FAIBANKS 2016

The Guide to

FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

• GOLD RUSH HISTORY GALORE • GET YOUR MIDNIGHT SUN FUN • DENALI: ALASKA'S JEWEL • FISH ON!

The Bag Ladies of Fairbanks Cabin 2 in Pioneer Park Memorial Day to Labor Day

We have many locally handcrafted Alaskan gifts, soaps, books, jewelry, fabric and espresso coffee shop.

Why not stop by for our great home made soup & sandwiches while enjoying it in our 110 year old log cabin?

OPEN DAILY 11 A.M. – 8 P.M. • 455-1269

Step into the Gold Dome.... & You’re In A Special Place!

Interior & Arctic Alaska’s Aeronautical History.

16 Aircraft, 31 Engines, Memorabilia, Artifacts, Photos, Stories & More.

Mediterranean and American Food

F11504889

• in business since 1972 •

Bring This Coupon for a Free Soft Drink with food purchase

Pioneer Park Cabin #25 • on the Boardwalk

Open Daily 11 am - 8 pm • 456-3672

Space Camp & Aviation History $1 per person Ages 4-18

Located r in Pionee Park

Visit one of Fairbanks’ oldest homes Operated by the Tanana Yukon Historical Society

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places

TOURS WELCOME History.. This is a must see!

Experience real Fairbanks History F11504887

Wickersham House Museum

Open Daily 12 noon – 8 pm Memorial Day to Labor Day

Admission FREE, but donations are welcome.

• Email:tyhs@alaska.net • www.fairbanks-tyhs.org

455-8947

Celestial Navigation Course May 31 - August 11 Ages 10-15

Wed-Sun 10:30am-8pm • Mon-Tue Noon-8pm Open 7 Days A Week May 15 – September 10 Admission: $4 Single, $8 Family|Children Under 12 FREE but must be accompanied by an adult

(907) 451-0037 • www.pioneerairmuseum.org

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Fairbanks region

Fairbanks

and Interior Alaska

W

elcome to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska, a fascinating land rich in gold mining history, outdoor wonders and friendly people.

There’s so much to see and do here, and our long summer days are perfect for letting you enjoy all that our region has to offer.

If the outdoors is your thing, well, you’ve come to a great part of the Last Frontier to experience it. 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.

Want to spend some time at museums? There’s the University of Alaska Museum of the North, located on the university’s Fairbanks campus. There are also several niche museums, such as the Fairbanks Community Museum, Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Museum, Pioneer Air Museum, and Tanana Valley Railroad Museum 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.

Learn about life, culture and history of Interior Alaska at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center in Fairbanks.

And what about that 24 hours of daylight we’re known for? There’s so much activity at summer solstice in June that, just like the daylight, it’s non-stop. How about the famous Midnight Sun Baseball Game? The Midnight Sun Fun Run? Or the Midnight Sun Festival?

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 in one of the paddlewheelers, rent a canoe 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.

Again, welcome to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska.

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Table of contents FAIRBANKS REGION Fairbanks FAQs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Downtown Fairbanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center . . . . 10 Fairbanks Community Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Antique Auto Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Fairbanks Ice Museum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Aurora Experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Learn about the aurora borealis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Mining Hall of Fame Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Fairbanks Children’s Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Riverboat Discovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Sternwheeler Tanana Chief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Gold Dredge No. 8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Alaska Railroad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 North Pole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Trans-Alaska oil pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Fairbanks map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 Chena Hot Springs Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Farmers markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Running Reindeer Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Get a taste of dog mushing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 • Pioneer Park All about Pioneer Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Top attractions at Pioneer Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Salmon Bake/Golden Heart Revue. . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 • University of Alaska Fairbanks UA Museum of the North . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Georgeson Botanical Garden. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Large Animal Research Station. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

• Outdoor recreation Chena Lake Recreation Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Canoeing and kayaking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Fishing in Fairbanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Chena River State Recreation Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge . . . . . 56 Tanana Lakes Recreation Area. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 • Main events Golden Days. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Midnight Sun Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Midnight Sun Run. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Midnight Sun baseball game. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Arts in the summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Tanana Valley State Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

FOCUS ON DENALI About Denali National Park and Preserve. . . . . . . . 65 National Park Service centennial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Getting around in Denali. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Denali Education Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

BEYOND FAIRBANKS Parks Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Steese Highway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Alaska and Richardson highways. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Visiting Valdez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Valdez fishing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Dalton and Elliott highways. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Taylor Highway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

All of Alaska is in area code 907. The area code is required when using a local

Fairbanks Fire Department: 450-6600

phone to call a location in Alaska but outside the local calling area.

North Pole Police Department: 488-6902

Call 9-1-1 in an emergency

North Pole Fire Department: 488-2232

Alaska State Troopers, Fairbanks post: 451-5100

Fairbanks Memorial Hospital: 452-8181

Fairbanks Police Department business line: 450-6500

Tanana Valley Clinic: 459-3500

Fairbanks Police Department dispatch (24-hour non-emergency number): 450-6507

Fairbanks Regional Public Health Center: 452-1776

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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Fairbanks region

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.

Find us online at newsminer.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fairbanksDNM. Find this 2016 visitors guide online at newsminer.com.

You can stay connected to Fairbanks after you leave by subscribing to the News-Miner’s electronic edition. Start your subscription by clicking on the “E-Edition Log in” button at the top of our website.

Cover photo: Spring migration is in full swing as trumpeter swans gather in the front viewing field at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in Fairbanks on the morning of April 11, 2016. Photo by Eric Engman/ News-Miner.

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Want to know about life in the Fairbanks region?

Here’s some of the basics. Enjoy your stay! ▶▶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. ▶▶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. ▶▶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 • Espresso • Ice Cream • Soup • Salads • Sandwiches • T-Shirts • Alaskan Treasures

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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 year-round because of the warm water being discharged from the power plant. ▶▶How do people drive in the winter?

Very carefully. Most people use studded snow tires or special winter tires for extra traction on the snow and ice. Studded tires can be used from Sept. 15 to May 1 in Fairbanks and other areas north of 60 degrees latitude and Sept. 30 to April 15 in areas south of 60 degrees. ▶▶Is it dark all day long in the winter?

Not really. The shortest day of the year is Dec. 21, the winter 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. ▶▶Is it light all day long in the summer?

Look out the window at midnight and you tell us. Seriously, the longest day of the year is June 21, the summer solstice, when there is 21 hours, 49 minutes of official daylight. At that point, in the last half of June and first half of July, it pretty much is light all day long. Soon after June 21, we start losing six to seven minutes of daylight each day. ▶▶How do you sleep in the summer with all the light?

You close your eyes and count moose. Kidding 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.

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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Fairbanks region

AURORA: THE CROWN OF LIGHT LACEY STREET THEATER DAILY 8PM 500 2ND AVE, FAIRBANKS 907-451-8224

F40505957

▶▶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 and ice fishing are all popular wintertime activities.

▶▶What do dog mushers do with their sled dogs in the summer?

For the most part, sled dogs get a chance to catch their breath and shed their coats during the summer months.

While most mushers typically stop running sled dogs at the end of April when the snow melts, some mushers do exercise their dogs during the summer months using ATVs instead of sleds. Competitive racers usually start training their dogs again in August when the weather cools. Mushers will use ATVs to train their dogs until there is enough snow to use a sled, usually sometime in mid- to late November.

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▶▶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 in town or haul their own water at a cheaper rate. Those tanks in the back of trucks are for hauling water.

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No Fairbanks visit is complete without a stroll downtown Staff report owntown Fairbanks is a hub of shops, restaurants, museums, parks, historic buildings and a river walk.

Architecture in downtown Fairbanks includes examples of both quirky and classical structures.

Golden Heart Plaza serves as the heart of the city center, featuring a fountain, a clock tower, plenty of benches for resting and local vendors throughout the summer. Free concerts are scheduled in the plaza every Wednesday night in June and July as well as Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

From the plaza in either direction, the Chena Riverwalk offers a stretch of greenspace for strolls along the river.

Cushman Street, the main drag, boasts clothing and gift shops plus the Fairbanks Children’s Museum, a space for little ones to explore and play.

D

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Fairbanks region

Cushman Street is also home to several notable structures, many of which have found new purposes as the years have passed.

City Hall, located at Ninth Avenue and Cushman, is the former home of Main School. The old City Hall building, at Fifth and Cushman, is the future home of a downtown distillery.

Courthouse Square, on Cushman between Second and Third avenues, was the location of the first courthouse and federal jail built by Judge James Wickersham in 1904. The new federal building, designed in Art Deco archtectural style, was constructed in 1932 and became the anchor of the downtown district, serving as a courthouse and post office.

It’s now an office building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Second Avenue, which crosses Cushman Street one block south of the river, was once an entertainment hub that included a string of bars, diners and other establishments. The Mecca bar is a holdover from those glory days, while the CoOp Plaza, a former movie theater, now includes restaurants,

shops, an art gallery and the Fairbanks Community Museum.

Venue, across the street in the historic Lathrop Building, offers a gallery and coffee bar. Bouchard’s International Dog Mushing and Sled Museum is next door, at 519 First Ave. A portion Fourth Avenue, three blocks to the south, was once home to Fairbanks’ red light district.

On the north side of the river, across the Cushman Street Bridge, is Immaculate Conception Church, Fairbanks’ first Catholic church. Originally built in 1904, it was moved from the south side of the river in 1911. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Across from Immaculate Conception Church, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, which was first founded as the Daily Miner in 1903, publishes a daily newspaper. It’s also the location of the Arctic Cam, a popular webcam that looks toward the Big I bar and the Chena River. http://www.newsminer.com/arctic_cam/ Information about a Fairbanks self-guided downtown walking tour, with 42 landmarks, is available at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.

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Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center a first step to Interior Alaska exploration Staff Report features@newsminer.com

P

eople interested in exploring Interior Alaska can get a pretty good start on their trip with a visit to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.

Explore Fairbanks, the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs, the Alaska Geographic bookstore and Denakkanaaga Native Elders organization all share space in the building at 101 Dunkel St., on the banks of the Chena River, providing a variety of cultural programs, exhibits and events.

The center also includes “How We Live,” an in-depth display of Interior Alaska’s history and people. The walk-through exhibit hall greets visitors with everyday sounds of the Interior, beginning with a raven’s call, Athabascan fiddle music, the deep roar of a float plane taking off and the musical honking of migrating geese.

The exhibit winds through life-sized dioramas depicting the seasons, flora and fauna of Interior Alaska. A replica fish camp, hunting camp, public use cabin and a northern lights show add to the realism.

The area’s rich cultural history and highlights of the modern community are featured. Alaska lifestyles past and present and the history of the area from its first people, early exploration, gold stampede and oil pipeline are detailed through a wide range of locally donated art and artifacts.

The center is adjacent to Griffin Park and is near bike and walk paths. It offers parking, wireless Internet and restrooms.

Visitors can stow their gear in lockers while they explore Fairbanks or can watch daily free films about Alaska in the center’s 100-seat theater.

A 1905 pioneer cabin on the center’s grounds has been restored, and glass tile mosaics depicting traditional Athabascan beadwork designs adorn the sidewalks. An antler

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Fairbanks region

arch is one of the area’s most popular photo spots, and a webcam (www.morristhompsoncenter.org/web-cam) allows visitors at the arch to wave to family and friends around the world.

The services offered by the center’s organizations are many.

Events available at the center can be found at www.morristhompsoncenter.org/programs.

Explore Fairbanks There is much to do and see in Interior Alaska, and the friendly folks at Explore Fairbanks — formerly known as the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau — will help plan an itinerary of local attractions that fits your schedule. The staff is all local and can answer questions and share personal stories of year-round life in Fairbanks.

The bureau offers hundreds of brochures for attractions, dining, shopping, camping and outdoor adventures in the Interior and across Alaska.

Explore Fairbanks provides a number of services for visitors. They include free courtesy phones for local and credit card calls; public computers for visitors to make travel arrangements and check email; maps of Alaska and the Fairbanks area; and daily listings of available accommodations.

For more information, call 456-5774 or visit www.explorefairbanks.com.

Alaska Geographic bookstore Alaska Geographic is a nonprofit bookstore dedicated to “connecting people to Alaska’s parks, forests and refuges.”

Browse Alaska reading material — children’s books, wilderness adventure, Alaska history and collections from some of the state’s finest photographers.

You’ll also find detailed maps of Alaska’s wild areas, DVDs covering a wide range of Alaska history and culture, and Native arts and crafts. The bookstore is open daily during the summer months.

For more information, call 459-3710 or visit akgeo.org.

TCC cultural programs

The Tanana Chiefs Conference, a consortium of 42 villages in Interior Alaska, promotes Alaska Native unity and self-determination. TCC Cultural Programs hosts cultural programs and events Monday through Friday during the summer at the center.

For more information, call 459-3741 or stop by the center.

Alaska Public Lands Information Center For adventurous visitors, the Public Lands Information Center is dedicated to promoting knowledge and use of “natural, cultural and historic resources on Alaska’s public lands.”

The information center has resources for hiking, camping and fishing and can help with backcountry trip planning.

The information center’s services include resource education programs, interpretive services and fee collection. The center also sponsors daily natural history or cultural films in the theater.

The public lands office is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily Memorial Day through Labor Day. For more information, call 459-3730 or visit alaskacenters.gov.

(Across from Sam’s Club)

Regency couRt Mall 59 college Rd. FaiRbanks, ak 99701

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First Friday art Opening

Gallery Hours: Friday & Saturday11-6pm

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More than a century of Fairbanks history on display at community museum

By Amanda Bohman abohman@newsminer.com

E

very town has a past and Fairbanks is no exception.

A large collection of artifacts depicting the history of Fairbanks can be viewed at the Fairbanks Community Museum located at the Co-op Plaza at 535 Second Ave. Admission is free, though donations are gratefully accepted.

The museum offers visitors a glimpse into how residents amuse themselves during long, cold winters; a display about the Klondike Gold Rush; a collection of dog mushing memorabilia; and photographs and home movies from the historic 1967 flood.

The collection of historic photographs includes a classic picture of miners climbing the 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, putting the Golden Heart City on the map.

New this year, the museum has added an art gallery with works by local artists on display. A replica of a miner’s cabin has also been added.

The museum has exhibits dedicated to the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

Examples of beaded mittens and slippers made in the Interior Alaska village of Galena, located on the north bank of the Yukon River, occupy a display case at the museum. Another display case boasts a bear skin coat with a wolf ruff.

Old newspaper clippings on display date as far back as the 1930s.

A bright yellow 1962 Bombardier Ski-Doo snowmachine is among the relics available for viewing.

“It’s one of the original snowmachines with metal skis on the front,” said museum curator Bob Eley.

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 took place at the Chatanika Lodge until about five years ago.

“That stops everybody,” Eley said.

An electronic display pages through more than 400 photographs of the aurora borealis taken by photographer Warren Gammel.

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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.

“Somebody found this at the dump and brought it to us,” Eley said.

Burn marks on the picture lend truth to the story that it was salvaged from the hotel’s ruins. ▶▶The museum is open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. throughout the summer except for major holidays.

An expanded gift shop offers patches, pins and historical books.

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Copper River • Denali • Fairbanks • Kenai • Mt. McKinley

ANCHORAGE • DAWSON CITY • FAIRBANKS • JUNEAU SITKA • SKAGWAY • WHITEHORSE • DENALI

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Another exhibit pays tribute to the late George Attla, one of the greatest sprint race dog sled champions of all time. The display includes a sled that Attla built and raced.

Another sled on display is believed to have been built by Athabascan elder Howard Luke. A third sled was used in the village of Fort Yukon, northeast of Fairbanks, some 90 years ago, Eley said.

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Get in gear for some history at Antique Auto Museum

By Robin Wood rwood@newsminer.com

T

he Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is a living museum.

That means that almost all 93 cars and horseless carriages — 70-75 of which are on display at any one time — from the late 19th and early 20th centuries are functional.

Visitors to the museum may see some of the vehicles driving around the Wedgewood Estates parking lot or at the Golden Days parade. “We’re pretty much running cars every day, if the weather permits,” museum manager Willy Vinton said.

Inside the museum is a large window through which visitors can watch employees work on the cars in the garage.

The 30,000-square-foot Fountainhead Antique Auto

Who: The Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation (AMHF) was established in 1997 as a Section 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization to honor Alaska’s mining pioneers. Through their lives, we tell the story of mining in the 49th State. During the last 15 years, nearly 100 men and women have been inducted.

Where: On July 18th, 2013, the AMHF opened up a museum at 825 1st Avenue

in downtown Fairbanks—near the Bridgewater Hotel. The building was constructed in 1907 to serve as a bathhouse for early prospectors and miners. The museum, which is being leased from historian Candy Waugaman, is on the historic register.

Organization of Exhibits: The AMHF inductee plaques are arranged in historical sequence from the earliest mining history events to the more contemporary. These include late 19th Century mineral exploration and trading activities, the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush, and then later periods involving copper, tin, and strategic mineral developments.

Featured at the Museum: • Paystreak Newsletters that provide biographic summaries of the pioneers.

• Biographies with plaques and numerous photos depicting Alaska’s mining history.

• A store that features books, coffee cups, and tee shirts.

• Movie clips and other digital media are featured at the AMHF museum.

September. The AMHF Museum will be open Monday through Saturdayfrom 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The AMHF benefits from the volunteer organization, Santa’s Seniors of North Pole.

Please Come Visit the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation Museum and Learn More about Alaska’s Mining Pioneers and About Alaska’s Rich Mining History.

Santa’s Seniors honored at the museum during the 2013 Xmas Party for their volunteerism during 2013-2014

Stepovich family in attendance during the 2014 induction of ‘Wise Mike’ Stepovich (1874-1944), the Patriarch of the family (FDNM Photo)

Placer gold engineer and University of Alaska educator Doug Colp (1914-2010), inducted during 2013

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

Helen Van Campen (1880-1960) inducted into the AMHF in 2014 (UAF Rasmussen Library Archives Photo)

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When: We will open our doors on May 26th and close in mid

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What: Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum When: Summer hours start May 15: Sunday through Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Cost: $10 for age 13 and older, $5 for ages 6 to 12, 6 and under free. Tours and season passes are available.

Contact: 907-450-2100, online at fountainheadmuseum.com

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We offer military discount Locally owned & operated since 1955 201 Cushman Street | Fairbanks Alaska 907-456-7080 | www.ArcticTravelersGiftShop.com

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Museum is one of Fairbanks’ newest premier attractions. It opened in 2009 from the antique collection of Fairbanks real estate developer Tim Cerny.

The collection ranges in time and collection from bicycles and a 19th century horse-drawn sled that was the Cadillac of its era to luxurious vehicles circa 1900 with lavish interiors and an increasing number of pistons.

The museum prides itself in historically authentic vehicle restoration, and several of its cars are prizewinners from the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance competition. Accompanying the vehicles are more than 100 vintage outfits arranged to match the era of the vehicles they are displayed with, the largest display on the West Coast, according to Vinton.

An Alaska auto history exhibit at the museum contains examples of the first three models of vehicles that came to Fairbanks in 1908 and 1909, along with newspaper reports from the time about the exploits of these novel “devil wagons.”

On loan to the museum is the first car built in Alaska, the 1905 Sheldon Runabout, built by Robert “Bobby” Sheldon in Skagway. Sheldon had never seen an automobile but improvised one capable of going 15 mph to impress a lady. Sheldon later came to Fairbanks and in 1913 was the first motorist to drive the 370-mile trail between Fairbanks and Valdez.

“You’ll be blown away. It’s not what you’d expect to find in Fairbanks,” Vinton said.

Contact staff writer Robin Wood at 459-7510. Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMcity

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16

Stay cool with a visit to the Fairbanks Ice Museum

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner o, you’ve seen photographs of Fairbanks in winter – magnificent ice sculptures, giant ice slides and the amazing hues of the aurora borealis.

Well, there’s a place in the center of the Golden Heart City where you can experience all of this winter fun in the middle of summer.

It can get pretty warm in Fairbanks during the summer months when the sun is shining almost 24 hours a day, but one place where you can cool off is the Fairbanks Ice Museum.

Located at the corner of Second Avenue and Lacey Street, in the old Lacey Street Theater, the Ice Museum is operated by Ice Alaska, the organization that hosts the World Ice Art Championships in late February and March here in Fairbanks at the George Horner Ice Park.

The World Ice Art Championships take place during a period of about two weeks, then the magnificent sculptures

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remain on display through the end of March or they melt, whichever comes first.

“Our goal is to show people what it’s like in the winter, while they are enjoying their summer in Fairbanks,” said Dick Brickley of Ice Alaska.

The Ice Museum offers hourly shows from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week from early May through mid-September.

Each show features a film on the World Ice Art Championships, an ice carving demonstration you can watch from the comfort of your seats, the opportunity to view ice sculptures and see an ice carver at work and, for the adventurous, the chance to go down an ice slide.

Admission to one of the Ice Alaska shows is $15 for adults, $14 for senior citizens and military personnel and $8 for children ages 6 through 12.

Come join the fun at the

Tanana Valley State Fair!

August 5 – 14, 2016 Rodeo, Derby, Entertainment, A-1 Midway Rides with new rides for the whole Family!

Visit all your favorite vendors – new and old!

Enjoy the exhibit halls, see what the community has made. 4-H/FFA Livestock and Equine areas open to all.

Come and volunteer and become part of the Fair Family.

Contact the Fair at 907-452-3750.

Non Perishable Entry Day – July 30, 2016 Junior Perishable Entry Day – August 4, 2016 Adult Perishable Entry Day – August 9, 2016

www.tananavalleyfair.org Visit us on Facebook!

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

17

Fairbanks region

Photosymphony captures the magic of the aurora borealis

What: Fairbanks Ice Museum When: Ice Alaska Ice Art Show, hourly 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Second Avenue and Lacey Street Cost: $15 adults, $14 seniors and military, $8 children 6-12.

Phone: 451-8222 Online: www.icemuseum.com

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner

Shows begin on the hour from 10 a.m. through 7 p.m.

At 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. each day visitors can view LeRoy Zimmerman’s aurora borealis photosymphony “The Aurora Experience!” The photosymphony is billed as a “widescreen, panoramic, visual masterpiece.”

Zimmerman, who passed away last November, worked as a photographer for more than 40 years and traveled the globe capturing images of the northern lights.

The cost to see Zimmerman’s show is $10.

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LeRoy Zimmerman chased the northern lights for most of his life and the photosymphony he produced comes to life twice a day in downtown Fairbanks.

Even though the northern lights can’t be seen for most of the summer in Interior Alaska, visitors can experience the late Zimmerman’s magnificent photosymphony “The Aurora Experience!” at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. at the Ice Museum.

Zimmerman’s show, which lasts about an hour, is described as a “widescreen, panoramic, visual masterpiece.”

It is shown every day from early May to mid-September in the historic Lacey Street Theater on the corner of Second Avenue and Lacey Street. There is a $10 admission fee.

Zimmerman created the word photosymphony in 1974 to describe his work.

“It was not a movie, video, slide show, or light show,” Zimmerman said in an interview shortly before his death. “It is an art form I had come up with, something that had never been done before.

“I began projecting panoramas of nature scenes to classical music,” he continued. “What people were seeing on the screen was a ‘symphony’ of photographs.”

Zimmerman’s photosymphony in Fairbanks is the only wide-screen panoramic aurora show in the world.

“I am immensely proud of that,” he said.

Zimmerman was the first photographer to film the auroras in the panoramic format in 1984.

“It truly is a concert of photography,” Zimmerman said. “The animations are shown as close to real speed as possible.”

Zimmerman’s show on the aurora borealis has been running continuously for more than 30 years. It has won numerous national and international awards and is a must-see program for anyone interested in the northern lights.

It features more than 30 different aurora displays.

“The show really is about beauty, with music and images to match,” Zimmerman said. “It’s a very emotional presentation of the beauty of the night.”

Most visitors know what the northern lights look like from images they have seen on postcards, calendars and photographs.

“My job is to bring them that feeling (of the aurora),” Zimmerman said. “Let the beautiful panoramic images of moving auroras fill their heart with magic.”

www.newsminer.com

18

Aurora borealis forms stunning displays on Fairbanks winter nights

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner

T

here’s nothing quite like going outside on a cold and clear winter night in Fairbanks and looking up to see the northern lights dancing across the sky.

The aurora borealis, commonly known as the northern lights, are a splendid sight, with their green, red and purple hues.

The good news is the Fairbanks area offers some of the best views in the world of these dazzling light shows. The northern lights can be seen in Fairbanks and Interior Alaska for about eight months a year, from mid-August to mid-April.

The bad news is during most of the summer months you can’t see them because Fairbanks and the Interior are bathed in almost 24 hours of daylight. It won’t get dark enough for the colorful displays to be seen until mid-August.

However, you can still learn about the northern lights when you’re visiting the Land of the Midnight Sun. The University of Alaska Geophysical Institute provides a wealth of information about the aurora. During the winter months the institute provides an aurora forecast and a place to register for aurora alerts. Visit www.gedds.alaska.edu/auroraforecast.

In the summer months, several aurora shows and displays are featured throughout the Fairbanks area where you can

see and learn about the phenomenon.

Award-winning photographer LeRoy Zimmerman’s photo symphony “The Aurora Experience” will show at 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. daily at the Ice Museum on the corner of Second Avenue and Lacey Street. Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children 6-12.

The University of Alaska Museum of the North has an excellent aurora exhibit that will get you thinking about making a return trip sometime during the winter months.

Also, the movie “Aurora: Rivers of Light in the Sky” plays at least once a day at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, 101 Dunkel St. The Fairbanks Community/Dog Mushing Museum, in the Co-Op Plaza on Second Avenue, has a display of hundreds of photographs by photographer Warren Gammel.

Here are some answers to some common questions about the northern lights.

Q: What is the aurora?

A: The glow in the sky, known as the aurora borealis, is the result of energetic particles entering the upper atmosphere. The specific glow is different from other forms of brightness in the sky, such as scattered sunlight or lightning. Magnetism within the Earth’s atmosphere guide the energetic particles, most often electrons, along field lines to the high-latitude atmosphere.

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

19

Fairbanks region

As the energetic particles penetrate the upper atmosphere, the chance of colliding with an atom or molecule increases the deeper they go. When a collision occurs, the atom or molecule takes some of the energy of the energetic particle and stores it as internal energy while the electron continues on its path at a reduced speed. The release of that stored energy by an atom or molecule, achieved by sending off a photon, produces light.

Q: What makes the color in the aurora?

A: The composition and density of the atmosphere and the altitude of the aurora determine the possible light emissions.

The atmosphere is made up of varying levels of oxygen and nitrogen. Sometimes the photons emitted by the energetic electrons, creating aurora energy, are strong enough to split the molecules of the air around them into oxygen and nitrogen molecules and atoms. This process gives them the signature colors of nitrogen and oxygen storms. Oxygen atoms typically emit green and red colors.

The overall impression is a greenish-whitish glow. An intense aurora can get a purple edge at the bottom, which is a mixture of blue and red emissions from nitrogen molecules.

Q: What is the altitude of the aurora?

A: The bottom edge is typically at 60 miles altitude, but it extends over a large altitude range. An intense aurora from high-energy electrons can be as low as 50 miles.

The top of the visible aurora fades about 120-200 miles, but sometimes high-altitude aurora can be seen as high as 350 miles.

Q: How often does the aurora appear?

A: There is always some aurora at some place on Earth.

You just can’t always see it. When the solar wind is calm, the aurora might be too high and faint to see.

To see the aurora, the sky must be dark and clear, which is why it’s not visible in the Interior until August.

If you are here then, hope for clear skies and head outside for a look.

24th Annual

Music Festival Fairbanks (Concerts in Golden Heart Plaza)

Fairbanks

June & July

Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence

Wednesdays Tuesdays & Fridays 7 - 8 p.m.

12:30 - 1:30 p.m.

See our Concert Schedule in Thursday’s Latitude ALL ShowS Are Free

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Event info www.festivalfairbanks.org or 456-1984

Reservations: 907-450-0555 575 1st Avenue in the Marriott SpringHill Suites

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Summer Hours 11am – 5pm

A L I TTL E B AK ERY WI TH A B I G H EART. Fresh baked goods daily including our famous cinnamon buns (best buns on town!), cookies, scones, and zucchini chocolate fudge cake among other items. For lunchtime (starting at 10:30am) grab a sandwich on our freshly baked bread buns or a calzone on Saturdays. We use as many veggies from local farms as possible. Our fresh brewed coffee is locally roasted from Diving Duck. Find us in the Beaver Sports parking lot. Join us for our 30th season in Fairbanks!

3434 College Rd, Fairbanks, AK 99709 (907) 590-7114 • M-F 6:30am - 4:00pm / Sat 7am - 3pm

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20

Museum offers a glimpse into Fairbanks’ mining history

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner ining has a deep and rich history in Alaska and the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame museum captures much of it in its quaint headquarters on First Avenue. If you want to learn all about the men and women who made mining in Alaska what it is today, the museum should be your first stop.

It is the latest museum in the downtown area to move into a building on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum, organized by the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation, opened in the summer of 2014 and is located in the Historic Bath House and Oddfellow’s Hall at 825 First Ave., on the corner of First Avenue and Cowles Street.

The two-story building was constructed in 1907.

The Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation was formed to honor outstanding individuals who have played important roles in the development of Alaska’s mineral industry.

The mining pioneers include a wide variety of individuals active since the mid-19th century, including prospectors, miners, mine entrepreneurs, professional geologists and engineers, educators, government employees, aviators and even those in the legal profession.

The individuals are known, understood and appreciated for their contributions to the development of the Territory and subsequently the state of Alaska.

The Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Foundation began inducting pioneers in the Hall of Fame in 1997.

The board of directors of the Mining Hall of Fame recently decided the museum should be located in Fairbanks. Board president Tom Bundtzen was selected to oversee the museum.

“The entire mission of the museum is to honor our mining pioneers and tell the history of mining in Alaska,” Bundtzen said.

In the Alaska Mining Hall of Fame, each inductee has a plaque with a biographical sketch in their honor. There is mining memorabilia associated with each inductee as well.

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The museum also boasts a collection of mining equipment, mining documents and rock samples among its many exhibits.

There is a small gift shop where T-shirts, coffee mugs and more than 30 different books portraying mining in Alaska are sold to help support the foundation. Most of the docents at the museum come from the Santa’s Seniors program in North Pole.

The museum also offers lectures on a variety of mining subjects. The lectures are usually held at 7 p.m. on Wednesdays during the summer months. Stop by the museum to check on the summer lecture schedule.

The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday from Memorial Day Weekend through Sept. 20.

Admission is a suggested $2 donation, but any donations are appreciated.

What: Alaska Mining Hall of Fame Museum Where: 825 First Avenue When: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday from Memorial Day to Sept. 20.

Cost: $2 suggested donation Online: www.alaskamininghalloffame.org

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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Fairbanks region

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while receiving an education and not even knowing it.

In addition to permanent interactive exhibits, the museum hosts rotating in-house displays and programs and provides summer field trips to Fairbanks destinations. The museum also hosts summer camps for children ages 4-8. Registration is necessary to attend the summer camps.

As the museum likes to say, “Adults must be accompanied and supervised by a child.”

The 7,500-square-foot museum is located at 302 Cushman St., Suite 101. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The museum is closed on Mondays. Regular admission is $8 for ages 12 months and older; children under 12 months old are admitted free. Museum memberships are available. Admission is halfprice every Friday during the summer break.

You can reach the museum by email at info@fairbankschildrensmuseum.com, by calling 374-6873 or by visiting its website — www.fairbankschildrensmuseum.com. Check out the museum’s online calendar of events for the most updated selection of classes, programs and exhibits.

Contact the newsroom at 459-7572.

www.newsminer.com

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Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com airbanks is rich in museums, and the newest addition to the collective is the Fairbanks Children’s Museum.

The museum opened January 2015 in downtown Fairbanks after almost 10 years of planning. Its goal is simple — to foster education through play. It achieves that goal by housing educational exhibits designed as play stations. And unlike many other museums, the children’s museum encourages kids to touch and explore its exhibits. Kids can climb a replica of Denali, take in art and science classes, play and create, all

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Newest museum in town is for the kids

22

Riverboat Discovery cruise paints a snapshot of Interior Alaska life

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner

T

ake a step back in time when you board the Riverboat Discovery for a three-hour cruise on the Chena River and get an up-close look at what life on the water in Fairbanks was like during the past century.

Even though Fairbanks has just about everything every other modern city has to offer, the voyage along the Chena will give the visitor a glimpse of the town’s rich cultural history.

The Binkley family has worked on Interior Alaska rivers for five generations, piloting ships for more than 100 years. Since the 1950s, various versions of the Riverboat Discovery have taken visitors for a uniquely Alaskan river ride.

The tour meanders down the Chena River where passengers will watch a bush pilot take off and land in a small plane.

The sternwheeler pauses at Trailbreaker Kennels, home of the family of late four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Susan Butcher. Another stop is at a replica Interior Alaska Native village and fish camp.

Your trip begins at Steamboat Landing in west Fairbanks near Fairbanks International Airport.

The landing is a replica gold rush-era river port with a dining hall where a hearty miner’s stew is served. At times, four-time Iditarod and Yukon Quest champion Lance Mackey offers a special presentation.

The landing also includes a gift shop, museum and ice cream parlor.

For those who want to experience a taste of an Interior Alaska winter, you can participate in “Alaska at 40 Below,” a specially designed chamber that drops the mercury to the frigid depths of a mid-winter day.

The riverboat tour showcases typical Alaska modes of transportation as it glides downstream.

Sled dogs were a vital form of winter transportation between villages, carrying people and freight in the days before snowmachines. You will learn about modern competitive mushing with a short talk and demonstration at Trailbreaker Kennels.

Another highlight of the trip is a small plane demonstrating a typical takeoff and landing in rural Alaska. Bush pilots transformed travel in rural Alaska in the early 20th century.

What: Riverboat Discovery Cruise When: 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily from May 11-Sept. 24 Where: 1975 Discovery Drive, Fairbanks Cost: $62.95 adults, $39.95. Free for children age 3 and younger Phone: 479-6673 Online: www.riverboatdiscovery.com

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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The Riverboat Discovery stops for an hour at the Native village, where passengers get a guided tour.

Village hosts relate stories about their history, culture and subsistence lifestyle. You will tour a fish camp, complete with a fishwheel, and learn techniques for catching, drying and storing salmon.

The tour costs $62.95 for adults, $39.95 for children age 3-12, and is free for those younger than age 3. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 479-6673 or online at www.riverboatdiscovery.com.

Tours run at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily from May 12 through Sept. 24.

Lunch is an additional $11.95 for adults and $4.95 for children. The Alaska at 40 Below Experience is free, but you can have your picture taken for a $10 fee.

Locally brewed beer from HooDoo Brewery is available on the cruise and in the dining hall for an additional cost.

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24

Sternwheeler Tanana Chief a novel dining destination

By Dorothy Chomicz dchomicz@newsminer.com

I

f you like great food and beautiful scenery, a relaxing river cruise on the Sternwheeler Tanana Chief is a perfect addition to your Fairbanks itinerary.

The paddle-wheeler — an authentic replica of a trade and passenger boat that navigated the Tanana and Chena rivers in the 1890s — operates from Memorial Day to Labor day and offers vistitors several options.

A catered dinner cruise runs four nights a week and features prime rib, king salmon, potatoes, vegetables, salads, dinner rolls and dessert. A full-service bar is available.

Prices are $54.95 for adults, with a 25 percent discount for children ages 4 to 12. Children younger than 4 are free. Group rates and Alaska resident, military and senior discounts are available.

A champagne brunch is offered every other Sunday and features carved ham, eggs, bacon, sausage, breakfast potatoes, biscuits and gravy, cinnamon rolls, fresh fruit and more. The price is $37.95 and the same discounts and special rates apply.

For those who prefer to enjoy the scenery without a meal, two-hour sightseeing tours are offered at $24.95 per person.

Private charters for weddings, family reunions, birthday parties and other special occasions are available. Rates are affordable and the time, day and length of the cruise are negotiable.

The Tanana Chief also offers themed cruises throughout the season.

For more information check the Tanana Chief website at www.fairbanksdinnercruise.com or call 450-0768 for more details.

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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Fairbanks region

Tour Gold Dredge No. 8 for a look at large-scale mining history

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner here are two kinds of gold found in Alaska and both created stampedes to Interior Alaska and the Fairbanks area in particular.

A trip to Gold Dredge No. 8 will give the visitor a chance to learn about both kinds.

The first gold rush was for the mineral gold found in the rivers, streams and ponds dotting the Fairbanks area. That rush started in the early 1900s and in some form or another continued until almost the middle of the century.

T

What: Gold Dredge 8

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 to the port city of Valdez.

Located just seven miles north of Fairbanks in the beautiful Goldstream Valley, Gold Dredge No. 8 offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the gold seekers of yesteryear as well as the “black gold” flowing through the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

Participants in the tour actually get a three-in-one package when you throw in the chance to pan for your own poke of gold.

The tour offers a close-up view of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline, a ride to the dredge site on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad that linked mining communities north of Fairbanks in the early gold mining days and a chance to pan for gold and cash in on your findings.

Learn about construction and operation of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline while standing in its shadow. Then board the replica of the narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad and hear tales of the thousands of miners who swarmed the surrounding valley in the early 20th century searching for the big strike.

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. You’ll see first-hand how dredges in Alaska sifted the gold from the soil, recovering 3.5 million ounces of gold during the time they were in use.

Then practice the art of gold panning. You’ll find some color, guaranteed.

The two-hour tour allows visitors time to explore the dredge, the dredge camp and the gift shop to have their gold weighed before boarding the train for the ride back to the depot.

By the end of the visit, you will have gained a wealth of knowledge about gold mining in the Interior and a little poke to prove it.

Tours are available at 10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. daily at the train depot near Goldstream Road and the Old Steese Highway.

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (907) 479-6673 or online at www.golddredge8.com.

The cost is $39.95 for adults, $24.95 for children age 3-12.

Infants younger than 3 are free.

When: 10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. daily, May 12 to Sept.

Cost: $39.95 for adults, $24.95 for children age 3-12, free for children age 3 and under; reservations required Phone: (907) 479-6673 Online: www.golddredge8.com

A Weaver’s Yarn

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Carrying the largest selection of fibers in the state.

1810 Alaska Way • Fairbanks • 907-347-1995 www.aweaversyarn.com

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Where: 1803 Old Steese Highway

26

Take a scenic ride on the Alaska Railroad Staff Report Discovery (daily summer service from newsroom@newsminer.com Anchorage to Whittier, with whistlehe Alaska Railroad offers a stops at Spencer Glacier and Grandunique vantage point for visitors view) and Hurricane Turn (a Thursday to the Last Frontier, providing both through Monday service between industrial muscle and a relaxing Talkeetna and Hurricane, with several way to see the vast state. stops in between).

The railroad hauled nearly 4.3 milThe railroad has a passenger lion tons of freight in 2015, much of service fleet of 44 railcars, includit consisting of petroleum products, ing passenger coaches and dingravel and coal. But it also serves as a ing cars. It also features a variety busy passenger service, giving about of cars specifically for enjoying 475,000 annual passengers a leisurely scenery along the route, including look at some otherwise inaccessible bi-level “ultradomes” with a glassscenic areas. domed compartment with a viewing The Alaska Railroad’s significant role platform and reclining seats; Vista is at least partly due to limited infraDome Coaches, with reclining seats structure in the state. Only 31 percent Borelistowing.com 1-800-554-3521 1-907-451-8697 beneath a dome in the middle offerof Alaska’s public roads are paved, ing 360-degree views; and low-level according to the Alaska Department of dome coaches have seats arranged around tables, a small Transportation and Public Facilities. galley and service bars.

The railroad stretches from Seward on the Kenai Peninsula The railroad also offers vacation packages, running from to the Fairbanks North Star Borough. two days to 10 days. Offerings include glacier cruises, a rails With 656 miles to cover, it offers six separate passenger and trails package featuring backcountry hikes, and a basic trains and a variety of runs. tour featuring stops in Anchorage, Talkeetna and Denali.

One of the most popular passenger train is the Denali Star, This summer, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the a daily summer service between Anchorage and Fairbanks, National Park Service, the railroad is offering an eight-day with stops at Talkeetna and Denali. From mid-September package with visits to four of Alaska’s national parks: Gates of through mid-May, the Aurora Winter Train provides a winter the Arctic, Denali, Kenai Fjords and Lake Clark. weekend service between Anchorage and Fairbanks.

Information about the Alaska Railroad’s various passenger and Other summer passenger trains include the Coastal Classic vacation plans is available online at www.alaskarailroad.com. (daily service between Anchorage and Seward), the Glacier F18505148

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Fairbanks region

North Pole: Home of Santa Claus and much more

By Amanda Bohman abohman@newsminer.com here’s more to do in North Pole than check out where Santa Claus lives.

The community 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks down the Richardson Highway has a network of trails, including an exercise path with stations for doing different kinds of strength training, a new library, a new music park and a new dog park.

The community also has its own visitor center and a wheelchair-accessible nature trail that starts at City Hall.

North Pole began as a homestead. Development-minded residents adopted the name with the hope of attracting toy manufacturers. When the toy factories failed to materialize, the town decided to embrace the Christmas theme. The town motto is “Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round,” and the city website—www.northpolealaska.com—has a counter showing how many days are left until Christmas.

Many streets in and around the community bear holiday names: Santa Claus Lane, Snowman Lane, Kris Kringle, Mistletoe, Holiday Road, Saint Nicholas Drive, North Star Drive, Blitzen and Donner. Buildings and street lights are decorated with Christmas designs.

The Santa Claus House, the red and white building beside a 42-foot tall, 900-pound Santa Claus statue, was originally a trading post and served as the first post office in North Pole.

It’s now a gift shop and a top attraction along the Richardson Highway, where visitors can meet St. Nick and pick up some Christmas treasures.

The Christmas-themed town of 2,198 people is home to a large concentration of military veterans and hosts one of the most patriotic Fourth of July parades in the area. A street fair follows with games, family-friendly activities, face painting and vendors.

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The exercise trail with stations for working out starts and ends near City Hall and is named after Thomas Uptgraft Sr., a retired U.S. Army first sergeant who lived in North Pole and died of cancer in 2013 at age 51. His family donated money to create the exercise path.

Also on Santa Claus Lane is the Terry Miller Park, which offers a playground and a unique new music park.

“There’s a lot of percussion instruments,” Ward said. “You can use the hammers or your hands. There are also xylophone-style instruments. It’s a lot of fun when you get some people around the circle and everyone rocks the instruments and you just kind of jam out.”

Christ welcomed all visitors; come worship with the University Community.

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“We’re all about having a good quality time with the family,” said North Pole Mayor Bryce Ward.

A new library opened in North Pole at 656 North Pole High School Blvd. in late 2014.

Amenities at the new 18,000-square-foot building include laptops that can be checked out; a cyber cafe with stools and a countertop with electrical outlets for computers; a fireplace with a sitting area; and a work center with a copy machine, scanner and fax machine.

The mayor also encourages visitors to check out the network of pedestrian and bicycle trails around North Pole.

“It’s a really fun trail to take the kids on,” Ward said. “You can see the beavers and usually there is quite a bit of wildlife there right in the middle of town.”

This summer, an effort is underway to improve pedestrain signage around the community, including a new Welcome to North Pole sign, the mayor said.

North Pole also has a new dog park across from the post office on Santa Claus Lane.

“It’s fully fenced in,” Ward said. “There are benches for sitting. This summer, they are putting in the fire hydrant for the dogs to have fun with.”

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Fairbanks region

Trans-Alaska oil pipeline an engineering marvel

By Weston Morrow wmorrow@newsminer.com 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.

Construction of the pipeline took place in the 1970s. Crews began laying pipe in spring 1975 and laid the final stretch of the line on May 31, 1977. The process necessary to get to construction phase began in 1969.

During the course of the project, the pipeline involved more than 70,000 workers. 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 the Arctic Ocean and 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 in Prince William Sound that transport it to West Coast refineries.

The pipeline is one of the top attractions to visitors to Alaska, and some of the best places to view the pipeline are in the Interior.

Along its 800-mile journey the pipeline often trails along the side of the Dalton, Elliott and Richardson highways.

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.

Contact staff writer Weston Morrow at 459-7520.

Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMschools.

Welcome to

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NORTH POLE LIBRARY

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32

Take a soak, summer or winter, at Chena Hot Springs Resort

By Weston Morrow wmorrow@newsminer.com

geothermal heating network, Chena Hot Springs Resort is a top attraction.

Chena Hot Springs Resort adds a number of amenities to the naturally occurring springs. The resort features about 80 rooms and family suites in its Moose Lodge as well as cabins and camping accommodations for those visiting in the summer.

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.

In addition to taking the waters at Chena Hot Springs, visitors can schedule a massage at the resort’s massage parlor.

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ineral hot springs throughout the world have drawn humans to their waters for thousands of years.

Chena Hot Springs, located just northeast of Fairbanks, has been drawing visitors to its waters for more than 100 years.

The resort lies 60 miles from Fairbanks at the end of the road that bears its name. The resort draws visitors to its little corner of Interior Alaska year round. When the winter months are at their peak, visitors who have come to the north to witness the aurora borealis, as well as locals, often will make the drive to the hot springs.

The warm mineral springs create a welcome contrast to the surrounding snow and cold temperatures. Even when temperatures fall to 40 below zero, the hot springs remain open. Naturally fed and warmed through Earth’s

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

33

Fairbanks region

Developer Bernie Karl is a firm believer in sustainable business methods. 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.

Each year, the resort hosts a renewable energy fair that brings in exhibitors from across Alaska.

And, believe it or not, the ice museum at the resort is open in the summer. During those hot months, the inside of the museum is cooled to about 20 degrees.

While visiting the ice museum, 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.

Contact staff writer Weston Morrow at 459-7520.

Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMschools.

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34

Fairbanks farmers markets keep it fresh

By Gary Black gblack@newsminer.com he bounty of the state’s harvests can be found all over Interior Alaska, especially at our farmers markets.

Usually starting in May and running through midSeptember, farmers markets in the Fairbanks region offer everything that grows big and bold under our 24hour summer daylight: zucchinis, yellow squash, onions, potatoes, broccoli, greens, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, and more. Much more. If we can grow it in Alaska, you can find it at a farmers market. And that’s not even mentioning the people who turn out to sell their homemade wares. Potters, craftsmen and artists all inhabit our markets, too, selling everything from homemade goat milk soap to paintings and pottery to hand-crafted items that reflect Alaska.

Don’t forget the food, either. Our markets are filled with vendors selling fresh-made items for purchase that you can eat on the spot.

“We really focus on Alaska grown and local, local, local,” said Brad St. Pierre, general manager of the Tanana Valley Farmers Market. “And that’s local money. That dollar is making an economic impact in Fairbanks.”

The Tanana Valley Farmers Market is the largest of Interior Alaska’s farmers markets. Located at 2600 College Road, the market is open Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays through Sept. 17. June 5 marks the beginning of the market’s Sunday hours. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Returning this year to downtown Fairbanks is Market Festival Fairbanks in Golden Heart Plaza. The market, which

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features produce stands from local farmers, food vendors, and artists and their wares, opens June 1 and runs through Sept. 15. It’s open noon to 8 p.m. Mondays and noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. The nonprofit organization Festival Fairbanks organizes the downtown market.

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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Fairbanks region

Because of its central location in downtown, Market Festival Fairbanks also includes a slate of rotating performers and musicians who perform summer concerts.

In South Fairbanks, the Southside Community Farmers Market, hosted by Calypso Farm and Ecology Center, is returning. It will operate 4-7 p.m. Tuesdays on the corner of 24th and Rickert streets, next to the JP Jones Community Center. The market opens June 7 and runs through Sept. 27. The market also doubles the value of food stamps and accepts WIC and senior stamps.

Just outside Fairbanks, the community of Ester hosts the Ester Community Market each Thursday from 4:307:30 p.m. in Ester Community Park. Nenana, about 60 miles south of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway, hosts its farmers market from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays through Sept. 5 at the Nenana Civic Center on Main Street.

Contact Features Editor Gary Black at 459-7504 or on Twitter: @FDNMfeatures.

The World Famous

101 St. Nicholas Drive

North Pole, Alaska

S i n c e 1952 , S a n t a C l a u s H o u s e h a s p r o v i d e d m i l l i o n s o f g u e s t s w i t h a n e xc i t i n g s h o p p i n g e x p e r i e n c e a n d a n a b u n d a n c e o f p h o t o o p p o r t u n i t i e s . V i s i t w i t h S a n t a a n d h i s r e i n d e e r, b r o w s e t h r o u g h t h o u s a n d s o f u n i q u e g i f t s , a n d v i e w t h e Wo r l d ’s Ta l l e s t S a n t a , s t a n d i n g o ve r 4 0 f e e t h i g h .

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36

Take a walk with reindeer at Running Reindeer Ranch

tourism business built around Alaska wildlife, a symbol of Christmas and a family pet has become a popular attraction for visitors to Fairbanks.

Running Reindeer Ranch is home to seven reindeer. It offers visitors a 2.5-hour stroll with reindeer and a chance to learn about the animals, which are a domesticated subspecies of the wild caribou. During the walk, one reindeer is put on a lead rope while the others cavort and play “reindeer games,” according to co-owner Jane Atkinson.

The business, entering its sixth year of operations, has quickly become one of the top-rated Fairbanks attractions on travel website TripAdvisor.com.

Atkinson runs the ranch with her husband, Doug Toelle, and Atkinson’s daughter, Robin Spielman.

The first reindeer, a compromise pet for Robin, who wanted a horse, arrived in 2007. The business started by accident after walks with the reindeer became popular with friends and family.

What: Running Reindeer Ranch tours are available only by reservation.

How: Contact the ranch to set up an appointment at info@runningreindeer.com or calling 455-4998 How much: $55 for adults, $35 for children 3-13, kids younger than 3 free.

Where: The ranch is in the Goldstream Valley, contact for directions.

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Atkinson knew almost nothing about reindeer before her daughter suggested the idea. She has since become knowledgeable about the history and behavior of the animals. The most common visitor questions she gets are about the differences between reindeer and caribou, as well as questions about the antlers.

In the summer, the tour includes a stop at the family garden and a chance to taste its bounty. The tour ends with cookies made from a recipe Robin developed when she had a cookie-dough business to raise money for the first reindeer.

To set up a tour of the ranch, send an email to info@runningreindeer.com or call 455-4998. Tours are $55 for adults, $35 for children 3-13 and kids younger than 3 are free. Information is available online at runningreindeer.com.

Reindeer also may be seen in the Fairbanks area at the Large Animal Research Station on Yankovich Road and at the Fairbanks Experimental Farm on Sheep Creek Road.

Information on research station tours can be found at lars.uaf.edu/tours.

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com

37

Fairbanks region

Fairbanks a mecca for dog mushing, the Alaska state sport

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Mushing history Bouchard’s International Dog Mushing Museum houses more than 2,000 pieces related to sled dog racing in a 5,000-square foot facility at 519 First Ave.

“We’re, technically, the only dog mushing museum in the world, and in the state of Alaska,’’ said museum owner Kya Bouchard, who started racing sled dogs 10 years ago at age 52.

The museum features exhibits, displays and information about sled dog racing in other countries. It includes a sled owned by Leonhard Seppala, who was instrumental in the 1925 serum run from Nenana to Nome, and sleds from the Mackey family, which includes Lance Mackey, a four-time winner of the Yukon Quest and Iditarod races, and Jeff King, a four-time Iditarod champion.

The Iditarod runs annually each March for more 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome.

Admission is $10 per person and there are discounts for tour groups and military personnel. The museum also rents space for private parties.

For more information, call 699-5790.

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By Danny Martin dmartin@newsminer.com he absence of snow in the summer in the Interior doesn’t mean that sled dogs and mushers are hibernating. Visitors can find out about them at buildings that honor the sport and also by visiting any of the several sled dog tour operators.

The Yukon Quest Headquarters, 550 First Ave., is all about the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race that runs each February between Fairbanks and Whitehorse,Yukon, in Canada. The 2017 race starts in downtown Whitehorse and finishes on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks.

The Fairbanks finish line also is a hop and a skip from the Yukon Quest headquarters, which features a display, a couple of sleds, results from the 2016 Yukon Quest, and souvenir merchandise and apparel.

Summer hours for the Quest headquarters are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Admission is free.

“If you want any information about the Yukon Quest, we’re happy to talk about it,’’ assistant director Neil Gabbart said.

The Yukon Quest headquarters also has daily visits during the summer from mushers and their dogs who have competed in the race.

For more information, call 452-7954 or visit www.yukonquest.com.

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$5,000 TO GO EVERY SESSION! B

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Hands-on experience Visitors to Black Spruce Dog Sledding, which conducts tours through black spruce forests and scenic viewing areas north of Fairbanks, experience dogs pulling them on a six-person UTV. There’s also hands-on experience for visitors, such as harnessing dogs and helping feed them after a run.

Tours are offered from May to October.

For more information, call 371-3647 or visit www.blacksprucedogsledding.com.

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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I N G O B I N G O B

Museum hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.

For more information, call 457-3669 or emailinfo@fairbankshistorymuseum.com.

F10505449

The Fairbanks Community Museum, upstairs in Suite 215 in the Co-op Plaza on Second Avenue downtown across from the Marriot Springhill Suites, includes exhibits and displays about sled dog racing.

“We’re more on the origins and historical background of dog mushing,’’ said Bob Eley, president of the museum’s board and a former News-Miner sports editor.

The museum includes exhibits about the Yukon Quest, Iditarod, Open North American Championships and sprint mushing legend George Attla, an eight-time winner of the ONAC, conducted each March in Fairbanks, and 10-time winner of the Fur Rendezvous Open World Championship in Anchorage.

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Fairbanks region

Sirius Sled Dogs offers a touring experience on Murphy Dome, about a 45-minute drive northwest of Fairbanks.

For more information and to set up an appointment, visit www.siriussleddogs.net.

Just Short of Magic offers summer educational dog mushing tours that include handling sleds, harnessing dogs and feeding them.

The facility located at 16 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road offers a half-hour swing dog tour, one-hour lead dog tour and a twohour mushing school tour. For more information, call 750-0208 or visit www.justshortofmagic.com.

Mary Shields, the first woman to complete the Iditarod, finishing in 1974, offers sled dog tours through her company, Alaskan Tails of the Trail.

Shields conducts one tour a day through a boreal forest near her home near Fairbanks. The tours also offer an up-close and personal look at mushing.

Visit www.maryshields.com for more information on the tours.

Frisky Pups Bed and Breakfast and Sled Dog Tours, co-owned

by Bill and Sandy McKee and located at 14.1 Mile Chena Hot

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Springs Road, offers a kennel tour and, depending on the weather, short sled dog rides.

The one-hour tour starts with a video presentation about sled dog activities in Alaska. Visitors will then be taken to the dog lot, where they’ll be taught to harness dogs and learn about the care of sled dogs in the summer.

Bill McKee said if temperatures are cool enough for the dogs, a team will be hooked up to a four-wheeler to take visitors on a ride that lasts five to 10 minutes.

“August and September definitely,’’ McKee said of two months in Alaska with cool weather. “In June and July, we have to start early.

“We’re pretty particular — 45 degrees in the morning is the cutoff,’’ he said.

Information about schedules and rates is available at 750-2313 or by sending an email to friskypupsbb@gmail.com.

The business also debuts its website, www.friskypupsbb.com, this summer.

Contact sports editor Danny Martin at 459-7586.

Follow him on Twitter: @newsminersports.

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Pioneer Park Pioneer Park showcases Fairbanks’ rich history, gives kids a place to play

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner 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 some 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 eight museums, nine attractions, eight shops, at least five places to get some grub, arts events, a playground and picnic areas and more on the 40-acre site, the historic theme park gives the visitor an opportunity to learn a lot about Interior Alaska and early Fairbanks.

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 by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly in 2002.

Eight historic exhibitions are on the premises located at 2500 Airport Way — Alaska Native Museum, Harding Car,

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Kitty Hensley House, Pioneer Air Museum, Pioneer Museum, Riverboat Nenana, Tanana Valley Railroad Museum and the Wickersham House.

Other attractions in the park include the Alaska Outdoor Rentals and Guides, Bear Gallery, Big Stampede Show, Crooked Creek Railroad, Lucky Fox Gold Mine, Mini-Golf Fairbanks, Roela’s Carousel, Square Dance Hall and the Palace Theater.

What: Pioneer Park Where: Main entrance on Airport Way between Peger Road and Wilbur Street When: Concessions open from noon-8 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends.

Cost: Admission is free, cost of attractions varies.

Phone: 459-1087 Online: www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/pioneerpark

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You can do plenty of shopping on the grounds, as well.

Shops include Betsy’s Photography, Bush Babies, CHARMS

by CJ, Fairbanks Arts Association, Just Originals, Little Willow, Oh So Wonderful and Red Light Arts.

Midnight Sun ATV Tours also operates out of Pioneer Park. The company offers half-day and full-day excursions that include scenic views, wildlife viewing and lots of trail riding time. Costs vary from $80 to $250 per day, and there are discounts for senior citizens, military and groups of five or more.

For more information on Midnight Sun ATV Tours, go to www.midnightsunatvtours.com or call (907) 460-2320.

If you are looking for some food, there’s plenty of it, with the Alaska Salmon Bake, Frosty Paws, Gold Rush Ice Cream Parlour, Mama Grizzly’s Grill, Souvlaki, The Bag Ladies of Fairbanks and possibly others all offering up something to please.

If you’re into the arts, the Bear Gallery in the Centennial Center for the Arts offers monthly shows, and there are Gazebo Nights featuring different local

musicians or storytellers at 7 p.m. daily at the gazebo.

There’s a square dance hall as well.

Pioneer Park also features two large playgrounds stocked with plenty of equipment, a picnic area, a minigolf course, a bocce court, a carousel and a narrowgauge train that takes passengers for a ride around the perimeter of the park.

The park is open year-round. Concession hours, however, are from noon-8 p.m. daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. There is no general admission fee, but some museums have admission charges while others accept donations.

Pioneer Park also welcomes RV visitors to stay in the parking lot for $15 per night for a maximum of four consecutive nights. No reservations are required, but the RV must be registered at the Riverboat Nenana upon arrival. There are no hook-ups available. Potable water is available on-site.

For more information about Pioneer Park, go to www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/pioneerpark.

PIONEER PARK www.pioneerpark.us • email: pioneerpark@fnsb.us

Park Office: (907)459-1087 • 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701

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Airport Way & Peger Rd. • Fairbanks, Alaska • 459-1095 Visitor Information • Gold Rush Town (Shops) • Pioneer Aviation Museum • Mini Golf & Carousel • Kayak & Bicycle Rentals • Square & Round Dance Hall • Palace Theater Show

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For Arts in the Park info call Fairbanks Arts Association at 456-6485

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Top attractions at Pioneer Park

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner 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 from Memorial Day to Labor Day weekends.

Most are free, but some charge admission as noted.

Donations are gladly accepted. Here are some of the major attractions:

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Pioneer Museum and Big Stampede Show 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.

Hundreds of photographs and numerous items donated by the early pioneers and gold-seekers adorn the walls of the museum, which 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 area 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 mid1960s.

Marks on the outside of the building show the water levels from the devastating flood of 1967.

The museum is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. There is no admission fee, but donations are appreciated.

Big Stampede Show The Gold Rush Saga comes to life in the Big Stampede Show, which shows four times daily throughout the summer.

Take a trip over Chilkoot Pass, shoot the rapids, strike it rich in Dawson City, then move on to Fairbanks. The 50-minute show is narrated by poet laureate Ruben Gaines and includes 17 paintings by C. Rusty Heurlin valued at more than $1 million.

Shows are at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. in the theater. Admission is $4 for adults, $2 for children age 6-16. Children under age 6 get in for free.

Kitty Hensley House The Pioneers of Alaska also operates the Kitty Hensley House, which 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 pieces of furniture from the period.

The SS Nenana Located in the center of Pioneer Park is the SS Nenana, a sternwheeler renovated by the Fairbanks Historical Preservation Foundation and operated by Pioneer Park.

The renovation of the SS Nenana began in 1987, and the “Last Lady of the River” was declared a National Landmark in 1992, thanks to the efforts of the late John D. “Jack” Williams and other influential Fairbanksans who formed the foundation.

The SS Nenana is the largest steam-powered sternwheeler ever built west of the Mississippi River and the second largest wooden vessel in existence.

It has more than 11,930 square feet of interior exhibit area space and 10,000 square feet of exterior decks.

The 300-foot diorama with an oil background mural depicts, in incredible detail, life in the 22 villages along the Tanana and Yukon rivers between 1847 and 1932, when sternwheelers ruled the waterways of the Interior.

Harding Car Near the SS Nenana 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 chief executive officer 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.

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In addition to being a law man, 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.

He purchased the lot for $175 and built the house himself, hauling the lumber down the street on his back.

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 furnishings are as they would have been in Wickersham’s time, with some original pieces.

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.

“Fairbanks was the birthplace of aviation in Alaska,” curator Pete Haggland said. “There’s a lot of aviation history here, and we’ve got most of it.”

Displays range from the first flight in Fairbanks in 1913 to the present.

Some of the aircraft on display at the museum include a Bullwing V-77/AK-19 Alaska Bush plane; a restored Fokker Super Universal Bush aircraft that crashed near Arctic Circle

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in 1938; Russian “Lend-Lease� aircraft used in World War II; a Stinson SR-5 Junior circa 1933; a Noorduyn Norseman military search and rescue Alaska Bush plane; and a Duce II Homebuilt FAA (1987).

Admission is $4 for adults and $7 for a family of four.

Children younger than age 12 are free and must be accompanied by an adult.

The museum is open from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. daily from May 15 through Sept. 10.

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.

Dinners Served Nightly 5-9 PM

Friends of the Tanana Valley Railroad restored Old Engine No. 1 in 1999, and she is rolled out several times a summer to putt down the tracks circling Pioneer Park with at least two open cars full of visitors. On other days, the train pulled by a replica, Engine No. 67.

When at rest, Engine No. 1 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.

Native Museum Pioneer Park is working with AmeriCorps Vista to put together a revitalization plan on how to share Alaska Native culture with visitors to the park.

The Alaska Native Museum features artifacts, maps and other exhibits depicting the life of Natives well before the 49th State was purchased from Russia. The museum is a work in progress and continues to grow each year.

All-You-Care-To-Eat Fire Grilled Salmon, Slow Cooked Prime Rib & Beer Battered Bering Sea Cod.

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The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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A musical comedy about the early years in Fairbanks by a polished, professional cast

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Fairbanks region

Dinner and show, Last Frontier-style

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner

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ou’re hungry as a grizzly bear and you’re looking for an evening of entertainment after devouring your biggest meal of the day. You don’t have to travel far to accomplish your goals.

The Alaska Salmon Bake and the Golden Heart Review at the Palace Theatre in Pioneer Park will fit your needs perfectly.

You can get a quality dinner in a rustic Gold Rush setting and then take in an old-fashioned performance all in the same evening.

The Alaska Salmon Bake — the only one in Fairbanks — is where you can enjoy all the food you like while surrounded by the historic theme park filled with Gold Rush cabins and antique mining equipment.

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The Salmon Bake will offer two entrée selections this year – one featuring all-you-care-to-eat fire grilled salmon, hand-dipped beer battered cod and prime rib, with the other featuring a healthy 1 1/2-pound portion of Alaska snow crab.

The succulent snow crab is available as a stand-alone meal or as an add-on to the all-inclusive dinner for an additional fee. It is not included with the all-you-care-to-eat dinner.

Each meal comes with a trip through the salad bar, roasted potatoes, baked beans, sourdough rolls, a tour of Stroeker’s Dessert and Coffee Cabin and non-alcoholic beverages.

Each entrée is $34.95 for adults, $14.95 for children ages 9 to 12 and $9.95 for children age 4-8.

Beer and wine are available for an additional cost.

The venue offers plenty of indoor and outdoor seating.

The salmon is caught in Alaska waters, cooked on an outdoor grill over a bed of black spruce coals while basting in a sweet sauce. The cod is from Alaska’s Bering Sea and hand-dipped in a special beer batter. The prime rib is slow cooked in an outdoor smoker.

Dinner is served from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. every day from May 8 to Sept. 9 The Salmon Bake offers a shuttle service from many local hotels. Shuttle transportation is $8 round-trip.

Palace Theatre After dinner, or as a separate event, you can get a special rendition of Fairbanks’ history and folklore at the Palace Theatre.

Featuring live original songs and light-hearted stories, the cast of “The Golden Heart Review” answers many commonly asked questions about Fairbanks such as “Why would anyone want to build a town in this swamp area, anyway?” and “Why has this unlikely little town survived for more than 100 years?”

The Golden Heart Revue features music and lyrics by Fairbanks composer Jim Bell and a book by Timothy Ames, William Arnold, Richard Ussery and Steve Arthur.

The Golden Heart Revue will leave you a bit wiser and will bring a smile to your face.

The professional performance at the Palace Theatre is at 8:15 every evening from May 16 to Sept. 9. Additional performances may be added later in the summer.

The cost of the show is $22 for adults and $11 for children.

To make reservations, call 1-800-354-7274.

The Alaska Salmon Bake and Palace Theatre are family owned businesses operated for more than 35 years.

For more information, go to www.akvisit.com.

Find all the information you’ll need for your visit to Interior & Arctic Alaska

View free amazing displays about Interior Alaska

Free cultural and natural history films.

The Center is home to Explore Fairbanks, Alaska Public Lands Information Center, Alaska Geographic, Denakkanaaga, and Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs

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University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North puts Alaska on exhibit

By Gary Black gblack@newsminer.com

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he Museum of the North is one of the jewels of the University of Alaska Fairbanks that every visitor should explore.

The museum — officially called the University of Alaska Museum of the North — is housed at 907 Yukon Drive on the UAF campus. It’s a repository of science, holding 1.4 million artifacts and specimens that form the basis of the museum’s exhibits and research. The collections are divided into 10 disciplines (archaeology, birds, documentary film, Earth sciences, ethnology/history, fine arts, fish/marine invertebrates, insects, mammals and plants) that serve as a catalyst to study all aspects of life in Alaska.

The exhibits are as varied as the museum’s specimens.

Permanent exhibits include the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery, which houses art that spans 2,000 years, from ancient ivory carvings to modern works; the largest display of gold in the state; Blue Babe, a 36,000-year-old mummified steppe bison; and even the museum’s unofficial mascot, Otto Bear, a mounted, towering grizzly that greets guests. (Otto gets around, too — he’s all over social media under the hashtag #OttoBear.) The museum is home to 19,526 square feet of space, with galleries taking up 13,915 square feet of that space. Galleries include the Gallery of Alaska, Collections Gallery, Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery, Place Where You Go to Listen, and Special Exhibits Gallery.

This year’s big summer exhibit is all about the giant reptiles that once roamed the Far North. You can check them out in “Expedition Alaska: Dinosaurs.” The exhibit, on display through May 2017, features displays of hadrosaurs, an ichthyosaur and a thalattosaur, as well as interactive exhibits about Alaska dinosaurs.

“For about three decades now, we’ve been collecting fossils from across the state with the primary focus on the North Slope,” said Theresa Bakker, who handles marketing and communications for the museum. “We’re bringing them in by the ton, but it takes time to catalog them. It’s methodical. It’s science. It doesn’t happen overnight.”

The museum is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days per week from June 1 to Aug. 31. Admission is $12 for ages 15 and up; $7 for ages 5 to 14; $8 for adults with an Alaska ID; $5 for Alaska youth; and $4 for UA staff and faculty.

Admission is free for UA students with ID, for Museum of the North members and for active-duty military families stationed in Alaska.

You can follow the museum on Facebook at www.facebook.com/alaskamuseum, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/alaskamuseum, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/alaskamuseum.

Contact Features Editor Gary Black at 459-7504 or on Twitter: @FDNMfeatures.

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Alaska blooms at botanical gardens Staff Report features@newsminer.com laska is known for the enormous vegetables that thrive during the long summer days, but there are plenty of less-famous plants that make their home in the North.

Many of them can be found in the Georgeson Botanical Garden at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The northernmost public garden in North America is a scenic spot to view flowers, perennials and even some of the state’s wellknown veggies.

Visitors can check it out during a self-guided tour, using brochures and signs for interpretation. The area also includes a gorgeous view of the Alaska Range, with Mount Denali visible on a clear day. A children’s garden includes a maze, a miniature log cabin and a water garden. Benches, bird baths and sculptures accentuate the scenery.

The century-old garden, named after former Alaska Agriculture Experiment Stations director Charles Georgeson, is more than just a spot for a scenic summer walk. It’s a hub for high-latitude plant science, serving as a three-acre laboratory for growing beneath the midnight sun in Interior Alaska’s short summers.

A pair of memorial gardens are dedicated to longtime supporters of the botanical garden. The Earl and Dorothy Beistline Garden, named in honor of the late Fairbanks residents, is planted with delphiniums in honor of the couple. Earl, an influential Alaska miner, died in 2012 at age 96. Dredge buckets will eventually be installed as part of the garden in his recognition. A “weather garden” honors longtime National Weather Service meteorologist Ted

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Fathauer, who died in 2013. The garden features a sundial and rain gauge, among other weather-related items.

The garden is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 1 through Sept.

5. Admission is $5 per person, and children under age 5 are admitted free. Admittance is free for botanical garden members. Group tours are available by appointment only and cost $10 per person with a $50 minimum. Pets aren’t allowed in the garden, and tree-climbing is not allowed.

For more information about the botanical garden, go to www.georgesonbotanicalgarden.org.

What: Georgeson Botanical Garden When: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. June 1 to Sept. 5 Where: 117 West Tanana Drive, UAF Admission: $5 per person, children under 5 are admitted free. Admittance is free for botanical garden members.

Group tours are available by appointment only and cost $10 per person with a $50 minimum.

Phone: 474-7222 Online: www.georgesonbotanicalgarden.org

University research station home to reindeer and musk ox

By Weston Morrow wmorrow@newsminer.com laska is known for big things. The state itself is more than twice as large as Texas, and Denali, “The Great One,” is the highest mountain in North America.

In addition to geography, Alaska has an extensive population of great-sized animals, including moose, caribou and bear. Spend some time on the roads and trails around Interior Alaska and before long you will likely see one of these animals. One large animal you won’t see on the road is the musk ox, a shaggy mammal straight out of the last Ice Age. However, you can see musk ox and other large mammals up close by taking a short drive to the Large Animal Research Station (LARS).

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The Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station is located near the University of Alaska Fairbanks, at 2220 Yankovich Road. It is home to three herds of large herbivorous land mammals — caribou, reindeer and musk oxen. The animals are part of long-term studies in arctic biology and nutrition, among other fields.

The musk oxen represent the vestige of a population that once propagated throughout the northern latitudes of North America. After being forced out of Alaska more than a century ago due to climatic and environmental changes, they were transplanted back into the region from Greenland in the 1930s.

LARS offers musk ox and reindeer viewings and naturalist presentations throughout the summer. A trained naturalist is on staff to answer questions about the animals and 45-minute long naturalist presentations occur at 10 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. daily, Wednesday through Sunday from June 8 to Sept. 4. Cost is $10 for adults; $9 for military and seniors over 65; $6 for students; children 5 and under are free. Special tours can also be arranged.

Visit www.muskoxuaf.org to learn more.

Naturalist presentations last about 45 minutes to an hour. In addition to seeing the animals, visitors will learn about natural history and ecology and will be able to feel hide, horn, and antler samples. Naturalists also discuss the research taking place at LARS. Even when the station is closed or not offering tours, visitors can stop by the station to see the animals from beyond the fence. The station’s parking lot is always open and station staff say animals can often be seen going about their way along the fence line. A picnic area is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday from June through August.

LARS has a gift shop onsite where visitors can purchase qiviut, the under-wool of the musk ox. The shop sells qiviut samples, raw qiviut to process and spin, as well as qiviut yarn from LARS musk oxen and garments that have been knit from qiviut. For more information, visit www.muskoxuaf.org.

Contact staff writer Weston Morrow at 459-7520.

Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMschools.

VISIT US to

experience Alaska Native cultures, discover natural wonders, and explore the state’s diverse wildlife.

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Outdoor Recreation Chena Lake park a good place for a picnic, canoe float or a stroll

By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

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hena 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.

Contact staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545. Follow him on Twitter, @FDNMoutdoors.

Location: 3780 Laurance Road, look for signs on the

Richardson Highway, south of the town of North Pole Camping: $15 a night for tents, $20 a night for trailers Boat rentals: $10 per hour or $40 per day Online: bit.ly/1SgmCHh

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Canoeing and kayaking through Fairbanks is popular pastime

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Paddleboard rentals are $35 for up to three hours. The business can deliver paddleboards around the Fairbanks area for $20, or at no cost if you rent three or more paddleboards.

Trax also offers water ski lessons and longboard lessons.

Canoe Alaska Canoe Alaska is a Pioneer Park business that provides a boat rental and shuttle service. The business is located at the Chena River dock on Peger Road and can also be accessed by walking Entertaining Visitors?

Get hands on experience with big friendly huskies Personal, home visit with celebrated musher and author, Mary Shields.

Summer 2 hour tours begin at 10:00am Please see tripadvisor.com to see why her tour was #1 for past 4 years.

For reservations call 907-455-6469 www.maryshields.com

WALK WITH REINDEER

Join us for a walk in the woods with our reindeer. Located in the Goldstream Valley.

Trax Outdoor Center

at Running Reindeer Ranch

Trax is a new paddleboard and cross-country ski business that opened last year at 314 Birch Hill Road off the Steese Highway. The phone number is 374-9600

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By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com anoeing or kayaking through town is a popular way for locals to cool off on a hot day.

The Chena River flows east to west through Fairbanks before spilling into the larger, silty Tanana River south of town. The Chena has access points at parks and riverfront bars and restaurants. Floating the Chena is a good way to see the Golden Heart City from a different angle.

For visitors who don’t have boats or transportation, there are a few business that rent boats: stand-up paddleboard business Trax Outdoor Center and Canoe Alaska, which rents canoes, kayaks and paddleboards.

Although the Chena River is a fun watercourse to float, it comes with hazards. The river is far colder than most Lower 48 rivers and can quickly cause overboard boaters to lose dexterity and muscle control. By Alaska law, boaters are required to have a personal flotation device for every person on board. Minors are required to wear the flotation device at all times, but it’s a good idea for everyone to wear them.

Alaska State Troopers patrol the Chena River for safety violations. Intoxicated boaters, including canoers and kayakers, can be arrested and prosecuted under the state’s law against driving under the influence.

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trade their kayaks or canoes for rental bicycles and bike back to downtown. This float/bike costs $40 per person for canoes or $50 per person for kayaks.

Contact outdoors editor Sam Friedman at 459-7545.

Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMoutdoors.

Canoe Alaska (Chena river boat rental and shuttle business) Phone: 347-3602 Online: canoealaska.com Trax Outdoor Center Phone: 374-9600 Online: traxoutdoorcenter.com UAF Campus 474-6776 uaf.stmark@gmail.com Sunday Mass: 11:30 a.m.

May 29 through Sept. 04, 2016 Mass held at Margaret Murie Life Science Bldg. Auditorium

St. Mark’s

University Catholic Parish

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through Pioneer Park. Canoe Alaska can also be reached at 347-3602 or website: canoealaska.com. Canoe Alaska owner Josh Davis purchased the business at this location last summer from former boat rental business Paddler’s Cove.

The most popular float is a one- to two-hour trip through residential neighborhoods and a campground between the Pioneer Park dock on Peger Road and The Pump House restaurant. The price for that float is $40 per person in a tandem canoe or $50 per person with a kayak or stand-up paddleboard.

For the more adventurous, the company does a five-hour day trip that drops off at Nordale Road in the North Pole area.

The return float to Pioneer Park takes five to eight hours and takes boaters through a rural area and Fort Wainwright Army post. The price is $65 per person in a tandem canoe or $100 per person in a kayak. The shuttle to North Pole leaves each day at 11 a.m..

A new float this year starts downtown at Barnette Street and finishes at Pioneer Park. From Pioneer Park, customers

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Fishing is easy on Fairbanks-area rivers, lakes

By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

Springs Road are stocked with rainbow trout, which anglers can take home for dinner. Complete fishing regulations can be found online at 1.usa.gov/1Dntb6s.

Fishing licenses cost $20 per day for non-Alaska residents.

Discounts are available for multi-day licenses. Fairbanks has numerous stores that sell fishing tackle.

Popular Interior Alaska fish

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he rivers and lakes around Fairbanks are home to tough cold-weather fish including Arctic grayling, burbot and northern pike.

They’re not as famous as Alaska’s salmon, crab and halibut, but they’re 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 along Chena Hot

Arctic grayling: This trout relative usually grows between 8 and 18 inches in the Interior, but are known for their voracious appetites and a disproportional fight for their size.

Fly fishermen prize them for their willingness to respond to a dry fly. The fish is easily distinguished by the large fan-like dorsal fin along its back.

Northern pike: Pike are long aggressive fish with a fearsome row of sharp teeth. Pike of about 20 pounds are common and the record northern pike is 38 pounds. They’re found in large Interior Alaska rivers such as the Tanana south of 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.

Contact outdoors editor Sam Friedman at 459-7572.

Float, fish or hike in the Chena River State Recreation Area

By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

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ust upstream from Fairbanks and Fort Wainwright, the Chena River gets faster and wilder through the boundaries of the Chena River State Recreation Area.

This 397-square-mile recreation area is popular with locals because it’s one of the closest places for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, canoeing and winter sports. The rec area is accessible for miles along the Chena Hot Springs Road just outside of Fairbanks between miles 26 and 56. The road ends at the Chena Hot Springs Resort, another popular destination for Fairbanksans and visitors alike, and the culmination of many trips to the recreation area.

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Three developed campgrounds and several public use cabins are available in the rec area, several of which are easily accessible in summer months. Reservations are required.

Moose and beaver are abundant in the recreation area, and both black and brown bears frequent the area.

All milepost markers in this section refer to the Chena Hot Springs Road — not to be confused with Chena Pump Road on the other side of Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs Road is accessible from the Steese Highway.

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 on the river. It’s Class 1 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 months. The river is a great place to catch Arctic grayling, but the fishery is catch-and-release only. Several lakes along the 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 limits.

Hiking — The two most popular trailheads are Granite Tors and Angel Rocks, accessible at 39.5 Mile and 48.9 Mile respectively. A $5 day-use fee is required at both trailheads.

Both offer trails to see interesting geological formations along ridgelines. At Angel Rocks, a three mile loop trail climbs steeply to the rock formations, or hikers may traverse the 9-mile oneway 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. The primitive trail shelter along the way is first-come, first-served.

Off road vehicles — Popular trails for four-wheelers include the Compeau Trail at 29.9 Mile, the Angel Creek Hillside Trail at 50.5 Mile (the Lower Chena Dome trailhead), and the Stiles Creek Trail at 31.6 and 36.4 Mile.

Contact outdoors editor Sam Friedman at 459-7572.

Online: dnr.alaska.gov/parks/units/chena/

Creamer’s Field is a popular place for birding, hiking

By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

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ocated just two miles from downtown Fairbanks, Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge is an easily accessible place to enjoy nature, especially the thousands of migratory cranes, geese, swans and other birds that stop here each spring and fall.

Bring your binoculars. The refuge offers 2,000 acres of fields, woods and marshes. It has several nature trails as well as elevated viewing platforms overlooking the fields.

Creamer’s Field was once the largest dairy farm in Alaska. It was used as a farm until 1966, when local residents raised funds to buy and preserve the open space. The farm and and an adjacent 1,500 acres of state

land were formally designated Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge in 1979. The farmhouse and barns still stand and are used today as a visitor center.

Check the Friends of Creamer’s website for information about guided nature walks and other activities throughout the summer.

In the fall (Aug. 26-28 this year) the refuge hosts the Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival, three days of educational activities about one of the most iconic migratory birds.

Contact staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545.

Follow him on Twitter, @FDNMoutdoors.

Location: The Creamer’s Field visitor center and main parking lot is at 1300 College Road Online: Friends of Creamer’s Field nonprofit organization — creamersfield.org.

State of Alaska Creamer’s Field website — 1.usa.gov/19ZvG1d.

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Enjoy the outdoors just minutes from the center of Fairbanks

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arved out of 750 acres of junk-covered wetlands with grant money, donations and volunteer labor, the Tanana Lakes Recreation Area offers nature trails, a swim beach, boat launches, a picnic area and fishing holes.

It’s located about a 10-minute drive from downtown Fairbanks at the end of Cushman Street along the Tanana River, and entrance is free.

The partially developed park opened in 2014, and last winter it became a year-round recreation site with ski trails, a skating rink and ice fishing.

The recreation area is rustic in nature with gravel roads, gravel parking lots, vault toilets and limited staff on duty.

Hours starting Memorial Day weekend are 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Tanana Lakes is operated by the Fairbanks North Star Borough Parks and Recreation Department after a coalition of government agencies, businesses and nonprofits teamed up to reclaim it from its former existence as a place for shooting guns, burning pallets and dumping unwanted vehicles.

It has quickly become a popular recreation site with the swim beach serving as the major draw. The park offers the only public swim beach in Fairbanks.

The beach boasts 4 1/2 acres of silky sand where people can bake under the endless summer sun before cooling off in the larger of two lakes, Cushman Lake, which is dotted with islands and peninsulas.

The beach boasts two volleyball courts and the borough has improved the swim area by adding sand to a peninsula across from the beach.

“You can literally swim from the swim beach straight across over to a little land outcropping,” said Milissa Ackels-Stowell, facility supervisor.

Non-motorized boats, such as canoes and kayaks, are allowed on the swim lake. A paddle boat launch is available with parking improvements planned this summer.

“There is pike fishing, and the lake has been stocked in 2015 by (the Alaska Department of ) Fish and Game,” Ackels-Stowell said.

Segments of a walking trail circle the lake, which will eventually have a developed path around its periphery. The picnic area, which is near the swim beach, has a pavilion, picnic tables, grills and a restroom facility.

The pavilion can be rented for up to four hours for $30.

For more than four hours, the fee is $50. Reservations can be made by calling 459-1070.

“We also do reservations in other sections of the park,” Ackels-Stowell said.

Motor boats and personal watercraft are allowed on a second lake that 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 motorized boat launch.

The park also attracts dog walkers, but dogs are not allowed on the swim beach.

Contact staff writer Amanda Bohman at 459-7587.

Follow her on Twitter: @FDNMborough.

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Main events Celebrating the gold of the Golden Heart City Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com

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old runs through the veins of Fairbanks. Without its discovery nearby, Fairbanks might never have been founded.

Fairbanks celebrates its golden heritage each summer with the Golden Days celebration, a multi-day festival that takes place in July. With the constant chaperone of the golden sun watching over the festivities, Fairbanks commemorates Felix Pedro’s discovery of gold in the hills north of town more than 100 years ago.

Golden Days 2016 will be the 64th annual celebration and will take place July 16-24. This year’s theme is “For the love of gold.”

The celebration gets started July 16 with a Silver Gulch Brewing beer festival, followed by other events and a comedy night on July 21. The festivities come to a head in the morning on July 23, when the Golden Days Parade marches through downtown Fairbanks, followed by the dropping of thousands of rubber ducks into the Chena River for the Rubber Duckie Race in the afternoon (no ducks are harmed in the race and all are collected from the river at the conclusion of the race).

People can purchase tickets for a duck and have the chance to win prizes based on where in the pack their duck finishes.

In the past, prizes have totaled more than $30,000.

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A street fair also takes place throughout the day on July 23 on First Avenue between Cushman and Lacey streets. This year, a river regatta will take place on July 24, organized by several local businesses in the place of the Red Green Regatta, which sailed its last flotilla in 2015. The Alaska State BBQ Championships also take place concurrently with the festival, running July 22-24.

More information on the Golden Days celebration can be found by contacting the Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce at 452-1105 or online at www.fairbanks chamber.org/goldendays.

What: Golden Days When: July 16-24.

Where: Various Places around Fairbanks Phone: 452-1105, Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce Online: www.fairbankschamber.org/goldendays

Midnight Sun Festival brings everyone to Downtown Fairbanks Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com

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he Midnight Sun Festival boasts itself as the largest single-day festival in Alaska, and it gets to do so rightfully.

The event is one of two in Fairbanks listed last year in the American Bus Association’s list of Top 100 Events in North America for 2016.

For one day each summer, Downtown Fairbanks is turned into a street fair full of performers, vendors, food trucks and food stands, all with thousands of visitors celebrating the summer solstice. The 2016 Midnight Sun Festival is noon to midnight on June 19.

When it comes to events and vendors, the oneday festival covers a range. The festival often features activities such as gold panning and pony rides, as well as performances by bands, dance troupes and aerial silk

artists. Food options are limitless, including, for example, barbecue, Asian and Greek. The event also includes raffles and giveaways, an antique car show, and a beer tent for patrons ages 21 and over.

The 12-hour street fair is marked by 30,000 attendees perusing hundreds of vendors and 33 live performances, and is host to gold panning, break dancing and a climbing wall.

While the festival is free to attend, be sure to bring plenty of cash to patronize vendors and purchase food.

The festival is put on by the Downtown Association of Fairbanks, whose mission is to foster economic growth and community interaction in the downtown area.

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Eskimo-Indian Olympics reveals great Alaska cultures

By Danny Martin dmartin@newsminer.com his year’s 56th edition of World Eskimo-Indian Olympics on July 20-23 at the Carlson Center includes a tribute to Big Bob Aiken, a legend of the annual celebration of Native culture, dance and games.

Aiken, who holds the record for multiple WEIO games, died at age 62 in November in Anchorage. He called himself the world’s largest Eskimo based on his girth, but he was an inspiration to WEIO participants and spectators.

“In addition to being an exemplary WEIO athlete and (public address) announcer, Big Bob was also an influential coach and mentor for numerous WEIO athletes — past and present,’’ reads an official statement from WEIO. Aiken was born and raised in Barrow, and he stood at 6-foot-4 and weighed nearly 500 pounds during his competitive career. He competed in WEIO from 1982 to 1987, and among his records are 10 gold ulus (medals) in the Eskimo stick pull, which tests strength and mimics pulling a seal from a hole in the ice.

The best two-of-three stick pull event involves two competitors trying to wrest a stick from one another as they sit facing with their knees bent, feet together and their hands clinching a long wooden stick.

Aiken also garnered seven gold ulus in the Indian stick pull, an event which tests a participant’s grip. The event, also best two-of-three, involves two people sitting and facing one another, and with a handshake-like gesture, one person tries to pull a small wooden stick from the other person’s grasp.

WEIO, whose games are based on traditional survival skills, attracts visitors from around the nation and world and dance groups and competitors from throughout Alaska. Athletes from Canada and Greenland have also participated.

The games display the preparedness a person needed for survival. For example, the ear pull, a tug-of-war of ears and one of the most popular events of WEIO, is based on enduring frostbite during harsh winters in the North.

WEIO has drawn attention from national media, as it’s been featured in People and Cosmopolitan magazines and in USA Today. It’s enjoyed exposure on television programs such as ABC’s “Good Morning America,” ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” and NBC’s “Tonight Show,’’ when Jay Leno was its host.

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In 2008, WEIO was inducted into the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame for the events category.

A few events are alternated each year at WEIO. For example, the traditional Alaska style one-foot high kick replaces the Canadian style one-foot high kick, which was contested last year in the Carlson Center.

More information about WEIO is available at www.weio.org.

Contact sports editor Danny Martin at 459-7586.

Follow him on Twitter:@newsminersports.

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Midnight Sun Run is a sight to see

By Jaryd Cline jcline@newsminer.com

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Midnight Sun Run is a perfect fit for any caliber of runner, which is why it draws in the upwards of 3,000 competitors each year.

“We fit the needs of any type of runner,” race director Susan Kramer said. “You can be an elite runner, casual runner or a walker. We attract a wide range of participants.”

Whether runners are looking for a competitive 10-kilometer race or a casual stroll with friends and family, the Midnight Sun Run is an excellent way to kick off the Midnight Sun Festival.

The run starts at 10 p.m. June 18 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Patty Center and finishes directly in front of the Square Dance Hall inside Pioneer Park among a large crowd of spectators. The Midnight Sun Festival continues the next day from noon to midnight in Downtown Fairbanks.

The Midnight Sun Run is more than the typical 10K, and the run’s costume parade and contest gives runners the chance to show off their creativity. Kramer estimates that around 10 percent (anywhere from 250 to 300 runners) of the race field participates in the contest, which includes new categories each year.

“It’s a very popular thing,” Kramer said. “That’s what brings out casual runners and walkers.”

Runners have three options this year: Race for the White House 2016, The ‘80s, and Anything Goes.

Local businesses sponsor prizes for the best costumes, which are broken up into three divisions — ages 12 and younger, individual, and teams up to four people — with one winner from each costume category per division.

At last year’s race, 42 states were represented and Kramer said runners from Australia and Norway already are registered to participate this year.

To register, visit www.midnightsunrun.net and look for the “Midnight Sun Run 2016 Registration” link. The fee is $25 before June 15, $30 from June 17-19 and $35 the day of the race. The registration fee for all children ages 9 and younger is $15.

For complete details on the race and more information, visitwww.midnightsunrun.net or check it out online at www.facebook.com/midnightsunrun. Contact Kramer at the Fairbanks Resource Agency at 456-8901.

Contact sports reporter/copy editor Jaryd Cline at 459-7530.

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National pastime is a hit under the midnight sun

By Tim O’Donnell todonnell@newsminer.com

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or the 111th time, baseball will be played under the midnight sun at Growden Memorial Park.

The Alaska Goldpanners, of Fairbanks, will face the Peninsula Oilers in the Midnight Sun Game, which is played entirely without artificial light on the summer solstice.

First pitch for the game that has been featured by the Sporting News and ESPN’s SportsCenter is set for 10:30 p.m.

Tuesday, June 21.

Weather permitting, the sun should be shining for most of the game as sunset isn’t until close to 1 a.m.

Tickets to the game can be purchased online at goldpanners.com. Tickets cost $25 for general admission, $50 for a reserved seat in the red section along the third base side of the stadium and $75 for a reserved seat in the silver section behind home plate.

Gates open at 9 p.m. but buying a general admission ticket in advance allows fans to enter at 8 p.m.

Last year, the Midnight Sun Game was featured on Grantland. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, has declared the game a must-seeevent for baseball fans.

The Goldpanners, who are playing an independent schedule this season after playing in the Alaska Baseball League for about 50 years, haven’t lost the game since 2007, a 6-1 loss to the Oceanside (California) Wave.

The Oilers are members of the ABL. The Midnight Sun game is the fourth in a five-game series between the two teams.

The Panners, who went 14-33 overall last season, have only

lost the Midnight Sun Game 11 times since they took over the tradition in 1960.

The first game was played in 1906 as a bet between bars in Fairbanks.

One of the traditions at the game is to sing the Alaska Flag Song at the half inning closest to midnight.

The Panners are a wood bat, summer-league team whose schedule begins in June and runs through August. The roster consists primarily of college athletes.

More than 200 former Panners have gone on to play in the major leagues. The list of Panners alumni includes Baseball Hall of Famers Tom Seaver and Dave Winfield. Barry Bonds, Dave Kingman and Bill Lee also suited up for the Panners.

Kris Medlen, who pitched for the Panners in 2005, won the World Series with the Kansas City Royals last season and, as of April 7, is still with the Royals this season.

Former Panner Brent Strom currently serves as the pitching coach for the Houston Astros, and Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona played in Fairbanks in 1978.

Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu was part of the Panners 1983 team.

Contact sports reporter Tim O’Donnell at 459-7583.

Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMSportsGuy

What: Midnight Sun Game When: First pitch 10:30 p.m., Tuesday, June 21 Where: Growden Memorial Park, Second Avenue and Wilbur Street Cost: $25 for general admission, $50 for a reserved seat in the red section down the third base line, $75 for a reserved seat in the silver section behind home plate.

Available at goldpanners.com Online: goldpanners.com

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Summer arts scene thrives in Fairbanks

By Gary Black gblack@newsminer.com he arts world thrives in Fairbanks, and summer offers its share of performances, concerts and events to fill your cultural need while in Interior Alaska. Productions range from song to stage, many featuring local performers as well as guest artists who travel to Interior Alaska for a chance to perform on our stages. Here’s a look at some of the biggest arts events of this summer.

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Opera Fairbanks Opera Fairbanks is the farthest-north professional opera production in the United States. Since its inception in 2005, it has developed a reputation for putting on world-class performances, many of which draw guest artists from around the globe. This summer, Opera Fairbanks is hosting one of our own — renowned international opera star Vivica Genaux, who was born and raised in Fairbanks. She returns home this summer to perform in “Vivica and Friends,” a concert with Metropolitan Opera singer and baritone Jeffrey Mattsey, conducted by Gregory Buchalter. The performance is one-night only, 7 p.m., June 19, at Davis Concert Hall on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. See www.operafairbanks.org for ticket information.

The Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre was founded on the banks of the Chena River in 1992 and has grown into a year-round production company. Each summer, the troupe performs its summer outdoors production at Jack Townshend Point on the UAF campus. This summer, the theater is producing “Titus Andronicus,” directed

by Andrew Cassel. Performance dates are Thursdays through Sundays, July 8-24. The troupe will also perform its summer show July 29 at Tonglen Lake Lodge in Denali Park. For ticket information, visit www.fstalaska.org.

Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival is a two-week event that spans every facet of the cultural arts — song, theater, improv, dance, music, spoken word, culinary, healing arts, writing and more. Local artists and instructors as well as guest artists from across the world come to Fairbanks to teach classes and host performances at venues across Fairbanks. Residents and visitors both are encouraged to sign up for the classes, which can be found on the festival’s

website, www.fsaf.org. The site also lists performances that take place across the city, many of which are free to attend.

The festival started in 1980 as a one-week jazz festival.

Since then, it’s grown and spread, not just across Fairbanks but also Alaska. Visiting artists often host performances in Denali National Park and Preserve as well as other cities across Alaska. The festival is one of the premier arts events during our summer.

Live Music The Fairbanks area is rich in live music, with many bands and performers playing pubic gigs in Golden Heart Plaza in Downtown Fairbanks or under the gazebo in Pioneer Park. Also, many local pubs host touring bands as well as local musicians all summer long.

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Tanana Valley State Fair a hometown favorite

By Dorothy Chomicz dchomicz@newsminer.com

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he Tanana Valley State Fair is a cherished Interior Alaska event that draws about 100,000 visitors from near and far each year. The fair was founded in 1924 and is the oldest of the three state fairs in Alaska. In its 90-year histor, it has been shuttered only twice — once during the World War II years and once due to the 1967 flood, according to general manager Joyce Whitehorn.

Eating is a popular activity at the fair, and many visitors carefully plan which food booths they’ll visit to ensure they get all of their favorites. Fairgoers can “power graze” on everything from burgers to burritos, corn dogs to crepes and pitas to pizza. A visit to the beer garden, an ice cold soda or a creamy milkshake help wash it all down.

Between noshes, visitors can enjoy carnival rides, get their fortunes told or dress up in period costume for a keepsake photo. Games of chance and skill abound on the midway, and several exhibit halls are filled with submitted items such as arts and crafts, baked goods and quilts. The agricultural hall is always a big draw, and visitors flock there to see vegetables grown to giant size under the Midnight Sun. Animal lovers can get their fill of goats, pigs, cows, horses and fowl of all shapes and sizes with a visit to the livestock hall.

The theme of the fair this year is Family, Fun and the Fair.

Visitors can expect lots of local entertainment, kids’ activities, a demolition derby, a rodeo, and other attractions.

Adults and kids alike are encouraged to enter their livestock, produce, baked goods, craft items, and other creative handiworks for their chance to win a ribbon and support their community fair.

Entry day for nonperishable exhibits is July 30. Junior perishable entry day is Aug. 4 and adult perishable entry day is Aug. 9. More information can be found online at www.tananavalleystatefair.com or by calling 452-3750.

What: Tanana Valley State Fair When: Aug. 5-14 Where: College Road Cost: Daily: Adults (ages 13 to 59) $10; youths (ages 6 to 12) $5; seniors (ages 60 and older) $5; children 5 and younger, free. Season passes also available.

Phone: 452-3750

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Focus on Denali

Denali National Park a haven for wildlife, incredible scenery

By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com

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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 —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 actress, 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 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.

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.

Limiting traffic is deliberate. This park is managed for the wildlife, not the people.

Enjoying and appreciating the wilderness of Denali National Park is easy. Visit the Denali Visitor Center of Wilderness Access Center to pick up a trail map and check schedules of guided walks and other programs.

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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.

For a close-up view of how the park operates, visit the Denali Kennels, where a team of sled dogs lives year round.

During the summer, these working dogs welcome visitors and their handlers provide an informative program. The dogs patrol the Denali wilderness during winter months.

WE DO “ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME” EVERYDAY!

AIRPLANE TOURS OF DENALI NATIONAL PARK What: Denali National Park and Preserve When: Park bus service begins May 20 each year and runs through the second Thursday after Labor Day. However, the entire road is not accessible by bus until June 8.

Where: The park entrance is about 120 miles south of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway.

Cost: $10 per person. No fee for youth age 15 and younger. This provides a seven-day entrance permit.

Annual pass: $40. Annual military pass is free.

More Info: www.nps.gov/dena

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Focus on Denali

National Park Service celebrates centennial with special activities

By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com

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he National Park Service turns 100 years old in 2016 and lots of fun activities are planned to celebrate the special day.

One year later, in 2017, Denali National Park will celebrate it’s own “centennial” commemorating the U.S. Congress establishing Mount McKinley National Park in 1917.

To prepare for these special anniversaries, the park service invites visitors to participate in a special initiative that encourages everyone to share what the word “park” means to each of them. The National Park Service particularly hopes young people will participate in this program.

The park hopes that through social media, new park visitors will share their personal and insightful experiences.

See www.FindYourPark.com.

Denali National Park will host special celebratory activities.

Monday Movies will feature a theme that connects Denali and showcases a different park in the National Park Service each time. Movies will screen at the Denali Visitor Center at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month May through September. Specific themes and park movies have yet to be announced.

Denali National Park will host a Founder’s Day Celebration on Aug. 25.

The park also invites visitors to participate in the Human Hundred Challenge while exploring the park. Visitors and park staff are challenged to log 100 miles of humanpowered travel during 2016 and 2017 to commemorate both centennial birthdays.

The connection between park and community will be highlighted through a new 100 Hours of Volunteering Initiative. Park staff and visitors can track their volunteer activities in both the park and surrounding communities as part of this initiative, intended to help protect Denali into the next century.

Park partners will also host a variety of special activities geared toward the centennial. Alaska Geographic, for example, offers field courses including “Find Your Park: Family Adventure Camp” on Aug. 4-7 and “Living Legacies: Hiking in the Footsteps of Denali’s Conservation Icons,” Aug. 24-26. See http://akgeo.org/field-courses/ A special exhibit at the Denali Visitor Center also encourages visitors to express what Denali means to them with words or photos. Here are some of the shared comments: “Denali makes me happy.” - Eli, age 4 “I’m sorry: I might have killed some mosquitoes while visiting Denali. But they don’t seem to be an endangered species.”

“A place on a map until you get here. Then it becomes a place in your heart.”

To share your own photos, go to http://go.nps.gov/DenaliShare.

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Denali National Park transportation options

By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com

Check the website at www.nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit for schedules and details.

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Courtesy buses

he 92-mile road into Denali National Park and Preserve runs from the Parks Highway to the former mining community of Kantishna.

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.

Buses shuttle visitors in and out of the park and drop off hikers and campers. Bus trips range from two to 12 hours, and visitors can take either a tour bus or a shuttle bus, or an all-day tour to/from Kantishna.

Shuttle buses are less expensive and have fewer amenities, but travel farther into the park. 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, bike, camp, backpack or picnic in the park should take a shuttle bus. Be sure and bring food and water. There are no convenience stores along the way.

Those who prefer a more deluxe trip can opt for one of the tours.

A variety of tour lengths, prices and options are available.

Fees vary and are in addition to the park entrance fee.

Reservations for shuttles and tour buses can be made by calling (800) 622-7275 or going online to www.reservedenali.com.

You can also reserve a spot in person at the Wilderness Access Center reservation desk, up to two days in advance.

Free courtesy buses take visitors around the entrance area of Denali National Park, connecting with hotels and restaurants just outside the park.

Catch those buses at the Denali Visitor Center, Wilderness Access Center, Murie Science and Learning Center, Riley Creek Campground, Denali Park Post Office, Riley Creek Mercantile, Railroad Depot and trailheads that include Mountain Vista Loop and Savage River Loop.

A free bus takes visitors to the Denali Sled Dog Kennels for demonstrations at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Board the bus at the Denali Visitor Center bus stop 40 minutes before the demonstration is due to begin. Return 90 minutes later.

Some local businesses provide buses for people on their tours.

One bus travels between Miner’s Market in Healy and the Denali Park Salmon Bake in the Nenana Canyon area. Cost is $3 per trip or $5 for an all-day pass. See denaliparksalmonbake.com/shuttle-schedule.pdf for schedule.

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Focus on Denali

Transportation 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.

Depart from Wilderness Access Center only.

Tundra Wilderness Tour: This 7-8 hour narrated tour goes to Mile 53 Toklat, and provides riders with a box lunch and hot beverage.

Natural History Tour: 4 1/2 to 5 hour tour focuses on the natural and cultural history of the park and goes to Primrose Ridge at Mile 17, just past the Savage River check station.

Snack and beverage provided.

Kantishna Experience: One-day, 12-hour round-trip to Kantishna that includes a full lunch. A National Park Service interpretive ranger provides narration. Time is spent in Kantishna learning about its history.

Windows Into the Wilderness: Narrated five to six-hour tour provides blend of history, science and opportunity to view wildlife and sweeping landscapes. Goes to Teklanika River at 30 Mile Park Road. At Mountain Vista, at 12 Mile, a cultural interpreter and science educator introduce visitors to the cultural and scientific significance of Denali. Excellent choice for families, since it includes demonstrations, activities and a walk. Snack and beverage provided.

Backpacking Visitors headed to the backcountry for overnight stays should board the special camper bus, to accommodate their gear. These visitors require special backcountry permits that are obtained at the Backcountry Information Center, adjacent to the Wilderness Access Center.

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Denali Education Center teaches about life in the region Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com

Denali takes place every day at 7:30 p.m. in a cozy yurt, adjacent to the Charles Sheldon Center, from mid-May to September. The Sheldon Center is a beautiful building that hosts art shows and community programs. It was constructed by the community with more than 4,000 volunteer hours.

Denali Education Center is also the headquarters for residential learning vacations (including Road Scholar), offering its newly renovated guest cabins to small independent groups. Schools, conservation organizations, alumni travel groups, and affinity groups are invited to bring guests to the campus.

Denali Education Center hosts myriad children’s programs, both day programs and multi-day field trips from Tundra Tots for toddlers to Denali Backcountry Adventures for high-school students.

To see a full list of programs offered by Denali Education Center and learn more about their facility, go to www.denali.org or call 907-683-2597.

isitors to Denali National Park inevitably ask the same question: What is it like to live here during the winter months? The Denali Education Center helps answer that question with a program called “Life In Denali: Learn from a Local.”

Denali Education Center has been an education partner of Denali National Park since 1989. It offers on-site programs for visitors and residents as well as multi-day field trips, learning vacations, and special events.

During the Life in Denali program, locals share their personal stories and photos of what it is like to live in a cabin without running water, drive 130 miles to the nearest grocery store, use an outhouse year-round, layer their clothing for extreme temperatures, and describe their lives during eight long months of winter. Life in

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Beyond Fairbanks

Parks Highway has lots of great stops on the way out of Fairbanks

By Kris Capps kcapps@newsminer.com t takes a little more than two hours to drive the 123 miles to Denali National Park and Preserve from Fairbanks.

If you take your time, 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 center of town? The Golden Eagle Saloon, popular with both visitors and locals.

The Ester Community Association now sponsors the Ester Community Market every week. Here, artists, farmers, musicians and other vendors sell their wares.

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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.

The Alfred Starr Nenana Cultural Center includes a small museum and Native crafts shop. Some local artists sell their wares here.

The oldest building in town is a charming 1905 log cabin church on Front Street.

Anderson Continue driving south and you’ll eventually have the opportunity to turn right, into the small community of Anderson. It is 6 miles off the highway, so it doesn’t get a lot of visitors.

You might want to check out Anderson’s large and lovely riverfront park that offers great camping.

Sometimes, owners of classic cars stop by to show off their antique vehicles.

Beyond Fairbanks 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 Mount Denali in the distance, towering over all the other mountains.

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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 and Yukon rivers. The barges deliver fuel and other important supplies to these remote villages.

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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.

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Clear Sky When you get back on the Parks Highway, be sure and stop at the Clear Sky Lodge for the best prime rib sandwich in the area and some conversation with longtime local residents.

Then, drive on. Soon, you’ll be in Healy, the gateway community to Denali National Park.

The mountains loom closer and the park is just a short distance away.

Contact staff writer Kris Capps at 459-7546.

Follow her on Twitter: @FDNMkris.

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Beyond Fairbanks

Steese Highway: A trip through Interior Alaska’s gold history

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner here’s gold in them there hills north of Fairbanks, and there’s no better way to check it out than to take a trip up the Steese Highway.

Your trip north from Fairbanks takes you through some of Alaska’s richest gold country as you make the 155-mile drive to Circle City, located on the mighty Yukon River.

In addition to traveling through historic gold rush communities, part of the Steese is near the trail of the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog race, a 1,000-mile trek between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon.

Heading north from Fairbanks, the highway starts by skirting the eastern edge of Fairbanks, making a right at the intersection with the Elliott Highway. It is paved for about 40 miles before turning into a gravel road that ends at Circle City, retracing a century of historic gold mining trails along the way.

The first notable stop comes in Fox, 10 miles north of Fairbanks.

Fox began as a mining camp in 1905, but has since become a destination for restaurants and nightlife for those willing to make the short drive.

The Turtle Club restaurant is well known for its heaping plates of prime rib and seafood, and Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Co. combines the northernmost brewery in the United States with a gastropub.

From May to October, the Howling Dog Saloon features live music in a colorful atmosphere. Local musician Mike Stackhouse kicks things off at 7 p.m. every Friday leading into an evening of blues tunes. Saturday nights are filled with classic rock ‘n’ roll.

That’s not all there is at the Howling Dog. There’s a sand volleyball court and horseshoes. There’s a café serving cheesesteaks, burgers and daily specials.

The Howling Dog opens at 4 p.m. daily, and hours run until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

If you need a place to stay after a night at the saloon, cabins are available.

Road trip supplies and gas are available at the Fox General Store. From Fox, the Steese takes a sharp turn to the east, running through tailing piles and equipment from giant dredges that worked the valley in the mid-1900s.

At 16 Mile, visitors can stop at the Felix Pedro Monument, the site where the Italian miner discovered gold in 1902, starting the stampede to Fairbanks. A public gold panning area is located just across the highway from the monument. Gold mining is still alive and well in the area; please respect private property.

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The Steese also offers road access to the White Mountains National Recreation Area, where you can pan for gold at Nome Creek at 57 Mile. You also can hike, fish and camp in the White Mountains.

Much of the area was burned by a wildfire in 2004. Hillsides are strewn with charred trees but become filled with color when the fireweed blooms in mid-July.

After descending from Cleary Summit, the Steese Highway winds through the scenic Chatanika River Valley.

The town of Chatanika, created by mining activity, was once 10,000 people strong. Chatanika Gold Camp is the site of the old Fairbanks Exploration Co. Camp, built between 1923 and 1925 as the bunkhouse and dining hall for men who worked on Chatanika’s Gold Dredge No. 3.

The camp is on the National Register of Historic Places.

At 28.5 Mile is a rustic lodge, across the road from what

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is left of Gold Dredge No. 3, which burned in 2013. The Chatanika Lodge was established in the 1930s as a trading post. The lodge’s Alaska decor showcases its hearty fare, with a full kitchen serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Stop at Long Creek Trading Post at 45 Mile for an espresso or ice cream. The trading post offers canoe rentals, groceries, camping, liquor and local advice on good fishing and goldpanning spots.

A 2.5-mile loop offers access to the Davidson Ditch. The ditch is an 83-mile series of ditches, siphons and pipes once used to carry water from a small dam on the Chatanika River. It was one of the largest engineering projects in the world when it was built in 1925.

The road then climbs well above the tree line at Twelve-Mile and Eagle summits, two popular places to watch the sun skirt the northern horizon on the summer solstice.

In the winter, Eagle Summit is the spot where a sled dog driver’s dreams are made or shattered in an attempt to win the Yukon Quest. The summit is notorious for its windy conditions, frigid temperatures and steep climb or descent in what is billed as the “toughest sled dog race on earth.”

After coasting down Eagle Summit to Central, about 128 miles north of Fairbanks, travelers enter the Circle Mining District.

Central Corner is a hotbed of activity with a small grocery, restaurant, bar and package store. Gasoline and diesel are available. There are a few rooms available and there is a bed and breakfast in town.

Central has a post office and a wonderful museum featuring the history of the Gold Rush and early 1900s.

Turning right at Central points you in the direction of Circle Hot Springs. The historic springs and associated resort, about 8 miles down the road, have been closed for years, but you can still check out the small ghost town.

Jim Crabb often operates a small campground in the area during the summer months.

From Central, Circle City is another 34 bumpy miles to the banks of the Yukon River. The river is 2 miles wide at Circle.

Circle, founded in 1893, was the largest city on the Yukon until gold was discovered in Dawson City, Yukon, in 1898. It served as the hub community for mines in the Circle Mining District.

At its peak, more than 1,000 people lived in Circle, which was named in the belief that it was located on the Arctic Circle, which actually is about 40 miles to the north. Today, the town has only a handful of residents. Gasoline and groceries are available, but there is no lodging.

Alaska Highway has miles of history

By Weston Morrow wmorrow@newsminer.com 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 for 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. The highway ends in Delta Junction, where it converges with the Richardson Highway, 198 miles from the Alaska-Canada border.

The Richardson Highway winds north from Valdez, the port city on Prince William Sound where tankers dock to load oil from the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

The Richardson Highway and the pipeline meander

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north from Valdez, often running alongside each other.

The Richardson meets up with the Alaska 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.

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Beyond Fairbanks

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.

Friendly Frontier Days takes place in June. It features hay rides and a hay maze, a petting zoo and farmers market and a full-town barbecue. More information on Frontier Days can be found by calling the Delta Junction Chamber of Commerce at 907-895-5068.

The Deltana Fair runs from July 29-31. It includes games, music, food and contests. The Deltana Fairgrounds are located on Nistler Road in Delta Junction. More information on the fair can be found by calling 907-895-3247.

Big Delta State Historical Park is another main attraction near Delta, featuring Rika’s Roadhouse. 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 not always open, but the Alaska State Parks Department continues to operate the historical park site.

Donnelly Dome Donnelly Dome rises high above the surrounding landscape just south of Delta Junction. The dome sits near the Richardson Highway about 15 miles south of Delta Junction. 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 trans-Alaska oil pipeline can be seen winding alongside the river for miles from atop Donnelly Dome. The hike can be done in half a day.

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Black Rapids Black Rapids Roadhouse 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 rapids are so named because of the tremendous amount of glacial silt that flows down from the Alaska Range, darkening the water in the shallow riverbed.

The Black Rapids Roadhouse and lodge was recently updated and refashioned. From the highway the roadhouse can be seen along the parallel ridge, above the historic structure near the road.

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 roadhouse’s ridge.

The lodge has been featured in Outside Magazine, the Washington Post and the National Geographic Traveler Stay List. It hosts guest speakers, musicians and other events and features outdoor tours during the summer. More information on the roadhouse can be found by calling 877-825-9413.

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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.

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border with Canada. Tok provides accommodations for RVs and campers.

Tok has about 1,300 residents, but its 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.

Tok is surrounded by three Alaska State Parks. Eagle Trail State Recreation Site is 16 miles south of town at 109.5 Mile Tok Cutoff Highway. Eagle Trail offers hiking trails, many of which were part of the old Eagle-Valdez Trail. Moon Lake State Recreation Site is 15 is northwest of Tok near

1,332 Mile Alaska Highway. The park is a popular boating destination. Tok River State Recreation Site is 4.5 miles east of Tok near 1,309 Mile Alaska Highway and is a stopping point for visitors entering the state from Canada.

The biggest celebration in Tok is its Fourth of July parade, which typically begins at 11 a.m. at Fast Eddy’s restaurant, another popular stopping point for hungry travelers. The theme for the parade is typically decided around April. Past themes celebrated dog mushing in Alaska.

More information on the parade or Tok can be directed to Tok Chamber of Commerce President John Rusyniak at 907-883-5775.

Contact staff writer Weston Morrow at 459-7520.

Follow him on Twitter: @FDNMschools.

Visit Valdez, a vibrant town on the waterfront

By Bob Eley For the News-Miner

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he city of Valdez, located on Prince William Sound at the end of the Richardson Highway, is known for its resiliency and the fact that it is one of the gateways to Alaska.

It is resilient for its ability to bounce back from disasters — first the Great Alaska Earthquake in 1964 and then from the Exxon Valdez oil spill 25 years later.

On Good Friday of 1964, the original town of Valdez was wiped out by a tsunami created by the 9.2 temblor, which created havoc throughout the Prince William Sound and Anchorage areas.

The city responded and once again thrived as the termination point for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline until that day in 1989 when the Exxon Valdez ran aground, spilling an estimated 10.8 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound.

While the lingering effects of the spill can still be seen on some beaches in the Gulf of Alaska, Valdez has again bounced back to become one of the most popular fishing and wildlife viewing areas in Alaska.

Before the completion of the Alaska Highway connecting Alaska’s vast Interior region to Canada and beyond in the 1940s, Valdez served as an entry point to the territory of Alaska.

Whether it was miners searching for a passage to the Interior

GOLF!

via the Eagle-Valdez trail of the 1890s or the WashingtonAlaska Military Cable and Telegraph System connecting the military installations in Alaska with Washington, D.C., in the 1940s or the trans-Alaska oil pipeline bringing oil from the North Slope to Valdez since the 1970s, visitors have used Valdez as an entry point to the 49th state.

The city of Valdez has a population of almost 4,500 residents and is located in the Southcentral portion of the state,306 road miles from Anchorage and 364 road miles from Fairbanks.

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Valdez’s distinguishing characteristics are the rugged beauty of its mountain-ringed setting and its high average annual snowfall of 360 inches (30 feet), the most of any community at sea level in North America.

Valdez offers some of the finest halibut and salmon fishing in the state, with charters taking visitors out into Prince Williams Sound with the hopes of landing the big one. There are ample opportunities to fish from shore as well.

If you go fishing, be sure you check with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game so you know the rules.

Prince William Sound offers amazing scenery that can be viewed on Stan Stephens’ Glacier Wildlife Cruises. Experience the icebergs of Columbia Glacier and the calving of Meares Glacier as well as wildlife in the water and on shores of the sound.

Valdez is a festive town in the summer months with its many fishing derbies and community wide celebrations.

Here are a few of the major community celebrations scheduled for this summer and fall:

Fourth of July Festival: A parade starts at 9 a.m., followed by a Street Rock Party featuring live bands and vendors. It includes a community picnic, more live music and the day wraps up with a fireworks show. The Pink Salmon Festival and Cook-Off is scheduled for the next day.

Kids Pink Salmon Festival and BBQ: The event is scheduled for July 23. It’s a one-day free fish derby for kids.

Participants receive a T-shirt and are invited to a free family barbecue at the end of the day.

Gold Rush Days: It’s a five-day event from Aug. 3-7 celebrating the town’s Gold Rush history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Numerous events are scheduled for each day of the celebration.

Oktoberfest Homebrew Competition: Scheduled for Oct. 1: Breweries can submit entries to judges to find out who has the best ales, beers or spirits.

For more on the happenings in Valdez, go to www.valdezalaska.org.

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Niggivikput - our place to eat, .. the hotel’s restaurant, gift shop, meeting rooms, fitness room, guest laundrette and guest kitchens are conveniently located one mile from the Wiley PostWill Rogers Memorial Airport.

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Valdez is where Fairbanksans go to catch big fish

By Sam Friedman sfriedman@newsminer.com

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aldez is 366 miles south of Fairbanks, but it’s a common destination for Interior Alaska sports fishermen in search of the ocean’s bounty, especially halibut and salmon.

Halibut are white, buttery-tasting flatfish that can grow to more than 350 pounds in Gulf of Alaska waters near Valdez.

The area also hosts five species of Pacific salmon. One of the

most popular is red salmon, also known as sockeye salmon, which is known for its rich, bright red meat. The king salmon, also known as chinook salmon, can grow to more than 90 pounds.

Anglers can catch salmon from shore, but need boats to reach halibut habitat. Full day halibut charters in Valdez take fishermen out into the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska and usually cost between $375 and $400 per person, according to Shaun Lea, manager of charter dispatch business Fish Central. Other marine species such as lingcod and yellow eye rockfish can be caught from Valdez-based boats.

Salmon charter trips usually cost about $175 for a half day and $250 for a full day.

Valdez hosts a series of fish derbies in the summer. They incluce contests for halibut and silver salmon, with special classes for female fishermen and children. Buy a derby ticket before going fishing for a chance to win cash prizes of up to $15,000 if you catch the biggest fish. Last year a Clakamas, Oregon, man won the halibut derby with a 296.2-pound fish.

A Fairbanks woman won the silver salmon derby with a 16.48 pounder.

Contact staff writer Sam Friedman at 459-7545.

Follow him on Twitter, @FDNMoutdoors.

Dalton, Elliott highways offer vast wilderness road trips Staff report

V

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 highways.

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 tags 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.

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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.

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 a hundred 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 $5 per hour 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) 6723231 in advance.

The Manley 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. Manley Hot Springs also is home to several mushers who provide tours of their kennels, including Joe Redington Jr., whose father founded the Iditarod.

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. A few landmarks include: Yukon River Bridge: 56 Mile (from Elliott Highway junction). The only vehicle crossing in Alaska across the state’s 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 or 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.

Taylor Highway runs through gold rush history

By Dorothy Chomicz dchomicz@newsminer.com he 160-mile Taylor highway offers stunningly scenic drive through some of Alaska’s most historic mining regions.

The highway is open April through October and travels from its starting point at Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway to its terminus at historic Eagle. The road frequently climbs above treeline and offers expansive views of Alaska and east to Canada’s Yukon.

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Visit Chicken The Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost is a one-stop shop where travelers can camp, stock up on supplies, eat a good meal, drink a beer, buy authentic Alaska-made gifts and even get in some recreational mining.

Owners Mike and Lou Busby have expanded the gold camp with the purchase of Lost Chicken Hill, which is the oldest continuously mined placer mine in the state. Visitors can take a guided tour of Felix Pedro Dredge No. 4 and view the many historic associated relics. Tours cost $10 per adult or $7.50 per person for groups of 10 or more. Children under 12 get in for $5.

Those who want to try recreational mining can pan for gold at $20 a day. More-ambitious visitors can try high banking and suction dredging for $55 a day. The Busbys have also added more areas to prospect and mine, including suction dredging on the Mosquito Fork. Equipment is provided and panners get to keep what they find.

Chicken’s small wintertime population swells to about 800 during Chickenstock, a bluegrass and folk music festival that draws fans from as far away as Europe. The 10th annual Chickenstock takes place June 10-12 and a ticket buys you a camping spot. For more information call (907) 782-4427 or visit Chicken Gold Camp on Facebook for regular updates. Reservation information can be found at www.chickengold.com.

The Chicken Creek Outpost houses a cafe, saloon, espresso bar and gift store that offers gasoline, internet access and seating for 70. Menu options include hand-dipped ice cream, baked goods, gourmet soups, hearty breakfasts, deli sandwiches, and Alaska microbrews and wine. Wood-fired pizza is available on the deck several nights a week.

Cabin and room rentals are available and run from $90 to $150 a night. Kayak rentals are also available and start at $40 for a half day.

The Chicken Gold Camp and Outpost opens by May 15 every year and closes in mid-September, weather permitting.

Eagle Eagle was first incorporated in 1901, making it the first Interior Alaska community to do so. This small community at the end of the Taylor Highway was devastated by a flood in 2009 caused by a spring ice jam on the Yukon River, but residents have since rebuilt.

Visitors can take a guided tour of historic Fort Egbert and other buildings and museums in the town or take part in the annual Fourth of July parade. The parade begins with a flagraising ceremony and makes its way to an old school, where concession booths and games are set up.

Eagle offers several accommodation options. The Falcon Inn B&B has rooms with a shared bath starting at $125 a night for double occupancy and $99 for single. Rooms with a private bath are $145 for double occupancy, $125 for single.

All rooms include a full breakfast, free-wireless internet and Direct TV. Cabins are also available. Winter rates are $99 for adventurous travelers who choose to fly, snowmachine or mush into Eagle during the off season.

The Falcon Inn will also offer a wilderness school for adults from July 29 to Aug. 2. Subjects include the identification of wild and native plants and how to make creams and lotions from them, sled dog training, trapping, extreme cold weather survival, building and living off the grid, beading and crafts, among others. For more information go to www. falconinnlodgelogcabins.com or call (907) 547-2254 or at falconinn@gmail.com.

A new, three-story building houses the Eagle Trading Co. grocery store and the Riverside Hotel and Cafe. The hotel offers 11 rooms, three of them handicapped accessible. The cafe serves breakfast and lunch — most priced from $10 to $12 — and is open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the summer season. Gasoline, diesel fuel, propane and a coin-operated laundry facility are located across the street.

Hunting licenses and an ATM are also available. For more information, go to www.riversidehoteleaglealaska.com or call (907) 547-2220.

For those who prefer to get back to nature, the Bureau of Land Management Eagle Campground offers 18 campsites for $10 a night. BLM also operates the West Fork campground at mile 49 of the Taylor, and the Walter Fork campground at mile 82. For more information about BLM campgrounds, call 474-2200.

Come and Join Us!

Journey Christian Church Sunday worship at 10 a.m.

Regal Cinemas on Airport Way

455-4433

www.journeyalaska.org

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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The highway is paved for the first 60 miles until it reaches the tiny town of Chicken, after which it is gravel.

The route, which follows old mining trails established as far back as the 1880s, provides access to scenic waysides and campgrounds, the historic Fortymile Mining District and the Top of the World Highway. The Taylor has several steep grades, and services are few and far between, so travelers are advised to fill up their fuel tanks and bring adequate supplies. The highway is closed to vehicle traffic between October and April, but snowmachines can be used in the winter.

Parts of the highway are narrow and winding with steep drops. The maximum speed on some stretches is 30 mph.

Travelers should use caution.

Worship Directory – Visitors are always welcome!

Each Friday, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner publishes additional local faith news.

Bethel Church

www.bethelchurchak.org • 907-479-4380 Bible Teaching Church with Contemporary Worship 1310 Farmers Loop Rd. Worship: Sunday 9:15 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School - all ages: 11:00 a.m.

Bible Baptist Church

452-1407 32 Adak Ave. Off the Steese Highway at College Road E. Sun 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 6 p.m. & Wed 7 p.m.

Bible believing — Old fashioned singing Plenty of parking for RV’s Free transportation from motels & campgrounds www.BibleBaptistFairbanks.com Doug Duffett, Pastor (907) 388-9815 cell

Church of Chirst

645 11th Avenue 456-4921 Sunday 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. & 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Community Convenant Church - C3

2136 McCullan Avenue (on Aiport Way) www.c3fairbanks.com • 456-6553 • Sunday: 10:30 a.m.

Denali Bible Chapel

1201 Lathrop Street 456-5157 Service: 10:30 a.m. www.DenaliBibleChapel.org

Fairbanks First United Methodist Church

915 Second Avenue 452-2956 Sunday: 9:30 a.m. Traditional • 11:00 a.m. Contemporary www.fairbanksfirst.org • office@fairbanksfirst.org

Fairbanks Lutheran Church

1012 Cowles Street (ELCA) 452-3425 Call church office for service times www.fairbankslutheranchurch.org / fairluth@gci.net Facebook: FairbanksLutheranELCA

Fairbanks Seventh-day Adventist Church 1811 Farmer’s Loop Road 479-6070 9:30 a.m. Saturday, www.fairbanksadventistchurch.org

First Baptist Church of Fairbanks

805 Sixth Avenue - Downtown 456-4923 Sunday Morning: 11:00 a.m. www.firstbaptistfairbanks.com

Hamilton Acres Baptist Church

138 Farewell Avenue Independent Sunday: 9:45 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m.; Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

Pastor Bruce Hamilton

Immaculate Conception Church

2 Doyon Place 452-3533 Mass: Sat. 5:30 p.m., Sun. 7:30, 9:30, 11:00 a.m.

Weekday Masses (Mon. through Fri.): 12:10 p.m.

Church is open Tues. - Fri., 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks

1744 Aurora Drive 456-1002 Friday: 7:30 p.m. • orhatzafon@mosquitonet.com

Journey Christian Church Regal Cinemas Movie Theater 455-4433 • www.journeyalaska.org Sunday services at 10:00 a.m.

Sacred Heart Cathedral

1300 Peger Rd. 474-9032 email: shcparishoffice@gmail.com Weekend Masses: May 29 - August 28 Sat. 5:00 p.m., Sun. 11:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Spanish Mass: 1:00 p.m. on Sunday Weekday Masses: Mon. 7:30 a.m., Tues. - Fri. 7:30 a.m. & 5:30 p.m.

St. Mark’s University Catholic Church

UAF Campus 474-6776 uaf.stmark@gmail.com Sunday Mass: 11:30 a.m. (May 30 - Sept. 5) Mass held Margaret Murie Life Science Bldg Auditorium on UAF campus

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

1029 First Avenue 456-5235 Sunday Eucharists: 8:00 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Wednesday Eucharists 9:30 a.m. & 7:00 p.m. www.stmatthewschurch.org

St. Paul Church

Independent Traditional Methodist Worship Sunday School: 9:45 a.m. Worship: 11 a.m.

907 Union Dr., by Dog Mushers 479-7998 A Friendly Little Country Church

St. Raphael Catholic Church

1125 Old Steese Hwy. North 457-6603 Mass: Saturday 5:30 p.m. & Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday 9:30 a.m., Wednesday 5:30 p.m.

University Community Presbyterian Church

3510 College Road (907) 479-6728 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. www.ucpcfairbanks.org

Zion Lutheran Church

(LCMS)

2982 Davis Road 456-7660 Worship with us Saturday 5:00 p.m. or Sunday 8:30 a.m. & 11:00 a.m. www.zionfairbanks.org

HEALY/DENALI AREA Valley Chapel - Assembly of God

Mile 249, Parks Hwy. Healy 683-2303 Sunday School 10 a.m., Church 11 a.m., Wed. 7 p.m.

NORTH POLE AREA St. Nicholas Catholic Church

707 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole 488-2595 Mass: Mon., Tue., Thur., Fri. 9:00 a.m.; Wed. 7:00 p.m.

Sat. 5:00 p.m.; Sun. 9:00 a.m., Noon & 2:00 p.m. (Latin) Reconciliation: Sat. 4:00 p.m. or by appointment

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Index of advertisers A Weaver’s Yarn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 AK Buffet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Alaska Department of Transportation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Alaska Feed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Alaska Mining Hall Of Fame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 31 Alaska Railroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Alaska Raw Fur Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Alaska Salmon Bake. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Alaska Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Alaskan Tails Of The Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Arctic Bowl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Arctic Travelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Bag Ladies of Fairbanks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Beaver Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Best Western Valdez Harbor Inn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Black Diamond Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Blackbear Coffee House, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Borealis Towing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Borealis Towing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Chena Hot Springs Resort . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Chena Ridge Vet Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Chiang Mai Restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Chicken Gold Camp. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Co-op Grocery Market & Deli. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Cold Spot Feeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Cookie Jar Restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Craft Market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Crowley Fuel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Denali Fly Fishing Guides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Denali Outdoor Center, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Denali Raft Adventures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Dollar Rent A Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Domino’s Pizza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Eagle’s Rest RV Park & Cabins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Explore Fairbanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11,30 Fairbanks Community Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Fairbanks Extended Stay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Fairbanks public libraries. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Festival Fairbanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Fly Denali. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66, 82 Food Factory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Fox General Store. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Fudge Pot. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Gallentino’s Italian Style Restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 GCR Tires & Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Gold Dredge #8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Hotel North Pole. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Howling Dog. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 If Only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Interior Alaska Fish Processors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Ivory Jacks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Journey Christian Church. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80

Stella’s Superstore 1402 Gillam • Off Airport Way

See our ad on page 66

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Huge Selection of Native Art & Crafts

Judie Gumm Designs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Just Haircuts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Justa Store . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Kennicott Glacier Lodge. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 KJNP Radio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Knotty Shop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 La Quinta Inn & Suites. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Lana Hebert/Somers and Associates Realtors®, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Lavelle’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Literacy Council Of Alask. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Mad Batter Confections, Llc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Manley Lodge aka Roadhouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Miguel’s. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 38 Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Nenana Farmers Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 North Star Golf Club. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Northern Alaska Tour Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Paco’s Tacos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Palace Theatre and Saloon, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Parks Hwy Service & Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Phillips Studio & Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Photosymphony. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Pioneer Air Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 31 Pioneer Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 31, 41 Rivers Edge Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Riverboat Discovery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Riverview RV Park. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Running Reindeer Ranch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Santa Claus House . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Silver Gulch Brewing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Sipping Streams Tea Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Souvlaki. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 St. Marks University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Stan Stephens Glacier & Wildlife Cruises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82, 84 Stella’s Superstore. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Taco Azteca Mayan Palace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Tanana Valley Clinic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Tanana Valley Farmers Market. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Tanana Valley State Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Thai & Chinese Food To go . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 The Banks Ale House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Totem Inn. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Tundra Tours, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Turtle Club, The. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 University Community Presbyterian Church . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 University Of Alaska . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Ursa Major Distilling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Vallata . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Waldo Arms Hotel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Westmark Fairbanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Wickersham House Museum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Worship Directory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Youth Sports Bingo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

The Guide to FAIRBANKS and Interior Alaska 2016

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