North to Alaska Day 24, & 25 (Wednesday & Thursday)

As I mentioned in the previous post, the next day Jeannie and I headed to Nenana.  Jeannie wanted to show me some of the tourist sights in town and as we got closer to Nenana, we were able to get phone service so we could make a couple of phone calls. Nenana is known for their Ice Classic.  People buy chances and guess when the ice will go out on the Nenana River.  Whoever guesses the date and time wins the prize money.

Nenana Ice Classic Tower

Ice Classic Float

The float (above) is placed on the river ice.  As the ice melts the float goes down the river on ice chunks. When it snags the wire attached to the tower, the float tips and springs the clock.  We then went on to an view a fish wheel (working in the water & not working on dry land).

Working Fish Wheel

What a fish wheel looks like on land

Jeannie and I visited an old trappers cabin and met the old trapper!

Original Trappers Cabin

Sue & "The Old Trapper"

At the Alaska Railroad Station in Nenana, President Warren G Harding pounded in the Gold Spike for the end of the Alaska Railroad.  There is also a commemorative plaque marking the 75th Anniversary of the Alaska Railroad at this site.

Gold Spike pounded in by President Harding

Alaska Railroad 75th Anniversary

Alaska Railroad Train Crossing the Nenana River

Alaska Native Bridge Honoring Alaska Native Vets

In Nenana is the oldest mission in the area.  St. Mark's Mission Episcopal Church was built in 1905 and is still used today.

St. Mark's Mission

Inside St. Mark's

Jeannie Theel at rear of St. Mark's

When we left the church, we went to the Nenana Cultural Center & Native Gift Shop (above).  Dean Theel has had some of his pelts from trapping on display here.  He's trapped wolf, lynx, coyote, and weasel (ermine).

After a substantial breakfast the next morning, Roger and I said our sad good-byes to Dean and Jeannie and hit the road for the last stage of our trip to Cantwell.  On the Parks Highway, we viewed Minto Flats, where the Tanana River and Nenano River meet, and the Nenano River near Denali National Park.

Minto Flats

Nenana River near Denali Nat'l Park

Another view of the Nenana River

We made it to Cantwell!!!  4,043 from Blythe, California to Cantwell, Alaska.  These are the views that we have from Cantwell. 

Here is Mt. McKinley - on our 1st day here at the Cantwell RV Park.  We'll wait for a clear day to see the whole mountain.  We can see all of these mountains right from our window and site.

Mt McKinley

More photo's of our adventures to come!

North to Alaska Day 22, 23 & 24 (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday)

We left the Riverview RV Park and stopped at Creamer's Migratory Field to see if we could see any of the Sandhill Cranes or other wildlife that may be passing through the area.

Creamer's Field

Sandhill Cranes

After we viewed the sandhill cranes we headed out to visit our friends Dean and Jeannie Theel, who live about 40 miles North of Fairbanks in Nenana.  When we got to the Theel's we set up housekeeping in their driveway and sat by their creek with a nice cool glass of iced tea.  We couldn't believe that the Interior of Alaska is like a "Green Desert".  The weather is hot and dry, the temperature the 3 days we visited were in the high 70's or low 80's with hardly a cloud in the sky.

Dean, Roger & Jeannie sitting next to the creek

Side view of Theel's "Cabin"

Bridge over Little Goldstream Creek

 We went for a hike in their woods and Dean got us to "cut across" the creek on a little log (keep in mind that this creek is run off of a mountain stream - very cold), thank goodness I didn't fall in.

Sue, Jeannie & Dean on our walk through their woods

I actually made it across this log without falling in!

View of the creek from the log bridge

After a great breakfast that Jeannie cooked for us of, moose sausage, eggs and fresh blueberry pancakes, they asked Roger and I if we wanted to go four-wheeling.   We'd never done it before, but were certainly willing to give it a whirl.  We both have driven snow mobiles before and I've driven a jet ski, so how hard could it be.  What fun!  We went on some great dog sled trails that they also use for four-wheeling that brought us through beautiful birch forests, mud and some of the best views of the Interior you could ever ask for.

Birch Forest

Jeannie, stuck in the mud

Low bush Cranberries

 Dean and Jeannie's good friend and neighbor, Mary, joined us on the trail and we all headed to the Monderosa for "the best hamburger in Alaska".  So, mud covered and all we went in for a bite to eat.

Mary, Sue & Roger - covered in mud!

Sue, Roger Dean & Jeannie at the Monderosa for lunch

What a fun day!  The following day, Roger and Dean made moose sausage links and patties, polish sausage and snack sticks.  Jeannie and I decided to make some homemade donuts and then head to Nenana.  More about that to follow on the next post.

North to Alaska Day 19, 20 & 21 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)

Friday morning we left the Westmark Inn & RV Park knowing that we had the worst of our drive behind us.  The road was much better with less dips and gravel spots.  The purchase of a bra for the car and a rock deflector were a good purchase, we could see where quite a few rocks nicked up the deflector and the bra was filthy.  We looked forward to finding a car wash at our next stop; which was going to be Tok, Alaska.

Just like other days after we've left the campground, we weren't on the road long before we saw a caribou off the side of the road.  This one was one of the most skittish that we've seen.  As soon as it saw us, it dashed off into the forest.

Caribou running into the forest

 We only had to travel about 20 miles from our campground before we were at the US Border.  Our trip through customs was much easier going back into the US than going from the US to Canada.  All we had to do was show our passports and answer a couple of questions and we were back on the road again.

We made it into Alaska!

Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center

 Just a few miles into Alaska is the Tetlin National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.  We decided to stop in and check out the viewing deck for nesting swans, Native Athabascan cultural exhibits, and topographical map model.

Roger and Cache (Bear Proof)

 View of the Refuge from the deck of the Visitors Center.

Nutzotin Mountain Range

 After leaving the Visitors Center, our journey for the day proceeded toward the Alaska Range and Tanana River.

Tanana River

Alaska Range

Alaska Range & Tanana River

The pictures can never do the scenery justice, however; I will forever be in awe of snow capped mountains.  We decided to spend the night at the Tok RV Village.  We had  applied for a job there last fall and they had already hired their Workkampers for the season.  Just before we left Blythe, Rose the owner, called and asked if we had accepted a job yet because she had a cancellation of one of the couples.  We had already accepted our position in Cantwell but; I told her that we would stop by for a visit.

Tok RV Village

Tok RV Village Office

Our site at the Tok RV Village

A short 100 miles or so from Tok, we made it to Delta Junction.  After beautiful scenery, wonderful wildlife and some dips and gravel roads, we drove the entire Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction! 

Welcome to Delta Junciton

The end of the Alaska Highway

1,422 Miles from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction

When I went into the Visitors Center, the staff gave me a certificate stating that we made it all the way from Dawson Creek to Delta Junction on the Alaska Highway.  Now it was on to North Pole, Alaska where we wanted to spend a couple of days checking out Fairbanks.

View of the Alaska Range 

When we got to North Pole, Alaska we went to the Riverview RV Park and set up camp.  After we got set up, I set out to go back to North Pole and scope out the Santa Clause House.  North Pole is exactly like it sounds, it's a town that revolves around Christmas year 'round.  There's a huge statue of Santa Clause standing right next to the Santa Clause House which is full of beautiful Christmas ornaments, gifts, and everything revolving around Christmas and Santa Claus that you can possible think of.

Welcome to North Pole, Alaska

Santa checking his list - twice

Santa Claus House

After a good nights rest, Roger and I decided to go shopping for supplies, find Labcorp for Rogers blood test, and check out Fairbanks.  We had a beautiful day to scope out the city - if you can believe it, it was 71 degrees today.  Tomorrow, Monday, we will leave the campground for a visit with friends from the Iron Range of Minnesota who've fallen in love with Alaska and now live 40 miles from Fairbanks.