North To Alaska (and back)
Summer 2008
We are home in Fort Worth
"Check out the new web site: www.drivingusa.us "
Week Five
Week Five: Fairbanks area,
Cantwell and Anchorage, Alaska
7/14/2008 Riverboat Discovery
Rated #1 boat tour in North America, so we could not pass up reporting on this major attraction. This 4 hour trip down the Chena River into the Tanana River and return up to the Chena to the north of Fairbanks will be one of the highlites of our Fairbanks visit.Here are a few of the wonderful homes seen along the Chena River from the riverboat.
One stop included a visit to a Native Alaskian's property with several structures on it.
This family demostrate and told about some of the native customs and shows off a wonderful parka.
Another house in the village.
Here's a familar sight except it is from the riverboat and not the Pump House deck.
Late Night Camp Raiders
Camp Raider # 1
1925 Ford "T" Truck
We do have a "Best In Camp Selection"
This beauty was also in Tok, Alaska and soon I hope to go back and get those photos put up.
7/16/2008
Alaska RV Center
Fairbanks, Alaska
We got our required maintenance completed and were on our way to Cantwell before noon. We ended up actually replacing 2 tires and one wheel bearing that developed a rough spot and a repair to a section of sheet metal at the left rear corner of the trailer where rocks had been propelled up under the trailer and had punched a hole through the skin of that corner, from the inside out. There are no steps on the left side to block this from happening. I might see about installing some type of mud flap or something like that.- 7/16/2008
Cantwell, Alaska
live Cantwell weather:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Cantwell,+AK
The road to the Denali only had one area where it was down to one lane. Here we're waiting for the pilot vehicle to get to us.
The Nenana River runs along the Alaskian Range and Hwy 3 on the way to Cantwell. We crossed the Nenana several times.
The Nenana River again.
We had lunch at the area close to the junction of the Denali Park Road and Hwy 3. This building is the "Salmon Bake". Notice the canvas roof. Like alot of the business here they are only open 4 months out of the year; then they pull the roof off, fold it up, pull all the tables and chairs over to one side and let it snow.
This is a part of the dining room. In the winter only the walls are standing, everything else is out in the open.
Looks like it King Crab, again.
Theres a gas station, several places to eat, several gift shops and a convience store in Denali.
The Salmon Bake is simply known as "the bake" locally. Here's their beer list.
7/18/2008
Anchorage, Alaska
Live weather:
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Anchorage,+Alaska
The weather coming into Anchorage did not look promising. We had light rain all the way from Fairbanks to Anchorage. Strange to see clouds/fog almost all the way to the ground.
From a distance it looks like a forest fire.
The weather improved after we got settled so we decided to check out downtown Anchorage.
Anchorage looks like any other mid-sized city in the lower 48; there are alot of things to see.
Saturday afternoon the weather was nice and we saw several fishermen down in a stream that runs through Anchorage fishing (snagging) for Salmon. We actually saw one caught; about 20 inches long.
15 Dog Team
Jake Berkowitz brings out the team truck with the sled dog team. The truck weighs about 10,000 lbs with the shell on it and these dogs are going to pull the truck out of the arena.
All 15 hooked up and they are ready to go.
And there they go.
This is Ship Creek RV Park in Anchorage. We were so close to the site next door that we had to stow our canopy for our neighbor to back in. I think the name of this place was about right.
.
he 7/14/2008 Riverboat Discovery
The late Susan Butcher, 4 time Iditarod Champion, trained here and her family still is training champion sled dogs. Here are the first class kennels along the banks of the Chena River.
After a hard run the team cools off in the cold water of the Chena River.
It was explained that in the summer during training sessions the team is hooked up to an off-road vehicle. The dogs always go on command and turn right or left perfectly, but they don't always want to stop, therefore......brakes are used.
A pontoon equipped bush plane demonstrated how little distance is needed for takeoff and landings.
View from inside the Riverboat Discovery III.
The Discovery I is still around. Only Discovery II and III are in operation on a daily basis.
Back at the dock and the home of the Discovery.
Of course there is time to visit the gift shop.
Late Night Camp Raiders
These guys rolled through the camp blowing their horns and calling everyone out to the old car parade this Saturday. Sorry we won't be here.
Camp Raider # 2 1929 Buick Sedan
Both raiders together.
Just a pinch between the cheek and gum, then we're out of her
This tool box and the tools in it probable cost more that our trailer.
Two photos of the area just before the Denali National Park.
This is the streach of Hwy 3 from Denali National Park to our RV Campsite.
Signs everywhere to let you know what part of the Denali Park you were headed.
This was a scene along the first 15 miles od the Denali Park road to Savage River, the farthest that you can drive in your personal car. To go deeper into the park requires a bus tour. Due to the weather and visibility, we decided to drive ourselves just to the Savage River. Some of the bus tours take 12 hrs round trip.
Here a bus group unloads to get a photo of the Denali Sign. We came back a while later and a lady had her dog sitting down at the sign while she was out about 30 feet taking his picture.
All of this area is beautiful, even the drive back to Camp Cantwell (Cantwell RV Park).
Finally back at Camp Cantwell it has stopped rainning for a while but the temperture is a little cool.
We're off to Anchorage in the morning and it will be cold and rainy. I will also be about a 6 hr drive counting stops.
Our first night in Anchorage we choose "Glacier's Brewhouse Restaurant for our first dinner here.
Whe we got there we discovered that there was a two hour wait for a table. "OK...we'll be at the bar".
After we had waited about 20 minutes a waiter (Greg) came over and asked if we were waiting for a table (bar seating is first come, first served). We said yes (Linda said we must really look pathetic) so he showed us to a table where we could see everything going on at the open grill in the kitchen.
This is where it all happens....that's a real hardwood open fire under that grill.
Back at camp, Ship Creek RV Park here in Anchorage is like big sardines in a can. It is nice being in close to downtown (walking distance) but everyone is really close. We're keeping a list of those like this and also a list of the ones we passed by that look pretty good.
7/19/2008
Alaskian Sled Dog Demostration
(summer version)
Part of the demostration was to show how strong these Huskeys are. These dogs are pulling 860 lbs each.
Here one of the Malamutes shows why they aren't use for racing.
These guys put on a pretty funny show.
There were several real close races (they race in opposite directions to a finish line) and when they come across the finish line they are really moving.
They race on rocks because the rock surface is a lot like snow and ice as far as drag is concerned.
This is Jake Berkowitz, 2004 Iditarod finisher and musher/breeder/trainer for the World Champion Speavey Sled Dog Team.
Here is a future musher and her sled dog
Go to Week 6:
www.drivingtoalaska.com/week 6
