Fairbanks (Monday 5/20 - Tuesday 5/21)

After a good night's sleep, a wonderful shower and breakfast in the campervan . . . we headed out to take on the day in Fairbanks!  Over the years, David & I have enjoyed Fairbanks as our base for the 4 (2010, 2014, 2016 and 2020) RV Adventures we've done thanks to bartering our timeshare in Waikiki with the Culbert Family for their 29' Winnebago Chalet.  I was looking forward to sharing a little of what the city has to offer with Pam.  First up was the University of Alaska - Fairbanks' Museum of the North.

We toured the museum and watched this short movie, as well as another on the aurora borealis.  There are a lot of archeological artifacts on exhibit here, as well as the telling of Alaska's history including its native people, Alaska's role in WWII and how statehood occurred in 1959.  With a $20 admission fee ($16 for seniors), I feel while a bit pricey, the money goes to support a good cause so I'm OK with it.

After the Museum of the North, we headed over to the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center!  The last time I had visited the Fairbanks CVB/Visitor Center it was housed in a small log cabin on 4th Avenue.  Now open for 14 years, I was glad to be able to see the new building and all of the wonderful exhibits created to tell the story of Fairbanks and her people.  This photo is of the Gould Cabin (ca 1910) which is on exhibit in front of the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitor Center.

The self-guided walking tour through the cultural center is very well done!  There are a number of exhibits with detailed storyboards, as well as murals and dioramas depicting Alaskan life throughout the seasons.  Both Pam & I felt this experience was more enriching than what we experienced at the Museum of the North . . . and it is free of charge.  While both are good, if you only have limited time to do one or the other, we'd suggest this one!

After a day of taking in some local sights, it was time to have a celebratory birthday dinner for Pam!  While her birthday was earlier in the trip, I knew I wanted to take her out for a special dinner with local flavor and ambiance.  Fairbanks' Pumphouse Restaurant & Saloon was the perfect choice.

This photo is the view of the restaurant from the Chena River from the Riverboat Discovery (taken the next day).  This historic building dates back to the gold rush era of the 1890's and is on the National Register of Historic Places (1982).

We started our birthday celebration with yummy adult beverages!  For dinner we each ordered an entree and then made shared plates.  We had elk tenderloin medallions and the fried seafood platter featuring scallops, halibut and shrimp.  We capped off this fabulous feast with key lime pie and a decadent cheesecake that was enough for 3 people!

This Brunswick-Balke-Collender pool table is an original, built in 1898!  There are photos on the wall showing patrons in the early 20th century playing on this very table.

After dinner, we took a ride north out of town to visit the Alaska Pipeline exhibit up along the Steese Highway. There are several pieces of equipment here to tell the story of how crude oil is moved from Prudhoe Bay over 800 miles to Valdez. Truly an engineering marvel of the 21st century, no trip to Alaska is complete without learning about the oil industry and the economic impact for all Alaskans.

 

The next day (Tuesday) would be another full day in Fairbanks before we head on south to Denali National Park.  Thanks to a local friend, we were able to score discounted tickets for the Riverboat Discovery Tour.  With an 8:15am scheduled arrival, it was nice to be camping just minutes away from the marina.  As expected, we were on a tour that was largely booked by those doing a land tour with one of the many cruise ships serving Alaska.  When we pulled into the parking lot, there were already 4 or 5 large tour buses unloaded for our trip.  Fortunately, even with all of the tourists onboard, the boat was at less than half capacity, allowing for plenty of room to be comfortable for the 3 hour trip down and back on the Chena River.

The Chena Village Living Museum, where we had a 30 minutes stop and a guided walking tour of an Athabascan village.

 

 

We also visited the kennel of the late, 4-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, whose husband &  daughter now train and run the dogs.

 

After our tour on the Riverboat Discovery, we met up with my friend Tracy Culbert for lunch at a local favorite . . . The Cookie Jar.  The time passed by too quickly, and I was sorry I didn't think to snap a photo of us before heading out for Denali.  Lunch was good, but her company and friendship is the BEST!  But alas, it was time for us to get going as we had a couple of hours yet to get to Denali National Park . . . and then another hour plus to get to our campsite at the Teklanika Campground.

This stop to use the vault toilets had us laughing.  Not open for the season yet, the large boulder was one way to keep people out.

Further on down the road, the Nenana Train Depot & Museum would be a welcomed stop along the way, especially since they had public restrooms.  After a short 15-20 minute stop, we were back on the way to Denali!

In Healy, we spotted this lone moose grazing off the highway.  While it seemed a little skiddish, it did allow for some photos before heading into the trees.

We finally reached the park entrance around 5:00pm!  The drive took a little longer than expected, not just because of the stops we made, but also the high winds we encountered for most of the afternoon.  We were happy to finally be to the park, and checking in at the Riley Creek Mercantile.

Next stop . . . TEK Campground at MM29 inside Denali National Park on the Park Road.

TO BE CONTINUED