Fairbanks

Fairbanks is almost right in the middle of Alaska.  The Athabascans natives have lived in this area for thousands of years.  They were hunter-gatherers and are nomadic.  In 1902 an Italian immigrant by the name of Felix Pedro found gold near Fairbanks and soon the gold rush started.  In those days the river was the easiest mean of transportation so many gold prospectors came via the Yukon, Tanana, then the Chena river.  The original town, which is today's downtown, was built along the Chena river.

I took a shuttle bus from Denali to Fairbanks.  It took about 3 hours and costs $60.  I booked a hotel near downtown so that it'll be easier for me to get around.  I was hoping that the public transportation is good enough that I don't have to rent a car.  Boy, was I naive.  I very quickly found out that the places I wanted to go are scattered all around town.  Taking taxis would be expensive.  After walking around the afternoon I arrived and talking to different people made me realize that I do need a car.  So, in the morning I took the hotel shuttle to the airport and picked up a rental car.

Antler Arch in Downtown Fairbanks

Chena River, next to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center

Fairbanks is nicknamed the Golden Heart City

 My first stop after I picked up my rental car is the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  I heard they have a beautiful campus and indeed it is quite beautiful.  Besides providing university education for a lot of the locals here, the university does a lot of cold or arctic research.  One of its better known research is on the Aurora Borealis.  It also has a well-known museum called Museum of the North.  It's all about the history, culture, people, and wildlife around this part of Alaska.  I spent about two hours at the museum.  Although small by other museum standard, it's very well done.

Museum of the North

Geophysical Institute, where they do research on the Aurora Borealis

My second stop of the day is the Riverboat Discovery tour.  Many people said that this is the only exciting thing to do in Fairbanks.  It costs about $63 for a 3-hour riverboat ride tour.  It's very touristy but well-choreographed and informative.  It was packed with tourists, most coming as part of a cruise.  It seems that the big cruise ship companies like Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean, not only provide cruises but combined them with tours of Alaska too.

Riverboat Discovery 3, a paddle boat

Visit to a model Athabascan Village.  Furs of different animals that are trapped by the Eskimos

Snowshoes, worn by the Eskimos

One of the native guides modeling a beautiful fur coat

Salmons being smoked

Fish wheel that is used to catch salmons

A demonstration of dog mushing by Dave Monson.  His late wife Susan Butcher won 4 Iditarod races

Demonstration by a float plane landing and taking off.  In the winter, they use skis instead of floats

For dinner I went to a restaurant called Salmon Bake.  It's a very popular local restaurant and again it's packed with tourists from the cruise ships.  It offers an all-you-can-eat buffet of prime rib, salmon and cod.  The food was great and I probably ate too much.  The restaurant is located in Pioneer Park, which is a combination amusement park and replica of old-time Fairbanks.  Many of the buildings were original old Fairbanks buildings from downtown that have been moved to this park

Pioneer Park Entrance

One of the old buildings that have been relocated here from downtown