Alaskan Adventure - Day 13 - Monday, June 12, 2006

Fairbanks, Anchorage, AK

Mostly sunny, 75 degrees in afternoon, cloudy in evening.

Got up at 5:00 AM. We ate a good buffet breakfast in the hotel, then at 9:00, boarded our tour bus for a quick tour of Fairbanks. Our driver talked about what it was like to live in a place where the temperatures in winter regularly reach 30 or 40 below zero (the record is 69 below). Parking lots in shopping centers provide electrical outlets for their employees to plug in engine block heaters, for example. The average snowfall (65 inches), by the way, is less than in Pittsfield. Then it was on to the Goldstream Dredge #8. This tourist attraction, owned and operated by Holland America, features a huge dredging machine that was actually used in gold mining until 1964. The explanation of different gold mining techniques, a tour of the actual dredge itself, and a chance to do some actual panning for gold were all interesting. Cindy and I took the gold we got out of our panning, (worth about $5 each), and had it put into lockets to give to Karen and Mark. A great lunch of beef stew was provided.

Our next stop was at the Alaska Pipeline. The pipeline, completed in the mid 70s, carries crude oil from the oil field at Prudhoe Bay, 800 miles to Valdez, Alaska. The pipeline is mostly above ground in order to prevent melting the permafrost. Informational displays at this pipeline access site explained that the pipeline is 48 inches in diameter and covered with 3 inches of fiberglass insulation. The pipeline rests on a horizontal beam supported by Vertical Support Members (VSM). The VSMs each have a cooling system to prevent the permafrost from melting and the pipeline rests on the horizontal beam with a Teflon pad, so that it can move as the pipe contracts and expands. About once a month, a "pig" is run through the pipeline. The pig cleans the inside walls of the pipeline as well as collecting data on the pipe (roundness, valve condition, etc.).

Our next stop was at the Riverboat Discovery. This attraction was developed and has been owned by a Fairbanks family for three generations. They have 3 boats which provide a tour down the Chena River. The tours include a demonstration of a short takeoff and landing by a typical bush plane (a Piper Super Cub), a stop at the kennel of Susan Butcher (four time winner of the famous Iditarod dog sled race) and a shore visit to a recreated Athabascan Indian village. The village was very well done, with many informative talks by Athabascan Indians. Our guides in the village were college age girls who talked about the challenge of keeping the native traditions while being part of today's world. Cindy particularly liked this part of the tour.

We had a little time before our next stop at Pioneer Park, so our driver gave us an unscheduled drive through of the University of Alaska at Fairbanks. This campus of about 10,000 students has a fairly robust set of majors, but really specializes in mining, forestry and agriculture. The campus, located on a ridge, was nice but had somewhat of a sterile feel.

Our last stop of the very long day, was at Pioneer Park. This park, owned by the borough of Fairbanks, celebrates the pioneers of Fairbanks. We saw a live actor show at a theater, then went to a large Salmon Bake. The Salmon Bake, held at an open air area of the park, featured prime rib, haddock, cod, and of course, salmon, all cooked over open wood fires. It was a really good meal.

We got back to the hotel at 8:30 PM. Cindy did a load of laundry at the hotel and we packed up our suitcases for the trip home. I didn't get to bed until about 2:00 AM. By the way, it never really gets dark here at this time of the year.