Fairbanks-Sternwheeler Trip

June 6  This morning we moved to another campground that is closer to downtown Fairbanks.  Fairbanks is really in an arctic desert.  They get an average of 16 inches of moisture annually between snow and rain.  Today it was 74 degrees at 5:00 pm.  This morning we went to a Fred Meyer's store to get a new disk for the camera. We filled up and Gary went ahead and put our phone number in and lo and behold he got a 10 cent a gallon discount on gas because Fred Meyer is owned by Kroger - same as King Soopers.  $4.29 a gallon.

We took a three and a half hour commercial sternwheeler trip on the Chena River. 

How about an airplane in your driveway just in case you need to go somewhere?

We had a floatplane demo.

This small creek - Cripple Creek - produced more gold than any other place in Alaska.

This is the husband of famed Iditerod Race winner Susan Butcher.

Susan won four Iditerods.  She passed away at age 51 of cancer.

The Kennels

Here you can see the kind of harness the dogs wear.  It covers their complete body so there is no stress on any part of the body.  Boy do they like to run.

We visited a replica Chena Athabascan Village.  We were shown replicas of ancient shelters,

Athabascan garments, a trapper's line cabins and more.

This is a fish catcher like the indians/eskimos used to catch salmon.

Gary wants you to believe he met this moose head on.



We learned that caribou and reindeer are the same animal but reindeer have been domesticated and bred to have fatter bodies and shorter legs.



The confluence of 2 rivers, one glacial (upper) and one freshwater (lower).

On the way back we observed a fire that had started along the river. It appeared to be an out-building but it was fully engulfed.

Thanks to Jane and Roger who babysat "the girls" and
had a great dinner ready for us when we got back.