Fairbanks to Seattle

A second day of the worst brekkie ever, and it remains horrible. Wouldn't want to live in the home cooking this "homestyle" breakfast. Brekkie coupon way better than the food.

It is a 'quirky' place.

The walls are loaded with artwork.

This is Fairbanks as we climb out after takeoff.

In Seattle, we have drinks and dinner with Genelle, a friend we met on our Lindblad/NATGEO trip to Machu Pichu.

Drinks and dinner with Genelle.

Day 10 - Fairbanks

WORST BREKKIE EVER! You could build a house with the eggs. The meat offerings were suspicious to the sight. The oatmeal like curing concrete. The coffee horrible. Only unknown black tea on offer. CJ forces down oatmeal drowned in milk. Carol dresses the plain yogurt with what few adders available and our 'main' brekkie course is toast on a toaster that barely toasts the bread after three passes. It will be identical on the second morning.

Francesca, our guide said that Pikes was a quirky hotel. This brekkie was NOT a welcome quirk!

There are flowers everywhere around the hotel including one of the largest dahlia's we've ever seen.

When there is not enough snow on the route from Anchorage to start the Iditarod there, Pike's Waterfront Lodge is the alternate starting point, right here on the Chena River.

Later in the day we visit Trail Breaker Kennels. It was founded by Susan Butcher, four-time Iditarod champion and her Yukon Quest champion musher husband, David Monson.

Why are the dogs so calm and quiet? We've been with this kind of dog in Churchill, Canada and Finland and they are always noisily barking and super high strung! We ask the head trainer. She informs us it is a matter of training. She doesn't allow that nonsense from her dogs.

We're given a lecture on the training of the dogs and their training regime.

Next, she conducts a mushing demonstration around the lake with the dog team pulling an ATV without the weight of its motor.

Our guide, Francesca assists in the mushing clothing demonstration. How do they move in that much clothing?

We visit the famous Alaskan Pipeline. There is a viewing place in Fairbanks. The pipeline runs 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

Lunch is at Cookie Jar Restaurant known for its cookies and pies. It was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives TV show. It is truly a quirky and iconic place. The parking lot is full. There is a long waiting line. Our reservation allows access via a back door.

It is a good lunch. The deserts are as good as touted.

After lunch, Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is on the agenda. Their larger new location is still a work in progress. It has only been open for a month.

That said, who would have thought a place displaying this quality of antique cars would be found in Fairbanks, Alaska?

I could post a single blog just of the magnificent cars on display!

We again dine at the restaurant alongside the hotel. We begin with a drink on the patio overlooking the Chena River. 

Tonight we splurge on Alaskan King Crab Legs.

This is your basic American Country & Western sports bar.

Day 9 - Denali to Fairbanks

We are overnighting at Grand Denali Lodge. It is a beautiful lodge perched high on a hill accessed by a serpentine road.

The lodge's deck overlooks the park and "metropolitan" Denali.

The small seasonal village that has sprung up to tourism in the park. We discover that some cruise lines, such as Princess, Australia's favorite COVID-delivering cruise line, have their own hotels down in the village.

In the morning we tour Denali National Park. It is overcast, cloudy, foggy, and with intermittent rain. Apparently yesterday's spectacular weather was a gift and this is a more typical Denali day.

We are on an official park bus such as this.

After a stop at the visitor center to view a brief movie, the next stop is at Savage Cabin.

What is this you ask? This is a U.S. Government record book. CJ was introduced to them in 1972! The Government is still using the same record book. CJ also has the longer version of the Government issued Masterlock to the left of the book.

This is our guide (and bus park bus driver) attempting to hoist moose antlers above his head.

The nails sticking out are to protect against unwanted animal intruders, particularly bears.

It's a MACHINA! When we were climbing into the 'it never rains in Mendoza' Andes and it rained overnight washing out the road, our driver had to call for a road grader to make a road into our position. 

This grader is resurfacing the gravel Denali park road. It is the only real road in Denali.

The driver spots these big horn sheep high on the mountain. Even 'big eyes', CJ's Nikon couldn't get a good picture.

We pass several willow ptarmigan, the Alaska state bird.

The skies clear a bit on the return trip.

Francesca decides on a group picture at the sign marking the park entrance.

Following lunch, we reboard the bus for the ride from Denali to Fairbanks.  Mountains give way to grassy plains.

It is road construction season. Why they are building a new road to straighten out a reasonably straight road, we have no idea.

For the next two evenings, we stay at Pike's Waterfront Lodge. Francesca calls it quirky and that it is.

They have pots of decorative cabbage.

CJ spends a few minutes belting out the opening bars of Bohemian Rhapsody on this outdoor zylophone.

Pike's is located on the banks of the Chena river directly across the street from the Fairbanks Airport. Some of our mob Uber into town to find restaurants. We take the easy way out and dine at the Country and Western sports bar and restaurant next door.

There is a drink on the menu with the small $12 and large $15. When the vodka and berry (it's loaded with berries of all kinds) drink arrives it embarrasses us.

How big is it?

The crab bisque and the garlic shrimp are very good. They are a bit too spicy for Carol.

The river freezes in winter and is host to outdoor activities. There is a snowmobile ice bridge which doubles as a canoe boat ramp at this time of year.

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