Land of the All Night Sun

Days 1 – 4, Seattle, WA – Denali National Park, AK

After a fun 4^th of July weekend with family it’s time for us to take another trip!  Our flight from Seattle to Fairbanks had been delayed two hours prior to the date of departure but then was delayed again so we didn’t leave SEA until nearly 11:00 pm Sunday.  Flying up over the coast of Canada and above the Inside Passage of Alaska was beautiful and made us excited for what we would be sailing through in a couple weeks.  We landed in Fairbanks, retrieved our luggage, and walked outside to get the shuttle at 1:30am AKDT . . . and it was still dim daylight, or sort of dusk.

 

Fairbanks @ 1:34am

Alaska is often called the Land of the Midnight Sun but as we tried to settle down for a good night’s sleep we discovered the sun filters in around the hotel’s blackout curtains and it’s pretty much dusk all night long with sunrise at about 3:30am.  According to the weather sources, Fairbanks is experiencing nearly a 21 hour-long day this week.  That’s quite a difference from our 15-hour day in Southern WA.

We were off to explore Fairbanks and started at the Alaska Coffee Roasters on Geist Rd.  www.alaskacoffeeroasting.com  You know it’s going to be good coffee when people are standing in line outside the door and patiently at that!  The coffee was very good, but they also have an extensive food offering; we enjoyed sharing a raisin walnut cinnamon roll, homemade of course!  Thanks to either the coffee shop or a patron but someone turned in my prescription sunglasses, which I’d left on the table.  Glad I didn’t lose them!

 
The sun was blazing hot in Fairbanks with temperatures reaching about 88° F, which is quite high for July.  Also, we could feel the 46% humidity, which was rather surprising.  However, we didn’t let the weather deter us from exploring Georgeson Botanical Gardens at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. 

Delphiniums

Peonies

Lovely!  It happened to be peak Peony time and the flowers were amazing.  Also, the vegetable gardens were quite impressive.  It’s true that cabbages are huge in Alaska!

Cabbages

 Probably the “must see” site at Fairbanks is the Museum of the North, also on the grounds of UAF.  www.uaf.edu/museum  The building design is beautiful, reminiscent of mountains and glaciers. 

Museum of the North @ UAF

The museum houses a very interesting history of Alaska, focusing on five geographic regions of Alaska and featuring the natural and cultural history of each region.  We were particularly interested in WWII, when Japan attacked the Aleutian Islands.   Bob worked for a couple years (2002-04) on Shemya Island, the next to the last island in the Aleutian chain so he has a keen interest.

In addition to the historical presentations at the Museum of the North, there is an impressive art gallery featuring 2000 years of Alaskan art.  The museum also offers special exhibits and unique collections.

Alaskan Native Kayak

Native Masks

Our second day in the Fairbanks area was a bit cooler and very smoky.  The news said there were over 3 million acres of forest fires burning throughout Alaska.  Several large fires were burning near Tanana, northwest of Fairbanks, and dense smoke was filling the valley compromising air quality.

We drove about 8 miles northeast of Fairbanks to view the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS).  There is a nice viewing area with informative displays along a section of the pipeline.  If you are tall enough you can reach up and touch it.  Bob was impressed by the pigs!  What?  A pig is like a big industrial bottlebrush that cleans out the pipeline, assuring that the oil continues to flow its 800-mile length.

Retired Pig

TAPS

 



Our destination for the day was to relax at Chena Hot Springs.  The springs feed a small lake lined in large boulders, which we favored and also an indoor swimming pool.  The water temperature is about 105° F so soaking time is limited but the waters are said to be very therapeutic.  Being long-time fans of hot springs, we both thought this one was heaven.  Discovered in 1905, the springs have been known for their curative powers for over a hundred years.

Chena Hot Springs Rock Lake

To cool off, we visited the Ice Museum, also on the resort property.  Resident ice artists, Steve and Heather Brice have won world championships 16 times (combined) and their representative work is impressive.  Bob enjoyed stepping up to the Aurora bar for an Appletini (Vodka and apple juice), served in a take-away ice sculpted glass, obviously not a long-term keepsake!  Chena has taken advantage of their geothermal source and is partially operating the resort using their own power.  We were able to take an informative geothermal energy tour and also view their impressive outdoor and greenhouse gardens, which provide most of the produce for the resort’s restaurant.  The owners use the hot springs water to generate about 80% of the power requirements for the facility - a very unique system using only 165 degree water.

Bob enjoying an Appletini

Ice sculpture Aurora

 The 56-mile drive to/from Chena is a very straight but beautiful road, traveling through the Chena River State Recreation Area.  Keep an eye out for moose; we saw three in three different locations!

Day three in Alaska found us leaving Fairbanks, driving south toward Denali National Park.  Again, the forest fire smoke obscured the views but we enjoyed what we could see.  We took a brief stop in the village of Nenana, which holds an annual spring ice breakup lottery, called the Ice Classic.  This has been an Alaskan tradition since 1917 and this year the pot grew to $330,000!  We may have secured our future by purchasing a couple tickets!  In addition to the Ice Classic, 

Nenana Ice Classic Tripod

Nenana has a rich history having been the place where President Warren G. Harding drove the Golden Spike to mark the completion of the Alaskan Railroad in 1923.  Rumor has it that this may also have been the place where he contracted pneumonia, which he died of just barely three weeks later.

Golden Spike

 



We arrived at Denali National Park in the mid-afternoon and enjoyed the displays and films at the Visitor Center and the Wilderness Access Center.  Denali is the third largest National Park, encompasses over six million acres and had about 531,000 visitors in 2014.  It’s an impressive number because most of the Park in only accessible from mid-May to mid-September.  We are looking forward to seeing more of the Park tomorrow but on our way out of the Park we came across a Mama Moose and her two babies . . . exciting!

Mama Moose

and her babies!

We are staying in Healy, a small town about 10 miles north of the Park.  Our evening ended with dinner at the 49^th State Brewing Co., (http://49statebrewing.com) which served a good variety of cold beer, and offered an interesting menu item. 

Yak Burger, anyone?

The bus from the movie “Into the Wild” is on display on the grounds of the 49^th State Brewing Co. It’s a sad story but serves as a strong reminder that Alaska is wild . . . and there is inherent risk in exploring the back country.

Into the Wild bus @ 49th State Brewing Co.

We’ll take a safer route tomorrow . . . we signed up for a Green Tour Bus to Eielson Visitor Center, 66 miles out the Park Road.  Come along for the ride . . . Denali may be in sight!