbanks.

Let’s go back a day to 10 p.m. Monday when everyone should be asleep. That’s when Madeline Schaaf walked by our river’s edge site, where we were enjoying the late evening sunshine in our recliners, and handed the “Travel Journal” binder to Monique. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Seems all the other end-of-the-alphabet folks had disappeared.


For Monique and me the day started out with our cups of latte, and once we were awake, we took care of our routine online chores. After that things got exciting. We went to Jiffy Lube for an oil change and then satisfied one of my priorities while here. Our GPS took us close enough to North Star Golf Club, the U.S.’s northernmost club, where we looked at hats but bought a shirt. I got my “Southernmost “cap in Key West at the beginning of this trip, and having only one head, I realized I couldn’t wear both the “southernmost” and the “northernmost” caps at the same time.
 
Monique watched as I hit a bucket of golf balls, and for her patience, she was treated to a gourmet lunch at Fairbank’s finest, Subway.

Having heard many good things about Pioneer Park, we headed that way. It is a delight, with numerous interesting gold-rush days cabins converted into shops, and a museum that we wish we could have spent more time in, plus many other attractions. In addition to the things to see and do there, we also enjoyed talking with fun, interesting shopkeepers.

Clockwise from Top Left: An invitation to “chill;” a Steamshovel that helped dig the Panama Canal, worked in Hawaii and then in Alaska; A Fetish on sale in the museum; and Fairbank’s first artifact, the Wheel from the ill-fated Lavelle Young.



The dioramas on the lower deck of the Nenana steamship were Monique’s favorite. Intricate displays depict the turn-of-the-century villages in the Alaska interior, both native, forts and mining. I was most taken with the unique high quality artwork and crafts in the shops. We decided against going into the store that would allow us -- for $8 each -- to experience -40o temperatures. Since our bus driver described that as like getting hit with a baseball bat, we didn’t see the point.

We met Karen several times while roaming the grounds, the only caravan member we saw today … although we did see Marvin and Dee’s car parked at Fred Meyer’s. Chances of finding anyone in that place is remote so we headed home. Oh, thanks to our GPS, we were given a tour of the City of Fairbanks while trying to find the supermarket.

And now for the big finish. Ken and Carole had invited the entertainers from the Bonanza Gold Mine train to play for us in the RV park. It was a real treat. Earl Hughes led the ensemble on banjo and guitar, accompanied first by bass guitarist Fred Wire. In an impromptu gesture, they invited their friend and talented fiddle player Belle Mickelson to join in. Together they regaled us with mostly country favorites.

Not long after they started, our own Jeff Totten tuned up his banjo and joined in the music-making, and then Beverly Miller mentioned that her husband Ira is a skilled bass guitar player. Fred got up and handed his base to Ira, who caressed the instrument as he strummed it like a long-lost friend. The entire performance was a highlight of our trip, and our thanks go out to our Wagonmasters for this unplanned event.

 Today, on the eve of the middle of our trek through Canada to Alaska, we are preparing for the short drive to Denali, a destination for many travelers. And if that weren’t enough to look forward to, at 10 p.m. this evening Ivan and Shirley Yurtin returned from their adventure to Barrow, Alaska, on the Arctic Ocean, bubbling over with stories to tell. Stay tuned.

Day 27 - Fairbanks, Alaska (free day)

Jim & Evelyn Northup Rig #9                                                                   Monday, July 05, 2010

We woke up this morning to rain so we took our time as it was a free day. The first thing we had to do was get a new tire for the Jeep as we experienced a blow out from Whitehorse to Dawson City. Jim decided to buy two tires instead of one. That took us about 2 ½ hours. Good thing for Sam’s Club. While we waited we did some shopping. We got back to the campground about 12:30, had lunch, and got back on the road.

Ira and Bev Miller went with us to the town of North Pole. What a place. The roads were lined with candy cane lights and I decided that this was my kind of place. We did some shopping and walked around to see the reindeer. We met some of the group there. Jim and Bill Kern sat and had a cup of coffee while we, the ladies, did what we do best; shop. From there we went to The Great Alaskan Bowl Company. We saw how they made the bowls and how they engraved (with the use of a laser) art designs on them. I am still recuperating from sticker shock. Next stop was the Fred Meyer store. It’s like a Wal-Mart, but has much more stuff in it. So guess what, we did more shopping.

We left Fred Meyer’s and came back home to cook supper. Since it wasn’t much of an activity day, we decided to spend the rest of the evening relaxing.

It was very quiet at the campground as many of the travelers went on a 12 hour bus tour to the Arctic Circle. Ivan and Shirley Yurtin really took advantage of their free day as they flew to Point Barrow and are spending the night.

Day 26 - Fairbanks, Alaska

Ira & Beverly Miller Rig #8

Today is Sunday, July 04, 2010 and we woke up to a cloudy, cool day, but at least it was not raining as it rained last night. What a storm that came through the campground. I am sure most people would have liked to go to church this Sunday; however, our wagon master had other plans for the adventurers.

We started out at 9:00 this morning in which the temperature was only 56 degrees. We first went to the University of Alaska Museum of the North. It was an interesting place to visit. From Alaska’s wildlife to contemporary Alaska Native Art, whatever your interest, you were sure to find something appealing on exhibit. One of my highlights of the museum was the outhouse on display. Some rural areas of Alaska still use outhouses. Imagine being outdoors in forty below freezing temperatures and sitting in an outhouse. Brrrrrrrr. Ira showed interest in the double-headed dagger. It was made of steel I beam with steel cable and cast concrete.

The second stop on our trip was the Robert G. White, large animal research station. Here we learned about muskox, caribou and reindeer. This research center has about 3,000 Muskox, and you will find about 160,000 worldwide. Muskox can also be found in Canada and Greenland. Muskox is horned as where Caribou and Reindeer are antlered. Muskox and caribou are wild where as reindeer are domesticated. The Muskox pictured in this blog is Ingrid and was adopted from the San Diego Zoo.

After the research center, we were supposed to be dropped off in town for a lunch of our choice before our next planned event; however, due to it being Sunday and Fourth of July, most restaurants were closed. We had one option that would work for our group, and guess what that choice was. CHINESE BUFFET. We all ate lunch at the Mayflower. Luckily, for the adventurers who did not like Chinese, there was American food as well.

Our final stop of the day was the Ice Museum. Here we saw a film on ice carving and after the film, we got to actually see some fantastic ice carvings. We actually got to go inside an ice room and have the opportunity to see the sculptures up close and personal. We had a rare treat as we also had the pleasure of seeing a sculpture being made. A beautiful flower and stem with leaves was made right before our eyes.

We were supposed to have a 4th of July barbecue after we got back, but because most travelers were full from the Chinese buffet, we postponed that until Wednesday after our next travel day to Denali National Park.

The final event of the evening was a travel briefing and a brief ceremony where we all received our certificates for traveling the length of the Alaskan Highway, all 1,422 miles of it. From Dawson Creek to Delta Junction. Since the next two days are free days for the travelers, it was best to have the briefing so that it would not conflict with the travelers plans. The highlight of the briefing was the Patriotic Bear that was brought along by Bill Kern. This bear sang America the Beautiful for the group and what a better way to end the day on this Fourth of July holiday.