Early Sept., 2018

Played tourists while in Fairbanks- took a trip on the Paddlewheel Riverboat Discovery down the Chena River to the confluence with the Tanana River. Tour buses are still coming in and so the boat which holds 700 people had about 400 cruise tour people and just a few of the rest of us, but the boat is big and there was plenty of room- 4 decks, most enclosed. The paddlewheeler is owned and operated by the 4th generation of the same family that came to Fairbanks for the goldrush- to move cargo on the river- in 1898. In the 50s the next generation started the tourist trip side of things. We learned so much about the area, Fairbanks, the Athabascan natives (many of the crew have Athabascan heritage).
They have re-created, with some original buildings they moved, a native village and crew lead tours through it. They have a small reindeer herd– related to caribor, but not the same- reindeer are considered domesticated and can be kept, while caribou may not be.

 

 
This native parka has been

appraised at $26,000! We had wondered about the bead work we have seen in Athabascan crafts- where did they get glass beads? Well, they traded pelts for them with westerners.
Catching and smoking salmon, of course, was a big part of native life. Fish camps, weirs and smokehouses were built along the river.

King and silver salmon were dried for human consumption, and pink salmon were dried for the dog sled teams.
David Munson, a famous Iditarod racer, spent time telling us about his dogs, his more famous wife Susan Butcher- won the Iditarod 4 times- with her famous dog Granite, and gave us a demonstration of mushing.
And a float plane landed and took off a few times right beside the paddlewheeler and talked to us through the two way radio.
A fun and worthwhile excursion, for sure!
We went to a salmon bake one night and then to a “Revue” at Pioneer Park- a collection of old buildings moved here from around Fairbanks from the turn of the century. The play was staged as from the olden days, and told stories of the past with songs and humor. Lots of fun!
WIth the prospect of a few sunnier days we headed up the Chena Hot Springs Road to, hopefully, do some fishing, hiking and go to the hot springs- TWO clear days in a row!! The Hot Springs were nice, but not as nice as others we have been to. And we fished and caught Arctic Grayling– Clare caught them here in Alaska in 1965 and so was thrilled to be able to catch them again. We were at 48 mile pond, it was warm and sunny and the fish were jumping. One dry fly that we had worked and we were able to land 7, enough for dinner, as these guys are rather small. A lovely day that provided us with a yummy dinner.

I got up both clear nights to look for the Northern Lights, but to no avail.
Cold nights are here, below freezing, time to held south to meet the ferry in Haines, AK.