Alaska: Skagway to Fairbanks

We have finally arrived in
Alaska.  Our first stop was in
Skagway.  We took our long awaited
train ride on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad and it really was a great
ride.  We followed along a route
  that the stampeders took on their way to the gold fields in 1898. 
It took them a month while it took us 3 hours round trip. 
We went from sea level to almost 3000 feet at the summit before turning
around and heading back.  It was
tough terrain and we went over numerous trestles and through several
tunnels. After the train ride we
enjoyed some fish & chips made of fresh Alaskan halibut at the Bonanza
Saloon. Of course I had to have a
local Alaskan brew to wash it down. 
The next day we headed back into town for some shopping and another
sample of the local cuisine at the Skagway Brewing Company. 
Yes, once again the local brew was excellent. 
That evening we attended a show called the “Days of ‘98”, another
showcase of the type of talent seen here around 1898 and the story of the local
bad guy.  I was "lucky" enough to
be picked by two of the "ladies" in the show to join them upstairs for a romp
  and then brought back onstage for some laughs. Claudia was also picked from the
audience to do some can-can dancing on stage with the girls. 
When we did leave Skagway, we returned to Whitehorse in the Yukon.  Along the way we stopped at many of the
  pullovers along the highway between there and Carcross for some spectacular
  views.  For
the first time we also got a really good look at a black bear as he wondered
along the side of the highway.  We
also made a brief stop in Carcross, a tiny village that was used by the
stampeders preparing for their final leg north.  Our next overnight stop took us to
  Destruction Bay.  The campground
we stayed at was about as remote as it gets.  There was no power coming in so the
campground ran on generators.  On
the upside, the place was absolutely beautiful with our motor home facing a lake
and mountains all around us.  Next
it was on to Tok, Alaska.  On our
way we saw our first Grizzly bear up close as we were traveling along the
road. We were able to stop and
watch him but it was while we were safely in the RV. 
Our second day in Destruction Bay was so windy the lake in front of us
had crashing surf and white caps. 
At one point the wind was so strong we brought the slide out in for fear
of the canvas roof ripping.  The
next day we headed off to Fairbanks. 
During the ride we had good sightings of Moose on two separate
occasions.  The first one was a
huge bull with enormous antlers but he headed to the woods very quickly.  We did get a good look but no
  pictures.  The second sighting was
of two large females who also trotted away as we approached. 
This time we had a really good look before they left and Claudia caught a
quick picture. Once in Fairbanks we
enjoyed a great Riverboat Discovery Tour aboard an old fashioned riverboat along
the Chena River which included watching a floatplane takeoff alongside the boat
and a visit to the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan
Butcher where we saw her champion sled dogs in action.   We
also got off the boat to witness the ancient Athabascan Indian culture as we
took a tour of a Chena Indian Village. 
We were so fortunate with the weather.  Rain had been around for a couple of
days and stuck around until about an hour before our tour. 
Then the sun came out and stayed out for our entire 3 hour tour which was
great because we had front row seats on the top deck. 
Shortly after the tour, the clouds returned along with more rain.  The next day was much drier and we took
a drive to the North Pole to visit the Santa Claus House. 
North Pole, Alaska is about 20 miles from Fairbanks. 
It was a fun visit and I had a nice chat with Santa who has family in
Concord, MA.  The last thing Santa
said to me was Go Pats.  How can
you not love Santa?  Next it was
off to the historic Pump House for dinner.  Claudia had some Alaskan Halibut while
I chose Scallops.  Both meals were
excellent and I enjoyed a sampler platter of local brews, most of which were
excellent.  The following day we
  headed downtown and had a good time joining the locals with their Summer
  Solstice Celebration.  That
morning’s sunrise was at about 3am and the sunset was at about 1am. 
It never gets dark this time of year and there is a 10 week period when
stars cannot be seen.  It was a
chance to see the local people in action and witness how people who live in
freezing temperatures most of the year celebrate some fun in the sunshine. 
Ed

We have finally arrived in Alaska.  Our first stop was in Skagway.  We took our long awaited train ride on the White Pass & Yukon Railroad and it really was a great ride.  We followed along a route that the stampeders took on their way to the gold fields in 1898.  It took them a month while it took us 3 hours round trip.  We went from sea level to almost 3000 feet at the summit before turning around and heading back.  It was tough terrain and we went over numerous trestles and through several tunnels. After the train ride we enjoyed some fish & chips made of fresh Alaskan halibut at the Bonanza Saloon. Of course I had to have a local Alaskan brew to wash it down.  The next day we headed back into town for some shopping and another sample of the local cuisine at the Skagway Brewing Company.  Yes, once again the local brew was excellent.  That evening we attended a show called the “Days of ‘98”, another showcase of the type of talent seen here around 1898 and the story of the local bad guy.  I was "lucky" enough to be picked by two of the "ladies" in the show to join them upstairs for a romp and then brought back onstage for some laughs. Claudia was also picked from the audience to do some can-can dancing on stage with the girls.  When we did leave Skagway, we returned to Whitehorse in the Yukon.  Along the way we stopped at many of the pullovers along the highway between there and Carcross for some spectacular views.  For the first time we also got a really good look at a black bear as he wondered along the side of the highway.  We also made a brief stop in Carcross, a tiny village that was used by the stampeders preparing for their final leg north.  Our next overnight stop took us to Destruction Bay.  The campground we stayed at was about as remote as it gets.  There was no power coming in so the campground ran on generators.  On the upside, the place was absolutely beautiful with our motor home facing a lake and mountains all around us.  Next it was on to Tok, Alaska.  On our way we saw our first Grizzly bear up close as we were traveling along the road. We were able to stop and watch him but it was while we were safely in the RV.  Our second day in Destruction Bay was so windy the lake in front of us had crashing surf and white caps.  At one point the wind was so strong we brought the slide out in for fear of the canvas roof ripping.  The next day we headed off to Fairbanks.  During the ride we had good sightings of Moose on two separate occasions.  The first one was a huge bull with enormous antlers but he headed to the woods very quickly.  We did get a good look but no pictures.  The second sighting was of two large females who also trotted away as we approached.  This time we had a really good look before they left and Claudia caught a quick picture.  Once in Fairbanks we enjoyed a great Riverboat Discovery Tour aboard an old fashioned riverboat along the Chena River which included watching a floatplane takeoff alongside the boat and a visit to the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher where we saw her champion sled dogs in action.   We also got off the boat to witness the ancient Athabascan Indian culture as we took a tour of a Chena Indian Village.  We were so fortunate with the weather.  Rain had been around for a couple of days and stuck around until about an hour before our tour.  Then the sun came out and stayed out for our entire 3 hour tour which was great because we had front row seats on the top deck.  Shortly after the tour, the clouds returned along with more rain.  The next day was much drier and we took a drive to the North Pole to visit the Santa Claus House.  North Pole, Alaska is about 20 miles from Fairbanks.  It was a fun visit and I had a nice chat with Santa who has family in Concord, MA.  The last thing Santa said to me was Go Pats.  How can you not love Santa?  Next it was off to the historic Pump House for dinner.  Claudia had some Alaskan Halibut while I chose Scallops.  Both meals were excellent and I enjoyed a sampler platter of local brews, most of which were excellent.  The following day we headed downtown and had a good time joining the locals with their Summer Solstice Celebration.  That morning’s sunrise was at about 3am and the sunset was at about 1am.  It never gets dark this time of year and there is a 10 week period when stars cannot be seen.  It was a chance to see the local people in action and witness how people who live in freezing temperatures most of the year celebrate some fun in the sunshine.  Ed

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