We got to Fairbanks and checked in at the Bear Lodge.  We got a suite for a good price and kept it for a few days.  Patsy was in seventh heaven.  We went on this river boat cruise.  They put on quite a show for us.  It was  family owned and they cared about everyone on the boat having a good time.  First off a friend with a float plane took off and landed right beside us several times while talking with us.  They told us about all the history of the river.   A famous dog sled trainer lived on the river so he gave demostrations with his dog teams.  Ten dogs hooked on to a four wheeler made it move like it was nothing.  They could pull it with its brakes on.  We stopped at an Indian village and took a tour.  That's where this picture was taken.  The boat could stop anywhere it wanted.  It only needed three feet of water and carried nine hundrend passengers.  The tour is rated the best in North America.

Yes we did go to the North Pole.  We saw Santa and a few of his Raindeer.

And now were are officially Eskimos.

 The rivers here are huge, miles across and running fast.  This is a glacier flow.  Small in the summer, but large in the spring run off or after heavy rains.  It has been raining in this area so there's lots of water. 

 This is the Alaskan Pipeline crossing a large river.  Amazing sight.

 This is Mom guarding the pipe line. Half of it is under ground and half above.  We got to follow the pipe line for over four hundred miles.  Quite a sight a times. 

 I dont think Mom realized when I left her that I wasn't just going to touch the glacier but climb on it too. I crawed in where the water comes out from under the glacier and in some different places.  There was a couple of other people on the glacier and one took my picture.

We back tracked and went back down to Valdez to see the Salmon run.  Were glad we did.  The seagulls take the Salmon out of the water and eat their gills and leave the rest.  What a waste.  We watched the bear eat some of them.  He or She perferred fresh caught Salmon.  I walked down the ramps to the fishing boats and walked among them.  It gave me a different feeling about fishermen and how they work. 

Were in the town of Chicken.  Population, six in winter, around forty in summer, with just a many tourist, us being a part of that group.  It is seventy miles for nowhere.  Party dirt roads. Infact the next forty miles to the Yukon border is dirt.  There is less than a half a dozen buildings here. Our is on the right, two twin beds.  No covers or sheets, bring your own. Out house, no charge.  River in back. Gas four fifty three a gallon.   Its just a mining stop.  I paned for gold.  I got about ten dollars worth.  I'm paying to go to a gold  mine tomorrow to pan, we'll see how that turns out. 

 

 Forgot about this.  We went to an Ice Sculptors place north of Fairbanks way out in the sticks.  The highway ended at this place.  There was a hot springs there.  They had a big pool out side lined with big rocks and this foutain spraying up in the middle.  We probably should have went in.  There's a hot spring just inside Canada that were going to stop at. Its a little bit of a walk in but worth the time.  This is Mom wishing she was in the igloo, might be warmer. 

Two Knights in mortal combat.  Wow, its amazing how detailed these carvings are and how beautiful they are.  well worth the trip to see them.

 

We stayed at the Sourdough RV Park in Tok Alaska friday night.  We got there just in time for the pancake toss.  You had two tries to put one pancake in a bucket.  If you did you got a free sourdough pancake breakfast in the morning.  I failed but Patsy came through.  My breakfast cost me twelve dollars, but it was all you could eat.  They had Raindeer sausage that was very good.  A lot of the women won. 

I'm sitting here on the porch of our cabin here at Chicken and the sun just went down.  It is now nine forty but it will still be light at eleven thirty.  Its been near eighty the last couple of days.  For some reason it seems hot and your seeking the shade.  Our room was to hot to go to sleep last night.  Today we just read and played on the computer and went for walks.  Been a great restful day.  We have been without phone since we left Tok and we won't have it again till Dawson.  Everywhere up here has the internet.  WiFi.  Even in the remote campgrounds in the middle of no where has it.  Most places like where were at run off generators that run all night.  We know because you can here them all night.  The kids here stay at home and get their school off the net.  The signal is strong and is called the Town of Chicken so I think it serves the whole place.