Hanging around Fairbanks

June 4
Today was spent in Fairbanks. We had planned to do lots of sightseeing but most everything was closed because it was Sunday.

We went to Costco cause everyone goes to Costco when in the USA. Picked up some bear spray for our trip to Denali national park. Then headed to Golden Heart Plaza.
Nicely planned park in the middle of downtown. The "Unknown First Family" statue is in the middle of the fountain “portraying the families of all mankind”.

We wandered through the Fairbanks Community Dog Mushing Museum. So very informative, so much history.

Then we found the local fishing site, we sat for a few hours but didn’t get anything.
Today mileage 41 km (26 miles)

June 5
Headed out this morning to get the truck an oil change. It took about 1.5 hours. Went for lunch then to the Ruth Burnett Fish Hatchery. Rainbow trout, Arctic char, coho and Chinook salmon produced at the hatchery reduce pressure on wild fish stocks.

Pioneer park was next on our list. The park celebrates early Alaskan history with museums and historic displays on site.

We met my son, Bradley, at the hotel. He’s here for work so we waited to see him. Decided to go see a gold dredger but was too late for their last tour.

Saw the Alaska pipeline

So we decided to go panning for gold at Gold Daughter.

Had a wonderful dinner at the Turtle Club. It was delish.

June 6
Bradley went off to work this morning. We got up and headed to Creamer's Field — Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. We cut our walk short because we got attacked by mosquitoes!

Next we went to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum. The museum showcases dozens of historical, pre-World War II automobiles. As we were heading into the museum, there was a group of people outside with antique cars. Stopped to look at one when the owner came over and started the 1910 Chalmer Detroit Model K. He looks up and says “get in, let’s go for a ride”. We both hopped in and went for a cruise in the car. His name is Jeff Creamer, his family owned the Creamer’s field, when it was a dairy farm. He told us the car was bought by his great grandfather is 1912 and has been family owned, he is the fourth generation.

The museum was amazing. Every car in that museum runs and is taken out once a month for a drive.

We drove back downtown to check out the stores that were closed on Sunday. Found the Yukon Quest gift store/museum. The Yukon Quest is the longest dog sled race at 1000 miles. These are the socks that the dogs wear to protect their paws.

The Moose Antler Arch is made up of over 100 antlers that have been collected from all over Interior Alaska.

Met Bradley back at the hotel and headed out to the Pagoda Chinese Restaurant in North Pole. After dinner we showed drove past Santa Claus House. We stopped to take pictures.

We had a fun visit with Bradley. He leaves today at 12:40 pm for Portland and we are on to Denali National Park.