Sat, Aug 29: Fairbanks

When Dick gets up this morning, the rain has stopped but it is in the mid-40s with heavy fog. By 9:00AM, however, the fog is gone and it turns into a beautiful day with clear skies and white, puffy clouds. As usual, we get off to a slow start and do not move from the camp until nearly 11:00AM. We first take the motorhome and get the propane tank filled. Four point six gallons costs $16.10. We then fill up the rig’s gas tank at Sam’s at $3.119 per gallon. Once the rig is back at camp and connected to the utilities, we take the Explorer to get gas and do some more exploring of the area.

Our first stop is the Alaska Fur Company where we admire the clothing and animal skins they have for sale. Dick would like to have a wolf skin for in front of the fireplace but they run from $250 to $750 each, depending on the size and quality. He will have to think about that just a bit.
We then fill up with gas and head up north to Fox

where one can get up close and personal with the Alaskan Pipeline.While there, two busloads of Holland American passengers arrive to view this engineering marvel.We then try to visit dredge #4 but it is not open this season to solo travelers.That must mean tour groups only!

We then drive some 40 miles toward Circle and locate the campground where we spent a night in the rain in 2002.

It is much prettier today in the sun!This is a great road to drive in the sunshine. There are many pondsreflecting the fall colors and a pretty river weaving them together.We see many people out trying their hand at having a fish supper.

Returning to Fairbanks, with a brief stop at the Chatalinka Lodge and Liquor Store,and old mine site..dredge and all,we do a little supplemental grocery shopping and return to the camp ground. A tour group is pulling in and we visit with some of the people and admire their rigs before we cook supper.One couple is from Sugarland, Texas! Supper is trout, corn-on-the-cob, rice and strawberry shortcake. How rough is that? It is 9:15PM and the sun is just before setting. The weather is supposed to cloud up and rain. We will find some way to kill tomorrow and then Monday we will embark on our trip to Prudhoe Bay.