2012 Fairbanks Visitors Guide

“The voice of Interior Alaska since 1903”

Visitors Guide Free

Summer newsminer.com

2012 Eric Engman/News-Miner

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Index of stories Alaska’s notorious wildfires ......................... 58 Alaska Railroad ........................................... 12 Anderson ..................................................... 13 Antler arch .................................................. 38 Antique Car Museum ................................... 55 Arctic Circle/Dalton Highway ........................ 67 Botanical Garden ......................................... 17 Chena Hot Springs ....................................... 54 Chena Lake Recreation Area ........................ 53 Chicken ........................................................ 69 Creamer’s Field ............................................ 25 Delta Junction .............................................. 59 Denali Park .................................................... 7 Denali Park navigation ................................... 8 Denali Park activities ..................................... 9 Denali Park music festival .............................. 9 Downtown Fairbanks Market ........................ 32 Downtown Fairbanks shopping ..................... 31 Eagle ........................................................... 66 Eillott Highway ............................................. 64 Fairbanks Community Museum ..................... 21 Fox .............................................................. 61 Eating fresh in the Interior ........................... 41 Ester ............................................................ 13 Fairbanks FAQs ............................................ 49 Fairbanks history/introduction ........................ 2 Fishing in the Interior ..................................... 6 Gold Dredge No. 8 ....................................... 45

Golden Days Celebration .............................. 34 Large Animal Research Station .................... 35 Midnight Sun Festival ................................... 43 Midnight Sun Game ...................................... 39 Visitors Center ............................................. 22 Museum of the North ................................... 16 Nenana ........................................................ 11 North Pole ................................................... 56 Northern Lights ............................................ 29 Paddling and biking around Fairbanks .......... 51 Pioneer Park ................................................ 26 Riverboat Discovery ..................................... 36 Shakespeare Theatre ................................... 46 Steese Highway ........................................... 63 Summer Arts Festival ................................... 43 Summer mushing ......................................... 44 Tanana Chief Riverboat ................................ 30 Tanana Valley Farmers Market ...................... 33 Tanana Valley State Fair ............................... 19 Tok ............................................................... 52 Top outdoor activities ..................................... 4 Trans-Alaska oil pipeline .............................. 44 Valdez .......................................................... 71 World Eskimo-Indian Olympics ...................... 24 Worshipping in Fairbanks ............................. 14 Wrangell-St. Elias ......................................... 65 Yukon Quest ................................................. 48

Welcome to Fairbanks, Land of the Midnight Sun the fledgling town he founded was named after Charles The founding of Fairbanks W. Fairbanks, an Indiana was, well, an accident. senator and future vice Trader E.T. Barnette president. was trying to get a load of Because the gold was burgoods to the gold fields up ied deep underground, the the Tanana River when the rush was slow to materialize steamer Lavelle Young got and the city wasn’t founded hung up in the shallows until 1903. By 1906, $6 milupstream from the Chena lion in gold was produced in River. the region. By 1910, nearly Barnette, his wife and his $30 million had been prostock of goods were left on duced from Cleary, Ester and the banks of the Chena in Fairbanks creeks, almost August 1901 until he could two-thirds of the gold mined find a way to continue his in the region. journey. The following July, however, Italian immigrant Felix Pedro struck gold in the hills just a few miles Federal construction of away. Barnette stayed and the Alaska Railroad made large-scale gold mining possible in the 1920s. & INTERIOR TOPPER The railroad provided Certified RV Technicians year-round economical transThe Largest RV Parts & Accessories portation of goods to FairShowroom in Fairbanks banks and it brought coal to Service & Repair For A Fairbanks, to be used in the Price That’s Fair power plant that provided energy for gigantic floathttp://www.arcticrv.com • arcticrv@arcticrv.com ing gold dredges. The Fair3013 Peger Rd • Fairbanks, AK 99709 banks Exploration Co. built SERVICE FOR ALL MAJOR RV APPLIANCE MANUFACTURERS power lines, mining camps Staff Report

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and an industrial complex that became the economic backbone of Fairbanks until World War II. By then, the advance of aviation had again revolutionized transportation in Alaska.

Fairbanks not only became an important center for flights within Alaska, but a key stop on round-theworld flights for pilots such as Wiley Post and Howard Hughes.

Building bases Military planners recognized that Fairbanks was centrally located between Tokyo and New York. Years of prodding led to the decision in 1937 to set aside 6 square miles near Fairbanks for a cold weather test station to train pilots and mechanics.

The events of Dec. 7, 1941, gave new urgency to the work at what became known as Ladd Field. Fairbanks emerged as a military Please see FAIRBANKS, Page 3

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

FAIRBANKS Continued from Page 2

outpost, and cold-weather training took a back seat to a more strategic goal. The United States agreed to help the Russians fight Hitler by supplying airplanes and other equipment. Fairbanks became the transfer point for nearly 8,000 aircraft picked up by Russian pilots.

The military has remained a vital part of the local economy, supplemented by the expansion of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the oil boom on Alaska’s North Slope.

The building of the transAlaska pipeline brought thousands of construction workers to the town along the Chena and new residents looking for opportunities.

Today, nearly 32,000 people live within Fairbanks city limits and 97,000 people are estimated to live in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which covers 7,361 square Library of Congress miles — or is about the size of New Jersey (which has a The city was named after Charles W. Fairbanks, an Indipopulation of 8.8 million.) ana senator and future vice president.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Top 10 outdoor activities in Alaska You may not have the time or gumption to climb Mount McKinley or float the Yukon River during your trip to the Last Frontier, but there are plenty of other outdoor adventures you can tackle during your visit to Fairbanks and Interior Alaska.

News-Miner outdoors editor Tim Mowry mapped out a checklist of 10 things visitors should do during their trek to the Interior. You may not be able to accomplish all of them, but try to check one or two off the list before you leave.

Happy trails.

1) Take a hike The best way to get a feel for the country is to walk across it. That’s not always easy to do in Alaska, but fortunately there are several hiking trails in the Interior that lead the way to spectacular, panoramic views of Alaska’s heartland.

One of the most popular hikes around Fairbanks is the Angel Rocks Trail in the Chena River State Recreation Area, about 50 miles east of Fairbanks on Chena Hot Springs Road.

2) Catch an arctic grayling They’re not as big and tasty as the salmon and halibut Alaska is famous for, but arctic grayling are easier to catch and they populate most Interior rivers. A cousin to trout, grayling are distinguished by their slate gray color and a large, iridescent dorsal fin. They are famous for their cooperative nature and willingness to rise to dry flies. The Chena River, which flows through downtown Fairbanks, is one of the best grayling fisheries in the state, though it is restricted to catch and release.

3) Visit a dog musher Dog mushing is the official state sport of Alaska so you might as well check it

while you’re here. Whether you take an organized tour of a dog lot or just track down a musher to check out his or her operation, a trip to a genuine Alaska dog mushing kennel is an eye-opening experience. Denali National Park and Preserve offers daily tours of its mushing kennel and the folks at the Yukon Quest office in Fairbanks might be able to point you in the right direction, too.

4) Ride the bus into Denali National Park and Preserve It means a long day on a bus, but the sights that you may see are worth it.

In addition to 20,320-foot Mount McKinley, bus riders have a good chance to see grizzly bears, wolves, Dall sheep, moose and caribou.

There are tourists who see more wildlife on one bus ride into the park than some Alaskans do in their lifetime.

5) Drive across the Denali Highway You might not want to mention this if you’re renting a car — most car rental companies don’t allow driving across the Denali Highway — but the 135-mile trip across the mostly unpaved route may be the prettiest, wildest drive in Alaska.

6) Float a river Whether it’s running Class IV rapids on the Nenana River near Denali Park or a leisurely float down the Chena River through downtown Fairbanks, there’s nothing like spending a day on the water on a hot day in the Interior. You might want to check the water temperature before you think about going swimming, though; even on a hot day it’s a little chilly.

7) Drive to the end of a road Isn’t that what Alaska is famous for? Well, the Interior offers the best chance

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of anywhere to do it. Take your pick of a half dozen roads that come to an end.

Drive up the 130-mile Steese Highway to the Yukon River in Circle. Head up the 160mile Elliott Highway, which ends in the town of Manley.

You can always take a drive out the 55-mile Chena Hot Springs Road and take a soak in the springs. There’s also the 160-mile Taylor Highway , which ends at the Yukon River in the village of Eagle. For the really adventurous, take a drive up the 414-mile Dalton Highway to Deadhorse on the North Slope.

8) Climb to the top of a dome For Interior flatlanders, domes are the equivalent of mountains elsewhere in the state and there are any number to choose from. Both Ester Dome (2,323 feet) and Murphy Dome (2,930 feet) are located just outside Fairbanks and have roads leading to the top. There is also Wickersham Dome Summit (3,806 feet), about 30 miles north of Fairbanks in the White Mountains National Recreation Area; Chena Dome (4,421 feet) in the Chena River State Recreation Area east of Fairbanks on Chena Hot Springs Road; and Donnelly Dome (3,910 feet), located off the Richardson Highway about 120 miles south of Fairbanks.

9) Kill a mosquito Actually, kill as many as you can. There is no bag limit on mosquitoes in Alaska and, unlike moose, caribou and salmon, local residents have no qualms about Outsiders coming in and killing them.

Swat away until your heart’s content or you run out of blood, whichever comes first.

10) Find a moose Moose are one of the true symbols of Alaska and they’re not all that hard to find if you keep your eyes open as you drive down the road, which is a good idea so you don’t hit one. Remember, though, don’t feed them and don’t approach them.

— Tim Mowry

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Arctic grayling rise to the top the day.”

The Delta Clearwater River, BE SURE ... located about 100 miles south You won’t hook into the of Fairbanks and accessible ... to have the proper bright, shiny salmon in the from the Richardson Highway, fishing licenses. Check with Interior that anglers brag is another popular place to the requirements at www. about in Southcentral or find big grayling. Fish up to 20 adfg.alaska.gov.

Southeast Alaska. inches are common in the Delta Neither will you find yourClearwater, which serves as self posing next to one of those sail-like dorsal fin, which is a summer feeding ground for barn-door-sized halibut that dotted with green and purple grayling before they migrate to are famous in the fishing ports spots. The slate gray fish are other rivers in for the winter. of Homer and Valdez. famous for their voracious Fly and spin fishing for arcWhat you will find in the appetites and willingness to tic grayling is similar to fishing Interior is arctic grayling. Lots attack dry flies, making them a for trout. A four- or five weight of arctic grayling. favorite of fly fishermen using fly rod or light spinning rod “That’s what I tell people to lightweight tackle. is all you need. Favorite flies focus on when they call me,” “They’re beautiful fish, and include elk hair caddis, Adams, Audra Brase, area managethey’re aggressive feeders,” ment sport fish biologist for Fairbanks fly fishing instructor mosquitoes and black ants.

For spin fishermen, any the Alaska Department of Fish Shann Jones said. “Grayling and Game in Fairbanks, said. don’t ever miss an opportunity number of small Mepps or Blue Fox spinners will attract the “We’ve got a lot of grayling, to take a dry fly.” they’re a great fish to catch, Grayling range in size from attention of grayling. If bait they’re easy to catch and we’ve 8 to 18 inches and can be found is allowed where you’re fishgot road accessible rivers with ing, grayling will readily take in most freshwater streams grayling in them.” salmon eggs. along the road system in the And they are uniquely Alas- Interior.

As for taste, grayling have kan. flaky white meat that is best The Chena River, which “You don’t catch grayling in flows through downtown if cooked and eaten as soon as the Lower 48,” Brase said. possible. They do not keep well Fairbanks, is a blue-ribbon As the name implies, Arctic grayling fishery. The upper frozen. The best thing you can grayling survived in unglacido is bring a frying pan with Chena River east of Fairbanks ated areas of Alaska in the you and cook any fish you catch parallels Chena Hot Springs Yukon River valley and the Road for several miles in the on the riverbank next to you.

North Slope. From there, they Chena River State Recreation Be careful, though, some have spread throughout Alaska Area and offers multiple access grayling fisheries, including the but are most common in the Chena River and Delta ClearInterior. Their tolerance of low points to the river, as well as campgrounds to pitch a tent or water River, are restricted to dissolved oxygen levels allows catch-and-release fishing only. grayling to survive long winters park an RV. “You can spend the whole There are also restrictions on in areas where many other salday on the upper Chena and using bait and treble hooks in monids would die. not see anybody,” Brase said. some rivers. As always, check An elegant cousin of the “You can have your bonfire on the fishing regulations before trout, arctic grayling are disthe beach, a picnic and enjoy tinguished by their iridescent, you wet a line.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Welcome to Denali Park

By KRIS CAPPS For the News-Miner When an Alaskan says “the mountain is out” there is no doubt which mountain is filling the horizon. It is Mount McKinley, or “Denali” as most Alaskans call it.

The 20,320-foot massif is the tallest mountain in North America. It is often covered by clouds, but when visible, it is a magnificent sight.

The mountain is not the reason Denali National Park and Preserve was created, however. In 1917, the park formed to protect the wildlife. Eventually expanded to 6-million acres, the park is home to moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and grizzly bears.

More than 650 species of flowering plants eke out a living here, along with a variety of mosses and lichens. Only plants adapted to long, cold winters and short growing News-Miner seasons can survive in DenaPeople traveling on the Park Highway stop to take in the li’s subarctic climate.

Please see PARK, Page 10

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Navigating Denali Park

By KRIS CAPPS For the News-Miner

the tours. A variety of lengths, prices and options are available. Fees vary in addition to the park entrance fee.

Reservations for shuttles and tour buses can be made by calling (800) 622-7275 or www. reservedenali.com. You can reserve a spot in person at the Wilderness Access Center reservation desk, up to two days in advance.

The third option is the Kantishna Experience, a oneday, 12-hour round-trip to Kantishna that includes a full lunch. This is the most expensive option. But it does come with expertise by a National Park Service ranger along the way.

Permits are required to hike into the backcountry and are available at the Backcountry Information Center, adjacent to the Wilderness Access Center.

Established campgrounds welcome visitors in the entrance area and at the end of the park road at Wonder Lake.

To make camping reservations in advance, call (800) 622-7275.

The 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, however, vehicle travel is restricted on the narrow, winding gravel surface.

Buses shuttle tourists 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.

Shuttle buses are less expensive and have fewer amenities, but travel farther into the park and visitors can get off when they want to hike for awhile, then get back on, if seats are available. Visitors planning to hike, bike, camp, backpack or picnic in the park should take a shuttle bus. The shuttle is available for folks who just want to enjoy the scenery and wildlife viewing. But be sure and bring along food and water.

There are no convenience All access to the park is stores along the way. restricted past Mile 15 at SavThose who prefer a more age River to the park’s shuttle buses and tours run by concesdeluxe trip can opt for one of

Getting in the park

sionaire Doyon/ARAMARK. Check the website at www. nps.gov/dena/planyourvisit for schedules and details. Or visit www.reservedenali.com. You can also call (800) 722-7275 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alaska time. Make a reservation, in person, at the Wilderness Access Center Reservations Desk, up to two days in advance. Fees depend on length of the trip. Campers take the shuttle bus to campsites for a fee. Tour buses are designed to be more comfortable with a more structured program. All fees are in addition to the park entrance fee.

What to wear Weather at Denali can change in an instant. Summer temperatures range from 33 to 75 degrees, and it is not uncommon for snow to fall in July. Park rangers suggest visitors dress in layers and bring a raincoat that can serve as a windbreaker. Mittens and a warm hat are a good precaution.

Don’t forget mosquito repellent. Alaska mosquitoes are notorious, especially in certain areas of the park, like Wonder Lake.

Denali Music Festival

By KRIS CAPPS For the News-Miner The first Denali Music Fes-

tival is planned this year for July 20-21. Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival and Denali Arts & Humanities Alliance are

partnering to bring a 26-piece string orchestra to perform at Please see MUSIC, Page 9

Celebrate the 4th of July week in Valdez with Uncle Salmon!

July 4: Independence Day Celebration July 7: Pink Salmon Cook-off & Festival Details on events & registrations for the cook off:

valdezalaska.org/events

Gold Rush Days:

August 1-5 Explore our Gold Rush past in today’s style.

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AL ASK A

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Activities near Denali Park Scenic camping, rental cabins, raft and kayak trips down the Nenana River, bicycle rentRiding a bus into Denali als and kayak lessons are all National Park is not the only available. See www.denalioutway to enjoy the wilderness doorcenter.com or call (888) and surrounding area.

303-1925 or (907) 683-1925.

Check out opportunities just Nearby, the Black Diaoutside the park boundaries. mond Resort Co. provides a About a mile from the park fine restaurant, a nine-hole entrance is a strip of hotels, golf course where you can tee restaurants and gift stores that off at midnight, a mini-golf offer every comfort imaginable. course, all-terrain vehicle Other restaurants and tours and horse-drawn carcampgrounds are located a riage tours. few miles south of the park See www.blackdiamondgolf. entrance, where most of the com or call 907 683-4653. area’s year-round residents live.

There are many easy to • Denali ATV Adventures moderate hiking trails near the offers excursions into the park entrance.

Bush with single, two-person Check for details at the or side-by-side ATVs for those Denali Visitor Center and the with kids or for a spouse who Wilderness Access Center. doesn’t want to drive.

Seven miles south of the Each helmet has an interpark entrance, the Denali Edu- com so the guide can provide cation Center offers community live, narrated tours. See www. programs and youth programs denaliATV.com or call 683throughout the summer that 2488. are worth investigating.

The Nenana River runs See the schedule on post through the valley and several office bulletin boards or at operators offer trips ranging www.denali.org. from calm and scenic Class All programs take place at II with just a few ripples to the Charles Sheldon Center, exciting Class IV hold-on-toMile 231 Parks Highway. your-hat waves. All companies Denali Outdoor Center is provide drysuits to put on over located on Otto Lake Road, just your clothes. south of Healy.

Options include: • Nenana Raft Adventures — whitewater rafting trips

By KRIS CAPPS For the News-Miner

Other activities

MUSIC Continued from Page 8

the Denali Visitor Center on July 21 at 7 p.m.

Music Director Robert Franz will lead the musicians, who will perform a piece created by composer Stephen Lias, who was inspired by a trip to Denali National Park last year.

Composers from around the world are also coming to Denali that week to attend a special composer workshop hosted by Alaska Geographic and the Murie Science and Learning Center.

That same weekend, some festival musicians will also

through the Nenana River gorge, excursions on the calmer upper section of river, and multi-day backcountry options.

Call (888) 789-7238 or (907) 683-7238 or see www.alaskaraft.com.

• Denali Raft Adventures — two-hour, four-hour and allday excursions on the Nenana River. Call (888)683-2234 or (907) 683-2234 or see www. denaliraft.com.

• ERA Helicopters features flightseeing tours, some of which include glacier landings.

See www.flightseeingtours.com or call 907 683-2574 or (800) 843-1947.

Denali Air takes passengers up in fixed-wing airplanes that take off from a private airstrip, 8 miles south of the park entrace. See www.denaliair.com or call 907 683-2261.

Your pet dog If you need a place to leave your dog while you travel into the park, check out Tonglen Lake Canine Resort, just seven miles south of the park entrance.

This state-of-the-art facility is run by experienced dog trainer Donna Gates. Throughout the season, Tonglen Lake offers boarding, grooming, massage and training classes, and a variety of other seminars.

Call 683-2580 or canineresort@tonglenlake.com.

be performing in various locations around Denali and Interior Alaska. Watch for information on those performances at www.fsaf.org or these Facebook pages: Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival or Denali Arts & Humanities Alliance.

Festival is a longtime study-performance festival, covering everything from music to visual arts and healing arts. See www. fsaf.org for information on classes.

Denali AHA is a volunteer consortium of community groups whose mission is to support, sustain and enhance arts/humanities in the Denali Borough schools and communities.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

PARK

the short season on sunny slopes. Take special measures to enjoy wildlife from afar and to avoid chance encounters with bears.

For a closeup view of how the park operates, visit the Denali kennels, where a team of sled dog lives year round. During the summer, these working dogs welcome visitors and their handlers provide an informative program.

These hard-working dogs patrol Denali during winter months.

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The center supports research in Alaska’s eight northern national parks by providing funding, logistical support, housing and access to data and park resources.

It is made possible through partnership with the National Park Service, Alaska Geographic and others.

Explore all the exhibits, including the wolf skeleton, reconstructed by local students and the real-life dinosaur tracks, estimated to be more than 70 million years old.

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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 at the park, but take care when photographing wildlife. There are guidelines on how close you should approach bears, eagles, caribou and others.

There are also guidelines for hiking, to help preserve the fragile tundra plants that cling to life during

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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 at Denali National Park.

But there are dinosaur tracks, discovered in 2005, showing for the first time that prehistoric creatures lived here.

Get to the park by train, by car, by bus or by chartering a small airplane. A single, winding, primarily gravel road, winds through the mountains and across rivers for about 92 miles to the old mining community of Kantishna, now a visitors haven.

Private vehicles are not permitted — although anyone can drive the first 15 miles of road to Savage River. After that, traffic is limited.

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

Enoying and appreciating the pristine wilderness of Denali National Park is easy.

Visit the Denali Visitor Center or the Wilderness Access Center to pick up a trail map and check schedules of guided walks and other programs.

There are a number of

blackbeardenali.com

Continued from Page 7

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 at Denali National Murie Science and Learning Center Park.

Be sure to visit this edu-

11

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Nenana, a summer hot spot

By REBA LEAN rlean@newsminer.com The village of Nenana is an hour’s drive outside of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway, but it is far more than just another gas station along the road.

Nenana is an Athabascan community, with deep roots in history. Many Athabascan generations have used the area for fishing and hunting.

Toghotthele Hill towers over the town as a landmark.

The name Nenana means “a good place to camp between the rivers.” It is located at the confluence of the Tanana and Nenana rivers, making it a hub for river traffic, including trips to fishing camps and barges to other villages along the river.

The Alaska Railroad has run through Nenana since 1916, connecting the Interior river system with the Railbelt. In 1923, President Warren J. Harding drove the golden spike at the north end of the Nenana rail bridge.

The bridge is the second largest single-span railroad bridge in the U.S., covering the entire 700 feet across the Tanana River.

Nenana has a number of remarkable claims to fame.

News-Miner

Festival-goers grab potatoes during the potato race at the Nenana Fourth of July celebration.

It is famous for the annual Nenana Ice Classic, in which thousands of people bet on the time a 20-foot tripod on the Tanana River will fall in spring as the ice breaks up.

In late February, the fivelegged tripod is planted into the river ice, with a threeday celebration surrounding it.

Nenana was the original starting point for the 1925 diphtheria serum run to Nome. The serum was rushed by rail to Nenana

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and, from there, a series of dog mushers relayed the serum all the way to the west coast of the state.

Today, Nenana’s summers are renowned for long days and special events, including a lively Fourth of July festival.

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12

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

All aboard the Alaska Railroad Anchorage, Wasilla, Talkeetna and Fairbanks.

From catching halibut and If you really want to sit salmon in Seward to landback and enjoy Alaska, coning on glaciers in the shadow sider hopping on the Alaska of Mount McKinley to seeRailroad for a day or even a ing grizzly bears in Denali week.

National Park and Preserve With more than 500 miles to panning for gold in Fairof track running from Seward banks, the Alaska Railroad at the south end to Fairbanks cannot only take you there on the north end, the railroad but also book whatever tours cuts through three mountain you want. ranges — the Kenai MounIt’s estimated that 80,000 tains, the Chugach Mountains to 100,000 people travel on and the Alaska Range — and the Alaska Railroad each year, offers unforgettable views though it’s hard to pinpoint a that can’t be seen from an RV specific number because some or tour bus but can from one travelers take multiple trips of the railroad’s luxury domed on the train, Rosewarne said. cars.

The railroad can put “Most people enjoy the together an entire rail vacarelaxed nature of railway tion ranging from five to 12 travel, to be able to sit and nights with prices ranging view the scenery,” Alaska from $1,799 to $5,489, or you Railroad Corp. sales marketcan pick and choose between ing manager Ruth Rosewarne a full lineup of shorter trips said. “It’s a whole authentic and day tours. experience.”

“The independent traveler The railroad features tours is one of our strongest marand stops in several locakets,” Rosewarne said. “Most tions along the line, including of the services and most of Seward, Whittier, Girdwood, what people want to see and

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com

do is on the Railbelt.

“We try to sell a little bit of everything,” she said. “A lot of people will fly into Anchorage, do a rail tour north and then come back to Anchorage and spend the night and then do a rail tour to the south.”

Traveling by train isn’t low budget or low class when it comes to the Alaska Railroad. The addition of several 89-foot, double-decker luxury dome cars during the past two years has greatly enhanced the railroad experience for travelers who are willing to pay the extra cost for what the railroad terms its GoldStar Service.

The new, state-of-the-art cars have upper-level outdoor platforms, an open air viewing deck and full bar to enjoy as you wind your way through the Alaska Range or around Turnagain Arm. The domed cars have proved so popular that the railroad added two more domed cars for the route from Anchorage to Seward last year.

Please see RAILROAD, Page 20

Alaska’s premier regularly scheduled public transportation service

See Denali in a day The Alaska Railroad offers daily departures to Denali National Park from Fairbanks. Spend the afternoon flightseeing, hiking or just soaking up the sights.

Call us today to book your Denali in a Day adventure!

1-800-544-0552 t AlaskaRailroad.com

13

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

The artistry of Ester writers, carpenters, professors, pilots, gold miners and much more.

If you head west on the At the Golden Eagle you Parks Highway toward Denali National Park, you’ll can grill your own burger, throw back a microbrew and soon come across a fire stastrike up a conversation with tion and community park swimming with toys, basket- friendly locals (Esterites are bona fide residents while balls and locals.

Esteroids are newcomers or This is the gateway to outliers).

Ester, a liberal outpost of The village may be small, about 2,000 people nestled in but it has a lot of heart. the hills about seven miles Ester has its own soccer outside of Fairbanks. field, ice rink, farmer’s marHang a right and you’ll ket, community hall and see a rustic log post office; library (and is fundraising another right brings you to for a new, bigger building). the town square — and the It even has its own biggest business in town.

The Golden Eagle saloon, monthly paper, called the Ester Republic, published by also called the “living room of Ester,” brings together the Deirdre Helfferich.

The village is also filled village’s eclectic population — a mix of artists, scientists, with events, including a Staff Report

famous Fourth of July parade, an epic New Year’s Eve fireworks display, a 5kilometer race, plenty of community potlucks and lots of live music in the summer — either in the community park or on the deck of the saloon.

You can still see signs of Ester’s gold rush roots.

The first claim was staked in 1903 and major dredging lasted until the 1960s.

Miners continue to operate today, both in large-scale and backyard mines.

The historic Ester Gold Camp was opened in 1930s and now includes a bar, theater, hotel and restaurant.

The major tourist attraction closed several years ago and is up for sale.

Anderson’s offerings Warning System at Clear Air Force Station.

About 55 miles southwest The town is off the sixof Fairbanks is a small town mile access road running with a big taste for bluegrass west of the Parks Highway music. at Mile 283.5.

The quaint and quirky Bring your harmonica, town of Anderson sees its washboard, jugs and kazoos 600-plus population nearly (and don’t forget bug spray) double each summer durfor a live concert along the ing the Anderson Bluegrass riverside. and Country Music festival, Wear whatever you wish: which draws crowds that tie-dye, Birkenstocks or your would make a Grateful Dead favorite garb — so long as follower feel at home. you wear your dancing feet A diverse range of bluebecause you’re bound to grass, Celtic, jazz and counhave a good time. try music bands come out for a fun-filled three days of music, camping and other festivities, creating one of the largest family gatherings in the Interior.

This year’s festival is slated for July 27-29 at Riverside Park.

The park offers complete facilities with host campgrounds, restrooms, showers, RV dumping, electrical hookups, telephones, barbecue pits and covered pavilions and shooting ranges.

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14

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Worshipping in Fairbanks to have hosted the first service on March 29, 1903, at the Fairbanks Saloon, located Christian missionaries folat First Avenue and Cushlowed on the heels of gold man Street. It is said that the seekers heading into the new saloon proprietor respectfully Fairbanks gold camp at the covered the glasses and decantbeginning of the 20th century. ers with a white sheet. James Evangelists, preachers and Wickersham’s account of the priests joined the stream of first service in his book “Old miners, prospectors and tradYukon: Tales-Trails and Trials,” ers stampeding into Fairbanks said the entire population of the in early 1903 after rumors of a new town turned out and that rich gold strike spread through- the service was conducted by out Alaska and the Yukon.

Rice along with a Presbyterian Among the first to arrive minister, the Rev. C.F. Ensign. was an Episcopal priest, the Under the direction of Rev. Charles E. Rice, who Archdeacon Hudson Stuck, the was accompanied by a young Episcopalians built the first Athabascan, Esias Joseph, who church in town and opened it guided Rice from Circle to the for worship on Sunday, Oct. 16, Fairbanks camp.

1904. Presbyterians and Roman According to Episcopal Catholic missionaries followed, church records, Rice and Joseph and by the close of the year, left Circle City on the Yukon services were held by all three River on March 13, well-predenominations. pared for the journey. The pair Both the Episcopalians and encountered a blizzard and a Catholics built hospitals in tansnow-drifted trail, and the 200- dem with their churches. mile journey took 12 days.

S. Hall Young arrived in Four days after their March Fairbanks in July 1904, finding 25 arrival, Rice was purported it a town of approximately 500

By MARY BETH SMETZER msmetzer@newsminer.com

Come & Join Us!

ptist Chur st Ba ch r i F

Journey Christian Church Schedule Sunday School......................9:45 a.m.

Worship............................11:00 a.m.

Wednesday Bible Study/Prayer. .6:30 p.m.

"Where we want to be your family."

Sunday worship at 10 a.m.

(907) 456-4923

University Ave.

University Community Presbyterian Church Summer Worship 10:30 a.m.

Childcare Provided

Worship Services Saturday at 7 p.m. • Sunday at 11 a.m.

Sunday Prayer Time 10-11 a.m.

907-457-5522 • 907-457-2167 101 City Lights Blvd., Fairbanks, AK 99712

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inhabitants living in tents and cabins, and quickly put up a Presbyterian church at Seventh Avenue and Cushman Street.

The original church was moved to Pioneer Park in 1966, and it can be rented for weddings and interdenominational services.

The Rev. Francis Monroe, a Jesuit priest, arrived in Fairbanks the same year and built Immaculate Conception Church on the corner of First Avenue and Dunkel Street. In 1911, the priest decided to move the church across the river, next to St. Joseph’s Hospital. After the Chena River froze, a crew of men and horses skidded the building to the opposite bank where it stands today and is known as “the little white church.”

Also in 1903, a Christian Science Reading Room was opened near Seventh Avenue and Barnette Street. The active community opened its first public church on Thanksgiving Day in 1906, and the church history states that two congregation members walked 12 miles in 50 below zero temperatures to attend. Today, the First Church of Christ, Scientist is located at 811 First Ave., on the vacated homesite of Fairbanks’ founder, E.T. Barnette.

After the initial gold rush, Fairbanks’ population dwindled considerably. During the 1930s and the advent of modern rail and air transportation, the development of a new land grant college and military interests, the town started expanding again. World War II and the building of the Alaska Highway dramatically opened up Interior Alaska, and with the new pioneers came a new influx of religious denominations.

Today, Fairbanks is home to followers of a wide variety of religions, including Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam and more.

15

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Worship Directory – Visitors are always welcome!

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

FAIRBANKS AREA Bethel Church www.bethelchurchak.org (Conservative Baptist) 479-4380 1310 Farmers Loop Rd. (2 mi east of Golf Course) Worship: Sunday 9:30 a.m. & 11 a.m.

Sunday School: 11:00 a.m.

Bible Baptist Church 452-1407 32 Adak Ave. 328-1423 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 RVʼs Free transportation from motels & campgrounds www.BibleBaptistFairbanks.com Doug Duffett, Pastor (907) 388-9815

Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks 1744 Aurora Drive

456-1002

Fridays 7:30pm • www.mosquitonet.com/~orhatzafon/

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

Sacred Heart Cathedral 2501 Airport Way Ph: 474-9032 Fx: 479-3327 Weekend Masses: May 27 - August 26 Sat. 5:00 p.m., Sun. 10:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Weekday Masses: Tue. – Fri. 5:30 p.m. email: shc@mosquitonet.com

Christ Lutheran Church

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

Farmerʼs Loop near UAF (ECLA) 479-4947 Sunday Worship: 9:30 a.m. (Memorial Day - Labor Day) www.clcfairbanks.org • clc@mosquitonet.com

1029 First Avenue 456-5235 Eucharists: Sunday 8 a.m., 9:15 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

Wed. 9:30 am & 7 pm, Compline at 12 am Sun. - Fri. www.stmatthewschurch.org

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

Wednesday 7:00 p.m.

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

St. Paul Church Independent Traditional Methodist Worship Pastor Dale Thurlby – 474-9206 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Worship 11 a.m.

907 Union Dr., by Dog Mushers 479-7998 The 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.

Fairbanks Lutheran Church 1012 Cowles Street (ELCA) 452-3425 Summer Sunday Worship: 8:30 a.m. Heritage 10:00 a.m. Celebration II www.fairbankslutheranchurch.org / fairluth@gci.net

Fairbanks Seventh-day Adventist Church

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

1811 Farmerʼs Loop Road 479-6070 9:30 am Saturday, www.fairbanksadventistchurch.org

Farewell Avenue Christian Church 100 Farewell Ave. facc@farewellave.com 456-6123 Sunday: Worship / Communion & Sunday School

www.farewellave.com

First Baptist Church of Fairbanks 805 Sixth Avenue - Downtown 456-4923 Sunday Morning: 11:00 a.m. www.firstbaptistfairbanks.com

Hamilton Acres Baptist Church 17395216 5-5-12VG

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

Pastor Bruce Hamilton

Immaculate Conception Church 115 N. Cushman Street 452-3533 Mass: Sat. 5:30 p.m., Sun. 7:30, 9:15, 11:00 a.m.

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

Church is open weekdays 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Holy Mary of Guadalupe Catholic Church Sunday 7:00 p.m. Healy Church 683-2535 Saturday Night Mass 6:00 p.m. at the Wilderness Access Center Theatre (1mi. on Park Rd)

Valley Chapel - Assembly of God Mile 249, Parks Hwy. Healy 683-2303 Sun. Sch. 10 am, Church 11am, Midweek-call

NORTH POLE AREA Northern Lights Free Will Baptist 2365 Richardson Hwy. (11 Mile) 490-0022 Services: 10:00 a.m. & 11:00 a.m.

St. Nicholas Catholic Church 707 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole

488-2595

Mass: Daily 9am, Sat. 5pm, Sun. 9am, Noon & 2pm (Latin)

Reconciliation: Saturday 4 p.m. or by appointment

16

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Museum of the North

reputation.

The museum on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus has There are just a handful of near- become a year-round target for indemandatory stops for visitors to Fair- pendent and tour travelers. The disbanks, but the University of Alaska tinctive 83,000-square-foot building, Museum of the North is among the Please see MUSEUM, Page 18 destinations that have earned that

By JEFF RICHARDSON jrichardson@newsminer.com

When visiting UA Museum of the North and Georgeson Botanical Gardens, don’t miss the unique shops in the

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GULLIVER’S BOOKS New, Used & Bargain Book Store

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INUA WOOL SHOPPE

Hundreds of Alaska Bargain Books

474-9574 1-800-390-8999 3525 College Rd. A specialty shop for knitters AND OTHER FINE YARN

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T H E L U X U R Y YA R N O F T H E A R C T I C

17

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Botanical Garden

By MARY BETH SMETZER msmetzer@newsminer.com

Eric Engman /News-Miner

Curious about what plants flourish under the 24-hour midnight sun other than Alaska’s world-renowned giant cabbages?

Then a visit to the Georgeson Botanical Garden on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus is a must-see. The three-acre, northernmost public garden in North America is mantled in snow for six months of the year. But each spring as daylight lengthens, eventually spiraling around the clock, the garden comes alive with a bountiful array of flowers, herbs and perennials.

The UAF botanical garden is dedicated to plant science and education in high latitude horticulture which means learning anything about growing plants in the Far North.

The garden is used for both research and demonstration and is part of the Alaska Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, which was established in the Tanana Valley in the first decade of the 20th century.

The garden is named after Charles Georgeson, director of Alaska Agriculture Experiment Stations at the time, who explored the Tanana Valley for farming sites.

Wandering paths throughout the gardens provide visitors

Marilyn McCall, right, and her grandaughter Michelle McCabe, 11, enjoy the vibrant colors at the Georgeson Botanical Garden at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

the opportunity for interesting, self-guided tours by following brochures and signs.

The south-facing gardens also offer a beautiful, panoramic overview of the valley and the Alaska Range and include herb and cutting gardens and a children’s garden that features a maze, miniature log cabin and a water garden.

Many gardens are undergoing changes this summer, however, so some areas may be in flux.

Benches and bird baths and original art sculptures are generously sprinkled throughout the gardens, enhancing their beauty.

The Georgeson Botanical Garden Society, formed in 2007 and made up of volunteers and

friends of the garden, actively supports the garden’s various educational and horticultural programs. Members host fundraisers each year, including a plant sale in May and a Victorian Tea Party in June in the gardens.

Hours and tours • The Georgeson Botanical Garden is open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily from May 1 to Sept. 30.

• Admission: None is charged, although a $3 donation is suggested; no charge for children younger than 6.

• Location: 117 West Tanana Drive on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

• Information: (907) 4747222 or online at georgesonbg.

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18

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

MUSEUM Continued from Page 16

which dominates the view of the campus to the south, has a vast collection of 1.4 million artifacts, plants, animals and works of fine art with exhibits that rotate in and out throughout the year.

Visitors will get to see a bit of everything — a greeting from a stuffed 8-foot, 9-inch brown bear, landscape paintings by

I N

well-regarded artists such as Sydney Laurence, and a room where local seismic and weather patterns influence the constant hum inside.

Visitors will also have access to two new exhibits at the museum this summer. “Changing Alaska” is on display at the entrance to the Gallery of Alaska starting in May, showing how animals, people and cultures have adapted to a gradually warming Arctic.

The exhibit takes advantage of artifacts and historical data

back to the 1920s, using the evolution of such things as fishing lures and willow ptarmigan as examples of a changing climate.

“Art in the Making” proves a peek at the process behind the work of five Fairbanks artists.

Summer hours, from midMay to mid-September, are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. General admission is $10, $9 for ages 60 and older, and $5 for ages 7-17.

Admission is free for museum members, UA students with ID and children 6 and younger.

F A I R B A N K S

Welcome!

Visit us to experience Alaska Native cultures, natural wonders, and diverse wildlife all in one amazing place.

Dynamic Aurora and other original films 2,000 years of Alaskan art Museum Store Audio guide

24-hour information 907.474.7505 museum.uaf.edu

SUMMER HOURS: 9 AM – 7 PM DAILY WINTER HOURS: 9 AM – 5 PM MONDAY – SATURDAY OPEN YEAR ROUND ON THE UAF CAMPUS

Photo by Patricia Fisher/Fisher Photography. UAF is an AA/EO employer and educational institution.

19

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Tanana Valley State Fair

By REBA LEAN rlean@newsminer.com

• www.tananavalleystatefair.com • Twitter: @AlaskaFair

include the largest cabbage contest, livestock displays, a talent search, baby show and discount days for children and military members.

Some of the newer and not-to-be-missed highlights include an antique tractor pull, “Dancing With the Fairbanks Stars” and a barbecue cook-off.

Every year, the fair ends

with a fireworks display.

Fair entrance is $10 per adult and $5 per senior and child.

Children under 5 years old can get in free. Season passes are $35 and $20 for seniors and children.

There is plenty of free parking at the College Road site, but the lot can fill up on popular nights.

Enjoy 10 fun-filled days at the

www.tananavalleystatefair.org

12393432-VG12

Homegrown goods, amusement rides, farm animals and endless concessions collide at the Tanana Valley State Fair each August.

Each year during Fairbanks’ rainiest season, the oldest fair in Alaska brings cheer to thousands of people.

This years’ fair, themed “The Age of Asparagus,” runs Aug. 3 through Aug. 12.

General Manager Randi Carnahan explained the theme is important for setting the tone of the fair each year.

“Our themes are generally agriculture- or livestockbased because that’s the foundation of the fair,” she said.

The theme, colors (yellow, orange and green this year) and flower (zinnias for 2012) are often inspiration for fair booths’ decorations. Carnahan said she wouldn’t be surprised to see asparagus everywhere this August.

The fair started in 1924 and grew over time from just three days to 10, new this year.

This year will be the 81st fair, since a few were canceled over the years, including years during the Great Depression and World War II. The fair opened in its current location at 1800 College Road in 1952.

People go to the fair to compete in perishable entry contests with their gardengrown goods or participate in culinary competitions, including a bake-off.

They go to taste test every available fair food, including the standard turkey leg or funnel cake, or watch the performances from local and out-of-state talent — last year’s performances included a sword swallower.

“For every person you ask why they go to the fair, you’re going to get a different answer,” Carnahan said.

“One thing we always shoot for is to have something for everybody.”

Traditional highlights

ONLINE

20

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

RAILROAD Continued from Page 12

“That’s really enhanced that route,” Rosewarne said.

“It’s so lush when you go through the Kenai Mountains and get off the road system.”

The Anchorage to Seward route is considered the most scenic section of track. The route travels along Turnagain Arm before heading into the Kenai Mountains, climbing up Turnagain Pass and descending into the Resurrection Bay town of Seward.

The Anchorage to Denali route is probably the mosttraveled section of track because of the popularity of Denali National Park and Preserve, Rosewarne said.

The train makes a round-trip to Seward from

Anchorage every day during the tourist season and also makes daily trips to Fairbanks from Anchorage with stops in Talkeetna and Denali.

A train also travels south to Anchorage from Fairbanks on a daily basis during the summer.

Built between 1914 and 1923, the Alaska Railroad was operated by the federal government until it was purchased by the state of Alaska in 1985. The company receives no funding from the state, and all operating expenses and improvements are paid out of revenues generated by passengers, freight services, and real estate.

The Alaska Railroad has the distinction of being the last full-service railroad in the United States, meaning it handles freight, passenger and commercial trains. In 2008, the Alaska Railroad

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moved more than 6.1 million tons of freight over 641 miles of track, much of which is oil, gas and coal being transported between Fairbanks and Anchorage.

The railroad’s peak season is June 1 through Aug. 31, with lower fares offered from May 12-31 and Sept. 1-13.

During the winter (Sept.

19 to May 9), the train travels north from Anchorage to Fairbanks each Saturday and south from Fairbanks to Anchorage each Sunday.

By the numbers • 614 — Miles of total track, including spurs, on the Alaska Railroad.

• 2,363 — Elevation in feet of Broad Pass, the highest point on the railroad.

• 916 — Length in feet of the longest bridge on the railroad across Hurricane Gulch.

• 296 — Height in feet the Hurricane Gulch bridge sits above Hurricane Creek.

• 1914 — Year the Alaska Railroad was established.

• 6.1 million — Pounds of freight hauled by the Alaska Railroad in 2008.

• 80,000 to 100,000 — Number of people estimated to travel the Alaska Railroad each year.

Reservations/Information • Call 800-544-0552 or go to www.alaskarailroad.com.

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21

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks Community Museum the attention of the viewer, provide them with a few For anyone interested laughs and give the visitor in the rich history of Fairinsight on early Alaska life. banks and its culture, visit The first room you enter the Fairbanks Community is dedicated to life in the Museum located in the heart Alaska Interior of the Golden Heart City at Photographs adorn the 410 Cushman St. walls portraying sub-zero Occupying the historic temperatures and how locals City Hall, this museum pro- cope with such an environvides visitors with a glimpse ment. of the events, attractions Two cases display beautiand developments that have ful, traditional garb such as placed Fairbanks on the mukluks and parkas made map. by in Galena.

From the start of the A yellow T-shirt bears Klondike Gold Rush at the satiric witness to one of the turn of the 19th century, to the dawn of the sport of dog mushing, to the epic flood of 1967, the museum has five rooms filled with iconic photographs, artifacts and knick-knacks that captivate Staff Report

coldest winters in Alaskan history. And a 1962 Bombardier Skidoo rests in the center of the room.

Passing into the second room, visitors are confronted with the tragic flood of 1967.

Photographs provide documentation of city submerged after the Chena River rose 6 feet above the normal flood level.

A video montage plays in a loop next to a wall dedicated the building of the Chena River Lakes Project.

Please see FCM, Page 22

18396922-5-5-12VG

Exhibits Winter in Fairbanks The Great Flood

5th Avenue & Cushman Street

in Historic City Hall

Monday thru Friday 11am – 7pm Most Sundays 11am – 3pm

Klondike Gold Rush

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Early Fairbanks The Driving Spirit (Dog Mushing) Monthly Art Show

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(907) 457-3669

FairbanksHistoryMuseum.com

22

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

The Morris Thompson center under one roof.

The MTCVC is located on the banks of the Chena River at 101 Dunkel St., near Griffin Park and bike and walking paths. A restored 1905 pioneer cabin sits on the center’s grounds, and glass tile mosaics depicting traditional Athabaskan beadwork designs adorn the sidewalks. Visitors can stow their gear in lockers while they explore Fairbanks, or watch daily free films in the center’s 100-seat theater. A 9,000-square-foot hall houses How We Live: The People and the Land, an exhibit featuring

life-sized dioramas depicting the seasons, flora and fauna of Interior Alaska. A replica fish camp, hunting camp and public use cabin add to the realism.

The services offered by the organizations are varied.

The knowledgeable and friendly locals who staff the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau are happy to help with itinerary planning and answer questions about living and working in Interior Alaska.

More than 400 brochures offer information about activities,

City, Yukon.

Some of them eventually helped found the gold rush town of Fairbanks. In a Continued from Page 21 side room, visitors can walk around a mock-up of a typiPassing through another cal gold rush campsite. threshold, you can learn The fourth room will host about the tens of thousands a new exhibit this summer. of gold prospectors who A monthly rotation of local stampeded from the West Coast to Skagway to Dawson artists’ work will be displayed.

Coming into the fifth room, visitors can see the Welcome to evolution of Alaska’s official Fountainhead Hotels sport — dog mushing.

It is this exhibit that has earned the museum Fairbanks’ Premier Hotel Group

the title of Alaska’s official Dog Mushing Museum.

The exhibit originated at the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Museum of the North, found its way to the Empress Theater and eventually made its permanent home at the museum.

Here you can find five examples of dog sleds, one dating back to about 1920. An original Yukon Quest trophy on display is complemented by artwork of mushing competitions and competitors, including a painting of Leonhard Seppala, one of the mushers to deliver serum to Nome in 1925 during a diphtheria outbreak.

The museum has extended its hours this year. It will be open Monday to Friday 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. and most Sundays from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

Admission is free and donations are welcome.

For more information call 457-3669.

The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center offers one-stop information and services to visitors and residents alike. The Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, the Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs, the Alaska Geographic bookstore and Denakkanaaga Native Elders organization all share space in the building, providing a variety of cultural programs, exhibits and events

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23

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

VISITORS Continued from Page 22

lodging, dining, entertainment, shopping and other adventures, and public computers are available for those who want to check email or make travel arrangements. Vacancy listings for accommodations are posted daily and local or credit card calls can be made from free courtesy phones.

The FCVB is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily in summer and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in winter. For more information call 456-5774 or visit www. explorefairbanks.com.

The Alaska Public Lands Information Center encourages visitors and residents alike to experience public lands in a safe and meaningful way while conserving and sustaining the resources — natural, historic and cultural — of Alaska.

APLIC offers help planning backcountry trips, interpretive services, resource education programs and fee collection as well as a reference library.

Free National Park Service Ranger-led interpretive tours about the natural history of Interior Alaska are offered Monday, Tuesday and Saturday, June 6 through August 22 at 10:30 a.m. Monday tours are outside along the Chena River.

Tuesday and Saturday tours

News-Miner

The Tanana Traditional Dancers open the dedication and blessing of the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center along the Chena River. are in the exhibits. For more information call 459-3730 or visit alaskacenters.gov.

The Alaska Geographic bookstore is a nonprofit partner of all public lands but is particularly affiliated with APLIC. It publishes and sells books and gives a percentage of its sales to APLIC, which uses these funds to sponsor educational events such as First Friday, book signings, field trips for children and Junior Ranger Day. The bookstore also sells puzzles, games, postcards, photos, DVDs and educational materials and curriculums. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 a.m. daily, Memorial day through Labor Day. Off -season hours are noon

to 5 p.m. Tuesday though Saturday. Call 459--3710 or visit alaskageographic.org for more information.

The Tanana Chiefs Conference is a tribal consortium of 42 Interior Alaska villages that promotes Alaska Native unity and tribal self-determination.

Tanana Chiefs Conference Cultural Programs offers shows, tours, presentations, and special programming to educate and celebrate Alaska Native cultures. For more information call 459-3740, visit tananachiefs.org or stop by the visitors center.

Denakkanaaga is a Native elders organization with offices in the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center.

24

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

World Eskimo-Indian Olympics News-Miner

By DANNY MARTIN dmartin@newsminer.com A clock on the website of the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics counts down the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the first athlete competes and the first group of dancers performs in this year’s celebration of Native games and culture.

The 51st edition of WEIO is scheduled for July 18-21 in the Carlson Center.

Nicole Johnston has been involved in WEIO either as an athlete or administrator, or both, for 24 years since she was first introduced to the event as a 16-year-old from Nome.

Johnston, now the chairman of the WEIO Board of Governors and still one of its

Leroy Shangin, of Perryville, grimaces while competing in the men’s ear pull during the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics.

athletes, cites passion as a reason for the celebration’s popularity.

WEIO attracts visitors from around the nation. It has been featured nationally in publications like People and Cosmopolitan magazines and USA Today, and on national television programs like

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“I think it’s the passion for the people who play the games and who want to represent the cultures of our Native peoples,’’ Johnston said in a telephone interview.

“I know that’s the reason I do it.

“Once you come to WEIO, you kind of get hooked because it becomes your second family,’’ Johnston added.

The games in WEIO are based on survival skills of the arctic regions of the planet.

For example, the four-man carry involves a participant walking as far as he can while volunteers are draped on his body.

It is based on a hunter, who after a successful hunt, having to carry his game for a long distance.

The ear pull, one of WEIO’s most popular games, is a tug-of-war of ears as two people sit facing each other with twine looped around each other’s ears — rightear-to-right-ear or left-ear-toleft-ear.

The game tests a person’s ability to withstand pain, a trait that is sometimes needed to survive the harsh realities of the North.

Among the other games are the Indian stick pull, Eskimo stick pull, kneel jump, arm pull, one hand reach and three high kicks — one foot, two foot and Alaskan.

More information about WEIO is available at its website (www.weio.org).

25

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Creamer’s Field

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge was once the largest dairy farm in the Interior — the old barn and farmhouse remain standing today — but birds, not cows, now populate the fields.

In the spring and fall, the refuge serves as a major stop for thousands of migrating Canada geese, sandhill cranes, trumpeter swans and ducks.

One of the sure signs that spring is on the way in Fairbanks is when the first geese of the season land at Creamer’s Field. In the summer, it is home to boreal chickadees, tree swallows, yellow-rumped warblers, white-crowned sparrows, hermit thrushes and dozens of other songbirds.

Located at 1300 College Road, the refuge is only about two miles from downtown Fairbanks and serves as home to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, which manages the refuge.

The old dairy farm dates back to the early 1900s. Belle and Charles Hinckley brought three cows and some horses to Fairbanks from Nome by steamboat to start a dairy farm, paying their way by selling milk to other passengers.

They met the Creamers, another pioneer family on its way to Fairbanks, on the boat and became friends. When the Hinckleys decided to sell the farm in 19228, the Creamers

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bought it and operated it until 1966.

As the dairy grew over the years, migratory waterfowl congregated at Creamer’s Field in increasing numbers. The manure that was spread on the fields caused the snow to melt quicker and produced the first open ground for birds to land when they arrived in the spring. When the dairy went up for sale in 1966, local residents met to plan a way to purchase the property. Along with money raised by the community, the state legislature provided funds to match federal money to purchase the 250-acre farm and management was given to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

In 1970 an adjacent 1,500 acres of state land was added and the entire parcel was designated as a refuge in 1979. Since that time, additional acreage has been added to the refuge.

The refuge has a network of trails and nature walks are offered daily by Friend’s of Creamer’s Field, a non-profit group dedicated to providing educational opportunities on the refuge. The trail system includes about six miles of trails that wind through fields, forests and wetlands. The trails are mainly flat and contain stretches of boardwalk for easy walking. There are several bird viewing platforms built along the trails and in the field.

The old farmhouse serves as an interpretive center where visitors can learn about the

history of the refuge and the role it plays today for migratory birds and other wildlife.

The refuge is comprised to a wide variety of different habitats, which provide homes for a diversity of wildlife that includes moose, snowshoe hares, foxes and squirrels.

The nearby Alaska Bird Observatory, which is located next door in Wedgewood Resort, operates a bird banding station on the refuge each summer, catching and banding thousands of songbirds each summer from late April to mid September. Over the past 20 years, the station has banded over 96,000 birds.

The banding station gets about 500 visitors a year, not counting the thousands of school children who visit the station each spring and fall as part of educational programs.

The refuge plays host to the annual Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival in late August when thousands of cranes congregate on the fields before flying south.

26

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

A visit to Pioneer Park

By DOROTHY CHOMICZ dchomicz@newsminer.com Visitors to Fairbanks can find plenty to see and do at Pioneer Park, a 44-acre borough park located between the Chena River, Airport Way and Peger Road on the west side of Fairbanks.

Originally named Alaska

67 Centennial Exposition, the park opened in 1967 to commemorate the centennial celebration of Alaska’s purchase from Russia in 1867. Soon thereafter it was renamed Alaskaland, a name it kept for more than 30 years until being renamed Pioneer Park in 2002.

Pioneer Park shops and attractions are open May 28

through Labor Day from noon to 8 p.m. Admission to the park is free, but some museums charge a small entrance fee.

Visitors can access the park year-round.

Visitors can stroll along the unpaved streets and wooden sidewalks of Gold Rush Town, Please see PIONEER, Page 28

PIONEER PARK Alaska’s Only Historical Theme Park

Airport Way & Peger Rd. • Fairbanks, Alaska • 459-1095 Visitor Information www.fnsb.us/PioneerPark • email: pioneerpark@co.fairbanks.ak.us Park Office: (907)459-1087 • 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks, AK 99701

• Gold Rush Town (Shops) • Pioneer Aviation Museum • Mini Golf & Carousel • Native Culture Exhibits • Kayak & Bicycle Rentals • Crooked Creek & Whiskey Island Railroad • Square & Round Dance Hall

• Palace Theater Show • Alaska Salmon Bake • Pioneer Museum & Big Stampede Show • Railroad Museum • National Historic Landmarks • Picnic Shelters & Playground • Free WiFi parkwide

June 1 – August 31 • GAZEBO NIGHTS - Live entertainment nightly at 7p.m. - FREE • FINE ARTS GALLERY & GIFT SHOP open Noon. - 8p.m. daily - FREE

• MONTHLY LITERARY READINGS 1st Saturdays at 7p.m. - FREE • TIPS – Totally Impromptu Performance Series

Relive the past and explore the treasures of the Golden Heart.

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All Activities are in the Alaska Centennial Center for the Arts-Bear Gallery, Theater or outside at the Gazebo.

For info call Fairbanks Arts Association 456-6485

27

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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28

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

The Pioneer Air Museum offers visitors a look into Alaska’s aviation history with a collection Continued from Page 26 of aircraft and memorabilia.

The museum is located in the consisting of 35 original gold Gold Dome and admission is rush-era buildings relocated to $2 for adults or $5 for a family. the park and given new life as Children under 12 get in free if shops or museums. All walks of life are represented, and one accompanied by an adult. The Bear Gallery, located on the can tour a trappers cabin, the third floor of the Pioneer Park first church in Fairbanks and even one of the cabins from Centennial Center for the Arts, The Line, Fairbanks’ former offers a gift shop as well as red-light district. The home exhibits by local artists. Admisof Judge James Wickersham sion is free.

— Interior Alaska’s first disRailroad history is repretrict court judge — shows what sented by the Tanana Valley life was like for wealthier FairRailroad Museum and Engine banksans of the time.

Two historic items flank the No. 1, a restored 1899 steam locomotive that operates on a entrance to Gold Rush Town. limited schedule. Engine No. The Harding Railroad Car, a 1 is the oldest working steam Pullman passenger and observation car used by President engine in Alaska. For those Warren G. Harding when he wanting a fast and fun look visited Alaska in 1923, sits just at the park, the narrow-gauge east of the park entrance.

Crooked Creek and Whiskey The S.S. Nenana riverIsland Railroad offers rides boat, a wood-hulled historic around the perimeter of the sternwheeler that plied the park on a raised track. The rivers of the Interior from the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, is train departs every 15 minutes and admission is $1 for chilnorth of the park entrance. It has been restored and boasts a dren and $2 for adults.

The nearby Alaska Native 300-foot diorama of the Tanana Village Museum offers Native and Yukon rivers.

The Pioneer Museum, crafts, artifacts and indoor and located near the end of Gold displays about Native culture.

Rush Town, is full of interestGazebo Nights features ing artifacts from Fairbanks’ an hour of live music every pioneer past. Admission is free evening at 7 p.m. at the white but donations are accepted. gazebo near the park entrance.

The Tanana Chief

PIONEER

Sternwheeler Tanana Chief PRIME RIB DINNER CRUISE FOR INFORMATION AND RESERVATIONS:

Staff Report A great way to see Fairbanks is on the Chena River as it flows through town.

If you want to see it while eating a prime rib and salmon buffet, your ticket is the Tanana Chief, a replica of an 1898 vessel by the same name that was the first sternwheeler to operate the Chena and Tanana rivers.

IF YOU GO For more information about the Tanana Chief sternwheeler, call 452-8687 or go to tananachiefak.com.

The dinner cruise costs $49.95 with discounts for children, Alaska residents, seniors and the military.

It has a menu of prime rib, king salmon, veggies, salad and dessert.

The Tanana Chief also does a champagne brunch every other Sunday at noon and throughout the summer offers a number of specialty cruises with themes such as wine tastings, pirates and casino night.

If you just want the boat ride without the food, the ticket is $24.95.

(907) 452-8687 Ask about our Sunday Champagne Brunch Cruise & Charters Greatland River Tours 1020 Hoselton Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99709 Next to River’s Edge RV Park

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29

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Alaska Salmon Bake Staff Report Pioneer Park is also the home of the Alaska Salmon Bake, an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring fire-grilled salmon, Alaskan halibut, Bering Sea cod and prime rib.

The Salmon Bake operates from mid-May to mid-September and dinner is served nightly from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The buffet is $32.95 for adults and $16 for children and includes a salad bar, baked beans, rolls, dessert, and beverages. Beer, from the nearby Silver Gulch Brewery, and wine are available at extra cost.

Also this year, visitors can feast on snow crab on Friday

and Saturday nights beginning June 1-2 and running through the end of the season. Crab night is $34.95 per person and includes everything on the regular menu.

All meals include a dessert of cake and topping made of Alaska blueberries.

The Salmon Bake is one of the most popular summer stops in Fairbanks, catering to 50,000 to 60,000 guests a year — including locals, so you know it must be good.

And don’t worry about the weather keeping you away. The Salmon Bake has indoor and outdoor seating.

The Alaska Salmon Bake is one of the oldest single-family

owned businesses in Fairbanks.

The business, founded in 1979

by Rick Winther, started as just a small cabin and a fire pit at Alaskaland, which is now known as Pioneer Park.

Visitors who want to take in a show after dinner can stop at the Palace Theater for The Golden Heart Revue. The show is a lighthearted musical comedy about early Fairbanks pioneers and features a polished cast.

The revue plays seven nights a week and showtime is 8:15 p.m.

Admission is $19.95 for adults and $9 for children.

For more information about the Alaska Salmon Bake or the Golden Heart Revue, call (800) 354-7274 or (907) 452-7274.

The aurora borealis Staff Report The brilliant, vibrant and lively colors that dance across the northern skies inspire wonder in the hearts and minds of even the most hardened longtime Alaskans.

The aurora borealis, or the northern lights as they are also commonly called, are a sight to behold, and one of the many wonders of the Arctic.

A reliable local source of information regarding the phenomenon is the University

of Alaska Geophysical Insticast. The Geophysical Institute, which provides a wealth tute provided answers to some of information, an aurora common aurora questions: forecast and a place to sign up for aurora alerts. Visit www.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

determine the possible light emissions.

The atmosphere is made up of varying levels of oxygen Continued from Page 29 and nitrogen. Sometimes the photos emitted by the enerQ: What is the aurora? getic electrons, creating auroA: The luminous glow in ra energy, are strong enough the sky, called aurora, is the to split the molecules of the result of energetic particles air around them into oxygen entering the upper atmoand nitrogen molecules and sphere. atoms. This process gives This specific glow is difthem the signature colors of ferent than other forms of brightness in the sky, such as nitrogen and oxygen atoms.

Oxygen atoms typically emit scattered sunlight or lightgreen and red colors. ning. Magnetism within the The overall impression Earth’s atmosphere guide the is a greenish-whitish glow. energetic particles, most often Very intense aurora can get electrons, along field lines to the high-latitude atmosphere. a purple edge at the bottom, which is a mixture of blue and As they penetrate the upper atmosphere, the chance of col- red emissions from nitrogen molecules. liding with an atom or moleQ: What is the altitude cule increases the deeper they of the aurora? go. When a collision occurs, The bottom edge is typicalthe atom or molecule takes ly at 60 miles altitude, but it some of the energy of the extends over a large altitude energetic particle and stores range. Very intense aurora it as internal energy while from high energy electrons the electron continues on its can be as low as 50 miles. path at a reduced speed. The The top of the visible aurorelease of that stored energy ra peters out around 120-200 by an atom or molecule, achieved by sending off a pho- miles but sometimes highaltitude aurora can be seen as ton, produces light.

Q: What makes the color high as 350 miles.

Q: How often is there in the aurora? aurora?

A: The composition and A: There is always some density of the atmosphere aurora at some place on Earth. and the altitude of the aurora

You just can’t always see it.

When the solar wind is calm, the aurora might be too high and faint to see.

In order to see aurora, the sky must be dark and clear, which means in the land of the midnight sun, the phenomenon is invisible during the bright summer months.

Summer visitors should not despair: Local photographer LeRoy Zimmerman spent much of his career documenting the aurora at its best from desirable locations throughout the state.

He has created the world’s only panoramic wide screen aurora performance, all set it to symphonic music. He has offered the auroral experience to audiences since 1984.

“It’s the only award winning, and the longest running, original aurora show in Alaska,” Zimmerman said of the spectacle, which he calls a photosymphony.

He displayed his show at the Ester Gold Camp for more than 20 years, took a one-year hiatus when the camp closed, and restarted the show, in digital form, at the Lacey Street Theatre in 2009.

Zimmerman said Photosymphony does more than offer the visual beauty of the aurora in the pictoral display; the classical symphony music helps create an emotional response, Zimmerman said.

“You can see the aurora (in many pictures) but what I am trying to do is to help you feel it. That is what you can’t put into words or capture with a picture alone,” he said.

Photosymphony runs every day at 8 p.m. in the Lacey Street Theatre.

Information is available at www.photosymphony.com.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Go shopping downtown Downtown Fairbanks may not be flush with huge malls and major retail chains, but there’s plenty of shopping to go around for even the most avid shopaholics.

The shops may be small but they are full of local flavor and fun.

On the first Friday of the month, downtown is always bustling, as local businesses stay open late to show off the latest art Fairbanks has to offer.

There are a handful of art true galleries, which include The Alaska House, Gallery 49 and 2 Street Gallery. The Alaska House focuses primarily on Alaska artists.

The gallery, located in a small, distinct split-log cabin that looks like it came out of a Grimm’s Fairy Tale, has been open since 2000 and is managed by Ron Veliz and Yolande Fejes, daughter of well-known Fairbanks artist

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soup, sandwiches and espresso, and lots of trinkets. Also, as the name implies, lots of fudge.

If Only... A Fine Store, offers up fine goods, clever gift ideas and local art. It’s a great place to find a gift for anyone, from babies to adults. You can’t miss the store’s greeter, Martha, who stands on the sidewalk ushering visitors in regardless of whether it’s raining or shining.

There are plenty of another shops in Downtown, including more Alaska gifts, antique stores and more.

Just grab a soda or cup of coffee and wander around.

Downtown Fairbanks has something to offer everyone.

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Gallery 49 and 2 Street Gallery are both located in the Co-Op building. Both feature art from a variety of mediums including paintings, fiber arts metal works and pottery. Both feature work from Interior Alaska artists.

Chartreuse and Big Ray’s offer clothing and other goods, on opposite ends of the spectrum.

Chartreuse is a vintage clothing store that offers up retro and modern clothing and jewelry.

Need some Xtratuffs or steel toed boots? Big Ray’s is the place to go. The shop is full of outdoors gear as well as more fashionable gear and clothing needed for the sometimes fickle Fairbanks weather.

For Alaska knick-knacks to bring home to family and friends, downtown Fairbanks has shops on almost every street.

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By SUZANNA CALDWELL scaldwell@newsminer.com

32

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Monday Downtown Market is a marvelous summer event

By SAM FRIEDMAN sfriedman@newsminer.com

IF YOU GO:

The Monday Downtown Market is a great way to enjoy Fairbanks’ downtown waterfront during the long summer evening hours.

The market is a place to buy local produce, get a bite of prepared food to eat, shop for gifts or listen to live music The weekly market began last year and has been a draw for both visitors and locals, according to Fairbanks Downtown Association executive director David van den Berg.

In season, expect to find tomatoes, lettuce, honey, Alaska’s famous blueberries and giant

I

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The Monday Downtown Market is open 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Monday night between June 4 and Sept.

24 at Cushman Street and First Avenue along the Chena River.

John Wagner/News-Miner

Traffic moves along Cushman Street in 2007 in this view from atop the Wells Fargo building. The area has been targeted for revitalization in the “Vision Fairbanks” project. zucchinis, he said. (For more information about finding local produce, see Tanana Val-

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Some of the vendors who have signed up include purveyors of glasswork, silver jewelry, hand-made guitars, shirts, bags and soaps, according to Downtown Association event coordinator Kara Nash.

This year the Downtown Market is hoping to also have special events featuring groups such as local chefs, the military and kids.

The year 2012 is a big political year in Alaska and soapbox speakers are also expected to be a feature of many markets this summer.

The Downtown Market is held on Monday nights all summer along the Chena River at the corner of Cushman Street and First Avenue.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Farmers Market a great source of local produce, homemade goods Staff Report Colorful displays of fresh farm produce, flowers, trees and bedding plants, jams, berries, herbs and fresh baked goods interspersed with artisan booths featuring pottery, jewelry, clothing, crafts, artwork and food vendors make up the everexpanding Tanana Valley Farmers Market at 2600 College Road.

Starting in the spring, the market features Alaska Grown agricultural products such as greenhouse produce and bedding plants.

As the season progresses, booth spaces fill to overflowing with garden vegetables and flowers.

Shoppers will find locally grown strawberries, raspberries, plums and even apples, and wild blueberries and cranberries. And as the days cool, winter storage crops appear in abundance.

A truism one former vendor was fond of saying to customers was, “The produce is thousands of miles fresher than anything you can buy at grocery stores.”

Homesteaders followed gold rush stampeders north more than a century ago and farming in the Tanana Valley during the intense summer season has continued ever since.

IF YOU GO

Eric Engman/News-Miner

Hundreds of shoppers, both locals and tourists, frequent the Tanana Valley Farmers Market.

The Tanana Valley Farmers Market is the oldest established farmers market in the state and is the only one located in its own permanent building on its own property.

A wide selection of produce is available all summer long, some from greenhouse growers, large family gardens and farms including some that are certified organic.

Market vendors and patrons develop friendships over the season as the former provide quality goods, be it food, artwork, crafts, plants or just exchange goodnatured conversation with the latter as they browse.

Thai, Greek, Asian and American food booths tempt

• Opening day is May 12 • The Sunday market will open May 27 • The last weekend will be Sept. 22-23 • Market hours are Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Information about the farmers market, including directions, can be found on the website, www.tvfmarket. com.

The market also is on Facebook.

market-goers with fresh, hot specialties.

Conveniently nearby is a picnic table eating area to sit, relax and visit with friends or family, or simply relish the food and the day.

The social, informal atmosphere both in the market building booths or the evergrowing cluster of whitetopped tents surrounding it, makes each shopping trip an interesting and fun experience.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Fairbanks’ Golden Days

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Every July, Fairbanks celebrates the discovery of gold with a host of events including the competition for ugliest Frontier Feet and what is possibly the largest parade in Alaska.

The celebration marks the discovery of gold by Felix Pedro in 1902.

Attendees are encouraged to don turn-of-the-century garb for Golden Days. At the least, plan on wearing a Golden Days pin or garter during the four-day festival.

Be warned: if you spotted without festive attire you can be sent to the famous Golden Days Jail.

This year the fun begins July 18 and runs through July 22.

Most of the action takes place along the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks and in Pioneer Park, a historic theme park to the west of the city center.

The culminating event of the festival is a parade on Saturday, which features more than 100 entries.

Another highlight is the Rubber Duckie race down

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You been all across Alaska and haven’t seen a moose.

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Your best chance to see moose in the Fairbanks area is along Chena Hot Springs Road just north of town.

The road runs 55 miles east to Chena Hot Springs. Past about Mile 15 there are swampy areas and many creeks and sloughs. Moose love to feed in swamps and sloughs. At Mile 26 is the Chena River State Recreation Area. It’s also a good place to keep an eye peeled.

To increase your chances, go early in the morning or later in the evening as moose are somewhat nocturnal. But remember, they are wild animals and can move fast when they want to.

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the Chena River on Saturday afternoon. This year there will be more than $25,000 in prizes. The ducks are dumped into the river at the Wendell Street Bridge and race to the Cushman Street Bridge downtown.

Most of the Golden Days events are kid friendly, but others were designed with adults in mind.

Thursday is the senior citizens luncheon, and event dedicated to Fairbanks residents who have helped make the community what it is today. Friday night is a comedy night, with a series of acts for the 21-plus crowd at Pioneer Park.

35

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

LARS: The wild side of Fairbanks studies.

Tours are offered at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. daily.

Prices are $10 for adults, $9 Visitors to Alaska can’t seniors, $6 students and free count on seeing a herd of for ages 5 and younger. musk oxen or caribou in the Pam Groves, a researcher wild, but the University of at LARS, said the tours offer Alaska Fairbanks’ Large Aniboth education and a good mal Research Station may view of the animals, includoffer the next best thing. ing spring calves. The tours, LARS, known more forwhich are typically led by a mally as the Robert G. White biologist, last 45 minutes to Large Animal Research Staan hour. tion, is a unique facility that “You learn a lot about the provides both research opportunities and public education. natural history of both musk The fenced-in area is home oxen and caribou, and some of to captive herds of musk oxen, their adaptations to the Arctic environment,” she said. caribou and domestic reinThe gift shop will be open deer, which provide research Tuesday through Saturday opportunities in nutrition, from June 1-Aug. 10, with physiological and behavioral

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days changing to Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday from Aug. 14-31. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with access to the gift shop and the upper picnic area.

Animals may be observed from the parking lot any time throughout the year, although up-close views aren’t guaranteed and the chance of seeing a calf is slim.

LARS is located north of UAF at 2220 Yankovich Road, about 1.2 miles from the intersection of Yankovich and Ballaine roads.

To reach the gift shop and tour area during business hours, or to schedule a group tour, call 907-474-5724 or email uaf-lars@alaska.edu.

36

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Discover Alaska’s past on riverboat Staff Report Alaska had few roads in the old days.

Residents of riverside villages relied on riverboats and barges to bring necessities

and luxuries during summer months when the rivers are free of ice. To some extent, they still do today given that the state’s road system is still limited or nonexistent in many areas.

The Binkley family has been introducing visitors to sternwheeler travel on the Riverboat Discovery since a newspaper reported Dewey had defeated Truman.

The riverboat travels the

37

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

RIVERBOAT: A day on the Chena River Chena River to the Tanana River twice daily — 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. — and offers a glimpse into the past and a view of modern life along the rivers.

The three-hour ride mean-

ders down the Chena, where passengers will watch a bush pilot take off and land in a small plane. The boat pauses at Trailbreaker Kennels, home of the family of late Iditarod Trail Sled Dog cham-

pion Susan Butcher, and stops at a replica Interior Alaska Native village and fish camp.

The trip begins at Steamboat Landing on the Chena River in west Fairbanks near Fairbanks International Airport. The landing is a replica gold rush-era riverport with a dining hall where hearty miners stew is served. It also has a gift shop, museum and ice cream parlor.

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The riverboat tour also 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. Riverboat passengers will learn about modern competitive mushing with a short talk and demonstration at Trailbreaker Kennels.

Visitors will see a small plane demonstrating a typical takeoff and landing in rural Alaska. Bush pilots transformed travel in rural Alaska in the early 20th century. These pioneering airman delivered mail, food and medical supplies to the most remote areas year-round.

The sternwheeler 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. Passengers will tour a fish camp, complete with a fishwheel, and learn techniques for catching, drying and storing salmon.

At the confluence of the Chena and Tanana rivers, passengers will see the demarcation line where the clear, spring-fed waters of the Chena meet the silty glacier-fed Tanana water.

38

2012 Summer Visitors Guide ErNews-Miner

A bicyclist passes under the antler arch outside the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in June 2010.

Antler arch a gateway to downtown Fairbanks

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com One thing every tourist in Fairbanks should do is check out the world’s farthest north antler arch.

Located just a short walk from the Morris Thompson Visitors and Cutlural Center on the Chena River bike path near downtown, the arch is made up of more than 100 moose and caribou antlers that were collected from all over Interior Alaska. It’s an impressive structure that is very Alaskana.

Ten sets of antlers came from the village of Huslia and 15 sets of antlers were col-

lected from Fort Yukon. Additional antlers are from Fairbanks, North Pole, Dot Lake, the Minto Flats, Tok, Koyukuk, Delta, Northway and the Tanana Flats. One of the largest sets came from Shawn Gover, a young boy from Nikolai who got the moose antlers on his first hunt.

Local artist and cabin builder Sandy Jamieson oversaw installation of the antlers.

The arch was completed in 2010.

A goal of the arch is to bring attention to the bike and walking paths along the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks and to encourage people to make the short

four-minute walk between the Morris Thompson Center and the Golden Heart Park on Second Avenue. The arch is billed as the “Gateway to Downtown Fairbanks.”

The total cost of the arch was approximately $25,000.

The bulk of the cost, approximately $20,000, was for construction of the two concrete columns which form the base and the steel beam that holds the antlers.

The remaining $5,000 covered the purchase of antlers, installation, and a sign that recognizes the individuals and communities that donated the antlers.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Midnight Sun Game a summer solstice highlight

By RENEE THONY rthony@newsminer.com With constant sunlight, little wind and rain showers few and far between, Fairbanks in the summer seems like the perfect place to play some baseball. And it is, but the nation’s pastime isn’t celebrated anywhere else like it is in Fairbanks.

The first pitch of the Midnight Sun Game is thrown at 10:30 p.m. June 21, the longest day of the year, and played without artificial lights at Growden Memorial Field.

Playing baseball into the morning hours by nothing but the summer solstice sunlight has been a Fairbanks tradition since 1904. The game was played with local teams until the Alaska Goldpanners were formed in 1960 and took over the hosting duties.

The Goldpanners are a summer-league team of college players that has seen more than 200 athletes go on

John Wagner/News-Miner

Alaska Goldpanners pitcher Ryan Cabral delivers a pitch in the 105th Annual Midnight Sun Baseball Classic on June 21, 2010, at Growden Memorial Park. The one-of-akind game starts at 10:30 p.m. on summer solstice and is

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

BASEBALL: A summer classic Continued from Page 39

to play professionally.

Barry Bonds, Tom Seaver, Dave Winfield and Jason Giambi are some of the most famous former Goldpanners.

While teams travel from all over the country — and sometimes the globe — to be a part of the famous Midnight Sun Game, this year’s game features the Everett Merchants from Washington.

Even though Growden is fitted with field lights, they’ve never been used for the Midnight Sun Game, and rumor has it, they aren’t even plugged in.

For the first time in the 106 years of Midnight Sun Games, the game was called due to darkness in last year’s game.

A fast-approaching storm

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• What: 107th annual Midnight Sun Game • Who: Alaska Goldpanners vs. Everett (Wash.) Merchants • When: June 21. First pitch is thrown at 10:30 p.m.

• Where: Growden Memorial Park • Tickets: $15, available at www.goldpanners.com

It might seem hard to believe, but Fairbanks experiences sunrise and sunset during the summer months.

While it doesn’t get completely dark, the sun dips below the horizon, but not more than 6 degrees during the weeks surrounding the June 21 solstice.

During that time, sunset is about 12:45 a.m. with sunrise about 3 a.m.

You can still read a book at midnight without artificial light. The main problem with more hours of daylight is we don’t know when to go home.

and quickly darkening conditions in the game’s 11th inning delayed the contest, which picked up the following day, with the Panners picking up the victory.

Fingers crossed the thunderstorms hold off during this year’s matchup.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.goldpan-

ners.com. More information on the Everett Merchants can be found at www.everettmerchantbaseball.com.

Not in town for the summer solstice? Fear not.

The Goldpanners’ schedule begins in early June and runs through the end of July. For a full summer schedule, visit the Panners’ website.

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41

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Eating fresh in the Interior sausage is not on the menu.

Market, 2600 College Road.

There are still plenty of ways The farmers market is open to taste the bounty of the Last on Wednesdays and weekends You’ve made it all this way Frontier. and offers only Alaska-grown to Alaska, and you’re hungry.

Our daylight-filled sumfood.

Next stop: Food. mers are a gardener’s dream, “We try to make it out Sure, we’ve got the usual and many restaurants in there every week, sometimes brands of fast food and chain Fairbanks take advantage of twice,” he said. restaurants, but you want locally grown or Alaska-grown The advantage of restausomething that tastes like produce. rants buying local is the fresh Alaska. You’re on the hunt for “At our restaurants, we factor — produce picked in moose burger or bear roast or buy a lot of lettuce, tomatoes, Southern California or Mexico a nice caribou steak. herbs and vegetables. We also can spend weeks on a barge Good luck with that. buy a lot of Alaska fish,” said getting to Alaska. “Locally State regulations prohibit Darryl Allan, who writes a grown or Alaska grown is businesses from selling wildmonthly food column for the really fresh,” Allan said. “And caught game, so you can’t Fairbanks Daily News-Miner it is also nice to get to know saunter into the nearest resand is food and beverage the farmers personally.” taurant and order a moose director for Fountainhead Most restaurants proudly burger rare, hold the mayo. hotels. “We try to buy fresh serve Alaska-grown proThe reason is the safety facyear-round.” duce and usually sport that tor.

Like many foodies in Fairinformation on their menus.

“You can’t harvest wild banks, Allan’s staff at FounAgain, if you’re unsure if animals for sale,” said Ron tainhead takes advantage of Please see FOOD, Page 42 Klein, a food safety and sanithe Tanana Valley Farmers tation program manager with the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation.

“A restaurant can’t serve it unless it’s from an approved the source. For meat, that’s a USDA or state-inspected FI slaughterhouse.”

NE N DINI And while you’re perusing the dinner menu, don’t let Excellent Steaks, the Alaska reindeer and bison Seafood, or occasional yak take you by surprise. Those come from Italian Dishes state-sanctioned farms that & New York STE KS have been given the OK, both A Style Pizzas! health-wise and commercialproducing wise.

By GARY BLACK gblack@newsminer.com

Alaska seafood, though, is what you should really sink your teeth into. In Fairbanks, almost every restaurant serves Alaska-caught seafood, which includes salmon, cod, halibut and crab. That dinner choice has been commercially caught and prepared, and is a big boost to the state’s economy and the “eating local” concept. Almost every restaurant in town proudly serves Alaska-caught fish, so you can’t go wrong with ordering the king salmon or beer-battered Alaska halibut. If you’re unsure if your salmon steak is local, just ask your server.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

FAIRBANKS FUN FACTS mosquito eggs are deposited in standing water or moist Don’t believe all the hor- areas — which is pretty ror stories you have heard much all of Alaska — we about Alaska’s mosquitoes. presume by female mosquiThey are not the state bird toes but have no interest in and are not as bad people checking. They do this in say. late summer.

They are worse.

Somehow these eggs Scientists will tell you survive the cold winters there are good and bad mosthrough a chemical process quito years depending on that includes the words spring weather.

They are wrong; mosqui- “glycerol” and “supercooling.” toes are bad every year in We thought supercoolAlaska. ing involves nuclear power Entomologists like to be plants and it scares us that scientific and talk about the term is bandied about mosquito life cycles using words such as “larvae” and when talking mosquitoes.

When spring rolls “pupae.” We don’t underaround, the wrigglers stand how you can have an “a” before an “e” at the end become tumblers, which of a word so for our purpos- become large, biting grownup mosquitoes. es we will refer to them as The best mosquito repel“wrigglers” and “tumblers,” lent is called DEET. Bathe respectively.

Basically what happens is in it.

Mosquito bites

FOOD Continued from Page 41

your salad came from a local source, ask before you order.

Cook it yourself For those of you taking an extended stay in Fairbanks, you might want to fire up the grill outside your RV and cook it yourself.

Several meat processors in Fairbanks and the Interior offer Alaska-caught or raised meat the public can purchase.

Jeff Johnson opened Homegrown Market in Fairbanks in 2010 with the idea of providing only Alaska-grown products. So far it’s been a success.

“Eating local is better for you,” Johnson said. “It’s sustainable, it’s local and it helps the local economy.”

Plus, Johnson said, locally raised meats and produce taste better than something that’s been shipped up from the Lower 48, spending weeks to get to Fairbanks.

His shop, located at 3568 Geraghty Ave., offers only local products, such as grassfed beef from Snow Clover Farm in Two Rivers, pork from farms in North Pole, Copper River seafood from Cordova and and a huge selection of Alaska-made jams, jellies, sauces, mustards and locally grown grains.

If all else fails …

If you truly want to taste Alaska for yourself, go catch it or pick it.

Berry-picking is an art for some folks, and Alaska is rich in blueberries and cranberries. Ask any local for his or her favorite berry-picking spot, but don’t be surprised if you don’t get an answer.

Berry-pickers are notorious for keeping their prized picking grounds to themselves.

Fishing it out of our rivers is another great way to taste Alaska, but be sure to know the laws and regulations about fishing.

Many rivers are catch-andrelease only, and the state is strict about visitors having the proper licenses.

43

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Midnight Sun Festival

By DOROTHY CHOMICZ dchomicz@newsminer.com The midnight sun — the long hours of daylight experienced in far north latitudes during the summer months — is a source of wonder for visitors and residents alike.

Fairbanks and the Interior will be bathed in almost 22 hours of daylight on the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, and the Midnight Sun Festival celebrates this phenomenon.

Over 35,000 people are expected to attend the 31st Midnight Sun Festival this year, which will be held June 24, four days after the actual solstice of June 20. Over 180

vendor booths will provide food, arts and crafts, information and entertainment to thousands of celebrants. Three stages will offer a variety of musical and dance performances.

Children will be kept busy with activities such as face painting, pony rides, skateboarding, gold panning, a bouncy castle and a climbing wall. This year the Fairbanks Children’s Museum offers an interactive recycling event featuring fun and educational recycling activities for kids of all ages.

A variety of food vendors will be on hand to satisfy any craving, offering hot dogs,

crepes, elephant ears, onion rings pretzels, burgers, sandwiches and much more. Downtown restaurants will also be open and diners can choose from Thai, Greek, Italian and everything in between.

The Midnight Sun Festival takes place in downtown Fairbanks at the Golden Heart Plaza and First, Second and Third avenues, which will be blocked off and open for pedestrian traffic only. Festival organizers promise more activities centered on the Chena River this year, one of which will be a small watercraft race featuring canoes, kayaks and rafts.

The festival starts at noon and runs until midnight.

Summer Arts Festival

By SAM FRIEDMAN sfriedman@newsminer.com The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival brings guest musicians, dancers, actors and other artists to the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus every summer for two weeks of classes and performances.

Many students come to Fairbanks specifically to attend the festival each year. But even if you have not planned your trip around the arts, there are many chances to take advantage if your Interior trip falls between July 15 and July 29.

The festival has been a cre-

ONLINE To see the course and performance schedule for the 2012 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, go to www.fsaf.org

ative outlet for Fairbanks and visiting artists since 1980 and over the years has developed a broad selection of classes in categories including musical instruments, theater, dance, culinary arts, visual arts and healing arts such as yoga and meditation.

Some new areas to look for this year: theater categories for improvisation and clowning, and healing arts classes in therapeutic music and art, according to festival director Terese Kaptur.

Part of the festival’s classical strings will be on tour July 20-21 in the visitors center at Denali National Park, where they will perform a piece composed in the park by artist-inresidence Stephen Lias. Lias will also help a group of nine composers in the park work on pieces to be composed back in Please see ARTS, Page 45

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44

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

The trans-Alaska Oil Pipeline tium of oil companies.

The pipeline is still a major IF YOU GO employer in Fairbanks and state taxes on the oil flowing It’s worth a short pilgrimage A good place to see the through it pay for the majority to the trans-Alaska oil pipeline trans-Alaska oil pipeline is of state services. A portion of during a visit to the Interior if a viewing station between the state’s oil revenue also goes you are interested in modern Fairbanks and Fox at 8.4 into the Alaska Permanent engineering marvels or want Mile of the Steese Highway.

Fund, which pays a dividend to see the backbone of Alaska’s The viewing station is a to Alaska residents every year. economy. good place to take photos of the pipeline and has Last year, the Permanent Fund The 800-mile pipeline interpretive displays.

Dividend was $1,174 per percrosses three mountain ranges, son.

800 streams or rivers and has About half of the 800-mile carried a cargo of more than 16 billion barrels of oil since going $8 billion to build and includes line is underground, but it’s 12 pump stations. The line hard to miss the 48-inch diaminto operation. starts at Prudhoe Bay and ends eter line as you drive north of Built between 1975 and at its Valdez terminal, where town on the Steese and Elliott 1977, the construction crude oil is loaded onto tankhighways. A good place to get a boom caused by the pipeline ers and shipped to West Coast close look at it is at the viewing employed more than 28,000 refineries. At the time, it was station just off the northbound people at its peak. Many presthe largest privately funded lanes of the Steese Highway ent-day Fairbanksans first construction project ever built. just north of Fairbanks. Head came to Alaska during the It is operated by Alyeska a little further up the road and pipeline boom and never looked you’ll be in the town of Fox. back. The pipeline system cost Pipeline Service Co., a consorBy SAM FRIEDMAN sfriedman@newsminer.com

Summer mushing time Staff Report A lot of people who visit Fairbanks want to ride on a dog sled and are convinced we have only three seasons — last winter, this winter and

next winter.

Most of Alaska, of course, doesn’t have snow in the summer.

But since dog mushing is the unofficial state sport, there are summer options for

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those interested in the sport and the lifestyle it entails.

While chances are slim of even riding in a wheeled cart pulled by dogs during the warm summer days, there are mushers who take visitors on kennel tours for a fee.

• Four-time Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Jeff King offers three daily excursions at his Husky Homestead Tours near the Denali National Park entrance.

Visitors meet the dogs, learn how the animals are trained and watch a training run. He doesn’t offer rides in summer.

The tour costs $59 for adults, $39 for children younger than 12. The tour is not recommended for children younger than 3.

For more information, visit huskyhomestead.com or call (907) 683-2904.

Please see MUSHING, Page 48

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45

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Gold Dredge No. 8 discussion about the history of Alaska mining.

IF YOU GO Fairbanks started out as a The train will take you to gold mining settlement. the dredge, where you will • Open: Mid-May to Today, the underpinning see how these contraptions mid-September of the Fairbanks and Alaska’s sifted gold from the soil.

• Tours: 10:30 a.m., economies is the oil carried You’ll get a crash course in 1:45 p.m. by the trans-Alaska oil pipegold mining, then try your • Time: 2 hours • Cost: Adults $34.95 line from the North Slope oil hand at gold panning. You’ll • Info: 479-6673 fields to the pipeline terminal find some color, guaranteed. in Valdez.

Visitors will have time You’ll get a lesson on both to explore the dredge, gold The tour starts with a when you tour Gold Dredge camp and gift shop before ride to the dredge site on a No. 8, located a few miles boarding the train for the replica of the Tanana Valley north of Fairbanks in the ride back to the depot. When Railroad, which served minGoldstream Valley. your visit has ended, you will ing communities north of The Gold Dredge No. 8 have a wealth of knowledge Fairbanks in the early 20th tour has been revamped by about gold mining in Interior century. To get to the train the new owners and focuses Alaska and a little poke to depot, you will walk under on small- and large-scale prove it. the oil pipeline and see informining in the Interior.

Tours are available at mational displays about the But before you reach the 10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. at pipeline system. dredge, you’ll get up close the train depot near GoldOn the train, conductors and personal with a section stream Road and the Old and commentators will host a Steese Highway. of the oil pipeline.

Staff Report

ARTS

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Continued from Page 43

Fairbanks during the festival.

Most classes are two weeks long, but there are a few dozen one-session workshops with titles such as “Steel Pan Technique and Practice Tips,” “Arts in Medicine and Community Outreach” and “Italian Appetizers and Arias.”

During the festival, there are several performances every night on the University of Alaska Fairbanks and around Fairbanks.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Take in some Shakespeare Productions have been staged at the edge of the forest at Jack Townshend Point on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus for the last few years.

This year will be no exception when director Graham Watt’s returns to direct “King Henry IV, Part I.” Watt is based in England but travels the world directing Shakespeare. He has a close connection with FST; “Henry IV” will be his ninth production with the company.

Tom Robenolt, associate

By SUZANNA CALDWELL scaldwell@newsminer.com Two decades ago a group of ragtag Shakespeare devotees decided to stage a production of “Twelfth Night” on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks.

Now the group has grown into the only full-fledged, non-profit Shakespeare theater in Alaska, the Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre.

Every summer the company goes back to its roots, hosting an outdoor production.

artistic director for the company, said “Henry IV” is a perfect fit for FST, especially for its 20th season.

“It’s a pretty evenly spread out play when it comes to characters,” Robenolt said. “It gives people a lot of good parts, especially since we have people who are coming back who haven’t been here for years.”

FST doesn’t have any major celebrations planned to mark its 20 years of activity, but Robenolt said Please see THEATER, Page 47

Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau

For information on Fairbanks and Interior Alaska call (907) 456-5774, visit www.explorefairbanks.com or stop by the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center located at 101 Dunkel Street in Fairbanks, open 8 a.m.–9 p.m. daily during the summer.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

THEATER

IF YOU GO

Continued from Page 46

the opening night party for “Henry IV” will be exciting. Many FST company members will probably be on hand.

“It’s a pride thing, in a way, stripes on your shoulder (to be part of the summer production,)” he said.

“They’ve been able to be a part of something that’s gone all over the state, the country, internationally, too.”

FST also holds a summer camp for children ages 7-18 where they produce and star in a reduced ver-

• What: Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre presents “King Henry IV Part I” • When: Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., 2 p.m. Sundays July 12-29 • Where: Jack Townshend Point, UAF Campus • Tickets: $18-$25, children under 18 are free Thursdays and Sundays • Information: 457-7638 or www.fstalaska.org

sion of “King Henry V.” The Groundlings, ages 13-18, begin their camp on June 8, and the Fledglings, ages 712, start their camp a week later on June 18.

Performances will be June 29, 30 and July 1.

“This year we’re step-

ping it up a bit, getting them a real set, programmed lights,” Robenolt said, “actually producing the show.

They do such a good job.”

For more information on Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre, call 457-7638 or go online to www.fstalaska.org.

Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau

For information on Fairbanks and Interior Alaska call (907) 456-5774, visit www.explorefairbanks.com or stop by the Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center located at 101 Dunkel Street in Fairbanks, open 8 a.m.–9 p.m. daily during the summer.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

The Yukon Quest

MUSHING Continued from Page 44

peaks. It’s not uncommon for a third or more of participants to scratch on their In February, a 1,000-mile way to the finish line. dog race that takes more For those looking to learn than a week to complete more about the race durcame down to seconds when ing the summer, the Yukon Tok musher Hugh Neff fin- Quest headquarters on First ished 26 seconds ahead of Avenue is the best place to runner up Allen Moore in start.

Whitehorse, Yukon, in the The headquarters is 29th running of the Yukon located in a log cabin that Quest International Sled overlooks the Fairbanks Dog Race. start/finish on the Chena It was the closest finish River. Inside the cabin, in the history of the race visitors can find informathat’s known for its shocktion on race, purchase race ing and sometimes dangermemorabilia or watch docuous past. mentaries on past races.

The race begins the first You might even run into a weekend in February, alter- musher and their huskies nating starts in Fairbanks sharing stories about the and Whitehorse. From there race. mushers race through the For more information wild Yukon territory and about the race, race headAlaska wilderness. quarters and race events, There are few checksee the Yukon Quest webpoints and conditions can be site at www.yukonquest. treacherous. com.

There can be frigid temYukon Quest headquarperatures, overflow creeks ters is located at 550 First and summits over perilous Ave.

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• While you’re at Denali National Park, check with park rangers about visiting their sled dog kennel. Rangers use sled dogs for winter transportation and offer daily demonstrations. Check in at the park visitors center or visit www.nps. gov/dena/planyourvisit/kennels. htm.

• Mary Shields was the first woman to finish the Iditarod.

She lives in Fairbanks and offers folks an intimate look into the dog mushing lifestyle.

Visitors will get hands-on time with the dogs in an informal setting and learn about training methods and mushing gear.

Shields invites visitors into her home for refreshments and a discussion about her experiences on the Iditarod and Yukon Quest trails and a trip to Siberia. The visit takes two hours and is by reservation only.

If you want to learn about and experience a snippet of the life of a musher, visit www. maryshields.com or call her at (907) 455-6469. She can arrange for transportation.

• The Miller family are lifelong Alaskans and have been running dogs at their Sun Dog Express kennel for two decades. They have been featured on the BBC and offer demonstrations and talks about mushing “history, equipment and stories from the trail.” For more information visit www. mosquitonet.com/~sleddog/ or call (907) 479-6983 for a price range and schedule.

• If you are going to Chena Hot Springs Resort, you can enjoy a soak in the pool and a kennel tour, among other activities. This is one place where you can ride in a cart pulled by dogs. Visit www.chenahotsprings.com of call (907) 451-8104.

Go see the folks at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center at 101 Dunkel St. for more information about dog mushing and kennel tours.

49

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Fairbanks FAQs 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 and the city sprouted around Barnette’s trading post. Barnette became the first mayor of the city when it was incorporated in 1903.

Northern lights are present year round but the daylight prevents them from being visible during the summer.

on First Avenue to Pioneer Park, remains open year-round because of the warm water being discharged from the power plant.

Why are there electrical outlets in all the parking How many moose live in lots and why do people have Fairbanks? extension cords sticking out In the Fairbanks Managethe front of their vehicles? ment Area, which basically Due to the extreme cold covers Fairbanks’ urban envitemperatures in Fairbanks ronment — if you can call during the winter, most vehiit that — there are an esticles are equipped with several mated 500 moose, according electric “heating” devices that to surveys conducted by the facilitate starting during the Alaska Department of Fish coldest time. and Game. That area encomThe standard set up consists passes everything from Ester of a engine block heater that to North Pole to Fox. The circulates warm water through number of moose in game the cooling system, an oil pan management unit 20B, which heater that warms the oil, and encompasses most of the road a battery blanket/pad that system surrounding Fairbanks warms the battery. It usually from Salcha to Chena Hot takes an hour or two after a Springs to Chatanika to ManHow did Fairbanks get vehicle is plugged in to warm it ley to Nenana, is estimated at enough to start. Most employ- approximately 20,000. its name? ers provide “plug-ins” for its Fairbanks was named by employees. city founder E.T. Barnette in How many moose get hit honor of Sen. Charles W. Fairby cars around Fairbanks?

How long does the Chena banks of Indiana, who would On average, approximately River stay frozen? go on to serve at Theodore 150 moose are killed on The Chena River usually Roosevelt’s vice president.

Fairbanks area roads each freezes sometime in mid to late year, most during the winter Do people still mine gold October and remains frozen months when it is dark. The until late April or early May. in Fairbanks? dead moose are salvaged by One part of the river, about Yes, especially with gold local charities so the meat a mile-long stretch from the prices being what they are. does not go to waste.

The largest open-pit gold mine Aurora Energy power plant in Alaska, Fort Knox Gold Mine, is located 26 miles north of Fairbanks and an even bigger gold mine is being developed in Livengood, about 65 miles north of town. The Fort Gourmet Smoked Salmon • Lox • Caviar Knox mine has produced more Halibut • Buffalo Sausage & More than 5 million ounces of gold since it opened in 1996 and 2400 Davis Road Pioneer Park (just off Peger Road) an estimated 3 million more Wild Game Fairbanks, AK 99701 ounces remain to be mined.

Call (907) 456-3885 and Fish The Pogo Gold Mine, an underSHIPPING AVAILABLE P rocessing ground gold mine located 85 Open M-F 10-6 miles southeast of Fairbanks, Sat. 10-5 began operation in 2007 and www.santassmokehouse.com produces about 340,000 ounces of gold a year. It has an estimated reserve of 5.6 million ounces.

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Can you see the northern lights in the summer?

No. The aurora borealis is visible in Fairbanks for approximately 200 days a year, roughly from mid-September to April. The best viewing is usually December through March when it is clearest and coldest.

50

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Your family deserves the best, treat them to smokefree air!

Enjoy smokefree dining at these local restaurants.

The Bakery 69 College Road

The Edgewater 477 Pike’s Landing Rd.

Asiana 2001 Airport Way

Fire Wok Express 249 N. Santa Claus Ln.

Aviator’s Steak House 731 2nd Ave.

The Food Factory 44 College Road

Bamboo Panda 1235 Airport Way Brewster’s 3578 Airport Way 354 Old Steese Bruegger’s Bagels 36 College Road Chena Hot Springs 56.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Rd. Chena’s Alaskan Grill 4200 Boat Street The Chowder House 206 Eagle Avenue College Town Pizzeria 3549 College Rd

The Fudge Pot 515 1st Avenue Geraldo’s 107 College Rd. Ichiban Noodle 400 College Rd. Koreana 1528 Cushman St. Pomegranate 414 2nd Ave. Lavelle’s Bistro In Springhill Suites Lemon Grass 388 Old Chena Pump Lin’s Asian Bistro 1900 Airport Way Model Café

Pizza Hut 1991 Airport Way 89 College Rd. 257 Santa Claus Ln., NP

Tracker’s Lounge 477 Pikes Landing Rd.

Quizno’s 3598 Airport Way 607 Old Steese Hwy.

Two Street Station 535 2nd Ave.

Red Lantern 813 Noble

Wendy’s 1859 Airport Way 33 Saint Nicholas Dr., NP

Round Up Steakhouse 2710 Cushman St. Second Story Café 3525 College Rd. Seoul Gate 958 Cowles St.

Wolf Run 3360 Wolf Run Zach’s at Sophie Station 1717 University Ave.

If you would like more information on quitting, call the Silver Gulch Alaska Tobacco 2195 Old Steese Hwy., Fox Quitline at 1-888-842-QUIT (7840) Subway 514 Old Steese Hwy. 3574 Airport Way 1800 Airport Way Mc Peaks, Badger Rd. Town & Country Mall, NP Wal-Mart 2301 South Cushman Siam Dishes 338 Old Steese Hwy.

Co-Op Diner 535 2nd Ave.

(Fairbanks Memorial Hospital)

Cookie Jar 1006 Cadillac Ct.

Mom’s Kitchen 617 27th Ave.

Country Cafe 235 Santa Clause Ln., NP

Pad Thai 3400 College Rd.

Denny’s 1929 Airport Way

Pagoda 431 N Santa Claus Ln., NP

Taco Bell 87 College Rd. 1450 University Ave. 235 Santa Claus Ln., NP

The Diner 244 Illinois St.

Panda Garden 29 College Rd

Thai Cuisine 537 St. Nicolas Dr.

1650 Cowels St.

Thai House 412 5th Ave

Sweet Basil Thai 1448 South Cushman

Funded by the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services in partnership with Tanana Chiefs Conference and Interior Alaska Coalition of Tobacco Free Advocates.

51

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Paddle or pedal around Fairbanks — it’s your choice

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Fairbanks is a bike and boat friendly place.

With the Chena River winding through the middle of town and a bike path paralleling the river for most of that distance, visitors can paddle or pedal their way around town.

The Chena River is an easy, Class I float and winds through the heart of downtown Fairbanks. There are several put-in and take-out points to accommodate a one- or two-hour float. One popular float for locals is to go from Graehl Landing to Pioneer Park, which takes paddlers through the core downtown area. Another popular float is from Pioneer Park to Pike’s Landing or the Pumphouse Restaurant.

Both floats are about 2 to 3 miles long and end at a bar/ restaurant.

The Chena River bike path parallels the river through downtown Fairbanks and also leads to the Pumphouse, though in a more roundabout way.

In addition, there are several bike paths in and around Fairbanks that offer safe places to ride while exploring Alaska’s secondlargest city.

If you didn’t bring a bike or a boat with you, that’s not a problem. Alaska Outdoor Rental and Guides on Peger Road rents bikes, canoes and kayaks and are conveniently located at the Pioneer Park take-out on Peger Road. The company also offers drop-off and pickup shuttles.

“We put them in a boat, they float down to the Pumphouse, have a few drinks, have a good time and we pick them up,” owner Larry Katkin said. “It’s the cheapest date in town.”

For people who want a longer float, Katkin offers

ON THE WEB Rent canoes and kayaks: www.2paddle1.com Rent a bike: www.akbike.com Bikeways map: http://dot.alaska.gov/nreg/planning/fmats/files/ bikeways.pdf Organized bike rides: www.fairbankscycleclub.org

drop-offs at Nordale Road and Chena Lakes Recreation Area in North Pole.

It’s about a six-hour float from Nordale Road to Pioneer Park while floating to town from North Pole usually is an overnight affair, he said.

Canoes and kayaks can be rented by the hour, day, weekend or multiple days.

Rental rates for canoes and kayaks can be found at www.2paddle1.com. The rental fee includes life jackets and paddles.

The company also rents a variety of bikes, ranging from road bikes to cross bikes to mountain bikes to comfort bikes. The shop has more than 50 bikes to choose from and can offer tips on different routes for people who want to pedal around Fairbanks. Rental rates for bikes can be found at www. akbike.com.

If you plan to do any cycling, pick up a copy of the Department of Transportation’s Bikeways map — available online at http:// dot.alaska.gov/nreg/planning/fmats/files/bikeways. pdf. Most of Fairbanks can be accessed by some combination of bike paths and sidewalks, which are open to bicyclists where marked.

A few of the major thoroughfares are closed to bicycles, although one of the largest, the Johansen Expressway, has a bike path along its entire 5-mile route.

In addition to the Chena River bike path and the bike path along the Johansen Expressway, there are paved bike paths along 11-mile Farmers Loop Road, which connects with the path along

the Johansen Expressway at both ends, and along the Parks Highway from Fairbanks to the funky community of Ester, which is about 10 miles south of Fairbanks.

If you’re looking for a more arduous or organized ride, got to the Fairbanks Cycling Club’s website at www.fairbankscycleclub.org.

The club has training rides or races on most nights of the week, including their infamous Tuesday night mountain bike rides. Visitors can join the club for a day for $5.

If you brought a mountain bike with you, check out the trails at Birch Hill Recreation Area just a few miles north of town off the Steese Highway. The area features a network of world-class, cross-country ski trails that double as mountain biking trails in the summer. The University of Alaska Fairbanks on the west side of town also has about 10 miles of ski trails that can be ridden in the summer.

There is also a fun single track trail located off Ester Dome Road in the Goldstream Valley. The 8-mile single track trail was built by local bikers and offers the most technical riding in town.

For advice on where to ride, you can always check in with one of the local bike shops as well. They are Beaver Sports at 3480 College Road, Goldstream Sports at 711 Sheep Creek Road, Greatland Sports at 261 College Road, and Raven CrossCountry on Well Street in the Alaska Railroad Industrial area.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Tok a popular stop on Alaska Highway Motorists entering Alaska through the Yukon Territory, either via the Alaska Highway or the Taylor Highway, will encounter the first significant settlement in the community of Tok. With about 1,400 residents, Tok — the name rhymes with poke — is known for its crossroads location and extremely cold winter weather.

The Tok Chamber of Commerce even embraces the reputation on its website, touting the town as “The coldest inhabited community in North America … with warm, friendly people.” The recordlow temperature of minus 71 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded in January 1965.

Tok got its start as an Alaska Road Commission

camp for the construction of the Alaska and Glenn highways in the 1940s. According to local lore, the town is named after a husky pup that lived in one of the road construction camps.

Today, Tok offers plenty of amenities — 290 hotel rooms, six bed and breakfasts, and seven RV parks among them.

The town has five restaurants, four gas stations and a grocery store. It also has a vibrant dog mushing scene, and Alaska Native crafts are available at several gift shops.

For travelers, contacting the Tok Mainstreet Visitors Center at (907) 883-5775 is a good place to start.

The log building, located at the highway junction, includes travel brochures, highway information and help finding local lodging and attractions.

• Santa Claus House •

Tok is “The coldest inhabited community in North America ... with warm, friendly people.”

• Farmer’s Loop • North Pole

!

S U B E H R I DaEnsit T MACS Tr

New Routes to: Eielson Air Force Base Salcha Van Horn Road

Check out our maps & schedules online: www.fnsb.us/transportation Visit us at the

Transit Center 501 Cushman St.

Info Hotline: 459-1011 VanTran Scheduling: 459-1010

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Employment • Airport • Hotels • RV Parks • Recreation • Pioneer Park

See Fairbanks –

• Medical Centers • Education • Riverboat Landing • Entertainment •

Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com

• University of Alaska • Shopping Malls • Library • Fairgrounds

53

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

News-Miner file photo

A canoeing duo sets out from the boat launch at Chena Lake Recreation Area on a sunny afternoon in July 2010.

Camp, canoe at Chena Lake

By REBA LEAN rlean@newsminer.com

FEES Days passes: $1 for walk-ins or bike-ins; $5 for vehicles Per night: $10 for tent campers; $12 for RV campers Year-round passes: $50 per person; $120 for camping

FOR RENT • Paddleboats, canoes, kayaks, rowboats • Firewood: $4 per bundle

Fairbanks Marketplace online business directory visit:

FIND • Business Location • Directions with Google Maps • Phone Numbers • Business Hours

IT’S EASY!

Just click on the marketplace tab.

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Getting away from it all doesn’t mean people have to go far.

At Chena Lake Recreation Area, just outside of North Pole on the Richardson Highway, there are camping areas, boat rentals and picnic pavilions available in the summer and ice fishing houses available for rent in the winter.

The Fairbanks North Star Borough recreation area consists of Chena Lake and surrounding land and borders the Chena River. The secluded setting helps convince people that they’ve escaped the rat race, even though they are only about 20 miles away from Fairbanks.

Within the recreation area, there are wheelchair accessible sites, restrooms, dump stations, changing rooms, potable water access and phones. The amenities make it easier for more people to enjoy the swim beaches, playgrounds, volleyball and basketball sites, trails and picnic areas. People can rent paddleboats, canoes or kayaks and rowboats. Firewood is available for $4 per bundle.

There are two different parks within the recreation area, one around the lake and one along the stretch of river.

Both parks include picnic areas, volleyball courts and horseshoe pits. The lake park also has designated swimming areas, boat launches and fishing docks, whereas the river park has a nature trail and

riverboat launch.

Both parks have camping grounds, totaling 80 campsites, including tent sites and vehicle pull-throughs.

Quiet hours are from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., and the lake park’s Day Use Area closes at 10 p.m. People are not allowed to pick or deface any of the parks’ flora, fauna, structures or property, but they may collect mushrooms or berries for personal use.

There are no reservations for the recreation area, so if people want to camp, they should get to the visitor kiosk early in the day. Day passes are only $1 for walk-ins or bike-ins and $5 for vehicles.

Tent campers pay $10 per night, while RV campers pay $12 per night. For year-round day passes, people can pay $50 or $120 for year-round camping passes.

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Take a dip at Chena Hot Springs Staff Report Chena Hot Springs became a famous stopover for ailing prospectors in the 1890s.

Today, more than 110 years later, the springs are a popular resort featuring indoor and outdoor hot pools (with a small locker area and shower facilities), lodging and camping, restaurants and much more.

The 440-acre full-service resort, just 56 miles from Fairbanks at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road, offers overnight stays in the Moose Lodge, signature rooms, family suites or a cabin by the creek. Do it yourself and stay in one of the many yurts, or pitch a tent. RV facilities also are available.

The Aurora Café and the Trails End Lounge offer creative fare from hearty breakfasts, to lunches and dinners of salmon to salads, and includes a children’s menu. The resort includes the natural mineral hot spring adult rock lake and hot tub,

IF YOU GO • • • • • • •

Natural mineral hot springs open daily 7 a.m. to midnight Adult swim pass (ages 18 and up ) $10 Seniors (ages 62 and up) $8 Children (ages 6 to 17) $7 Children 5 and under are free with paying adult Towel rental $5 (free for over night guests) Information: (907) 451-8104, ext. 4

open for those 18 and older, and an indoor family pool and hot tubs. Both are open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight. The resort also boasts the Aurora Ice Museum, featuring a fullsize ice bar, ice bedrooms, a two-story fort, an igloo, even an ice outhouse — all lit by ice chandeliers.

“Chena Hot Springs is nature at its best,” said Bernie Karl, who owns the resort with his wife, Connie Parks-Karl.

The resort also offers several packages from which visitors may choose. The Evening at Chena is a sixhour tour that includes a Holland America Tours motor coach to and from Fairbanks, buffet dinner, Aurora Ice

Museum tour and the natural hot springs swim and soak pass. The Day at Chena is a seven-hour tour including the natural hot springs swim and soak pass, Aurora Ice Museum tour, lunch at the resort restaurant, a Geothermal Renewable Energy tour and a Chena shuttle to and from the resort.

The Romantic Getaway includes an overnight for two in the Moose Lodge with unlimited swim and soak passes, an Aurora Ice Museum tour, the geothermal renewable energy tour, dinner and breakfast for two in the resort restaurant and a welcome champagne basket.

55

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Antique car museum is a must

By REBA LEAN rlean@newsminer.com “We’re not just a car museum,” is the best way Tim Cerny, owner of the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum in Fairbanks, could have summed up his expansive showroom at the Wedgewood Resort.

Sixty displayed automobiles, more than 80 historical outfits, Alaska photographs and early driving video footage from Alaska highlight the museum’s interior.

People who may not regularly be into museums will still find something to excite them at the Fountainhead Museum.

Cars dating back to 1898 are polished to a T and extravagantly detailed.

Women’s fancy dresses are paired up with cars of the times, giving visitors a sense of the era.

An Alaska section boasts the first car in the state and some earlier models with interesting backgrounds.

“People are just blown away when they walk in the door,” said Willy Vinton, the museum’s manager.

The displays aren’t just about the automobiles themselves but also focus on the exciting periods of time.

The Veterans Era section showcases a period where car building was still an

Eric Engman/News-Miner

A rare 1921 Heine-Velox V-12 Sporting Victoria, foreground, is on display at the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum behind Wedgewood Resort in October 2010. experiment.

Steam, electric and gas engines were all on the plate, and many vehicles looked as if they should be led by horses.

The Brass Era section boasts luxurious roadsters with elegant seating and more knowledgeable construction. The cars’ productions lasted until World War I when brass was needed for the war effort.

The cars are a telling way to show American history.

Whether your fancy is a hot orange 1933 Auburn Boattail Speedster (“They don’t get any better,” said Vinton) or a one-of-fourand-a-half-ever-made 1921

Heine-Velox Victoria Touring (the most expensive car ever in 1921), the museum has it.

In 30,000 square feet, the museum boasts matches to Jay Leno’s own collection and a 1904 StevensDuryea Runabout last driven by Charles Duryea himself, among other claims to fame.

Find a couple hours to spare and take a stroll around the museum.

Whether watching video footage, reading cars’ placards or daydreaming about sitting in the rumble seat, you won’t be sorry.

The museum is located at 212 Wedgewood Drive.

Call (907) 450-2100.

All trails lead to… Pleasant Valley Store

23.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road • (907) 488-9501 • 9 a.m.–8 p.m.

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Gas • Groceries • Sporting Goods • Ice Alaskan Gifts • Information Alaska Hunting/Fishing License • Post Office

56

2012 Summer Visitors Guide Sam Harrel/ News-Miner

Traffic moves along Santa Claus Lane in December 2011 in North Pole. The city’s motto, “Where the spirit of Christmas lives year ‘round!” is even more apparent during the holiday season.

Write home from North Pole Meet Santa’s reindeer in the Christmas-themed town

By RENEE THONY rthony@newsminer.com So, you’re planning a trip to Alaska. Let me guess what’s near the top of your “must see” list. North Pole.

And why shouldn’t it be?

The Christmas-themed town, only 13 miles south of Fairbanks, is home to the Santa Claus House, 60-below temperatures (in the wintertime, of course) and beautiful displays of the northern lights (also in winter.)

The theme of the city is “Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year Around,” and the businesses and residents of North Pole work hard at living up to that theme and the unique name of their town. The streets have holiday names like Santa Claus Lane, St. Nicholas Drive, Kris Kringle, Snowman Lane, Holiday Road, North Star Drive, Blitzen and Donnor. Businessmen

adorn Christmas-themed ties all year long, the light poles are dressed like candy canes, and, well, Santa Claus lives there.

In 1944, before it was ever a town, North Pole was the Bon Davis homestead.

The town started when Davis subdivided and settlers bought lots and set up housing.

While people argued over the name of the fledging town — names like “Moose Crossing” were thrown around — the buyers of most of the homestead, the Dahl and Gaske Development Co., thought the name North Pole would attract a Please see NORTH POLE, Page 57

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57

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

News-Miner file photo

The Santa Claus House in North Pole is a major tourist destination, with visitors from across the globe stopping in to purchase collectibles and ornaments, sip hot chocolate from the in-house coffee stand and have their pictures taken with Santa.

NORTH POLE: Visit Santa Claus Lane toy manufacturer.

While that didn’t happen, the name stuck and became the official name of the city, which was incorporated in 1953. James Ford was appointed as the first mayor.

A small school was built the same year in a donated house, and the city had to scrape up $100 a month to pay a teacher to educate the 30 students.

It wasn’t long before North Pole Trading Post opened, KJNP radio went on the air, churches were built and businesses began popping up, seemingly out of nowhere.

The new businesses helped North Pole grow, yes, but it was the Santa Claus House, started in 1952, that sealed the identity that would take the city from brand new to recognized

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Visitor Welcome!s

Join us for the Jingle Bell 5K Run July 7

North Pole July 4th Celebration Join us for a Pancake Feed!

8:30–10:30 a.m.

but proud of where they live, eager to assist camera-toting tourists find their way to the reindeer pen, Mistletoe Lane or the home of the jolly man himself.

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worldwide.

Life seems a little slower and simpler in North Pole, without the hustle and bustle of a booming city, and the people are not only friendly,

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Continued from Page 56

58

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Wildfires: Part of living in Fairbanks

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com Chances are good that you will catch a little — or big — whiff of smoke during your stay in Fairbanks.

The Interior is not only the heart of Alaska, it is also the state’s tinderbox. More land burns as a result of wildfires in the black-spruce-covered Interior than anywhere else in Alaska.

Rarely a summer goes by in which the Interior doesn’t get at least a few smoky days.

How much smoke blows into Fairbanks and how thick it is depends on where fires are located and what direction the wind is blowing.

During the worst times, the smoke can be so thick that it reduces visibility to less than one-quarter of a mile and prompts air quality

THE

warnings. In those instances, people are advised to say indoors and reduce outdoor activities.

Last year’s fire season was tame by Alaska standards. A total of 515 fires burned only 293,018 acres, the third-lowest annual total in the past 10 years. Normally, about 1 million acres burns each year and most of that is in the Interior, which is the hottest, driest part of the state in the summer.

The largest fire season on record in Alaska is 2004, when almost 6.6 million acres burned around the state, almost all of which was north of the Alaska Range.

There is no way to predict how this summer’s fire season will shape up. Mostly it depends on the weather in May and June. The drier and hotter it is, the more chance there is for fires to start. The

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fire season typically begins in May and runs through July, though it can start as early as April and last into September in dry, hot years.

There are two causes of wildfires in Alaska — humans and lightning, the latter of which generally produces the biggest fires. Lightningcaused fires usually occur during the hottest part of the summer from late May to July. Fires caused by lightning strikes typically are in remote areas and are often left to burn because they do not pose a threat to anything.

The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center on Fort Wainwright in Fairbanks coordinates firefighting efforts in Alaska. The AICC is one of 11 geographic area coordination centers located throughout the United States and operates on a federal and state interagency basis. During a busy fire season, hundreds of firefighters, many from Native villages in the Alaska Bush, are hired by the Alaska Fire Service to fight fires. Smokejumpers and air tankers are imported from the Lower 48.

Whether a fire is fought depends on where it is and what kind of threat it poses to people and resources, such as communities, cabins, timber and Native allotments and timber. There are four types of suppression categories in Alaska: critical, full, modified and limited. Fires in areas designated in modified and limited suppression areas are often allowed to burn while fires in critical and full suppression areas are attacked immediately.

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59

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Tim Mowry/ News-Miner

A cloud covers the top of 3,910-foot Donnelly Dome in September 2007.

Donnelly Dome is great for hiking in the Delta Junction area.

Delta Junction rich in agriculture and history

By RENEE THONY rthony@newsminer.com Delta Junction, located at the end of the 1,422-mile Alaska Highway, is a little more quaint than Alaska’s larger cities. The town is home to about 800 people, is agriculturally minded and offers stunning views of the Alaska Range and, on clear days, the Granite Mountains.

The town is rich in crops of straw, oats, grass seed and potatoes, as well as livestock and dairy and exotic animals — especially unique to find in Alaska’s chilly Interior.

A drive out of town in any direction will give testament to the beauty of more than 130,000 acres of agricultural land surrounded by Alaska’s mountains.

Perhaps the largest tourist attraction in Delta is Sullivan’s Roadhouse, rescued from Alaska’s old trail system nearly 20 miles from Delta.

It provides a peek into life as it was back in the days when traveling through Alaska demanded steely nerves and firm resolve.

Please see DELTA, Page 60

Alaska’s Friendly Frontier

DELTA JUNCTION Services & Attractions • Visitor Information Center Mile 1422 Alaska Highway Delta Junction 99737

2012 Events Friendly Frontier Days May 26

Deltana Fair July 27–29

For further information:

Delta Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 987 FDNM Delta Junction, Alaska 99737 (907) 895-5068 TOLL FREE1-877-895-5068 e-mail: deltacc@deltachamber.org http://www.deltachamber.org

End of the Alaska Highway

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• Historical Sullivan Roadhouse Museum • Highway’s End Farmers Market • Big Delta State Historical Park • State camping grounds, Private RV parks with full hookups • Great fishing, hunting in season, and hiking throughout the season • Gifts, Groceries, Motels, Bed & Breakfasts, Restaurants.

• Largest free-roaming bison herd in Alaska • Quartz Lake: fishing, hiking, camping, picnics, cabins

Stop at the Visitor Center to see our displays and find out more about what to see and do in Delta! “End of Alaska Highway” Certificates available for $1.00

60

2012 Summer Visitors Guide Tim Mowry/News-Miner

Rika’s Roadhouse, right, in Big Delta, is pictured in October 2001. The roadhouse was once an important stop for travelers and is now a beautifully restored site with many original buildings filled with artifacts of the era.

DELTA: Ag land surrounded by mountains Continued from Page 59

Sullivan’s Roadhouse is situated next to the Visitor’s Center, another must-hit spot for information, picture opportunities and displays in Delta and is the oldest original roadhouse in Inte-

rior Alaska. It’s home to an impressive roadhouse museum, a beautiful garden and ancient machinery that was used to build the Alaska Highway.

Nine miles northwest of town, Rika’s Roadhouse in

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9 MILES EAST OF DELTA JUNCTION Mile 1413 Alaska Highway, beside the large Grain Elevators

R

IKA’S OADHOUSE

& LANDING

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One-quarter mile from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Tanana River Crossing Tel. 907-895-4201 Fax 907-895-4787 www.rikas.com

Roadhouse Five Other Buildings 10 Acre Park Pavilion Restaurant & Gift Shop “Best food on the Alaska Highway!”

–Seattle Intelligencer

RV PARKING Ample turn-around space Open 7 days a week Roadhouse & Buildings Restaurant Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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1909–2012

Milepost 275 Richardson Hwy Delta Junction AK, 99737

Big Delta offers another spot that shouldn’t be missed. The roadhouse was once an important stop for travelers and is now a beautifully restored site with many original buildings filled with artifacts of the era. A restaurant and gift shop are on site, along with another beautiful garden, geese, ducks and goats and a fantastic view of the Tanana River.

Blue-ribbon arctic grayling fishing in the Delta Clearwater River, hiking Donnelly Dome and hunting big game animals are all recreational activities to be found in Delta. Camping is available at Quartz Lake, Lost Lake, Fielding Lake, the Clearwater River and Rika’s Roadhouse.

The Buffalo Drive-In is a local favorite, open only in the summer, and makes a mean buffalo burger. It’s a good place to catch up with friends and enjoy an ice cream cone.

10 Acre Grounds Park & Dump Station Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

61

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Eric Engman/News-Miner

The Turtle Club located in Fox is a perennial favorite in the Reader’s Choice guide and a popular destination for Fairbanks residents and tourists for fine dining.

Off the beaten path in Fox Home of the country’s northernmost brewery

By MARY BETH SMETZER msmetzer@newsminer.com

Open M-Fr 4 P.M. Sat & Sun Noon Volleyball • Horseshoes NFL Football • NASCAR 2160 (11 mi.) Old Steese Hwy Fox, Alaska, 99712

456-HOWL (4695)

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907-457-8903

MOTEL & CAFE

Rustic Motel Cabins

Groceries • Propane • ATM Liquor • Beer • Wine Hunting/Fishing Licenses

2226 Old Steese Hwy. No.

Please see FOX, Page 62

Great Food

in Beautiful Downtown Fox Junction of Hwys 2 & 6

Open 5:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

7 days a week Last 24 hr. gas going North

restaurants in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Readers Choice Awards.

Dance to Live Music 3 + Nights a Week!

Fox General Store

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Unless you’re a local, you might miss the tiny crossroads community of Fox, located 10 miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway.

Originally a mining camp established in 1905, Fox’s mining history is still apparent in the mounds of tailing piles left over from decades of gold dredging, now studded with small homes and abandoned heavy mining equipment.

Although the tiny hamlet is off the beaten path, its big draw to Fairbanksans and tourists alike is a popular selection of dining and drinking establishments.

Fox boasts the only local brew pub, Silver Gulch Brewing and Bottling Co., the northernmost brewery in North America, and crafts a dozen different beers in a converted roadhouse.

The brewery is located with a pub and restaurant,

which features three banquet rooms and a gift shop that sells logo-related merchandise from clothing to pint glasses.

The well-regarded restaurant features upscale pub fare, opening daily at 4 p.m.

On weekends, both Saturday and Sunday, brunch begins at 11 a.m.

Another Fairbanks favorite, The Turtle Club, is just down the way and consistently rates among the best

www.howlingdogsaloon.com

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

FOX: Eat, dance just minutes from Fairbanks Continued from Page 61

The house specialty is prime rib, featuring a Miner’s Cut of 20 ounces or more.

A selection of seafood and an ultra fresh salad bar keep patrons coming back.

From May through October, the nearby Howling Dog Saloon reopens its vintage roadhouse bar and dance floor for those seeking to party hearty and dance.

The “Dog” attracts a wide spectrum of devotees including college students, bikers and business men.

Live bands play everything from reggae to rock ‘n’ roll on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Thursdays are blues nights and there are bonus performances on other nights.

Inside, the building is festooned with clothing hanging from the ceiling and a “backyard” has areas for horseshoes and beach volleyball.

Other offerings are a bar menu of hamburgers, pizza and espresso and 10 rental cabins for overnight stays.

Another summer-only establishment, mid-May to mid-August, is the Tri-Five Drive-In at the corner of the Old Steese Highway and Goldstream Road.

Tony Miller opened the nostalgic ’50s-style drive in summer 2010 decorated with

vintage ads, pin-up girls and old photos.

Car hops take orders and

www.silvergulch.com

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99712

deliver cheeseburgers, fish baskets and root beer floats right to your car door.

The Fox General Store provides gas pumps outdoors and groceries and a liquor store indoors.

Just up the road on the Elliott Highway is the renowned Fox Spring, where Fairbanksans have been collecting clear, sweet water for decades.

Pull into the turnout, and fill up your thermos before heading back to Fairbanks.

On the way back to Fairbanks, at 8 Mile Steese Highway, another pullout offers a close up look at the trans-Alaska pipeline with a display detailing its history.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Way up on the Steese Highway gold panning spots. RV park- a few restaurants, a museing and a dump station are um, a landing strip for small The 160-mile Steese High- available. planes and lodging. Service way retraces a century of A 2.5-mile loop offers stations are scarce in the historic gold mining. The access to the Davidson Ditch. area, so be sure to have first 53 miles are paved — The ditch is an 83-mile enough gas. the rest is an adventure. series of ditches, siphons Turning straight down the It offers road access to and pipes once used to carry road from Central will put the vast White Mountains water from a small dam you at Circle City.

National Recreation Area, on the Chatanika River to The road ends — eventuwhere you can pan for gold the gold dredges of Fox and ally — on the banks of the at Nome Creek at 57 Mile Chatanika.

Yukon River in Circle. The and hike, fish and camp.

It was one of the largest river is two miles wide at The Steese Highway engineering projects in the this point. winds through the scenic world when it was built in Do not confuse Circle Hot Chatanika River Valley. The 1925.

Springs, at one time a resort, town of Chatanika, created The road climbs well with the town of Circle, by mining activity, was once above the tree line at which is about a 34-mile 10,000 people strong.

Twelve-Mile and Eagle Sum- drive over rough roads from Chatanika Gold Camp is mits, two popular places Central. the site of the old Fairbanks to watch the sun skirt the Circle, founded in 1893, Exploration Co. Camp, built northern horizon on summer was the largest gold mining in the 1920s. The camp is on solstice. town on the river, at least the National Register of HisAfter coasting down Eagle until gold was discovered in toric Places.

Summit to the town of CenDawson City.

For more information, tral, about 128 miles north More than 1,000 people visit www.fegoldcamp.com. of Fairbanks, travelers enter lived in the town, which was Just down the road at the Circle Mining District, named in the mistaken belief 28.5 Mile is a large rustic which features many active that it was located on the cedar lodge, across the street mines.

Arctic Circle, which is really from Gold Dredge No. 3. The Central has a post office, 40 miles north.

Chatanika Lodge was established in the 1930s as a tradCafe • Saloon • Store ing post.

Gas • Motel • Cabins The lodge’s Alaska decor WiFi • Showers • Laundry showcases its hearty fare, CentralCorner@hotmail.com with a full kitchen serving In the heart of the Circle Mining District breakfast, lunch and dinner 128 Mile Steese Highway from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

907-520-5800 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 Staff Report

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Ron & Shirley Franklin

CHATANIKA LODGE Across highway from Alaska’s 2nd Largest Gold Dredge!

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64

2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Take the Elliott Highway Up-close view of Interior for 152 miles Staff Report The 152-mile journey up the Elliott Highway offers both an up-close view of Interior Alaska and a trip through the region’s gold mining history.

The road, which includes both paved and gravel stretches, connects the community of Fox and Manley Hot Springs.

Just five miles up the Elliott Highway is the Hilltop Truckstop, which offers the last chance to gas up for more

IF YOU GO • Gas up at Hilltop Truckstop — 6 Mile • Olnes Pond —10.7 Mile • Lower Chatanika River • Wickersham Dome Trailhead — 27.9 Mile, access to White Mountains

than 100 miles. Big appetites will be rewarded with heaping breakfasts and generous slices of homemade pie.

The area north of Fox includes a handful of areas

M ANLEY L ODGE Better known as the...

ROADHOUSE Open for the season Historic gold rush era lodge.

Accommodations • GREAT FOOD • Gas

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Major cards accepted

152 Scenic Miles from Fairbanks on the Elliot Hwy

EXPLORE ALASKA’S ARCTIC! Experience for yourself the legendary hospitality and authentic interpretation of Northern Alaska Tour Company’s one-day and overnight Arctic Circle Adventures®. Travel the famed Dalton Highway. Visit the Arctic Circle Trading Post. View the remarkable Trans Alaska Pipeline. Experience the mighty Yukon River.

Cross the Arctic Circle. Explore up close the amazing arctic tundra. Tour the Nunamiut Eskimo village of Anaktuvuk Pass. Fly Alaska’s rugged wilderness airways. Arctic Circle Drive, Fly/Drive, Air, Native Culture, and Brooks Range Adventures available.

OR extend your journey to the shores of the Arctic Ocean with our

ARCTIC OCEAN ADVENTURE™

Sharing Alaska’s Arctic With The World P.O. Box 82991-VG • Fairbanks, AK 99708

907-474-8600

www.northernalaska.com

800-474-1986

adventure@northernalaska.com

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All the highlights of our one day excursion PLUS Overnight in rustic Coldfoot. Visit the historic community of Wiseman. Travel through the majestic Brooks Mountain Range. Tour the Prudhoe Bay oil field.

Optional Barrow extension tour also available.

National Recreation Area • Arctic Circle Trading Post — 49 Mile • Livengood — 71 Mile • Tolovana River — 75 Mile • Manley Hot Springs — at the end of the highway

for fishing and outdoor recreation. Olnes Pond, which includes an unmaintained campground and a stocked lake, is at 10.7 Mile Elliott Highway. The Lower Chatanika River is just down the road from the Olnes Pond turnoff.

At 27.9 Mile is the Wickersham Dome Trailhead, which provides access to White Mountains National Recreation Area.

About 200 miles of trails are available, including access to Bureau of Land Management cabins that are available to rent. Most are accessible only in winter, but a recording with information about trail conditions is available at (907) 474-2372. The trailhead entrance includes picnic tables and basic restroom facilities.

At Arctic Circle Trading Post at 49 Mile, gifts and basic groceries are available.

The tiny community of Livengood is a mile off the Elliott at 71 Mile. A gold claim nearly a century ago brought the community to life, and it still includes about 30 residents.

A few miles farther, where the Elliott forms a junction with the start of the Dalton Highway, the road turns to gravel.

At 75 Mile, the Tolovana River offers fishing for grayling and an informal campsite.

The road ends at Manley Hot Springs, with the hot springs located on the right.

Springs and baths are open for weary travelers looking for a dip at the end of the Elliott. Call (907) 672-3231 for information.

Manley Roadhouse is one of Alaska’s original roadhouses, featuring rooms, cabins, food and a bar.

For more information, call (907) 672-3161.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Explore Wrangell-St. Elias Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com Impressive numbers come in droves for WrangellSt. Elias Park and Preserve: encompassing more than 20,000 square miles, nine of the country’s 16 tallest peaks, twice the size of Denali National Park and Preserve, six times the size of Yellowstone National Park, more than 25 percent larger than Switzerland and home to wonders like Malaspina glacier, which is the largest piedmont glacier in North America and best phoGilpatrick's

Historic hotel Full Service restaurant & BAR All rooms with private bath

Let your High Arctic Adventure begin!

We specialize in selling Alaska’s Arctic!

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479-5451 (local) • 1-800-336-TREK (8735) (outside Fbks) adventure@northernalaska.com • www.ArcticTreks.com

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Hotel (907) 823-2244

www.hotelchitina.com • info@hotelchitina.com

Please see EXPLORE, Page 70

Experience Alaska’s Arctic on a guided adventure. Stop along the shores of the Yukon River, cross the Arctic Circle, enjoy the Brooks Mountain Range, land in the Gates of the Arctic National Park, or take a dip in the Arctic Ocean.

Learn more on our website at: www.ArcticTreks.com

The Gateway To Wrangell St. Elias Nat'l Park

33 Edgerton Hwy, Chitina AK 99566

afford,” Gaia Marrs, owner and guide with St. Elias Alpine Guides, said. “It’s the only way to begin to get a scale (of the park).”

Luckily, guides are ready

Fairbanks • Yukon River • Arctic Circle • Wiseman Brooks Range • Prudhoe Bay • Point Barrow

Hotel Chitina

Winter (907) 835-5542

tographed from space.

Barring a space flight with Sir Richard Branson, the best way to capture the enormity of Wrangell-St. Elias Park is from a plane.

“Get up in a plane, and stay for as long as you can

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

Explore history in Eagle The Interior’s first incorporated city

By SUZANNA CALDWELL scaldwell@newsminer.com It might only be home to fewer than 150 people these days, but there’s hundreds of years of history in Eagle.

Located on the banks of the Yukon River just eight miles from the Canadian border, the small community is accessible via the Taylor Highway, a seasonally maintained highway open only in the summer that ends at 160 Mile in Eagle. The highway is paved to 64 Mile, and from there conditions can vary. In 2010, parts of the route were washed away. Facilities on the highway are limited and travelers should bring a spare tire.

Visitors should check out the daily guided walking tour of Eagle at 9 a.m. The cost is $7 per person for a two-hour tour of all of the town’s museums, starting at the courthouse. During the late 1800s, Eagle was a prominent supply center for miners traveling between communities on the Yukon. The community was the first incorporated city in Interior Alaska, and as such, has left behind a rich history including Fort Egbert, an Army headquarters that was abandoned in 1911.

Five of Fort Egbert’s original buildings have been preserved under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management.

The historical society can schedule walking tours at different times for an additional $10 per party. The tours run from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Eagle goes all out for fourth of July, starting with a dinner at the Old School House on July 3.

News-Miner file photo

A sign stands in front of Fort Egbert in Eagle.

IF YOU GO • Eagle Historical Society: www.eaglehistoricalsociety.com; (907) 547-2325 • Falcon Inn Bed and Breakfast: falconinn@gmail.com; (907) 547-2254 • Eagle Trading Company: (907) 547-2340

At 11 a.m. the next day a flag is raised at the courthouse and the celebration, which includes a carnival and parade, begins.

“We really go out of our way to make it a lot of fun,” Eagle Historical Society and Museums’ director Donna Westphal said.

After floods in 2009 destroyed most of front street in downtown Eagle, the only restaurant in town closed. The Eagle Trading Company and Telegraph Hill service station are the only places food is available in town.

The Falcon Inn Bed and Breakfast has rooms available and there are camping and RV spots at the Bureau of Land Management campground.

News-Miner file photo

The Falcon Inn B&B sign shows directions to amenities on Front Street in Eagle in May 2009.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

The Associated Press

A group of motorcyclists from Valley Forge, Pa., continue on a journey in August 2005 to Deadhorse as they drive up the Dalton Highway near the Arctic Circle. The trans-Alaska oil pipeline is seen at right. The highway stretches more than 400 miles to Deadhorse, a Prudhoe Bay industrial camp just south of the Arctic Ocean.

Dalton Highway takes travelers to Arctic Circle and beyond Staff Report “Ice Road Truckers” remains the second-most popular TV show set in Alaska, behind only “Deadliest Catch.”

And while you might enjoy watching Jack Jessee, Lisa Kelly and Alex Debogorski on the small screen, actually driving the Dalton Highway — the Haul Road — requires a bit more preparation than picking up a remote.

As always, it’s best to get the lay of the land before

heading out.

The annual “Milepost,” published this year for the 62nd time, remains the best guide to the highway and the challenges the remote, mostly unpaved route presents.

The Bureau of Land Management also publishes a good guide to the highway, and it’s available for free at the BLM office in Fairbanks, the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center and the Coldfoot Visitors Center.

DON’T LEAVE HOME WITHOUT: • • • •

Two full-size spare tires Extra gas Food and water Check road conditions at http://511.alaska.gov

Please see DALTON, Page 68

VISITORS GUIDE ADVERTISING Act now for 2013 If your business is interested in placing an ad in the 2013 Visitors Guide, fill out and return this coupon.

Name ______________________________________________________________________________________ Business Name______________________________________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________________________ 11394672 5-5-12 VG

Mail to: Promotions Manager P.O. Box 70710, Fairbanks, AK 99707-0710

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City __________________________State ____________ Zip ___________Phone ______________________

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

DALTON: Be prepared with camping gear Continued from Page 67

As most regular drivers of the Dalton will tell you, though, highway conditions change all the time, and you have to be prepared for the unexpected.

Check the Alaska Department of Transportation website (http://511.alaska. gov) for road conditions, and be sure to bring two full-size mounted spare tires, extra gasoline, and food and water.

A good rule of thumb is to pack as if you know you’re going to spend the night camping — even if camping isn’t in your plans.

Driving the Dalton is a tiring experience even under good conditions. You should expect to deal with ruts, slick gravel and sharp rock for most of its 414 miles. If you’re driving from Fairbanks to Deadhorse, the end of the road, plan for about 15 hours.

That amount of time includes stops for photographs, gasoline, food and stretch breaks. The road can be driven in 12 hours or less, but there’s not much time to take in the sights if you do.

SOME DALTON DRIVETIMES Fairbanks to Yukon River — about 3 hours Yukon River to the Arctic Circle — about 2 hours Arctic Circle to Atigun Pass — about 3 hours Fairbanks to Coldfoot Camp at 175 Mile — about 6 hours

From Fairbanks to the Yukon River should take about three hours. To the Arctic Circle is another two, and from the Arctic Circle to Atigun Pass is about three.

Coldfoot Camp, 175 Mile Dalton Highway, or about six hours from Fairbanks, is the refueling point for drivers headed farther north.

Between Coldfoot and Deadhorse, there’s little but miles and miles of miles and miles of road — oh, and spectacular scenery.

If you have your heart set on wading into the Arctic Ocean, you must plan ahead.

Security gates bar the roads between the northern end of the Dalton and the shoreline, and only guided tours are permitted.

Call the Arctic Caribou Inn at (866) 659-2368 or

Deadhorse Camp at (877) 474-3565 to sign up; you’ll need to provide a government-issued ID and give at least 48 hours’ notice.

Both locations also offer some of the only organized lodging on the highway.

While campsites abound up and down the Dalton, if you want four walls, only Coldfoot Camp in Coldfoot or a handful of places in Deadhorse will meet your needs.

Driving the Dalton Highway isn’t like taking a spin around the block, but if you share the experience with friends or family, it’s a memory you’ll keep forever. Finishing a drive to Deadhorse and back is a badge of pride, and even if you stop only at the Arctic Circle, you’ll have a story you can share for years.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Sam Harre/News-Miner

Colter Franz, left, of Chicken, entertains the crowd at Chickenstock during the chicken dance.

It’s funky fun in Chicken Mining hamlet makes a huge cluck in June at Chickenstock

By GARY BLACK gblack@newsminer.com

• Bring cash — there are no ATMs. • Check out the Chickenstock bluegrass music festival.

• Bring your dancing shoes.

it came time to officially name the town, no one could spell ptarmigan, so instead of being plagued with the humiliation of perhaps spelling their own town name inaccurately, they called it Chicken.

About 20 to 30 people live in Chicken year-round, and

the population has a summer spike as miners and tourists come to town. Because of its location near the border of Canada, expect visitors from across the Lower 48. There is little electricity for public use, few phones and little plumbing.

Mail arrives twice per week by Bush plane.

Chicken has several gift shops, cafes, a bar and liquor store, and many recreational activities.

While there, take a tour of Tisha’s School House in the Old Town of Chicken and tour the Pedro Dredge Please see CHICKEN, Page 70

Traveler information by phone or web

Dial 511 or online 511.alaska.gov

14395389-5-5-12VG

Located at about 66 Mile Taylor Highway, Chicken is perhaps the quirkiest — and most fun — of all the small communities in the state. It consists of several hubs: downtown Chicken; the Original Chicken Gold Camp/Chicken Creek Outpost off Airport Road; and the Goldpanner.

The community got its name in 1902 when the town was incorporated officially.

Lore has it locals wanted to call it ptarmigan, because that was the wild bird of choice for prospectors in search of gold. But when

CHICKEN TIPS

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2012 Summer Visitors Guide

CHICKEN: Camp, park the RV or rent a cabin Continued from Page 69

at Chicken Gold Camp, the most complete dredge open to the public in Alaska.

Many activities are linked to mining as that was the lifeblood of the community, and kayaking and river opportunities also abound.

Chicken Gold Camp is the most developed area and offers the most amenities, such as an RV park/campground with 39 electric sites, 15 dry sites and several wooded tent sites; five cabin rentals and even a two-bedroom apartment; a gift store with Alaska and Yukon arts and gifts as well as cafe fare.

This summer boasts the sixth annual Chickenstock, billed as the “Top of the World” music festival, where you can get your fill of bluegrass and mingle with the locals. Chickenstock is June 8 and 9, which includes an informal jam session on the night of the 8th starting at 5 p.m. and the bluegrass festival starting about 1 p.m. on the 9th. Tickets are $8 for Friday night, $20 for Saturday or $25 for a twoday pass. The two-day pass includes two nights of dry camping. Chickenstock is a family-friendly event, and as always, attendees can expect to see more than several dancing chickens.

Once you’re in Chicken,

EXPLORE Continued from Page 65

to accommodate flightseers, and planes fly into McCarthy daily during the summer.

Down a gravel road, notorious for its jarring condition, sit the towns of McCarthy and Kennecott. Old mining towns in the heart of the park, both are full of history and are ripe for Alaskana enthusiasts. In addition to flight charters, seasonal shuttles are available to take visitors from Glennallen and other towns on the edge of the park into McCarthy.

While taking a personal car

WHERE TO STAY • RV park/campground — 39 electric sites, 15 dry sites, several wooded tent sites • Five cabin rentals • One two-bedroom apartment

Gary Black/News-Miner

Chickenstock is the place to be in June. This summer marks the sixth-annual bluegrass festival in the small mining community. you can’t miss the signs for Chickenstock. Bring ID to get into the event and plenty of cash as there are no ATMs at the festival.

The Taylor Highway winds its way to Chicken from Tetlin Junction on the Alaska Highway, 12 miles

east of Tok. There are commercial buses that routinely drive this area on their way to Eagle, Boundary and Dawson City, Yukonm so be ready to share the highway from time to tim.

From Fairbanks, it’s about a five-hour drive.

down the McCarthy Road is an option, few rental car companies encourage it.

“You really do have to come into McCarthy and Kennecott to see the park,” Marrs said. St. Elias Alpine Guides offer historical tours in the town for visitors who only have a day to spend in the park. Park rangers offer guided tours of Kennecott during the summer and park information is available at a park kiosk at 59 Mile McCarthy Road — near the footbridge that is the only entrance into town.

For a glimpse of WrangellSt. Elias’s backcountry, visitors can start a day hike out of McCarthy.

If time isn’t a constraint, the backcountry offers a chance to see some of Alaska’s purest wilderness.

Backcountry permits aren’t required like the more heavily trafficked Denali, though visitors are encouraged to leave their itinerary with a park office.

Wrangell-St. Elias offers the opportunity to detach from the outside and wander into wilderness like few other places. Whether by air or by ground, the park begs to be explored. Enjoy the view from the plane, take advantage of a backcountry runway and plot a course back on foot for the full experience.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

News-Miner

Valdez is shown in July 2007.

Welcome to Valdez On the shore of Prince William Sound Staff Report newsroom@newsminer.com

ing is of interest, getting out on the water is still an option with sightseeing cruises.

The port hosts a range of boats: ships with overnight cabins and smaller vessels for day cruising. Some companies offer a mix of all of the above — kayak, fish and cruise in one trip.

Valdez is reachable by the Richardson Highway, daily flights or a ferry along the Alaska Marine Highway.

For more information on Valdez, visit the convention and visitors bureau website at www.valdezalaska.org.

e!

Welcom

Free Wi f

i

Feel at home in Valdez

Glen & Sharron Mills For Reservations Call: P.O. Box 184 1-800-478-2791 113 Galena Dr. or (907) 835-2791 Valdez, AK 99686 Fax (907) 835-5406 www.valdezdowntowninn.com or Email: 1n2rs@gci.net

12393512VG12

Situated on the shore of Prince William Sound, Valdez is a prime destination for summer travels. As the surrounding Chugach Mountains are the most heavily glaciated mountains in the Northwest, the coast of Prince William Sound provides unparalleled viewing of tidewater glaciers and plenty of opportunity for wildlife viewing. Getting on the water “is kind of the thing to do” in Valdez, said Tim Duffy, owner and guide with Pangaea Adventures. And there are plenty of ways to do that.

Outfitters like Pangaea offer kayaking day trips and can taxi paddlers out to far-flung parts of the sound. Glaciers like the Columbia Glacier or the Shoup Glacier are popular destinations for day trips. A trip to the rapidly retreating Columbia Glacier lets paddlers make their way through an ice field — one of the most unique experiences in the sound. The smaller Shoup Glacier provides a more intimate experience, as kayakers can get up close and personal with the face of the glacier, according to Duffy.

Water taxi rides, needed to

see the Columbia and Shoup glaciers, can double as wildlife viewing cruises.

Pre-planned multi-day trips are available for those with more time and a healthy sense of adventure. Outfitters offer rough itineraries but visitors can customize a trip to fit their needs. Beginning kayakers also can take lessons to shore up their skills before embarking, and safety-trained guides are always close at hand.

Duffy recommends booking in advance, but walk-ups the day before can sometimes land a spot. “All you have to bring is lunch, water and layers,” Duffy said.

Another great feature of Valdez is the fishing. Both commercial and sport fishing operate out of the port. Home to the Valdez Fish Derbies, anglers chase halibut and silver salmon during the summer for a shot at prizes and bragging rights. Even without the competitive streak, charters take visitors into the sound looking for halibut, salmon and other species outside of derby fare. There are plenty of charter companies available to make finding the perfect trip easier.

If neither paddling nor fish-

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2012 Summer Visitor’s Guide