The Alaska/Canadian Yukon Trip

7/15/17 Bus picked us up at 9:15 this morning.  Finally, we got a good bus - a Prevost with comfortable seats and big scenic windows.  The bus driver was also our guide.  He took us downtown Anchorage for a movie (about 20 minutes) about the Iditarod and the native Indians (we had really seen all of this before).  The ladies all wanted to go to the flea market across the street, but that will have to wait until tomorrow. After the movie, the driver took us to Ship Creek where a tent city was set up after the 1964 earthquake -- a 9.5 quake (the largest recorded in North America) hit the Anchorage area and moved a lot of land.  It killed over 100 people, mostly from the tsunami that followed.  While we were in this area, we went to the Ulu Factory, an old form of a knife, used by the local natives for thousands of years.  In fact, they had an old one in the case that was dated back 3000 years.  I bought one to take home (I think every...

7/11/17 It rained heavy this morning in Fairbanks, but quit in time for all of us to get on the road.   We left the campground at 10:00.   The roads were fine.   At the 77 mile mark (from the campground) we stopped to fix something to eat.   I was hungry so I decided to make bacon and eggs.   I turned on the generator and put 4 eggs in the pan to fry, cooked bacon and toast, and when I turned my back, the frypan slid off of the stove and landed on the floor (I forgot that the RV was not leveled).   I salvaged the eggs for the dogs’ dinners, and cooked more for us.   Guess I won’t do that again.  We stopped at a turnout just before our exit to unhook the car.   The campground in Denali is so small, there is no room to unhook the tow cars.   We waited in the turnout with 5 other rigs until Chris, our Wagonmaster, came to escort us into the campground.   It took a little time, but we all got in and settled.   Tom and I w...

7/9/17 - Day 2 in Fairbanks This is our second full day in Fairbanks and we are on our own today - no tours planned.  Slept 11 hours last night and that re-invigorated both of us.  We had a slow morning and then headed out for Santa's House, here in North Pole, Alaska .  What a fun place. Santa says 'Hello'  Santa's House And Here is Santa Himself We met many of the other travelers here who had the same idea we had.  I got to sit on Santa's lap, and we picked up a few things for the grandkids.  Also mailed cards to the grandkids from the North Pole (I hope they notice the post mark!).  Almost everything in North Pole is Christmas themed.  Even McDonalds got into the swing of it. McDonalds in North Pole Back to the RV for chores.  I cleaned the motorhome and Tom headed to the laundry with our dirty clothes.  I joined him when I got done, and folded.  Tom then washed more of the dirt and mud off of ...

7/8/17 Today is our first full day in Fairbanks, as we drove in yesterday and went to the Salmon Bake and a show (thoroughly entertaining).  The bus picked us all up in the campground at 8:30 a.m.  We went to the University of Alaska Natural Museum.  Saw lots of wildlife up close and very good artwork.  Here are a bunch of pictures of the museum.   Otto the Grizzly Black Bear and Eagle Bison  Blue Babe Bison (the real thing- not Paul Bunyan's Babe)   Blue Babe And then there were costumes and artwork: Woman's Parka The diamond pattern at the bottom is sewn hides individually, then sheared to the precise length to create the diamond pattern Hand stitched, one bead at a time Dog Rescue (an abstract) Who is this in the outhouse? Oh, it is just Tom There was so much more, but I don't have enough space to put it all in.  Th...