June 19, More Fairbanks

Other ramblings and thoughts. No one correctly answered my query about gold so either no one knows or no one is reading my blog. I will assume no one knows. So, the answer is: gold is found in it’s own state and does not have to be separated from other matter like some minerals. That’s why you can find nuggets in a stream. Now for my next quiz, What do the states of Alaska and Hawaii have in common? Answer: They are both over 2500 miles from the United States. Question no. 2: How many square miles in Alaska? Answer: How many days in a year? 365 of course, so, Alaska has 365 million square miles of land. That's a lot. My last question: You may have notice earlier that Sandi only panned $1 worth of gold and Frank $7? So the question is: Who do you think got the $40 earrings?

June 19, Fairbanks

GOLD! GOLD!! GOLD!!! Took a tour of the El Dorado Gold Mine this morning. It’s operated by the same people that have the Riverboat Discovery tour so had an idea that it would be a good tour. They demonstrated several methods of mining gold, which was very interesting, then gave us a bag of dirt and a pan and let us pan on our own. Sandi panned $1 worth and Frank $7. Now comes the tricky part; they don’t buy the gold from you but sell you a locket or ear rings to put your gold in so you can wear it proudly. Tourists are the real gold mine here. We got $8 worth of gold and spent $40 on earrings to put it in. Was great fun however and very informative. Would recommend the tour to anyone coming to Fairbanks. Stopped to look at the Alaskan Pipeline on the way back into Fairbanks. About half (400 miles) is above ground because of the permafrost. We went back to the RV for lunch and to get ready to leave tomorrow. Replaced the headlight in the Jeep that was broken out by flying rocks and washed the bugs off the front of the RV. Need a few more groceries and we are set to move it on down the road. We decided against a side trip to the Arctic Circle, something I had wanted to do. It’s about a 200-mile trip on gravel with low flying semi trucks all along the route. The information center recommended taking along a couple of extra tires, gasoline and food just in case. They also said it was a fun trip with lots of scenery and wildlife so the decision not to go wasn’t an easy one. I forgot yesterdays pictures before I hit "publish" so will include a picture of an Indian ceremonial dress from the museum with todays blog.

June 18, Fairbanks

We had a great morning at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Spent 4 hours there and the time just flew. Needless to say it was very interesting! Exhibits covered everything from the Indians and Eskimos to the Gold Rush to WW II detention of Japanese American Alaskans from the Aleutian Islands. There was also a lot of artwork done by individuals from Alaska. After the Museum we went to the University’s Botanical Center. It wasn’t that neat. Picked up a few groceries on the way back to the RV so should have what we need and will be ready to go when the time comes. Some guy stopped by the RV the afternoon and sold us some fresh smoked salmon. I’m not too wild about smoked salmon but Sandi is so she bought some. Haven’t tried it yet so time will tell if she got ripped or not.

June 17, Father’s Day in Fairbanks

This morning we took a 3-½ hour ride on the Riverboat Discovery, an old sternwheeler. We saw a bush pilot demonstrate a take-off and land on the river and also on a sand bar in the middle of the river. He only needed 150 feet of space on the sandbar to take off or land. The pilot grew up on an island so learned to fly as a teenage but didn’t learn how to drive a car until he was 25. We toured an Indian village with Athabascan Indians as guides to explain their cultural traditions and how the families live. There are still many villages in Alaska that still live this way. Part of the tour was a stop at Susan Butcher’s dog kennel. Susan won the Iditarod 4 times before dying of leukemia at age 51. Her family still raises and trains sled dogs and her daughter is now starting to compete. We will take a bigger interest in the 1100-mile Iditarod in the future. The Riverboat Discovery tour was super and a definite “must do” if you are every in Fairbanks. After the tour we went downtown to the Ice Museum and saw several carvings and a demonstration. The last few days the weather has been wonderful, clear skies with highs in the mid 70’s and lows about 60. The long days take a little getting used to however. Thursday is the longest day of the year with the sun setting at 12:20 a.m. and coming up again at 2:57 a.m. It’s quite a celebration here but we are going to miss it as we will be at Denali National Park that day.

June 16, Tok to Fairbanks, 208 miles

Another easy day. Had breakfast at Grizzley’s and Sandi did laundry before we left Tok. On the road to Fairbanks we saw a moose standing in a pond beside the road but no time or space to stop and get a picture. By the time you get this bus slowed down and find a place to pull over, it’s too late. If you do get a chance to take a picture, the critter has turned and is headed into the brush so all you get is their backside. Sandi was able to take several good pictures though of a rabbit. Now I don’t care who you are, that’s funny! Lots of the Pine trees here have burls on them which is caused by a fungus I think. Stopped at the Knotty Shop on the way and took this picture. Parked tonight at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks. The Park is all about the history of Fairbanks and Alaska, a lot like Living History Farms. Bought our Tour Saver book at Safeway and booked a Riverboat Discovery tour for tomorrow. Cooked fresh Coho salmon for supper on the grill. Had salmon for supper last night too, just can’t seem to get enough of it.