Alaska!

Fairbanks

Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska.  We left Whitehorse, Yukon 2 days ago.  RV park was just ok but we slept well…we actually turned in went around 830 and Dad was out…and candidly so was I.  We are really sleeping well in the tent

…it stays light until 1130 or so in the evening but the tent is dark, and sleep is just not a problem…not that sleeping is ever a problem for me.  When we packed up in Whitehorse, we went downtown and walked around the town…rustic downtown in concert with the location.  Whitehorse was the major staging ground for building the western portion of the Alaskan trail.  Dad took me to Tim Horton’s for breakfast…and then tied me up outside while he went in.  He had a fresh made bacon/sausage/egg biscuit, an apple fritter and coffee…and Dad cannot figure out how Starbucks stays in business in Canada.  Tim Hortons was really good (or so he told me…I got NOTHING!).  Alas, while we were inside, someone stole our ground cover out of the back of the truck.  A grab and run I suppose…I saw them do it but Dad was inside and oblivious to what was happening outside…geez.  You would think he would pay more attention to me.  Anyway…on the road to Tok (pronounced with a long “O”) and did not discover the loss until we were unpacking for the evening.  The campground in Tok was exceptional…they had fresh chocolate chip cookies when we signed in!  And again…I got nothing!

Dad built a little campfire and enjoyed a freeze-dried meal of “Texas” red bean and meat chili with cheese and tortilla chips…said it was fabulous although (again) I would not know…I had my usual chicken freeze-dried dinner.  Good rest on our last night in Canada for the time being.  We camped next to a lovely couple from Michigan and their 15 year old son who loved playing with me…nice to get a little attention.  Their rig looked like the Beverly Hillbillies truck and they were quite envious of our simplistic setup/take down.  The wife growled at her husband as their son had to sit on top of their roof-top tent while the man secured it to their vehicle…all the while the wife was telling my that she was too old to be climbing up into the tent.  Funny!  Of

note, I did have a minor incident…when Dad was putting me into our tent, I lost my balance and fell…fortunately I fell into a bed of sawdust so no harm, but it did scare me a bit.

The road to Tok was difficult.  About half of it was rutted hard pack as they were doing construction on the road. We stopped 5 or 6 times to wait for traffic when the road went single lane and progress was slow.  But we finally made the border.  Dad filled up with (expensive) gas in Whitehorse and the range allowed us to make it across the border and get within 20 miles of Tok.  Dad “assumed” that they would have gas on the other side of the border…HA!  Absolutely nothing and

Apple Maps said the first gas was in Tok which meant we would run out of gas 20 miles BEFORE Tok.  Oh boy…Dad was surprisingly calm but Im sure he was churning on the inside.  He saw one small “community” on the map and (Yea!) they ad a small rustic gas station beside the road called “Last Chance Gas.” And we were good to go. 

The next morning, we packed up and headed to Fairbanks and our reservation at the campground at Ft Wainwright.  We stopped briefly at Eielson Air Force Base for gas and a couple of things and then headed into Fairbanks.  We found Ft Wainwright easily but the campground office was closed Monday and Tuesday and, while we had a camping reservation, they never sent us a confirmation

(not to worry…Dad confirmed the charge on the Credit Card.  We picked out a spot and unloaded our gear and went into “town” for lunch and to get acquainted.  We spoke to the couple camping next to us…the gentleman as retired Army and had spent a lot of time in the area…helicopter pilot and then did helicopter maintenance when he retired.  They live in Arizona and go back and forth.  They did not have a restaurant suggestion…but they did suggest a brewery called HooDoo brewing.  Really good beer (or so Dad thought).  Dad googled best burger in Fairbanks and we wound up at the Blue Roof Bistro…where the special was a carne asada burrito (in Alaska!). Dad said it was fabulous…had soup and salad to go with the burrito and, while they did not serve alcohol, we sat outside, and Dad

enjoyed a beer from the HooDoo brewery.  The Army gentleman that told us about the brewery said he did not drink Bourbon but loved IPA so Dad grabbed a 4 pack of IPA for him and put it on the step to their little camper. Oh…I found a new friend…they have a poodle named Latte who I got to romp with while Dad set up the tent and prepared for the evening. 

Yesterday, we went exploring in Fairbanks.  Walked through the pioneer Park..which took about 10 minutes…not much there.  We had stopped in Beaver Outdoors…a local outdoor outfitter and bike shop and they recommended the trails at the college (University of Alaska Fairbanks).  We found the trails and took off on a hike…a gentleman doing geological exploration at the college showed us the online map and recommended a trail.  Alas, half way through our hike, Dad’s iPhone died (no more power) so we were flying blind.  We ended up following the disc golf course back to our starting point but an 2 hour hike took 3 and I was beat.  We stopped back the the Blue Roof Bistro for dinner…Dad had the burger and fries (fabulous or so he said…but I can personally attest to the quality of the bacon…I finally got something from Dad’s meal!). He ordered coconut cream pie…and German Chocolate Cake to go and we headed back to set up camp.  Enjoyed a pleasant cool evening.  Dad did chat with the woman next door about their camper…they have a small Airstream Basecamp. Dad asked to woman how they liked it…despite being an Airstream, it was not very well built, and Airstream was slow to fix little problems…mostly the inside build out.  The doors did not shut well…and other little inconveniences.  Dad has been thinking this would be a good option for our next adventure but, for $60K, you would think it would be better constructed!  We hit the sack at 830…both off us were tired.  Oh…I have a new Ruff Wear Dog Bed that Dad found at Beaver Outdoor.  Really pretty and mosquito proof after dad treated it for mosquitos.  Fits well in the back seat of the truck and, with my Rumpl blanket, I am quite cozy. 

Oh…one other note.  Dad is getting old.  While we were hiking, he reached down and his wallet was gone…panic!  Fortunately, it was on the front seat of the truck…had fallen out of his wallet so, once again, a difficult situation avoided and Dad was breathing normally again.

We are off to the Arctic Circle this morning after I eat and Dad packs up and showers…Im sure that will be an adventure and something

unexpected will certainly happen…we shall see.  Until later…Maggie