Alaska: Long Days and Interesting Stays

(2023 Alaska Revisited Ep 16)

With repairs completed on our leaking tire and frayed wires, we left Tok for Fairbanks. 

The roads were very good, unlike those near the US-Canada border that had frost heaves, potholes and road construction.   We were thankful for the smoother ride.

^{Monument marking end of Alaska Highway; Alaska-sized mosquitoes}

Midway between Tok and Fairbanks we visited Delta Junction, the original ending of the 1390-mile Alaska Highway (the highway was originally 1422 miles).  From there, the highway continues northwest to Fairbanks or south toward Anchorage.  We drove past broad, swift-flowing rivers filled with snowmelt from distant mountains. A strong, chilly wind rocked Percy and Pap as the skies cleared.

We ‘wallydocked’ (overnighted) at the Fairbanks Walmart, where we replenished our supplies.   Sleep was a challenge – the sun rose before 3 am and set after 12:30 am. And after the sun set, it never really got DARK.

We visited Creamer’s Dairy, a one-time dairy farm that is now a migrating bird sanctuary.  Hundreds of sandhill cranes foraged in the fields along with many other birds. 

Other stops in the Fairbanks area include Pioneer Park, an amusement park with interesting historical and cultural displays, the Museum of the North, a natural history museum at the University of Alaska, and the Alaska oil pipeline. We visited these during our 2018 trip to Alaska.

At the recommendation of a friend, we drove two hours from Fairbanks to visit Chena Hot Springs. 

We hoped to camp a night or two on the way to the springs but our plans quickly changed when we stopped for a short hike.  The cool, wet weather had resulted in an outbreak of hungry Alaska mosquitoes that descended on us in thick swarms.  We were reminded of the mosquito-infested hardwood hammocks in the Florida Everglades.

We decided to continue to the springs, where we enjoyed an early morning soak in a warm outdoor pool.  Chena is an interesting destination, with a lodge, campground and hiking, biking and ATV trails.  Hot water from deep wells in the area is used to generate electricity and heat large greenhouses where tomatoes, lettuce and other vegetables are grown all year round. 

^{Chena greenhouses use geothermal energy to produce vegetables}

^{Ice museum exterior along with an elevated DC6 (future hotel); Pat wore a heavy parka to keep warm; inside the ice museum}

Chilling in the Chena Ice Museum

We donned heavy parkas to see sculptures in the Chena Ice Museum.  The museum includes an altar for wedding ceremonies and rooms where the brave of heart can spend the night. 

Not us however – we opted for our nice warm camper instead!

^{One of several elaborate ice sculptures in the museum; interesting items in ice}

Nenana

Leaving Chena and Fairbanks, we turned south toward Anchorage on the Parks Highway. 

At Nenana, a small town on the Alaska railway where the train and cruise buses stop, we toured the original train station that houses an interesting assortment of train relics. It’s the kind of place Pat’s dad would have really enjoyed.

Nenana is known for the Nenana Ice Classic, said by some to be Alaska’s best guessing game. 

Each winter since 1917 a tall wooden structure has been placed on the frozen Tanana River adjacent to the town. Ticket purchasers predict when the structure will fall through the ice during the spring thaw and the person whose prediction is closest to the actual fall receives a sizeable jackpot. 

The 2023 prize was $222,101 and the winning time was 4:01 PM AST on May 8.  Money raised by the event is used to fund college scholarships for local students.

Views of The Great One

The Parks Highway took us past the entrance to Denali National Park. We plan to return in August for five nights of camping and hiking in the park. 

A few miles further we visited Denali State Park, where we were rewarded with a spectacular view of Denali early the next morning. The Great One is North America’s tallest mountain at 20,310 ft. Later that day we hiked a steep trail for a better view of Denali and the Alaska Range.

Denali is often covered with clouds and only 1 in 3 visitors see the mountain.  We were thankful for clear weather and the great view.

Mary Carey’s Cinnamon Buns   

Mary Carey’s McKinley View Lodge near Denali State Park offers a phenomenal view of Denali from their back patio. When we learned the lodge sells cinnamon buns using Mary’s recipe from nearly 50 years ago, we had to try one. 

Warmed in the microwave, the pillowy bun had a nice cinnamon flavor. It was topped with thick, sweet icing dusted with additional cinnamon.

It was the best bun so far in our travels. We’d give it a bun score of 4 out of 5.

Critter Count

Moose – 4  (cows and babies, no bulls)

Grizzly bears – 2

Sandhill cranes – many

Swans (8), eagles (4) and other birds

^{Sandhill cranes at Creamer’s Dairy in Fairbanks; a watchful mama moose and her baby}

Next week: 

We visit Alaska’s biggest city, Anchorage, and continue to the scenic Kenai peninsula.