July 3rd, 2024


THE DETAILS:

Though rain was called for it stayed dry all day but cloudy and very windy. 

0 miles/

KOA Fairbanks 


So, Gary’s cup says “I don’t do perky”, but honestly… how can you NOT be perky when you have this fun, beautiful, adventure-seeking girl to wake up to?!! Yes! Kim made it to Alaska. We picked her up just passed midnight and she told us she watched the sunset the whole 5 hour flight from Seattle and was amazed how light it still was when she landed!


After a slow rising this morning we spent the day touring around North Pole Alaska where they have set up the whole town to look like a Christmas village. Even the street light poles are decorated like candy canes. They have a huge Christmas shop filled with all manner of souvenirs and decorations and it comes complete with Santa himself! He actually told us that the fires threatening Denali are being tended to by some of the best smoke jumpers and fire equipment Alaska has to offer. He explained, if the fires don’t threaten people, commerce or private property Alaska lets fires burn themselves out but whereas this Denali fire is threatening all 3 they’re working hard to get it under control. With the winds today being up to 35 mph they have a challenge on their hands. 


We then spent the afternoon walking through a created village in downtown Fairbanks that displayed some of the original houses that made up this town and history plaques explaining who had lived there and their background. It was interesting and a great way to ease into Kim’s tour of Alaska. 


We ended the day at their buffet that served prime rib, cod, halibut and salmon along with sides. We enjoyed sharing the meal and glasses of sangria. The salmon is some of the best I’ve had. Yes, we asked him for his recipe! 





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  June 15, 2024 Day 1   THE DETAILS: Cool, dry, clear day to travel We drove 500 miles today Staying in Erie, PA   The difference between a trip vs a journey… one is planned the other is taken from the Latin word ‘diurnum’ which means “daily portion”, “a day’s travel” … we’re on a journey. Taking one day at a time because scripture says “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” Matthew 6:34 Our journey started before we ever drove our first mile! This past week has been filled with trials that have tested our resolve and patience. Tuesday my mother became ill which required me to extend my visit with her to make sure she was comfortable before leaving. On my way home while driving on a remote part of the road, a deer jumped out and hit my 4-month-old car (used but new to me!), the week continued with our internet having problems which is a big problem due to my brother Dave and h...
Read more
Image
 July 23rd, 2024 The day started off rainy and cool before becoming a beautiful afternoon and evening. After speaking with a professional guide, the plan was to fish 2 and a half hours after the high tide. That meant in our waders, ready to go at 8:30 am. Gerry and Gayle surprised me when they showed up at the door ready to go promptly at 8:30! Especially Gayle who is not typically a morning person. So the three of us (notice who’s missing? The smart one) began our hunt for the elusive sockeye. There was no one else at the river which should have been our first clue. We casted our rods and stripped our lines in for a solid hour before admitting we were merely flogging the river. The fish have ‘turned off’ and we will need to wait to see if there might be another run in the future.  This forced break from fishing has given us some time to calculate how much fish we already have and how we plan to get it all home. We have a total of 118 pounds, not including what Gary and Gerry ...
Read more
Image
 August 19th, 2024 Our plan to spring out of bed this morning and drive the last leg of this journey early was interrupted by an intense rain storm that rolled through around 6 am. We decided to let it roll pass and give us some distance so we didn’t catch up to it. We finally got on our way at 10 am. As the day progressed we began feeling like storm chasers, but we were running from them rather than to them! It was the most difficult weather day we’ve had to drive in since the trip began. There were downpours we could hardly see through and an accident. But we’re home. To all the familiar roads and stores and sights we love so much.  I think if you look close there might be a glacier on that mountain??!! Or is that just clouds? EPILOGUE: Thank you all for joining us for the past 66 days as we journeyed through 2 countries and 12 states. We thank you for your comments and prayers. Dan you were an awesome cartographer. The visuals saved me a thousand words. Kim for all your hel...
Read more