The Second Time Around

It's Friday and a busy day for us. We are up and on a tour bus at 8am setting off for the Riverboat Discovery. This is a lively ride on a paddle wheeler on the Chena River in Fairbanks. We took this trip 11 years ago and enjoyed it just as much today. You start off with a quick visit to the gift shop (an Alaska tradition) and then board the four story ship. There is seating on each level and snack bars and more gift shops on board.

On the river there is a float plane that takes off and lands in front of us and we pass by the sled dog kennels of the late Susan Butcher. These dogs specially trained for the Iditarod show off for us and pull an ATV around a track. The the whole team jumped into the river to cool off. The boat makes a stop in a village area where we are treated to demonstrations of First Nation life in trapping, housing and making clothing. There is also a chance to see the sled dogs up close and some reindeer. Lots of fun.

Back on the boat we are give snacks of smoked salmon spread on crackers and finally make our way back to the original gift shop on dry land. After a lunch break we visited an area of the Alaska pipe line and learned a little about how the oil travels from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

The afternoon was spent at the El Dorado Gold Mine. Again we had done this attraction, but couldn't wait to do it again. A train starts you off in a permafrost tunnel and actors explain different types of mining for gold. Then you are treated to a demonstration of placer mining and a sluice where water comes rushing down to wash away the dirt and leave you to use your gold pan to separate the shiny gold from the rest. Afterwards each guest is given a sack of pay dirt and you pan it yourself and each guest is guaranteed at least 8 gold flakes. Jeff and I did well and had about $22. worth of gold between us. I had the gold put into a glass necklace that they sell. Every guest there bought a necklace or earrings making us realize that the place really is a gold mine for the owners.

Anyway we all had fun and left for a salmon bake for dinner. This place is located at Pioneer Park and dinner is a buffet including prime rib, grilled salmon, fried cod, salads, beans and dessert. We were stuffed and glad to return back to our RV to sleep it off.

We have about 21 hours of daylight this time of year and it is weird to go to bed in the light and wake up to brightness again in the morning. But we manage to sleep anyway.