Sunday July 10, 2022 - Today we took a ride on the Riverboat Discovery. It was a bit touristy, but it was fun to be out on the river. We stopped in front of Susan Butcher's sled dog property and her husband talked about dog mushing. Susan Butcher was the second woman to win the Iditarod and won a total of 4 times in 5 years prior to her death in 2006. We also stopped at a native Alaskan village where we heard about various aspects of Athabascan life. In the afternoon we explored downtown Fairbanks, where we looked around the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center. We watched an interesting movie there, and were surprised to find Jack Reakhoff in the movie, talking about life in Wiseman, AK. We had lunch at the HooDoo Brewery, where there was a great food truck - Grandma's genuine Navajo Tacos, so so good! After the cultural center we went to the dive bar, Midnight Mine next door, that Manny had told us we should check out. It was a fun spot with darts, pool and an outside patio.
Riverboat Discovery
Jen with Susan Butcher
a float plane took off next to the boat
Susan Butcher's husband and their two daughters still train and mush sled dogs. He came out and talked to us about the sled dogs
After a run, the dogs all jumped into the river to cool off
The Nenana joining the Tanana River. The Tanana is the milky color and the Nenana is more clear.
Kev looks good in a fox pelt
Ok, we ALL look good in a fox pelt
The moose/elk arch next to the cultural center
Monday, July 11, 2022 - We decided to have a communal breakfast this morning, and wow was it good...cheesy eggs, sausage, bacon, english muffins, pancakes and fruit, quite the smorgasbord! We then headed off to the Museum of the North on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and then to the engineering building to see the Chris McCandless bus from "Into the Wild". UAF is refurbishing the bus which will then be housed at the Museum of the North.
Yum!
I want it all!
Skeleton of a 43 foot Bowhead Whale
This looks like a table my Dad would design
The "Into the Wild bus"
Looks like they have a lot of work to do
Tuesday, July 12, 2022 - Today is a 4.5 hour drive to K'esugi Ken Campground in Denali State Park. I booked us a night there, so we didn't have such a long drive to Anchorage for the Smiths and to the Kenai for us. We drove through the area of the fire that's been causing so much smoke in Fairbanks (Clear, AK). It was quite smokey and we saw trucks being used in the fire. The K'esugi Ken campground was a quick drive off the Parks Highway and had lots of hiking, but no views of Denali, since it was a cloudy day. We had one last bonfire with the group and a birthday party for the guys.
We stopped in Nenana, and who could pass up another round of root beer floats?
A smokey drive to Denali State Park
Water trucks queuing up for the fires
Stampede Road, outside of Healy, where Chris McCandless was dropped off for his hike into the wild
A look down Stampede Road
Smoky Mountains (not in Tennessee but in Alaska)
A stop along the Nenana River for lunch
lunch view
We've collected a lot of stickers on this trip, our wall is getting full!
Janet and I hiked some of the trails at K'esugi Ken
This is where the view of Denali is supposed to be...
Grizzlys in the area
the fireweed is 6 foot tall here
and the cow parsnip is even taller
Kev had a little mishap while using the "facili-trees". He stepped into the mud, lost a shoe and kind of tipped over
guess we'll need to head to the laundry
Janet & Bob, final pic with their rig
Finally a bonfire. In Fairbanks and Denali NP we weren't allowed to have a fire
Janet bought the Summer birthday boys a cheesecake
What a wonderful time we've had with Janet & Bob...one last selfie!
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