The distance was 4180 miles (about 67 hours) from Atlanta according to the shortest-distance calculated by GoogleMaps. My caravan-buddy said that we traveled about 13,000 miles for the whole trip.
This webpage 3 of 4 for my trip to AKFairbanks with my caravan-buddy, Ken. It is hard for me to decide which pictures to post and I can only post a few to each page because the load-time for the page would be too long if I didn't either make small pages or post fewer pictures. I have a tendency to want to share too much. This website was started before Google Maps became available on the internet with pictures. I decided to continue my blog because I wanted a way to share the pictures of my trip.
Major construction project - some would extend for miles. I don't remember how long this diversion was but I remember it being extensive as I had not seen piles of rocks like this on the side of other projects..
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Santa in Santa Claus House. We stopped to see the store and I bought a 'bunch-of-stuff'. My grandchildren will see the results at Christmas. While shopping, I saw Santa on the platform and, at the time, no-one else was there. I went onto the platform and said 'hi'. I told him that I was with a friend and we were driving from Atlanta to Fairbanks. I told him that we had entered Canada from Montana and drove through Calgary, Banff, Jasper, Top-of-the-world highway and here. We planned to drive the Cassier highway on the return trip. He said that we should also go to Hyder, Alaska. We had not made plans about the return other than the Cassier so I told him that I would ask my friend and consider it. Another person came to the platform to talk with him and I didn't want to take more of his time. The other people took pictures with him and I hadn't thought of taking a picture. I had walked away some, but my camera was in my waist-pouch, so I took it out and took a picture. I was very impressed with him - such a distinguished man. Note: We talked about going to Hyder and did go there. ( - pictures below - )
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Pioneer Park entrance. There wasn't an entrance fee and I walked around quite a bit. There were many small stores, a playground, the paddlewheel boat and an historic train car. Later, we ate at the Salmon-Bake and saw a theater show.
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'Nenana' Paddlewheeler on display - a workhorse boat in the early days of settlement.
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Ice Museum - I saw a brochure and decided to look at the sculptures. I did not slide down slope.
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The ice museum had multi-colored lights to emphasize the figures.
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I went to the University of Alaska to see the Museum of the North. I saw dinosaurs and exhibits of life there.
I had seen in a movie, gold-diggers placing shovel-fulls of dirt on top of a box. In the museum, this was the first time that I remember actually seeing the wooden box that sifts rocks from dirt allowing gold to fall to the bottom of the sediment in the water as it flows through the bottom of the box.
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When I entered the museum, there was a cardboard eskimo wearing a skin-coat for warmth in the winter. She was displaying the sunrise/sunset information for the day. With the 'midnight-sun' in the summer, the sky does not really get dark like it does in Atlanta.
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In the gift shop, I was impressed by a quilt that someone had sewed. It was hanging above the cases with items for sale.
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This picture shows in the background, the entrance to the museum. In the foreground is the Gould Log Cabin.
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The interior antler arch is in the entrance to the park across the street from the entrance to the museum.
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The interior antler arch has a storyboard next to it.
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My friend recommended that I go on the riverboat tour. I had seen an advertisement where there were 2 trips a day. I went there about 10am and the first trip started at 9:30-so, I missed it. I bought a ticket for the 1pm tour and really enjoyed it. Riverboat Discovery as seen from the gift-shop porch.
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While on the tour, we saw many houses on the bank.
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The announcer gave an interesting talk of the history of the area.
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On the riverboat tour, we passed the Pumphouse Restaurant. The announcer said that the food was good and I liked the looks of it from the river. After the tour, I input the name on the Garmin GPS that is on the dashboard, and enjoyed a salmon dinner there.
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The Pumphouse Restaurant as seen from the riverboat tour.
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The University of Alaska is built on a mountain overlooking the city. I had to walk up the hill from the parking lot because I didn't know the campus and didn't know that closer parking was available. Anyway, I enjoyed the displays and the movie about the northern lights.
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There was a history-display about the Steward-Hyder area.
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The building was modern and there was a dinosaur display under the wall picture.
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View of the building from the outside near where I parked.
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After Ken returned from Prudhoe Bay, we went to Pioneer Park and found the Salmon Bake area. We had to look on the internet and, I didn't know until we found the Salmon Bake what was involved. They take your order and grill salmon on an outdoor pit in front of you. Nearby are salads, vegetables and drinks. Once your order is cooked, you get what you want from the serving bars and find a place to sit-and-eat. If the weather is bad, an indoor area is available. I didn't see the indoor seating, but I saw the building and entrance door. Picnic tables are nearby and Ken and I talked with others who had come to Fairbanks for the midnight-run.
We walked to the theater after the meal. It was about the history of Fairbanks and was very funny.
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In the Salmon-Bake area, you paid for your meal and they gave you a plate. They cooked what you ordered on open pits and you were told to wait before going to the pit-area for your food. On the right of the pit is where you would assemble a salad for your meal. There is an old mine machine on display in the foreground.
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In the Salmon-Bake area, you could choose to sit indoors or at picnic tables. The area was large and able to accommodate busses of tourists. The exit sign and wooden-bear-statue helped you orient your exit to the Pioneer Park exhibits.
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We drove the road to Tok twice. The first time on the way to Fairbanks, and the second time leaving and connecting to the Cassier highway. We had seen the oil pipeline on the first trip, but didn't stop for pictures. We looked for our 'photo op' on the way back and the next two pictures are the result of the stop.
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Waiting in line at Border Crossing
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Another road construction project and bridge
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As always, any comments that you have about the website would be appreciated. Because the pictures take a long time to load, it is best to view these webpages using a desktop.
Blog-Note 1: http://PuddinInVannaWhite.wordpress.com is the 'original' website of this blog. This blog has a domain name without the .wordpress. middle name. see website=PuddinInVannaWhite.wordpress.com for older trips ---)))LEFT MOUSE CLICK HERE"(((---
Blog-Note 2: I have another website. It is about my 1971 MGB. I sold it but still retain great memories from the days that I owned it. The url address is : see website=PuddinInThe MGB.wordpress.com ---)))LEFT MOUSE CLICK HERE"(((--- )
Blog-Note 3: http://PuddinInParis.wordpress.com is the first blog that I created. see it for the first trip after I retired ---)))LEFT MOUSE CLICK HERE"(((---