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Get in an Alaska state of mind with
Interior Alaska’s Helpful Guide
Plan your STATE-cation for this summer! Plan ahead for 2021!
Alaskans, now is a good time to explore your own backyard
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elcome to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska, a fascinating land rich in gold mining history, outdoor wonders and friendly people. In 2020, the coronavirus has fundamentally changed many things, including the cancellation of many cherished summer events, but there’s still plenty to see and do, and it’s a perfect time for Alaskans to explore our own back yard. You can hike and fish in the nearby and magnificent Chena River State Recreation Area, a 397-square mile park just outside of Fairbanks. Closer to town, you can relax at the Chena Lake Recreation Area and the Tanana Lakes Recreation Area, both run by the local government. This town was built on gold, and you can see the remains of the gold rush era and relive its glory today — and even do a little panning yourself.
And what about that 24 hours of daylight we’re known for? And don’t forget to take in the Chena River itself, the main waterway running through the center of town and feeding into the Tanana River, which itself feeds the mighty Yukon River. Take a leisurely cruise down the river by canoe or stand up paddleboard and float along with friends, or just take a pleasant walk along the riverside path. There’s something for everyone here. We’re sure you’ll find lots of ideas and useful information on the pages of this Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska to make your stay enjoyable and fulfilling. Please check online before visiting a local museum or attraction, as the hours may change. Check out our handy 2021 trip guide on page 40.
2021 OUTHOUSE CALENDAR Celebrate Alaskan Outhouses!
For all details and to submit your outhouse photos, go to newsminer.com/contest
2021 Outhouse Calendars will be available November 13, 2020. To order, go to: www.newsminer.com/site/forms/ online_services/calendar/ outhouse_photos/ 2
The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Welcome ................................................................................................. 2 Fairbanks and Alaska FAQ........................................................................ 5 Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center ........................................... 6 Fairbanks Community Museum.............................................................. 7 Pioneer Park overview............................................................................. 8 Pioneer Park major attractions ............................................................... 9 Alaska Salmon Bake................................................................................ 11 Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum..................................................... 12 Golden Days 2020 ................................................................................... 13 Trans-Alaska pipeline.............................................................................. 14 Riverboat Discovery ................................................................................ 15 Gold Dredge No. 8 ................................................................................... 16 Running Reindeer Ranch ........................................................................ 18 Creamer’s Field ........................................................................................ 19 Denali National Park overview ................................................................ 20 Denali Park transportation ...................................................................... 11 UA Museum of the North ....................................................................... 23 Alaska Railroad ........................................................................................ 24
The Guide to
FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska
2020
Tanana Lakes Recreation Area ................................................................ 25 Parks Highway ......................................................................................... 26 North Pole & Chena Lake Recreation Area .............................................. 29 Chena River State Recreation Area .......................................................... 30 Fishing in Interior Alaska ........................................................................ 31 Chena Hot Springs Resort ....................................................................... 32 Floating the Chena River ......................................................................... 33 Dalton and Elliott highways .................................................................... 34 Alaska and Richardson highways ........................................................... 36 Index of advertisers ................................................................................. 38 2021 Interior Alaska trip planner ............................................................ 40
IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS All of Alaska is in area code 907. The area code is required when using a local phone to call a location in Alaska but outside the local calling area.
The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska is a product of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, located at 200 N. Cushman St., Fairbanks, Alaska. Mailing address: P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks, Alaska 99707 General telephone: 907-456-6661 Advertising: 907-459-7548 Newsroom: 907-459-7572 Business hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Call 9-1-1 in an emergency
Find us online at newsminer.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fairbanksDNM. Find this 2020 guide online at newsminer.com/visitors_guide/ You can stay connected to Fairbanks after you leave by subscribing to the News-Miner’s electronic edition. Start your subscription at newsminer.com/subscribe.
Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks post
451-5100
Fairbanks Police Department, business line
450-6500
Fairbanks Police Department dispatch (24-hour non-emergency number )
450-6507
Fairbanks Fire Department
450-6600
North Pole Police Department
488-6902
North Pole Fire Department
488-2232
Fairbanks Memorial Hospital
452-8181
Tanana Valley Clinic
459-3500
Fairbanks Regional Public Health Center 452-1776
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‘IS IT DARK ALL DAY IN THE WINTER?’ AND OTHER QUESTIONS • When was Fairbanks founded?
It was incorporated in 1903 but it was actually founded in 1901 when E.T. Barnette set out to establish a trading post at Tanacross on the Tanana River. Low water in the Tanana River forced Barnette to put in a few miles up one of its tributaries, the Chena River. Finding more miners than he expected in the area, Barnette decided to open his trading post here and move to Tanacross the following summer. However, he wound up staying when Felix Pedro discovered gold in the area north of Fairbanks. The city sprouted around Barnette’s trading post. Barnette became the first mayor of the city when it was incorporated in 1903.
• How did Fairbanks get its name?
Fairbanks was named by city founder E.T. Barnette in honor of Sen. Charles W. Fairbanks of Indiana, who would go on to serve as Theodore Roosevelt’s vice president.
• Do people still mine gold in Fairbanks?
Yes, especially with gold prices being what they are. The largest open-pit gold mine in Alaska, Fort Knox Gold Mine, is located 26 miles north of Fairbanks. The Fort Knox mine has produced several million ounces of gold since it opened in 1996. The Pogo Gold Mine, an underground gold mine located 85 miles southeast of Fairbanks, began operation in 2007.
• Is it light all day in the summer?
Look out the window at midnight and you tell us. Seriously, the longest day of the year is summer solstice, which in 2020 is June 20. On that day there will be 21 hours, 49 minutes of official daylight. But it is pretty much light all day long through the first half of July. We start losing six to seven minutes of daylight each day soon after the solstice. In terms of daylight, this day is 18 hours, 8 minutes longer than on December solstice.
• How do you sleep in the summer with all the light?
You close your eyes and count moose. Kid-
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
ding aside, most people who have spent much time in Fairbanks during the summer either are used to the extended daylight or they get a good set of curtains to keep the light out at night. Beyond that, you can use a mask to cover your eyes or move to the Lower 48.
• Why do people drive around with big, plastic water tanks in the back of their pickup trucks?
Many people in Fairbanks do not have wells because of the high iron and/or arsenic content and instead use holding tanks that are buried beneath the ground and plumbed into the house. Holding tanks for residential homes are usually 1,000 to 1,500 gallons. People with holding tanks have two options: Pay to get water delivered by one of several water delivery companies or haul their own water at a cheaper rate. Those tanks in the back of trucks are for hauling water.
• Can you see the northern lights in the summer?
No. The aurora borealis can be visible in Fairbanks for approximately 200 days a year, roughly from mid-September to April, though they don’t show up every night. The best viewing is usually December through March when it is clearest and coldest.
solstice, when there is 3 hours, 43 minutes, of official daylight. But there is usually about a half-hour of twilight on each side of sunrise and sunset that translates to about four or five hours of light during the darkest days, from about 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Granted, it’s not bright light, but we’ll take what we can get. Soon after Dec. 21, we start gaining six to seven minutes of daylight each day.
• What do people do outdoors in Fairbanks during the winter? You’d be amazed at how many people you see doing things outdoors in the winter in Fairbanks, even when it’s 20 or 30 degrees below zero. Cross-country skiing, skijoring, dog mushing, snowshoeing, snowmachining — or snowmobiling as people outside Alaska call it — and ice fishing are all popular wintertime activities.
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• Why are there electrical outlets in all the parking lots? And why do people have extension cords sticking out the front of their vehicles?
Due to the extreme cold temperatures in Fairbanks during the winter, most vehicles are equipped with several electric heating devices that facilitate starting during the coldest time. The standard setup consists of an engine block heater, an oil pan heater, and a battery blanket/pad that warms the battery. It usually takes an hour or two after a vehicle is plugged in to warm it enough to start. Most employers provide “plug-ins” for its employees.
• How long does the Chena River stay frozen?
The Chena River usually freezes sometime in mid- to late October and remains frozen until late April or early May. One part of the river, about a mile-long stretch from the Aurora Energy power plant on First Avenue to Pioneer Park, remains open yearround because of the warm water being discharged from the power plant.
• Is it dark all day in the winter?
Not really. The shortest day of the year is Dec. 21, the winter
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START YOUR VISIT AT THE MORRIS THOMPSON CENTER Staff Report
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ith a wide variety of cultural programs and educational exhibits, the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center informs and entertains while giving visitors a glimpse into life in Interior Alaska. The center opened for the season on June 15. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is free. There are some schedule changes and stipulations for visitors this summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. • Exhibit hours for the general public will be 10:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. and 2-4 p.m. daily. • Visitors must wear a face covering. • Tour groups, community groups and family groups larger than three people are encouraged to make a reservation for use of the exhibits from 8-9:30 a.m. One reserved group will be allowed per day. Reservations can be made at: https:// calendly.com/mtc_curbside/exhibit-reservation. • Groups are welcome during public hours, but social distancing and safe practices may not be available. • If you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, postpone your visit until you are feeling better. Five local entities — Explore Fairbanks, Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs, Alaska Public Lands Information
Center, Alaska Geographic and Denakkanaaga Inc. — share the building. Three life-size dioramas featuring realistically rendered landscapes allow visitors to experience the seasons as they walk through the 9,000-square-foot exhibit hall. A wolf, eagle and ermine eye pieces of salmon curing at a summer fish camp, while a beaver, Arctic ground squirrel and grizzly bear prepare for winter near the site of a fall hunting camp. A replica of a public-use cabin boasts a large window through which visitors can see a dog sled and a moose as a dazzling projection of the northern lights shimmers above a winter scene. The exhibit ends with a visit to the Elders Hall and displays of historic and modern tools, clothing and artwork common to the Interior. Outside, nearby bike paths and walkways wend through the center’s grounds and neighboring Griffin Park, allowing visitors a peaceful space to contemplate nature and the spectacular beauty of a Fairbanks summer. Many use the center as a jumping off point for exploring town, while others prefer to wave hello to the world at the popular moose antler arch webcam, view the Athabascan beadwork-inspired sidewalk mosaics or visit the restored 1905 pioneer cabin. For additional information, contact the center at 459-3700.
Get out and experience all the incredible activities, attractions and tours available in the Golden Heart of Alaska. Find a list of businesses’ current “Open for Business” status, discounts, sanitation procedures and more. Learn more at www.explorefairbanks.com/local
Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center
101 Dunkel Street • Downtown Fairbanks • Open 8am - 5pm Daily
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
www.explorefairbanks.com (907) 456-5774 info@explorefairbanks.com
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Be inspired by the light of the Aurora Borealis. Renew your energy under the Midnight Sun. Experience the warmth of Fairbanks—Alaska’s Golden Heart—and the basecamp to Denali, Alaska’s Interior and Arctic. Make the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center your first stop to planning your Alaskan adventure.
MUSHING, HISTORY, AURORA AND MORE IN COMMUNITY MUSEUM IN CO-OP PLAZA
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ore than a century of Interior Alaska history is on display at the Fairbanks Community and Dog Mushing Museum. The museum, located on the second floor of the Co-Op Plaza, 535 Second Ave., retells Fairbanks’ story through photographs, newspaper clippings and other artifacts. One display offers a glimpse into how residents amuse themselves during long, cold winters. A display about the Klondike Gold Rush, lots of dog mushing memorabilia, photographs and home movies from the historic 1967 flood are just some of the additional offerings. The collection of historic photographs includes classic pictures of miners arduously ascending Chilkoot Pass during the Klondike Gold Rush. Some of those prospectors eventually made their way to Interior Alaska, striking gold in the hills surrounding Fairbanks and helping to put the Golden Heart City on the map. Examples of beaded mittens and slippers made in the Interior Alaska village of Galena, located on the north bank of the Yukon River, are on display. Another display case boasts a bearskin coat with a wolf ruff. The museum also possesses an old panoramic photograph of Fairbanks that is believed to have once adorned a wall at the Nordale Hotel, which burned down in 1972. It was found in a dump and donated to the museum, and burn marks on the picture lend truth to the story that it was salvaged from the hotel’s ruins. The museum has exhibits dedicated to the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. One exhibit features the Mackey family, which includes champions of both the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race — sometimes both. Dick Mackey won the Iditarod in 1978, by a nose. His son, Rick, won the race in 1983 and added a Yukon Quest win in 1997. Dick’s son Lance won both the Yukon Quest and the Iditarod four consecutive times each, including two consecutive years
in which won both races. The sled he used in his 2008 victory is on display. Other exhibits include more than 400 photographs of the aurora borealis taken by late photographer Warren Gammel and which can be viewed on an electric display that has been set to symphonic music. Twice a day, mushing-related movies, including “Seasons of the Sled Dog,” a film about musher Mary Shields as well as others, are screened. Check out one of the dog sleds that Charlie Biederman used to haul mail up and down the Yukon River. Biederman was the last contract mailman to deliver mail by dog sled. His route stretched 160 miles between Circle and Eagle on the Yukon River and was discontinued in 1938. Another exhibit pays tribute to the late George Attla, one of the greatest sprint-race dog sled champions. Across a wall are professional photographs showing all manner of wintertime events and activities in Fairbanks, including a picture of the famous outhouse races that used to take place at the Chatanika Lodge. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted. A small gift shop with Alaska literature and keepsakes helps fund the museum. Hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
BEADS & THINGS
“Specializing in ALASKAN NATIVE Arts & Crafts”
537 2nd Avenue, Fairbanks, Alaska (907) 456-BEAD • (800) 478-BEAD
www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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Staff Report
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HISTORY, SHOPPING, RECREATION AND DINING IN THE CENTER OF TOWN Staff Report
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ioneer Park offers a little bit of everything for visitors to the Golden Heart City. If you want history, head to Pioneer Park. If you want fun for the kids, go to Pioneer Park. If you want to eat on the run or have a family-style dinner, go to Pioneer Park. With museums, boat rentals, shops, dining, art, playgrounds and picnic areas on more than 40 acres, the historically themed park gives the visitor a fun way to learn a lot about Interior Alaska and early Fairbanks. There is no general admission fee to enter the park, which is open year-round. Hours for concessionaires are noon-8 p.m. daily until Labor Day. Some attractions will be closed this year due to concerns over the coronavirus. Most of the buildings in Gold Rush Town are homes of prominent Fairbanks founders, moved to the location when the park opened as the “Alaska ‘67 Centennial Exposition” in 1967 to celebrate the 100 years since the United States purchased Alaska from Russia. Originally known as Alaskaland, the name was changed to Pioneer Park in 2002. There are several historic exhibitions located at the park at 2500 Airport Way — Harding Car, Kitty Hensley House, Pioneer Air Museum, Pioneer Museum, Riverboat Nenana, Tanana Valley Railroad Museum, Lavelle Young Wheelhouse
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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ip We sh nd a e g fud ! gifts
and the Wickersham House. Some charge admission or ask for donations. Some museums such as the Hensley House and the Wickersham House will be closed to tours this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Other museums may keep irregular hours, according to Donnie Hayes, Pioneer Park manager. The Crooked Creek Railroad is also suspended for the 2020 summer season, and the Riverboat Nenana remains closed to tours pending renovations. Repairs have been completed at the Pioneer Park Centennial Center for the Arts, host to the The Bear Gallery, an art gallery operated by the Fairbanks Arts Association. The gallery is scheduled to reopen on July 1, according to Hayes. The arts association offers monthly art shows and has historically hosted Gazebo Nights, featuring different local musicians or storytellers at Pioneer Park at 7 p.m. daily. Other attractions in the park include Canoe Alaska, Roela’s Carousel, First Presbyterian Church, and the Palace Theater, which will be closed for a portion of the summer pending roof repairs. Hayes said the theater may offer its nighty variety show, “The Golden Heart Revue,” later in the season. Shops at Pioneer Park include Kiersten’s Photography, CHARMS by CJ, Fairbanks Arts Association, Just Originals, Little Willow and the Pick and Poke Gift Shop. Snacks or dining are available at the Alaska Salmon Bake, Frosty Paws, Gold Rush Ice Cream Parlour, Souvlaki, The Bag Ladies of Fairbanks and more. Pioneer Park is home to The Folk School Fairbanks, which hosts classes on topics including woodworking, blacksmithing, storytelling and vehicle maintenance. Virtual classes and limited outdoor courses will be available this summer. Pioneer Park’s two large playgrounds are stocked with plenty of equipment, picnic shelters and horseshoes and volleyball. RV visitors can stay in the Pioneer Park parking lot for $12 per night for a maximum of five consecutive nights. No reservations are required, but RV visitors should register at the dropbox in the parking lot. There are no hook-ups. Potable water is available onsite.
million. The audience, seated on a turntable, moves to focus on each mural-style painting as the narrator describes the scene. The schedule for 2020 is pending. A small admission fee is charged. Call 907-456-8579 for more information.
Staff Report
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ioneer Park offers visitors numerous opportunities to take in the deep and rich history of Fairbanks and Interior Alaska. Museums and facilities in the park showcase aviation and railroad history, as well as some of Fairbanks’ storied buildings. The Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation Department oversees the park. Facilities are open from noon to 8 p.m. daily through Labor Day weekend. Most are free, but some charge admission or ask for a donation. Here are some of the major attractions: Pioneer Museum The Pioneers of Alaska play a huge role at Pioneer Park by operating the Pioneer Museum, the Big Stampede Show and the Kitty Hensley House. This year, access to facilities will be limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pioneer Museum features hundreds of photographs and numerous items donated by the early pioneers and goldseekers. The museum was built in 1967 as part of the Alaska 67 Exposition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the United States’ purchase of Alaska from Russia. Photos and dioramas depict the first Fairbanks gold rush as well as the second surge when a series of gold dredges extracted millions of ounces of gold from lakes and ponds. The museum also has a research computer to check family genealogy or to view any of the more than 10,000 photographs from the early days of Fairbanks to the mid-1960s. The museum schedule is pending. Call 907-456-8579 for more information. Big Stampede Show The gold rush comes to life in the Big Stampede Show, a 45-minute presentation illustrated by oil paintings by famous Alaska artist C.R. “Rusty” Heurlin, located at Pioneer Hall. The show tells the story of the Klondike Gold Rush of 1898 and the Fairbanks Gold Rush of 1901-02 and is described as a unique presentation of the hardships faced by stampeders. The 15 paintings by Heurlin are valued at more than $1
The SS Nenana Located in the center of Pioneer Park, the SS Nenana is the largest steam-powered wooden sternwheeler ever built west of the Mississippi River and one of three of its kind remaining. Built in 1933 for the Alaska Railroad for service on the Yukon, Nenana and Tanana rivers, she could carry up to 300 tons of freight and carried military cargo during World War II, including Lend-Lease aircraft en route to Russia. The “Last Lady of the River” was retired in 1955 and brought to Fairbanks to be preserved. The SS Nenana was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1989. The Nenana is closed to tours.
Tanana Valley Railroad Museum
Open Every Day 12pm - 8pm, located in Pioneer Park
Free Admission (907)459-7420 TananaValleyRailroad.com Visit our website to see the schedule of events, like our live steam operations! F604035-1
LOTS TO SEE AND EXPLORE AT PIONEER PARK
Kitty Hensley House The historic Kitty Hensley House was originally located at 921 Eighth Ave. In 1914, Kitty’s friend Cap Smythe, a retired riverboat captain with excellent carpentry skills, remodeled the cabin using lumber from the sternwheeler, which had been damaged during spring breakup. The house was moved to Pioneer Park in 1967. The Pioneers of Alaska have furnished the house with authentic furniture from the period. The house is closed to tours for the 2020 summer season.
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Harding Car Near the Pioneer Park front entrance rests the Harding Car, the elegant railroad car President Warren G. Harding traveled in while touring the territory just two weeks before he died in California from a heart attack. Harding was the first president to visit the territory and came to Fairbanks to celebrate the completion of the Alaska Railroad. The Harding Car was restored by the Fairbanks Historical Preservation Foundation. Wickersham House Judge James Wickersham is known as the man who brought law and order to the early days of the gold rush town of Fairbanks, but there’s more to his story. In addition to being a lawman, Wickersham was a carpenter, an advocate for the community and what would eventually become the 49th state, and a leader in a community that was growing in all directions. As a carpenter, Wickersham built the first “modern home” in the thriving gold rush town in 1904. The first home constructed of milled lumber, the house on the corner of First Avenue and Noble Street also was the first home to be surrounded by a white picket fence. All homes in Fairbanks before that time were made with logs. Operated by the Tanana-Yukon Historical Society, the Wickersham House was relocated to Pioneer Park in 1968 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The house is closed to the public for the 2020 season.
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Pioneer Park
Airport Way
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Davis Road
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
Pioneer Air Museum Operated by the Interior and Arctic Alaska Aeronautical Foundation, the 14,000-square-foot circular building with a gold dome is filled with artifacts and aircraft from Alaska’s early aviation history, most of which took place in Fairbanks and other parts of the Interior. The museum houses 14 aircraft as well as one of the largest piston engine displays ever assembled. A collection of more than 500 photographs chronicle early flight and the brave men and women who ventured into the unknown skies above Alaska. Displays range from the first flight in Fairbanks in 1913 to the present. A schedule for the museum, which charges a small fee, for the 2020 summer season is pending. Call 907-451-0037 for more information. Tanana Valley Railroad Museum and Engine House The railroad played a vital part when the gold rush ripped through Interior Alaska and a key component of that era now resides in Pioneer Park. Steam engine No. 1, an 8.5-ton engine built in 1899 by H.K. Porter Locomotive Works of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the first locomotive in the Yukon and Tanana river drainages. It arrived in Fairbanks in 1905. It is the oldest gold rush artifact in Interior Alaska. Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad restored Old Engine No. 1 in 1999. She is rolled out several times a summer to putt down the tracks circling Pioneer Park and resides at the museum and engine house, operated by the all-volunteer Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad. An operating speeder, Model T and velocipede also are on display, as are dioramas showing the former townsite of Chena and the railroad station as it looked in the 1930s. While the museum is expected to be open this summer, and admission is free, daily service on the Crooked Creek Whiskey Island Railroad that surrounds Pioneer Park is suspended. Call 907-459-7420 for more information. Folk School Fairbanks The Folk School is a nonprofit offering classes year-round in traditional arts, crafts, gardening, building and more. Floral design, how to butcher a chicken, snowshoe making, singing, tree felling and building a birch bark canoe are just a few of the classes that have been offered. The vision of the Folk School is to “provide a dedicated, centrally located, safe, friendly and welcoming place offering a rich variety of hands-on experiences.” The school is inspired by the folk school movement during the European Industrial Revolution whereby learning opportunities and enlightenment were provided to people regardless of their social status. Classes are online this summer with limited outdoor courses being planned. Call 907-457-1219 for more information.
SALMON, HALIBUT, CHICKEN AND RIBS — OR A COMBINATION ON THE SALMON BAKE MENU
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hings will be different at the Alaska Salmon Bake this summer, but one thing that will remain the same is the hospitality and the scrumptious meals. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there wasn’t a buffet line or an all-you-can-eat option on the menu when the Salmon Bake opened on June 1. Instead, guests will be treated to a seated meal, with four delicious meal options from which to choose. The Salmon Bake, located at Pioneer Park on Airport Way, will be open from 5-9 p.m. daily through Sept. 11 and maybe longer depending on how the season goes. Dinner options include grilled wild Alaska salmon, northern fried chicken, beer-battered Alaska halibut and Angus beef BBQ ribs. If you’re really hungry, you can have a combo meal with two entrees. Or if you can’t decide what you want, there is an option to have parts of all four meals on one huge platter. Entrees range from $21.95 to $24.95, while the Double Down Dinner is $36.95 and the Mother Lode Meal is $49.95. The grilled salmon dinner ($21.95) features salmon basted in the Salmon Bake’s own secret sauce. The chicken entrée ($22.95) is double hand-dipped in the Salmon Bake’s own sauce and fried to crispy goodness. Children’s portions are available for $10.95. The halibut ($24.95) is hand-dipped in a beer batter made with Kolsch from Fairbanks’ HooDoo Brewery. Children’s portions are available for $12.95.
The ribs are smothered in the Salmon Bake’s own barbecue sauce. Child’s portions are $14.95. The Mother Lode Meal includes an 8-ounce piece of grilled salmon, two pieces of fried chicken, three pieces of beerbattered halibut and two barbecue beef ribs. Each dinner includes a salad and homemade biscuit with whipped honey butter, a choice of one side, one dessert and either iced tea or lemonade. Additional sides and desserts or a basket of extra-large mozzarella stuffed onion rings for additional prices. Other beverages, including soda, beer, sangria, wine, coffee and tea can be purchased at the Borealis Beverage Booth. A hot dog dinner and family picnic specials also are available. Reservations are not needed. For more information, call the Salmon Bake at 452-7274. Takeout and curbside pickup options also will be available throughout the summer. The Pick ’n’ Poke gift shop, which is on the Salmon Bake grounds, opens daily from 2-8 p.m. The Golden Heart Revue, a vaudeville show spoofing Fairbanks history at Pioneer Park’s Palace Saloon, will not take place this summer due to coronavirus concerns. “Combine authentic Northern Thai recipe with seasonal Alaskan ingredients from the farm and sea.” Lunch 11-4
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Dinner 5-10
456-2200
388 Old Chena Pump Road, 99709
Eat Good ✦ Live Good www.LemongrassAlaska.com
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By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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CLASSIC CARS AND VINTAGE THREADS CLAIM SPOTLIGHT AT ANTIQUE AUTO MUSEUM By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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airbanks is the home of one of the most intriguing museums of classic treads and vintage threads in the United States, if not the world. With nearly 100 classic cars and one of the largest collections of vintage clothing in the country, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum has something special for everyone. You will discover the rich, vibrant and immersive celebration of one’s love of the road and the magnificent machines that provided transportation in a bygone era. With a worldclass collection of vintage automobiles and period fashions complemented by fascinating exhibits, accessories, photographs and archival videos, the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum takes the visitor on a vivid journey through the automotive age, from Victorian times to the Art Deco era.
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
There are 65 to 75 stunningly lighted rare automobiles on display at all times. The expansive collection encompasses horseless carriages, steamers, electric cars, speedsters, cyclecars, midget racers and 30s classic. The range of the collection goes from an 1898 Hay Motor Vehicle up to a 1936 Packard 1408 series dual windshield Phaeton. Some of the other beauties in the collection include a 1906 Compound, a 1920 Argonne and a 1921 Heine-Velox Victoria. Two new additions to the collection this year are a 1927 Lincoln and a 1906 Waltham Orient Buckboard. Several others are being restored in the garage area, which can be viewed from the main museum. All but three of the cars are in running condition and are often seen being driven around the grounds at Wedgewood Resort, where the museum is located, during the summer months. Along with many of the roadside masterpieces are beautifully preserved men’s and women’s outfits from that auto’s era. There’s clothing from the mid-18th century to the 20th century. There’s silk bustle dresses and motoring dusters to shimmering flapper shifts and dapper tuxedos. Antique accessories, including historic hats, shoes and jewelry complete the elegant displays. It’s a combination you just don’t want to miss. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the museum will have limited hours this summer. It will be open from noon to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays. All visitors should practice social distancing with museum staff at all times. All visitors and staff should wear protective face coverings, and visitors should postpone their visit and stay home if they are feeling ill.
GOLDEN DAYS WILL HAVE A DIFFERENT FEEL IN 2020 By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
website or its Facebook page for updates on all Golden Days events. Presented by Kinross Fort Knox, the Reverse Parade will be staged at the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds. Instead of lining the streets to watch the floats go by, spectators will drive their cars past stationary floats, armed forces units from Fort Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base, bands, entertainers and other groups any time from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. A map of the viewing route will be published just prior to the event. Booths at the Street Fair, presented by Conoco/Phillips Alaska, will be spread throughout town with a map being published so people can find their favorite foods and vendors. The time and date of the Rubber Duckie Race, presented by Sunrise Bagel and Espresso, is being worked out and ticket sales will begin by mid-June, according to the website. In an effort to decrease congestion along the banks of the Chena River, the race will be livestreamed and results will be posted digitally on the website and Facebook.
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airbanks’ annual celebration of the discovery of gold in the Interior will have a very different look come the third week of July. The traditional Grand Parade through downtown will become a reverse parade, the First Avenue Street Fair will become a citywide street fair, and details of the annual Rubber Duckie Race are still being worked out as of early June, according to a post on the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce website, www.fairbankschamber.org. “With a bit of creativity and a little help, we’ll all be enjoying classic Golden Days events in a safe, responsible and fun new way,” according to the website. “Wave and cheer from the comforts of your car at the Reverse Parade, track down your favorite eats and vendors at the citywide Street Fair and bet or your lucky duck to win big in the Rubber Duckie Race while helping keep the community healthy by maintaining physical distance, masking up and keeping your hands as squeaky clean as can be.” The parade and street fair are scheduled for July 18, while the Rubber Duckie Race is still being determined. Keep checking the Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce
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TRANS-ALASKA PIPELINE: STILL DELIVERING AFTER 43 YEARS Staff Report
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he trans-Alaska oil pipeline, one of the most ambitious construction projects ever undertaken, stretches hundreds of miles across some of the roughest and most remote terrain in the world. Crews began laying pipe in spring 1975 and laid the final stretch of the line on May 31, 1977. The first oil moved through the pipeline on June 20 of that year. More than 70,000 workers were involved in building the pipeline. It cost $8 billion in 1977 and was, at the time, the largest privately funded construction project ever undertaken. The pipeline stretches more than 800 miles from Alaska’s North Slope to the ice-free port of Valdez on Prince William Sound. There, at the pipeline’s end, the oil is transferred into storage tanks and loaded onto tanker ships for transport to West Coast refineries. How much oil goes through the pipeline? The highest average daily throughput was 2.03 million barrels in 1988. The pipeline carries about a quarter of that today. One of the best places to view the pipeline is just north of Fairbanks, at 8.4 Mile Steese Highway near Fox. Visitors there can get out of their cars and walk alongside the
pipeline, which rests above ground on vertical support beams. For visitors seeking a more sweeping view of the pipeline, Donnelly Dome, located just south of Delta Junction on the Richardson Highway, rises above the surrounding valley and provides a view of the pipeline as it travels south alongside the Delta River. Not far south from Donnelly Dome, the pipeline crosses the Richardson Highway, going below ground to travel under the highway before rising back out of the earth onto its supports. The highway pullout near the pipeline crossing is a popular stopping point for drivers.
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Five generations of Alaskans behind Riverboat Discovery By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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iverboat captains piloting their sternwheelers along the vast riverways of Alaska are as much a part of the 49th State’s history as the early gold-seekers and fur
traders. The Riverboat Discovery Tour is the extension of five generations of the Binkley family’s sternwheeler legacy in Alaska and one of the best ways to get an introduction to life off the highway system in the Interior. The three-hour tour takes visitors down the Chena River where they will learn about bush pilots, dog mushing and life in a traditional Alaska village while on the sternwheeler Discovery. This year’s tour will start, if it does, later than the originally scheduled May 11 start date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The start date has now been pushed back to Aug. 1, at the earliest. If tours do start, they will be at 8:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily. The cost of the tour is $69.65 for adults, $42.95 for age 3-12 and age 3 and under are free. For tour updates go to www.riverboatdiscovery.com The tour takes visitors down the Chena River, with narrated commentary about sternwheelers and Fairbanks history.
The sternwheeler pulls up to a bush plane where the pilot talks about flying to Alaska’s mostly Native villages and how transportation off the road system works. A demonstration of takeoff and landing on the river is part of the stop. The next stop is at Trail Breaker Kennel, home of the late Susan Butcher, a four-time Iditarod champion, whose husband Dave Monson talks about sled dogs and gives a demonstration. Near the confluence of the Chena and Tanana rivers, the boat stops and visitors disembark for a trip through the Chena Athabascan Indian Village. The stop will give visitors the chance to learn about village lifestyle and Athabascan culture as well as getting an up-close look at sled dogs. Snacks are available on board the boat, including Captain Jim’s smoked salmon, on the return trip to Steamboat Landing. A healthy meal can be purchased at the Discovery Dining Hall after the morning cruise or prior to the afternoon cruise for $13.95 for adults and $5.95 for children. Also at the landing, there is a large gift shop featuring Alaska gifts. There also is a room where visitors can experience what it is like when the temperature dips to 40 below in winter. Reservations are suggested and can be made online at www.riverboatdiscovery.com or by calling (907) 479-6673. www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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GOLD DREDGE NO. 8 OFFERS OVERVIEW OF ALASKA’S TWO GOLD RUSHES By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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f you want to learn about Alaska’s two gold rushes and get a little railroad history along with it, a tour of Gold Dredge No. 8 is exactly what you’re looking for. The gold rush that helped put Fairbanks on the map, the Tanana Valley Railroad that took gold seekers to the various Interior mines, and the black gold rush of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline are all part of the two-hour history tour at Gold Dredge No. 8. And then you will get to the opportunity to pan a little paydirt as part of your tour and collect a few gold flakes as a souvenir. Gold Dredge No. 8 is a National Historic Site, and the tour focuses on the history of small- and large-scale mining in the Interior. The opening of Gold Dredge No. 8 will be delayed from its original May 13 start date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The start date is currently set for Aug. 1. Check the website, www.golddredge8.com, for further updates. When Gold Dredge No. 8 tours do resume, they will be at
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. daily. The cost of the two-hour tour is $42.95 for adults, $26.95 for children age 3-12 and age 3 and under are free. The first gold rush in the Interior was for the mineral gold found in the rivers, streams and ponds in the area. It began in the early 1900s and in some form or fashion continued to almost the middle of the 20th century. The second stampede came in the 1970s with the building of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, which brings black gold (oil) from Prudhoe Bay through the Interior and on to the port city of Valdez. Visitors begin their Gold Dredge No. 8 tour at the train depot near Goldstream Road and the Old Steese Highway about 7 miles north of Fairbanks. You will ride the dredge site on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad that linked mining communities north of Fairbanks to the river system in the early gold mining days. You will hear tales of the thousands of miners who swarmed the surrounding valley in the early 20th century searching for the big strike. The tour also provides a close-up view of the trans-Alaska pipeline, and you will learn about the construction and operation of the pipeline while standing in its shadow.
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TAKE A WALK WITH A REINDEER By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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t only seems natural that taking a walk through a boreal forest with a guide and some reindeer would be one of the more popular attractions in the Fairbanks area. After all, reindeer and Alaska have been synonymous for centuries, and Running Reindeer Ranch is heading into its 10th season of providing nature walks in the beautiful Goldstream Valley, northwest of the Golden Heart City. The tour gives visitors the opportunity to mingle with these mostly docile animals that are the domestic version of the wild caribou. The ranch is located in the Goldstream Valley about 12 miles from downtown Fairbanks. The reindeer are the stars of the 2½-hour tour on the property owned by tour guide Jane Atkinson and her husband, Doug Toelle. According to the website, most tours this summer will start at 10 a.m., and all tours must be booked and paid for online. For more information or to book a tour, go to www.runningreindeer.com Tours will be smaller in the number of people participating, and a few more rules will be in effect due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
All participants must follow Alaska travel mandates and respect 6 feet of personal space. Masks must be worn at all times. Use of hand sanitizer will be required when arriving, after signing the liability waiver, and when entering and exiting the reindeer pen. You will not be allowed to join the tour if you show signs of illness. Private tours can be arranged for a household unit of more than 10 people. The cost of the tour ranges from $70 for adults to $45 for children ages 3 to 11. It is recommended that children be at least school-age to participate. The first reindeer arrived at the ranch in 2007 as a compromise for Atkinson’s daughter, Robin Spielman, who really wanted a horse. The business started by accident after walks with the reindeer became popular with friends and family. Atkinson knew little about the reindeer before the first one arrived at the ranch but has since become knowledgeable about the history and behavior of the animals. She said most of the questions she gets are about the difference between reindeer and caribou as well as questions about the animals’ antlers. The summer tour begins with an introduction safety talk, followed by a walk through the woods on the property and concludes with another talk about the natural history of the area and reindeer. A question-and-answer period and cookies for tour participants wrap up the day’s activities The ranch has grown larger through the years with the acquisition of neighboring property enabling the proprietors to offer a variety of trail options for the animals and tour participants to walk on. The operation has grown to include a bed and breakfast, reindeer yoga, ranch tours and weddings. Information on all of these activities is available on the website.
CREAMER’S FIELD A PEACEFUL REFUGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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f you want to get a taste of the natural beauty of the Interior, but are pressed for time, Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is the perfect place to visit. Located on the northern edge of the city, 1300 College Road, about 2 miles from downtown, Creamer’s Field offers visitors and residents alike a quality outdoor experience without leaving the confines of the Golden Heart City. The diverse wildlife refuge is a safe haven for migratory birds and other wildlife as well as an oasis for people who want to spend a few quiet minutes or even hours outdoors. The nonprofit organization Friends of Creamer’s Field serves as steward of the state-owned refuge in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Friends of Creamer’s Field Website states: “Our Mission: Inspiring environmental stewardship and lifelong learning through experience, awareness and appreciation of the natural and historical resources of Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.” The refuge was purchased from Creamer’s Dairy through a community-wide fundraising campaign more than 50 years ago and is now part of a large complex that includes the farmhouse and gift shop and Creamer’s Barns. It also houses the Alaska Department of Fish and Game offices. The refuge is open to the public at all times. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of the programs offered by the Friends of Creamer’s Field could be altered, delayed or rescheduled during the summer months.
Check the organization’s website, www.friendsofcreamersfield.org, as it will be updated as warranted. There are three main hiking/walking trails at Creamer’s Field, and trail maps are available at the visitor center. The Boreal Forest Trail is the most popular of the three, taking you on a 1.5-mile journey featuring at least 17 points of interest. The Farm Road Trail and the Seasonal Wetlands Trail go out into the adjacent fields where the migratory geese, cranes and swans frolic during the spring and fall. Some of the programs offered by the organization include volunteer naturalist walks at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday, the Design Alaska Wild Art Walk, Creamer’s Dairy Day, the Sandhill Crane Festival and Luminary Trail & Open House. If you go to Creamer’s Field on your own, dogs are allowed but must be kept on leashes. Doggy stations are set up along the trails. www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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DENALI NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE, WITH INCREDIBLE SCENERY By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com
IF YOU GO DENALI NATIONAL PARK VISITOR CENTERS SCHEDULE Denali Visitor Center opens July 1-Sept. 23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily Eielson Visitor Center opens July 1-Sept. 22, daily hours TBA. Murie Science and Learning Center will not open this summer. Denali Sled Dog Kennels will likely be closed to visitors this summer. INFO • This year, the park opens July 1. • The park entrance is about 120 miles south of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway. • Cost: $15 per person for a seven-day pass. No fee for youth age 15 and younger. This provides a seven-day entrance permit. Annual passes are also available. Annual military pass is free. More Info: www.nps.gov/dena
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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hen an Alaskan says “the mountain is out” there is no doubt which mountain is filling the horizon. It is the tallest mountain in North America — 20,310-foot Denali — a magnificent sight when it emerges from the cover of clouds. The mountain is not the reason Denali National Park and Preserve was created, though. In 1917, the park was formed to protect the wildlife. Eventually expanded to 6 million acres, the park is home to moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears. More than 650 species of flowering plants eke out a living in the park, along with a variety of mosses and lichens. Only plants adapted to long, cold winters and short growing seasons can survive in Denali’s subarctic climate. In addition, Denali is home to 39 species of mammals, 167 species of birds, 10 species of fish and one amphibian, the wood frog. There are no reptiles in Denali National Park. Dinosaur tracks, discovered in 2005, revealed for the first time that prehistoric creatures also lived there. Get to the park by train, bus, car or even charter a small airplane. The Denali Park Road is a narrow, primarily gravel road that winds through the mountains and across rivers. It continues for about 92 miles to the old mining community of Kantishna, now a visitors’ haven. Private vehicles are generally not permitted, though anyone
can drive the first 15 miles to Savage River. After that, traffic is limited — except during the few days annually when winners of the Denali Road Lottery head into the park in their personal vehicles. This year, because of reduced visitation due to the coronavirus pandemic, visitors can apply for a permit to drive their personal vehicles to Mile 66 on five additional weekend. Details at www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/conditions. htm#POV The National Park Service allows as many as 400 permit winners per day to drive vehicles the entire length of the park road at the end of the tourist season, in mid-September. See the Denali National Park website for information on how to apply for this lottery. In 2020, Road Lottery weekend is Sept. 18-22, with Military Appreciation Day on Sept. 19. The nonrefundable application fee for the road lottery is $15. Apply online at www.recreation.gov from June 1-30. Winners must also pay a $25 permit fee to drive the park road. Limiting traffic on the park road is deliberate. This park is
managed for the wildlife, not the people. Enjoying and appreciating the wilderness of Denali National Park is easy. The Denali Visitor Center is the central location to pick up a trail map, acquire a backcountry permit, and to check schedules of guided walks and other programs. There are trails in the entrance area that are free for hiking anytime. They range in difficulty from easy to challenging. The park also offers hiking, bicycling and backcountry camping. Experienced park rangers lead special hikes, as well. Photography is encouraged in the park, but take care when photographing wildlife. There are guidelines on how close you should approach bears, eagles, caribou and other animals. There also are guidelines for hiking, to help preserve fragile tundra plants that cling to life during the short season. Take special measures to enjoy wildlife from afar and to avoid chance encounters with bears. www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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DENALI BUS SCHEDULES LIMITED FOR 2020 SEASON By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com
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iding a bus into Denali National Park will be limited during the 2020 season, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Shuttle buses will be allowed as far as Eielson Visitor Center. Only one narrated tour is available, to Mile 62 of the park road. Also, a series of weekends has been set aside for private vehicles to acquire permits and drive into the park. The 92-mile road into Denali National Park and Preserve runs from the Parks Highway to the former mining community of Kantishna. Buses will only travel as far as Mile 66 this summer. The first 15 miles are paved and open to the public. Past that point, at the Savage River checkpoint, vehicle travel is restricted on the narrow, winding gravel surface. This year, visitors have a choice of either a shuttle bus or a tour bus. Shuttle buses are less expensive and have fewer amenities, but travel farther into the park. Traditionally, visitors can get off when they want to hike for awhile, then get back on another bus, if seats are available. Visitors planning to hike, camp, backpack or picnic in the park take a shuttle bus. The shuttle is also available for folks who just want to enjoy the scenery and wildlife viewing. Be sure and bring along food and water. There are no convenience stores along the way. This season, the only narrated tour available is the Tundra Wilderness Tour. Starting June 12, reservations can be made by calling (800) 622-7275 or online at www.reservedenali.com. Tours begin July 1. Check the Denali National park website at www.nps. gov/dena/planyourvisit for updated schedules and details. Schedules are limited this season, due to the coronavirus. Buses will operate at 50 percent capacity to maintain social distancing, so buses will be half full.
Options inside park
Shuttle Bus: This is the more flexible and more economical option. You can get on and off at any time — except for wildlife restricted areas and seat availability. Narration is not included, but experienced drivers often provide it anyway. This year, buses will go as far as Eielson Visitor Center at Mile 66. There are no buses to Wonder Lake. Tundra Wilderness Tour: This 7-8 hour narrated tour goes to Mile 62 from July 1 to mid-September. Box lunch and hot beverage provided. Most departures are early morning or early afternoon.
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
Many front-country buses canceled
There will be no front-country shuttle buses and no buses to the Denali Sled Dog Kennels because the kennels are closed to the public. There will be no courtesy bus to Savage River or the Riley Creek Camping loop.
Backpacking
Visitors headed to the backcountry for overnight stays should take the special camper bus, to accommodate their gear. These visitors require special backcountry permits that are obtained at the Denali Visitor Center.
Private vehicles
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and downturn in visitation, the park is allowing private vehicles to drive into the park, past Mile 15, on certain weekends from July through September. Permits are required and available at www.recreation.gov. Private vehicles can go as far as Eielson Visitor Center at Mile 66. Details at www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit/conditions.htm#bus Private permits are also be available at www.recreation. gov to drive private vehicles to Teklanika at Mile 30 June 1-30.
Commercial tours
Guided commercial tours are new this season. Details will be announced at www.nps.gov/dena.
MUSEUM OFFERS EXPANSIVE LOOK AT HISTORY, CULTURES AND SCIENCE OF THE NORTH
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airbanks is known for its wide variety of museums, but the University of Alaska Museum of the North is at the top of the list. The most noticeable building on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, the museum is home to more than 2.5 million artifacts and specimens, six galleries, a mummified steppe bison and a Kodiak grizzly bear nearly 9-feet tall. Based on recommendations from the University of Alaska and state and federal agencies, the Museum of the North is closed through June 30 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An official opening has not been set. Hours and stipulations are to be announced. When the museum does reopen, visitors can see six different gallery areas. The Alaska Gallery takes visitors through a natural and cultural history of the state that features mammals, the aurora, gold, Alaska Native culture and some World War II history. The Rose Berry Art Gallery features more than 2,000 years of Alaska art. There is the collections gallery where visitors can take a look at research and artifacts and the Natural Wonders Gallery, which features a collection of photos by the late Michio Hoshino portraying Alaska landscapes and animals. The Special Exhibits Gallery features “Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline.” Take a walking tour of the museum and Alaska’s fossil coastline and discover the natural history collections alongside art by Ray Troll and Gary Staab. “Cruisin’ the Fossil Coastline” is based on the eponymous book by Troll and paleontologist Kirk Johnson and is organized by the Anchorage Museum with support from Lynden Inc. Finally, there’s a family room with couches and fun puzzles and activities for children.
Until the museum does open, there are many virtual experiences on the official website, www.uaf.edu/museum. You can also follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The university is located on UAF’s West Ridge and features a gift shop, café and coffee shop and an expansive lawn with great views of the Alaska Range mountains.
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The world-famous Alaska Railroad is one of the best ways to see the state By Bob Eley For the News-Miner
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he Alaska Railroad has delayed its summer passenger service until early July and combined some schedules due to the COVID-10 pandemic. “We closely following developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the safety and well-being or our passengers and employees remaining our highest concerns,” a railroad notice reads. “With that guiding priority, we’ve made the difficult decision to temporarily change regular passenger operations.” The Denali Star with Hurricane Flagstop route between Anchorage and Fairbanks is one of the railroad’s most popular excursions. The railroad will begin northbound service on July 1, with bi-directional service slated to begin the following day. The Denali Star features stops in Talkeetna and Denali National Park and Preserve. Trains leave from Anchorage and Fairbanks at 8 a.m. each day and usually arrive at their final destination at about 8 p.m. By adding the Hurricane Flagstop to the Denali Star, the railroad eliminated the Hurricane Turn Train for the summer. “This consolidation represents our ongoing evaluation of passenger needs and finding the most efficient and safest
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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ways to meet them,” the notice reads. On a clear day, travelers on the Denali Star will get some stunning views of Mount Denali on the south side of the park between Talkeetna and Cantwell. The Coastal Classic Train, which features daily service between Anchorage and Seward, is slated to make its first run on July 1. The Glacier Discovery Train, featuring daily service between Anchorage and Whittier, with whistle-stops at Spencer Glacier and Grandview, will start on July 3. All passenger trains will operate in compliance with applicable public health guidelines. Depots and trains will be capped at 50% occupancy to allow for social distancing. Face coverings will be required to enter depots and while boarding and moving about trains. Face coverings may be removed once seated in designated dining areas and while seated in assigned seats. On the train, a custodial porter will sanitize surfaces, door handles and restrooms every 30 minutes, and depots and trains will receive full sanitization each night. For complete details on train service in Alaska go to www. alaskarailroad.com or call 907-265-2300 or 800-544-0552. Also, the railroad has extended its flexible cancellation policy through Sept. 20. Travelers can cancel up to 24 hours before their trip and receive a full refund on Alaska Railroad train fare. Some fees may apply for package bookings involving lodging and excursions within 60 days of travel. To inquire about a specific package change or cancellation, contact Alaska Railroad reservations at reservations@akrr.com or call 800-544-0552.
SWIM, BOAT, HIKE OR PICNIC IN WILDERNESS ABOUT 10 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN By Amanda Bohman abohman@newsminer.com
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he Tanana Lakes Recreation Area offers nature trails, a swim beach, boat launches, a rifle range, a picnic area, fishing holes, paddle boat rentals and playgrounds just minutes from downtown Fairbanks. The 750-acre wilderness park is located at the end of Cushman Street along the Tanana River, and admission is free. The park opened in 2014 and has become increasingly popular, drawing tens of thousands of visitors each year. The recreation area is staffed and operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough. Recent recreation area improvements include new playgrounds. A musical playground is located near the picnic shelter, and a second playground was built on the peninsula across from the swim beach. It wasn’t long ago that the recreation area looked like a wasteland with trash and abandoned vehicles. The area attracted partiers and lawbreakers. Community groups came together and cleaned up with the help of grant money, donations and hundreds of hours of volunteer labor. Tanana Lakes is slowly under development and remains rustic with gravel roads, gravel parking lots, vault toilets, light staffing and an unfinished walking path circling the swim lake. The beach boasts 4 1/2 acres of sand where people can bake under the endless summer sun before cooling off in Cushman Lake, which is dotted with islands. There is no lifeguard on duty, but life preservers are available for loan. At the nearby paddle boat launch, boat rentals are available by Alaska Dream Adventures. Rates are $15 for an hour, $25 for two hours and $35 for the day, Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stocks the lake regularly with chinook salmon and rainbow trout. The lake also has pike. The picnic area has a pavilion for rent, picnic tables, grills, a restroom and playground. The cost to rent the picnic shelter is $30 for four hours and $50 for more than four hours. Reservations can be made by calling 459-1070 or by going online to parks.fnsb.us. Motorboats and personal watercraft are allowed on a second lake, which has a floating dock and two concrete launch ramps. The motorized boat lake connects to the Tanana River. A public restroom is available at the launch.
The park also attracts dog walkers, but dogs must be kept on a leash and are not allowed on the swim beach. Tanana Lakes is a year-round recreation area with groomed ski trails, a skating rink, a half-mile skating loop and ice fishing. Hours starting Memorial Day weekend are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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PARKS HIGHWAY OFFERS SCENIC VIEWS, GOOD FOOD AND FUN
Beyond Fairbanks
By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com
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t takes a little more than two hours to drive to Denali National Park and Preserve from Fairbanks. Take your time and you might discover some treasures along the
way. Right outside Fairbanks is the little town of Ester. You know you are there when you see the big fire station at the intersection. This former mining community, sometimes referred to as “The Republic of Ester,” is a reminder of days gone by. Now it is home to artists, teachers and lots of folks who don’t want to be lumped in with Fairbanks. The Ester Community Market takes place at the Ester Community Park every week. Here, artisans, farmers, musicians and other vendors sell their wares. The community is home to many talented artists who create everything from paintings and jewelry to wrought iron utensils and books.
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
Continuing south, the Tanana Hills can be treacherous driving during winter months, but in the summer, the road winds through scenic views on both sides of the road. Vast views of the Tanana Valley and Alaska Range are visible at every turn. On a clear day, you can see Denali in the distance, towering over all the other mountains.
Nenana
The entrance to the town of Nenana is grand. A towering silver bridge ushers drivers over the confluence of the Tanana and Nenana Rivers. This is a little town with a lot going on. It’s the home of the Nenana Ice Classic, a lottery that lets people guess the exact moment a black-and-white tripod will fall when the ice goes out on the Tanana River at the end of winter. It began in 1917 when bored railroad workers tried to guess when the ice would break free and float downstream. Many an Alaska resident has spent hours poring over statistics of ice thickness, hoping to get lucky with every ticket. This also is an important staging area for barges that supply communities along the Tanana River and the Yukon River. The barges deliver fuel and other important supplies to these remote villages. It was in Nenana that President Warren Harding drove the golden spike on the Alaska Railroad in 1923. A monument depicting that spike is on display at the depot museum. That presidential rail car is now at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks. At the town’s entrance, stop at the Alaskan Gallery and Nenana Visitor Center for information about highway communities. The gallery features the work of more than 50 Alaska artists, including owners/photographers Evelyn and Samuel Verhagen. Their four young sons operate the Lemony Snackets refreshment stand, all by donation only.
There are at three restaurants in town - Roughwoods Cafe, Rivertime Cafe and Riverside Pizzeria. Bitchin’ Kitchen offers counter service in the Nenana A-Frame Service Station and convenience store on the Parks Highway and north of Nenana, the Monderosa provides memorable hamburgers - “Still The Best Burgers In Alaska,” since 1982, according to the sign. Coghill’s General Store carries groceries, hardware, craft supplies and Alaska-made wares from artisans. If you want to stretch your legs, check out the walking tour along the shore of the Tanana River and read the historical interpretive signs.
Three homesteaders settled here in the late 1950s. In 1959, the town’s namesake, Art Anderson, divided his 80-acre homestead into quarter-acre lots and sold most of them to civilian workers at the adjacent Clear Air Force Station. An elementary school was built and the city was incorporated in 1962. You’ll see Clear Air Force Station while on your way to Anderson, but it’s not a site for casual or spur-of-the-moment visitors. This is a military installation that houses both Alaska Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force personnel.
Anderson
You might be hungry by now, so when you get back on the Parks Highway be sure and stop at the Clear Sky Lodge Bar & Grill, for the best prime rib sandwich in the area, and some conversation with longtime local residents. Then, continue driving. Soon, you’ll be in Healy, the gateway community to Denali National Park. The mountains loom closer and Denali National Park is just a short distance away.
Continue driving south and you’ll eventually have the opportunity to turn right and enter the small community of Anderson. It is six miles off the highway, so it doesn’t get a lot of visitors. You might want to pull in and check out the large and lovely riverfront park that offers great camping.
Clear Sky
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Open 10am to 10pm every day Order Online At www.goodtitrations.com 506 Merhar Ave Fairbanks, AK 907-474-good
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IT’S CHRISTMAS YEAR ‘ROUND IN NORTH POLE Staff Report
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n North Pole, 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks, leaving your Christmas decorations up year-round is just community spirit. It is home to a popular tourist attraction, the Santa Claus House. The town motto is “Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round,” and the city center is adorned with candlestick streetlights plus road names such as Santa Claus Lane, Snowman Lane and Saint Nicholas Drive. North Pole embraces its place in Christmas folklore as home of Santa Claus with a counter on the city website showing the number of days until Christmas. A fully decorated Christmas tree stands all year long at City Hall. The city of 2,124 people, incorporated in 1953, is home to the Santa Claus House, which sees hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. The family owned store sits along the Richardson Highway and is one of the Interior’s biggest attractions. Originally a trading post that also served as North Pole’s first post office, the Santa Claus House has recently been remodeled. The red-and-white-colored building houses a coffee bar and a large variety of Christmas treasures, including ornaments and knicknacks. Santa himself has long been on the job, but safety restrictions due to COVID-19 are still being weighed and it is unknown if he will be able to make an appearance this summer. A 42-foot tall, 900-pound plastic Santa Claus statue has stood next to the Santa Claus House since 1983. The property is also home to Antler Academy of Flying & Reindeer Games, Santa’s reindeer team.
Chena Lake Recreation Area
Just south of North Pole, Chena Lake Recreation Area is a popular local spot for fishing, barbecues and walks. It’s really two parks in one: a riverside area along the Chena River and a recreation area along the shores of Chena Lake. Both offer amenities including camping sites, picnic tables, volleyball courts, horseshoe pits and water access. The recreation area contains 2,100 acres and is managed by the local government. The Chena Lake beach is especially popular in the summer when Interior Alaska temperatures can climb into the 80s. During the summer, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation Department rents canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, rowboats and stand up paddleboards at Chena Lake. The lake is next to the Moose Creek Dam, part of the Chena River Lakes Flood Control Project completed in 1979 to protect the area after a 1967 flood destroyed much of downtown Fairbanks and displaced 7,000 people. At high water levels, flood gates on the Chena drop and divert water into the larger Tanana River. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stocks Chena Lake with rainbow trout, king salmon and Arctic char. The park rents boats in the summer and ice fishing houses in the winter. Arctic grayling, northern pike, whitefish and burbot swim through the Chena River. Wildlife sightings are common. In July and August, visitors can watch spawning chum and king salmon from the dam. www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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ENJOY A DAY FISHING, HIKING, CAMPING IN ACCESSIBLE CHENA RIVER STATE RECREATION AREA Staff Report
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efore it spills into downtown Fairbanks, the Chena River flows through a wild landscape 30 miles east of town. The Chena River State Recreation Area encompasses 397 square miles and is a popular destination near Fairbanks for hunting, fishing and playing outside. The recreation area is accessible along Chena Hot Springs Road between mileposts 26 and 56. It doesn’t hurt that the recreation area borders Chena Hot Springs Resort (located where the road ends at 56 mile), so any activity in the recreation area can easily be complemented with a dip in the hot springs. All milepost markers below refer to Chena Hot Springs Road — not to be confused with Chena Pump Road on the west side of Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs Road is accessible from the Steese Highway. Food and gas are available in Two Rivers, about 23 Mile. There is also a bakery at 10 Mile, coffee shop and ice cream at 24 Mile and food and cabins at 49 Mile.
Popular trips
Chena River: Chena Hot Springs Road crosses or approaches the Chena River a half-dozen times in the recreation area, allowing for ample boating opportunities. It’s Class I water under most water conditions, but watch out for sweepers, branches or trees that stick out into the channel and can easily capsize boats. The Chena River water is very cold even during the hottest
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
months. The river is a great place to catch Arctic grayling, but the fishery is catch-and-release only except for special youthonly openings on four summer weekends. Several lakes along Chena Hot Springs Road are stocked with fish, including rainbow trout and chinook salmon. Fish caught in stocked ponds can be kept, but be sure to get an Alaska fishing license and research bag limits and rules. Hiking: The two most popular trailheads are Granite Tors and Angel Rocks, accessible at mileposts 39.5 and 48.9, respectively. A $5 day-use fee is required at both trailheads. Both trails lead hikers to interesting geological formations along ridgelines. At Angel Rocks, a 3-mile loop trail climbs steeply to the rock formations, or hikers may traverse the 9-mile one-way hike from the trailhead to Chena Hot Springs Resort. From the Granite Tors trailhead, hikers traverse a 15-mile loop that accesses several rock formations above treeline. Several other trails are maintained in the recreation area, many of which also require a $5 day-use fee or seasonal sticker. Off-road vehicles: Popular trails for four-wheelers include the Compeau Trail at mile 29.9, the Angel Creek Hillside Trail at mile 50.5 (the Lower Chena Dome trailhead), and the Stiles Creek Trail at mileposts 31.6 and 36.4. Information is available online at dnr.alaska.gov/parks/ units/chena or by calling the northern region office of Alaska State Parks at 907-451-2695.
Staff Report
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he Interior is covered with rivers and lakes filled with fish, including salmon, trout, grayling and pike. These Interior freshwater species are good eating, can be fun to catch and seldom require much equipment to bring in. To catch grayling — the most common species in Interior Alaska — you don’t have to go far. They swim through Fairbanks on the Chena River, which is accessible in town and upstream in the Chena River State Recreation Area along Chena Hot Springs Road. Check Alaska’s fishing regulations before heading out. The Chena River is a catch-and-release fishery for grayling. However, several ponds and lakes are stocked with grayling, rainbow trout and other fish that anglers can take home for dinner. Complete fishing regulations can be found online at 1.usa.gov/1Dntb6s. An Alaska resident fishing license is $29 and is required for residents between the ages of 18 and 60. Older residents must get an ADF&G identification card. Fishing licenses cost $25 per day for non-Alaska residents. Discounts are available for multi-day licenses. Fairbanks has numerous stores that sell fishing tackle and licenses. They can also be purchased online at adfg.alaska.gov/Store.
Fairbanks and in some lakes. They’re considered invasive in lakes south of the Alaska Range, where they’ve been illegally introduced. Burbot: Ugly but tasty, burbot are a blotchy-colored eellike fish in the cod family. They average 3 to 5 pounds but can grow to more than 10 pounds. They’re not known for fighting particularly aggressively but are valued for their meat. In the summer, burbot, like pike, are often found near the mouths of sloughs.
Popular Interior Alaska fish
Salmon: Salmon can be found on some Interior rivers as they make their way to their spawning grounds. Alaska is home to five species: king (also known Chinook), silver (coho), red (sockeye), pink (humpback or “humpy”), and chum (dog). All five species live their adult lives in the ocean and return to fresh water to spawn. By the time they’ve reached the Interior, they’ve already swum hundreds of miles upriver, a trip they make without eating and while their bodies begin to decay. They can be caught here, but salmon are fresher closer to the ocean. Arctic grayling: This trout relative usually grows to between 8 and 18 inches in the Interior but is known for its voracious appetite and a disproportionate fight for its size. Fly fishermen prize grayling for their willingness to respond to a dry fly. The fish is easily distinguished by the large fan-like dorsal fin along its back. Arctic char: These salmon-shaped fish can grow to more than 3 feet. They generally have light spots on a dark background, but their markings can range widely based on season and habitat. Northern pike: Pike are long, aggressive fish with a fearsome row of sharp teeth. Pike of about 20 pounds are common. The record northern pike is 38 pounds. They’re found in large Interior Alaska rivers such as the Tanana south of
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FISH ON! LOOK FOR A VARIETY OF FISH SPECIES IN INTERIOR LAKES AND RIVERS
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SOAK IN NATURAL GEOTHERMAL SPRINGS AT CHENA HOT SPRINGS Staff Report
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or more than a century, people have been heading to Chena Hot Springs to soak up the mineral springs. Today, they also can tour ice carvings and geothermically heated greenhouses and ride behind a team of sled dogs. All are open year-round. The resort opened Memorial Day weekend this year after being closed two months due to concerns about the coronavirus. According to Javier Villasenor-Gaona, Chena Hot Springs Resort’s director of advertising, marketing and sales, the resort’s facilities are now all open with regular hours. “We’re a little understaffed, but we’re still open regular hours for the hot springs,” he said in early June. “We can’t say it’s back to normal, but it is open.” The resort is self-contained and sustainable in a number of ways. It includes its own restaurant, cafe, ice museum, cabins, hotel and saloon. For many years and in many cultures, mineral spring waters have been considered to possess healing properties. With all the COVID-19-related travel restrictions, VillasenorGaona said that the resort is open just like it used to be but is expecting to be visited by mostly locals. The resort will continue to follow all state government mandates and guidelines that are issued. The resort lies 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks at the end of the paved road that bears its name. It is renowned for the amazing aurora borealis displays overhead in the winters. The aurora isn’t visible under the midnight sun, but there are
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
plenty of other activities. Chena Hot Springs Resort adds a number of amenities to the naturally occurring springs, including an indoor pool ideal for kids and hot tubs. The resort features about 80 rooms and family suites in its Moose Lodge as well as cabins and camping areas. Several hiking trails lead into the hills surrounding the resort. Other attractions include an activity center, a disc golf course, bike and canoe rentals and horseback and all-terrainvehicle tours. A sled-dog kennel offers cart rides. For day-trippers, a dip in the pool is $15, or a family punch-card with 10 slots is $100. The resort is also home to the world’s largest year-round ice structure — the Aurora Ice Museum. The ice museum was created from more than 1,000 tons of ice and snow and was completed in January 2005. It is kept at 25 degrees year-round and is filled with spectacular ice carvings. Parkas are available to wear, free of charge. Ice museum visitors 21 and over can also sample an appletini in a carved-ice glass for $15. While visiting the ice museum, chilled to 20 degrees in the summer, people can take an ice-carving class and go to the ice bar for a drink in an ice glass. The resort’s website includes information on its accommodations and openings as well as pictures of the hot springs in both summer and winter. Special online-only deals are often posted on the resort’s website: www.chenahotsprings.com. Much of the food served at the resort is grown in its greenhouse on site, and much of the rest is locally sourced from Interior Alaska. The greenhouse, like the springs, is heated geothermally.
EXPERIENCE THE GOLDEN HEART CITY VIA THE CHENA RIVER Staff Report
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n a hot summer day, there may be no better way to experience Fairbanks than by floating the Chena River through town. Grab a cooler, rent a boat, don your life jacket and relax for the afternoon. The Chena River is a meandering Class I river, but inexperienced boaters should keep an eye out from log jams and floating trees throughout. The river is relatively slow moving, so these drifters are easily avoided when spotted in time. There are several spots to put in and take out depending on the desired length of your float. A personal favorite is to begin at Graehl Park in Downtown Fairbanks near Pro Music and take out at Pioneer Park, several miles down river. For those more adventurous, a longer float can bring boaters to the popular Boatel Bar along the river a few miles past Pioneer Park. After a cold drink for adults 21 and over, boaters can continue further down river to the historic Pump House Restaurant. This is the perfect place to take out and have dinner on the deck. A paddle from Pioneer Park to the Pump House takes most boaters about two hours. A float from Graehl Park to the Pump House will likely take floaters a full afternoon. Best to start around noon in order to afford maximum relaxation throughout the afternoon. Visitors who don’t have boats of their own have a number of options for rentals.
tion devices for every person on board. Minors are required to wear personal flotation devices at all times. Don’t forget to pack snacks and water. Happy floating!
Your Neighborhood Bakery Café
Trax Outdoor Center
For those interested in a bit more of a unique experience, Trax Outdoor Center rents stand-up paddleboards. The shop is located at 310 Birch Hill Road and can be reached by phone at 907-374-9600. Interested paddlers can rent paddle boards for $45 for 24 hours; and $150 for three days. Trax Outdoor Center is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed on Sundays.
Canoe Alaska
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Canoe Alaska is a full-service paddlesports rental shop located at 1101 Peger Road at the Pioneer Park dock. The shop is open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Canoe, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals start at $25 per day, $35 for 24 hours, weekend rentals start at $60 and rentals for the full week start at $100. They offer several popular float trips, as well. They also rent bicycles, including fat-tired bikes. Shuttle services are not included in the rental prices, due to social distancing. Canoe Alaska can be reached at 907-457-2453 or at canoealaska.com. By law, all boaters are required to have personal flota-
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DALTON, ELLIOTT HIGHWAYS OFFER RUGGED, REMOTE TRIPS Staff Report
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isitors to Alaska often like to get off the beaten path, and there are few roads that provide that opportunity better than the Dalton and Elliott high-
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800-474-1986
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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Sharing Alaska’s Arctic With The World
ways. The Dalton Highway, which was built to support the transAlaska oil pipeline, is the farthest-north road in North America. Commonly called the “haul road,” it takes motorists past the Arctic Circle and farther north, almost to the Arctic Ocean. The Elliott Highway, which intersects the Dalton en route to Manley Hot Springs, is a good option for travelers interested in remote adventure and hot springs. They’re both long, remote, mostly unpaved roads, so planning ahead is important. Fill up on gas at the few stations along the 498 highway miles between Fairbanks and Deadhorse. Bring one or more spare tires. Watch out for big trucks. A good resource on this and other Alaska road trips is “The Milepost,” a mile-by-mile guide to Alaska’s highways updated every year and available at most Alaska convenience stores and grocery stores. If driving a rental car, check with the company before heading out. Many require customers sign agreements not to drive on gravel roads. Several local businesses offer guided tours of the road, with various itineraries that may include overnight stays and plane rides. Check with the individual companies for any COVID-19 restrictions or other itinerary changes.
largest river. Fuel, food and lodging are available at Yukon River Camp in the summer. • Arctic Circle sign: 115 Mile. The sun does not rise on the winter solstice nor set on the summer solstice north of the Arctic Circle. • Coldfoot: 175 Mile. A former pipeline construction camp. Amenities include gas, food, lodging and the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center (open only in the summer), the visitor center for Arctic federal lands, including Gates of the Arctic National Park. • Wiseman: 189 Mile. Turnoff for Wiseman, a historic mining community three miles off the highway. • Atigun Pass: 244 Mile. At 4,800 feet, this Brooks Range pass is the highest highway pass in Alaska. • Deadhorse: 414 Mile. There is fuel and lodging at the community of Prudhoe Bay oilfield workers. Security fences block access to the Arctic Ocean, but Deadhorse Camp, which offers lodging for both oilfield workers and visitors, offers shuttles to the ocean. Shuttles leave twice per day in the summer and cost $69 per person. Lodging reservations can be made at 877-474-3565, with the shuttle available through www.deadhorsecamp.com. The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in Fairbanks has specific information on the Dalton Highway and receives road condition updates from the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
Elliott Highway
The Elliott Highway moves through rolling hills covered in birch trees as it begins in the community of Fox, where the highway splits from the Steese Highway. The last stop for gas for 100 miles is the Hilltop Truck Stop, a diner known for its pies and appearances on the reality show “Ice Road Truckers.” At 84 Mile, the northbound Dalton Highway begins as the Elliott jogs west to the community of Manley Hot Springs. A junction at 109 Mile Elliott Highway leads south to the Athabascan village of Minto. The small community of Manley Hot Springs offers a rustic and low-key experience for visitors. Four tubs are located in a greenhouse, and visitors can take a soak in the hot springs for a small fee surrounded by foliage such as grapes and flowers. Use of the greenhouse is restricted to one party at a time, so visitors are asked to call 907-672-3213 in advance. The Manley Lodge (formerly Roadhouse), established in 1903, provides a cozy launching point for an Alaska adventure. The inn offers meals and lodging “with a pioneer flare.” For information, call 907-672-3161.
Dalton Highway
The Dalton Highway crosses the Yukon River and climbs the continent’s northernmost mountain range, the Brooks Range, before ending at a security fence just short of the Arctic Ocean. There are few populated places along the way. Here are a few landmarks: • Yukon River Bridge: 56 Mile (from Elliott Highway junction). The only vehicle crossing in Alaska across the state’s www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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MILES OF ADVENTURE AWAIT ALONG ALASKA, RICHARDSON HIGHWAYS Staff Report
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he Alaska Highway serves as the gateway to the North. The world-famous highway traverses more than 1,000 miles through Canada before reaching its terminus in Interior Alaska. Built during World War II by the military as a means of getting supplies to the strategic northern territory, the long highway was also meant to help connect the previously unconnected airfields used under the Lend-Lease Agreement to send planes and supplies over the Bering Strait into Russia to support the Eastern Front. Though the highway stretches more than 1,300 miles today, fewer than 200 of those miles run through the state for which the highway is named.
Tok
Tok is the first town visitors drive through after crossing the border with Canada. Tok provides accommodations for RVs and campers. The Tok visitor center provides a range of information on the region’s history and geography. Tok serves as the hub for the other villages in the eastern part of Alaska’s Interior, such as Dot Lake, Northway, Tetlin, Tanacross and Mentasta. It was built to serve as a roadwork camp during the construction of the Alaska Highway in the 1940s. The highway ends in Delta Junction, where it converges with the Richardson Highway, 198 miles from the AlaskaCanada border. The Richardson Highway winds 368 miles north from Valdez, the port city on Prince William Sound where tankers dock to load oil from the trans-Alaska pipeline. The highway and the pipeline meander north from Valdez, often running alongside each other. The Richardson meets up with the Alaska Restaurant • Beaufort Sea • Midnight Sun Tundra Flowers & Birds • Polar Bear Viewing Eskimo Fall Whaling
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - ANWR
Highway at Delta Junction and branches off to the northwest, toward Fairbanks, as does the pipeline. While the Richardson Highway ends in Fairbanks, the pipeline continues to the North Slope.
Delta Junction
Delta Junction stands at the junction of the Alaska and Richardson highways. It is bordered by the Tanana and Delta rivers. Delta Junction’s museums, roadhouses and festivals inform visitors of the town and the region’s rich agricultural history. • Big Delta State Historical Park is another main attraction near Delta, featuring Rika’s Roadhouse, which is operated by a private concessionaire. The park shares the history of the former owner, Rika Wallen, whose roadhouse played an interesting and significant role in Interior Alaska’s past. Rika’s Roadhouse rests on the banks of the Tanana River, where a trail once ran from Valdez in the south to the gold claims of Fairbanks in the north. Rika’s provided the trail’s travelers with a place to rest and recuperate from their journey before continuing. The Roadhouse is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with food and ice cream available. Heading south from Delta Junction, Donnelly Dome rises high above the surrounding landscape. The dome rises nearly 4,000 feet in a wide valley, surrounded on two sides by towering peaks of the Alaska Range. The dome lies along a fault line that runs along the northern edge of the Alaska Range, which contributes to its expansive rise. The dome is a popular hike for locals and visitors alike, as it provides sweeping views of the surrounding peaks to the southeast and southwest and the Delta River. The transAlaska oil pipeline can be seen winding alongside the river for miles from atop Donnelly Dome. A free permit is required to access the dome. It is available at the US Army Garrison Alaska iSportsman website: bit.ly/3gQfx22. The hike can be done in half a day. Hikers should pack a jacket despite the weather, as the top of the dome is often windy. Access to the path up the dome starts at a pullout on the Richardson Highway about 248 Mile. From there, the trail winds up to the southern side of the dome and along its
spine to the top.
Black Rapids
The Lodge at Black Rapids sits across the Richardson Highway from its namesake. When the ice along the river breaks up in the spring, Black Rapids on the Delta River flow alongside the highway below the roadhouse. The lodge can be seen along a ridge parallel to the highway. Views from the Richardson Highway, especially at the Black Rapids Roadhouse, include the river valley to the Black Rapids Glacier in the mountains to the west, and to the east, the looming peaks of the range that form the back of the lodge’s ridge. More information can be found by calling 877-825-9413 or going online to lodgeatblackrapids.com. From Black Rapids, the Richardson Highway crosses the Alaska Range, topping out at Summit Lake, which feeds the mighty Copper River to the south, while waters exiting to the north eventually swirl into the Yukon River. A fish hatchery a few miles south of the lake offers a good look at spawning salmon in late summer. The turnoff to the scenic 135-mile Denali Highway lies at the corner of the Richardson and the shuttered Paxson Lodge. Continuing south, travelers get an expansive view of the Copper River Valley and the Chugach Mountains, which ring Prince William Sound. The town of Glennallen at the intersection of the Richardson and the Glenn Highway offers several options for food, fuel and lodging. Continuing south, the change from the arid Interior to the lush greenery of the Chugach Mountains becomes plain. The highway weaves between emerald mountains and icy glaciers. As it ascends Thompson Pass, the Worthington Glacier appears on the right. Although it has retreated hundreds of feet in recent years, it is still easily accessible on foot. Thompson Pass at 2,600 feet, is the snowiest place in Alaska, averaging 500 inches of snow annually. The highway drops steeply and winds through stunning Keystone Canyon with its myriad of waterfalls, before entering the town of Valdez.
Valdez
Located near the head of a steep fjord in Prince William Sound, Valdez, population 4,025, is surrounded by mountains and glaciers
and is a favorite fishing spot for Interior Alaskans. While restrictions are in place due to COVID-19, the fish are still biting and the annual halibut and salmon derbies are on, with social distancing conditions on charters. Some other businesses, such as cruises, may not be not operating in 2020. However kayak and bike rentals are available, as are many fishing charters . Check availability of amenities before traveling, as events may change over the season, but don’t forget to buy your derby ticket if you’re going fishing.
907-451-4516
1550 S. Cushman St. • Fairbanks, AK 99701 WWW.TRUEDANKALASKA.COM www.newsminer.com/visitors_guide
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INDEX OF ADVERTISERS Alaska Raw Fur Co...................................................................... 5 Beads N Things ............................................................................ 7 Black Diamond Resort ......................................................... 26 Chena Cannabis ...................................................................... 18 Chena Hot Springs Resort ................................................. 39 Explore Fairbanks........................................................................ 6 Fairbanks Community Museum ..................................... 12 Fairbanks Publishing ................................................................ 2 Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad ............................ 9 Fudge Pot ....................................................................................... 8 GCR Tires & Service ................................................................ 31 Good Titrations ........................................................................ 28 Great Harvest Bread Co. ...................................................... 33 Green Life Supply ................................................................... 14 Interior Alaska Fish Processors ........................................ 10 Lemongrass Thai Cuisine ................................................... 11 Northern Alaska Tour Co. ................................................... 34 Parks Highway Service & Towing .................................. 24 Santa Claus House ................................................................. 16 State of Alaska Department of Transportation .... 35 Sunshine Health Foods ....................................................... 13 Tanana Valley Farmer’s Market ........................................ 23 True Dank .................................................................................... 37 Waldo Arms ................................................................................ 36
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The Guide to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska 2020
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Interior Alaska Trip Planner How much time do you have?
2 to 4 hours
• Take a walk at Creamer’s Field • Find the perfect Alaska souvenir • Admire vintage automobiles and period clothing • Take a play break at Pioneer Park • Stroll along the Chena River • Learn about the trans-Alaska oil pipeline • Enjoy a delicious meal
half day
• Explore Chena Hot Springs Resort • Pet a reindeer • Learn about sled dogs and mushing • Float through downtown Fairbanks on the Chena River • Enjoy a picnic and swim at popular local parks • Take a bike ride
full day
• Check out the trails in the Chena River Recreation Area • Journey to the Arctic Circle • Learn about Fairbanks’ gold rush • Catch an arctic grayling • Canoe the Upper Chena or Chatanika rivers • Watch the sun set and rise from the White Mountains
multiple days
• Explore the glacial landscape of the Denali Highway • Look for bears and other wildlife at Denali National Park • Head to Valdez for world-class salmon and halibut fishing • Find the perfect camping spot and settle in • Take a ride on the Alaska Railroad