2008 Visitor's Guide

Free

newsminer.com

Summer 2008

Look inside for: • Attractions • Activities • Places to eat • Shopping • Campgrounds • Fishing • Events

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

index Welcome to Fairbanks .......................................3 Fishing .............................................................4-6 Denali National Park and Preserve .............8-10 Nenana .............................................................12 Anderson ..........................................................12 Ester ..................................................................13 Fairbanks Visitors Center ................................14 Fairbanks and vicinity map .............................15 Places of worship .......................................16-19 Engine No. 1 .....................................................21 Pioneer Park ................................................22-23 Alaska Salmon Bake ........................................23 Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival .....................24 Community Museum .......................................25 Native Alaskans ...............................................26 Driving in Alaska .............................................27 Walking tours ...................................................28 Races and running ...........................................29 Midnight Sun Game ........................................30 Restaurants .................................................31-36 Downtown shopping ......................................37 Farmers Market ................................................38 Alaska Railroad ................................................39 Riverboat Discovery .........................................40 Creamer’s Field .................................................42 That pesky state ‘bird’ .....................................43 Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre ......................44 UAF’s animal research center ..........................45 Golfing under the midnight sun .....................46 Summer mushing .............................................47 Gold panning ...................................................48

Aurora awe ......................................................49 Tanana Chief ....................................................52 Midnight Sun Festival .....................................53 Gold Dredge No. 8 ...........................................53 Fairbanks campgrounds ..................................54 Alaska campgrounds .......................................55 Trans-Alaska Pipeline .......................................56 El Dorado Gold Mine .......................................57 Ice museum ......................................................57 Museum of the North ......................................58 Georgeson Botanical Garden ..........................59 UAF campus sights ..........................................60 Chena Hot Springs Resort ...............................61 Steese Highway ...............................................62 Whitehorse .......................................................63 Alaska Highway ...............................................65 Fox ....................................................................66 North Pole ...................................................67-69 Chena Lakes Recreation Area .........................70 Delta Junction ..................................................71 Soaring into Solstice ........................................72 Tok .....................................................................73 Eagle .................................................................73 Wrangell-St. Elias .............................................74 Yukon Territory Campgrounds ........................75 Elliott Highway ................................................76 Arctic Circle .......................................................77 Chicken .............................................................78 Valdez ...............................................................79

Questions or comments? Contact Visitors Guide editor Gary Black at gblack@newsminer.com

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Welcome to Fairbanks Staff Report

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Sam Harrel/News-Miner

Felix Pedro, right, thanks Jim Kelly of Denali State Bank for purchasing his poke of gold during the 2007 Golden Days KickOff Party at Pioneer Park. Pedro, played by R.C. Rothermel, and his donkey Guido represent the prospector's trip into Fairbanks after he discovered gold in the hills north of town in 1902.

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he founding of Fairbanks was, well, an accident.

Trader E.T. Barnette was trying to get a load of goods to the gold fields up the Tanana River when the steamer Lavelle Young got hung up in the shallows upstream from the Chena River.

Barnette, his wife and his stock of goods were left on the banks of the Chena in August 1901 until he could find a way to continue his journey. The following July, however, Italian immigrant Felix Pedro struck gold in the hills just a few miles away. Barnette stayed and the fledgling town he founded was named after Charles W. Fairbanks, an Indiana senator and future vice president.

Because the gold was buried deep underground, the rush was slow to materialize and the city wasn’t founded until 1903. By 1906, $6 million in gold was produced in the region.

By 1910, nearly $30 million had been produced from Cleary, Ester and Fairbanks creeks, almost two-thirds of the gold mined in the region.

Flash forward about 100 years, and Fairbanks continues to thrive.

The military is a vital part of the local economy, supplemented through the years by the expansion of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and the oil boom on Alaska’s North Slope. The building of the trans-Alaska pipeline brought thousands of construction workers to the town along the Chena and new residents looking for opportunities.

Today, nearly 33,000 people live in the city limits and 97,000 people are estimated to live in the Fairbanks North Star Borough, which covers 7,361 square miles — about the size of New Jersey.

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Hooked on fishing Arctic grayling are the catch of choice in the Interior Eric Engman/News-Miner

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com

Fly fishing for grayling is similar to trout. Some favorites of Alaskan anglers are elk hair caddis, Adams, mosquitoes and black ants.

F

orget about halibut and salmon. In the landlocked Interior, arctic grayling are the fish of choice.

An elegant cousin of the trout, the grayling is one of the most unusual and beautiful fish in Alaska. Grayling are distinguished by a colorful sail-like dorsal fin that give the slategray fish an almost pre-historic appearance.

Known for their voracious appetites and cooperative natures, grayling are a favorite for fly fishermen because of their eagerness to rise and take

dry flies.

“They’re relatively easy to catch,” said Audra Brase, area management sport fish biologist at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Fairbanks.

“You don’t have to be a master fly fisherman to catch them.”

Remnants of the Ice Age, grayling survived in unglaciated

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areas of Alaska in the Yukon River valley and the North Slope. From there they spread throughout mainland Alaska.

Today they can be found in rivers and streams around the state but it is the Interior, with its clear, cold streams, where the fish are most prolific. They can be found in streams along just about every road system in the state.

In the Interior, the fish typically range in size from 8 to 18 inches, with most falling in the 12- to 14-inch range. More than 70 percent of the trophy grayling registered by the Department of Fish and Game come from the famous Ugashik Lake and river system of Bristol Bay in southwest Alaska. The state record grayling is 23 inches long and weighs 4 pounds, 13 ounces.

The Chena River in Fairbanks and the Delta Clearwater River in Delta Junction are two of the most popular grayling fisheries in the state, though both are restricted to catch-andrelease fishing only.

Fly fishing for grayling is similar to trout. They will attack any number of dry flies.

Some favorites of Alaskan anglers are elk hair caddis, Adams, mosquitoes and black ants. The fish will also chase small spinners or eat bait in the form of salmon eggs, if regulations allow the use of bait.

The fish have flaky white meat and are best eaten immediately after being caught without being frozen.

Here are some of the other fish to look for in Interior lakes, ponds, creeks and rivers.

Known to many Alaskans as “poor-man’s lobster,” burbot taste better than they look. Their mottled olive-black or brown skin is interspersed with yellow patches, giving the eel-like fish a camouflage look. They also have a chin whisker, or barbel, that distinguishes them from other Please see FISHING, Page 5

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Hooked on fishing Continued from Page 4

fish.

The burbot is the only representative of the cod family that lives in fresh water in North America. Burbot can be found in many large clear and glacial rivers, such as the Yukon and Tanana rivers, as well as many lakes throughout the Interior.

While burbot can be caught in the summer using a rod and reel baited with herring or whitefish, the more common way of fishing for burbot in the Interior is through the ice during the winter using set lines with multiple hooks. The lines must be checked every 24 hours and identified with the fisherman’s name and address.

Most anglers only keep burbot larger than 18 inches, and the fish can grow as big as 40 inches. The state record burbot — 24 pounds, 12 ounces — was caught in Lake Louise near Glennallen.

A burbot swallows practically anything it eats, so the best way to release one of the fish is to cut the line. The easiest way to clean a burbot is to hang it by its head from a nail, cut around the skin near the neck, and pull the skin down to the tail using a pair of pliers.

The white, flaky meat can be fried, baked or poached.

Lake trout Alaska’s largest freshwater fish, lake trout are closely related to Dolly Varden, brook trout and arctic char.

Lake trout have a body shape similar to that of trout and salmon. Usually they have small, light, irregular shaped spots on a silvery-to-dark background, but color can vary according to the season and population. Unlike other char species, lake trout do not have pink spots and their tails are deeply forked.

Lake trout in Alaska can live longer than 40 years and the older they are, the bigger they get. Fish in the 20- to 25-pound range are common in many Interior lakes. The state record for lake trout is a 47-pounder caught in Clarence Lake in July of 1970.

The Interior’s cold, deepwater lakes have a reputation for holding some large “lakers,” as they are called by anglers, but you’ll need a boat to reach them because lake trout typically hang out in deep, cold water.

IF YOU GO • Buy a license An Alaska sport fishing license is required for all nonresidents 16 and over. Different options are available for nonresidents, ranging from a 1-day license for $20 to an annual license for $145. There are also 3-, 7- and 14-day licenses. If you plan to fish for king salmon, you will need to purchase a king salmon tag. A 1-day tag is $10 and an annual tag is $100. Licenses and tags can be purchased at Department of Fish and Game offices around the state, at various vendors and on the Internet.

• Check regulations Different streams and lakes have different regulations, depending on the species you’re fishing for. Some streams are restricted to catch-and-release fishing only. Regulation booklets are available from the Department of Fish and Game and most places where licenses are sold.

• Troll for information Whether you stop in at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, local tackle shops, outdoors stores or the local gas station, don’t be afraid to ask questions about where and how to fish. Alaskans love to offer advice about fishing, whether they know anything or not.

The best time to fish for lake trout is in the spring just after the ice goes out because the fish can be found closer to the surface and along shorelines.

As the summer progresses, lake trout go deeper. The most common fishing technique is trolling large, bright spinners or spoons baited with herring from a boat.

Lake trout can also be caught through the ice in the winter using large spoons and bait.

Some popular lakes for lake trout in the Interior include Harding, Summit and Paxson lakes.

ies and sloughs of the Kuskokwim, Tanana and Yukon rivers. Some lakes in the Tanana River drainage contain pike and receive considerable fishing pressure.

The most effective way to fish for pike is using a mediumaction spinning or bait-casting rod with large spoons or spinners. Almost any type of hardware will produce a strike.

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Northern pike The Interior is known for producing aggressive, armlength pike, but they are not easy to get to. Just about all the pike fishing in the Interior is accessible only by airplane or boat.

If you can get to where the pike are, though, you will most likely find some big ones. Pike up to 20 pounds are common in Alaskan rivers, lakes and sloughs and fish weighing up to 30 pounds and measuring 4 feet in length are sometimes caught.

The state record pike of 38 pounds, 8 ounces was caught in the Innoko River in the western Interior.

With 800 square miles of interconnected lakes, rivers and sloughs, the Minto Flats west of Fairbanks is one of the most popular pike fishing spots in the Interior — and state — with anglers routinely netting trophy-size pike (more than 15 pounds). Even larger pike can be found in clear water tributar-

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Hooked on fishing Continued from Page 5

SPORT FISH RECORD HOLDERS

Anglers would be wise to use steel leaders when fishing for these aggressive, sharp-toothed fish.

Pike have delicious firm, white, flaky flesh that is good for baking or frying. Small pike are somewhat bony, but the larger fish fillet easily.

Species

Rainbow trout There are no wild rainbow trout north of the Alaska Range, but more than 100 lakes in the Interior are stocked with hatchery-raised rainbow trout to provide plenty of angling opportunities for locals and nonresidents.

The fish are raised in hatcheries in Anchorage and then are trucked to lakes and ponds around the state. Due to lack of warm water, which helps grow fish faster, at the current hatcheries, the state has not been able to grow as many fish as previous years and the fish are much smaller. Stocked rainbows typically range in size from 8 to 12 inches.

The state is in the process of building new state-of-the-art hatcheries in Fairbanks and Anchorage, which are scheduled to open in 2009 and 2010, respectively.

The Department of Fish and Game has a list of stocked lakes in the Interior — and around the state — with directions on how to get there, what kind of fish are stocked in the lakes and what kind of camping is available.

The Milepost also denotes stocked lakes along the road system around the state.

When fishing stocked lakes,

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bait such as salmon eggs or shrimp usually yields good results, as do small spinners and spoons.

Salmon Because most of the Interior is located far from salt water, the salmon fishing possibilities north of the Alaska Range are few and far between.

Both the Chena and Salcha rivers near Fairbanks have runs of king and chum salmon in July but the fish are on the verge of spawning by the time they get here, having traveled up the Yukon and Tanana rivers for more than 1,000 miles, and the quality of the fish are not what you will find in streams closer to salt water.

Most Fairbanks anglers drive south on the Richardson Highway to the Gulkana or Klutina rivers in the Copper River Basin to fish for both king and red salmon. The king salmon run begins in early June and ends in mid- to late-July. Reds run up both rivers from June to August. There are several guiding outfits on both rivers for anglers who don’t have the gear, knowledge or time to fish on their own.

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The silvers usually start running in Valdez in the end of July or early August. There are multiple charters available in Valdez or you can fish off Allison Point just outside Valdez if you have a rod and reel.

Valdez also features a large run of pink salmon. While charters don’t typically target pinks, anglers have good success catching pinks at Allison Point or off the Valdez city dock.

Whitefish Whitefish are the most abundant group of fish north of the Alaska Range but few people fish for them because they don’t typically show interest in flies or lures.

Whitefish play an important role in the aquatic food chain by serving as food for predatory fish like northern pike, lake trout and burbot. They are also an important subsistence food for Native Alaskans living in the Bush, who catch them in fish wheels and nets. They used for both human consumption and food for sled dogs.

There are three main types of whitefish found in the Interior: round, humpback and least cisco. Humpbacks are the biggest at around 20 inches.

There is a small sport spear fishery in the Chatanika River north of Fairbanks in September for humpback and least cisco whitefish but the fishery is open only to Alaska residents with permits and a limited number of permits are issued. Fishermen typically use spears and lanterns to harvest the fish at night because of their unwillingness to go after lures or flies.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Denali National Park Wilds of Alaska herald state's most-loved site Sam Harrel/News-Miner

By KRIS CAPPS For the News-Miner

Anyone can drive the first 15 miles of road in Denali National Park and Preserve to Savage River. After that, traffic is limited.

This is deliberate.

This park is managed for the wildlife, not for the people. The only way to get there is by taking a park bus. Also, it's wise to call the park headquarters during business hours — (907) 683-2294 — to check on weather conditions.

W

hen 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 was created to protect the wildlife. Eventually expanded to 6 million acres, the park is home to moose, caribou, Dall sheep, wolves and 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 seasons can survive in Denali’s subarctic climate.

In addition, Denali is home to 39 species of mammals, 167 species of birds, 10 species of fish, and one amphibian, the wood frog. There are no reptiles recorded at Denali National Park.

There are dinosaur tracks,

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however, just recently discovered in 2005, showing for the first time that those prehistoric creatures lived here.

Get to the park by train, car, bus or by chartering a small airplane. A single, winding, primarily gravel road, winds through the mountains and across rivers for about 90 miles to the old mining community of Kantishna, now a visitors haven.

The only way to get there is by taking a park bus. 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 for people.

Photography is encouraged

at the park, but be careful when photographing wildlife. There are guideline on how close you should approach animals.

There are also guidelines for hiking, to help preserve the fragile tundra plans that cling to life during the short season on sunny slopes. Take special measures to enjoy wildlife from afar and avoid chance encounters with bears.

For a close-up view of how the park operates, visit the Denali kennels, where a team of sled dogs lives year round. During the summer, these working dogs welcome visitors and their handlers provide an informative program on life with the dogs, who patrol Denali during winter months.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Denali National Park

By KRIS CAPPS For the News-Miner

IF YOU GO

R

iding a bus into Denali National Park is not the only way to enjoy the wilderness and its surrounding area. Check out opportunities outside the park boundaries.

About a mile from the park entrance is a strip of hotels, restaurants and gift stores that offer every comfort imaginable. Other restaurants and campground are located a few miles south of the park entrance, where most of the area’s year-round residents live.

There are many easy to moderate hiking trails near the park entrance and the park offers ranger-guided hikes. Check for details at the Denali Visitor Center and the Wilderness Access Center. Both places feature films and a wealth of information on activities in and around the park.

Seven miles south of the park entrance, the Denali Education Center offers community programs throughout the summer that are worth investigating. See the schedule on post office bulletin boards or at www.denali.org.

All programs take place at the Charles Sheldon Center.

Before you get to Healy, you’ll reach Otto Lake Road. Turn left.

Just a mile or so west is Denali Outdoor Center headquarters.

This company offers scenic camping, raft and inflatable kayak trips down the Nenana River, bicycle rentals and kayak lessons.

See www.denalioutdoorcenter.com or call (888) 303-1925 or (907) 683-1925.

Across the lake, the Black Diamond Resort Co. offers a fine restaurant, a nine hole golf course where you can tee off at midnight, a mini-golf course, allterrain vehicle tours and horsedrawn carriage tours. See www.

Park’s Edge

• Horseback tours at Denali Saddle Safaris, (907) 683-1200 at Mile 3.9 Stampede Road, just north of Healy. Rides last from one hour to half-days. See www. denalisaddlesafaris.com.

• Earth-Song Lodge and Denali Dog Sled Expeditions also on Stampede Trail, offers tours lodging on the tundra of the Alaska Range and tours of its dog sled kennel. The proprietors provide slide shows of sled dog expeditions and offer a coffee house as well. See www.earthsonglodge. com or call 907 683-2863.

• Husky Homestead Tours.

Another activity well worth doing is visiting the champion dog sled kennel of four-time Iditarod

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Healy offers many hotels, cafes and bed and breakfasts and is home to Usibelli Coal Mine, a third-generation family-owned business founded in 1943. You can stop by the Chamber of Commerce or visit the chamber Web site at www.denalichamber.com.

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– 6 p.m. May 15 through Sept. 16 • Park Entrance fees: $10 per person $20 per vehicle

Sled Dog Champion Jeff King on Goose Lake, just south of the entrance to Denali National Park. The 1 1/2 hour narrated tour takes visitors on the Iditarod Trail and shares stories from the race and stories closer to home, about raising a family in true Alaska fashion. See www. huskyhomestead.com or call 907 683-2904.

The Nenana River runs through the valley and several operators offer rips ranging from calm and scenic Class II with just a few ripples to exciting Class IV hold-on-to-your-hat waves. All companies now provide drysuits to put on over your clothes.

Options include: • Nenana Raft Adventures — whitewater rafting trips 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.

• For a birds-eye view of the park, visit ERA Helicopters, which offers 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.

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Denali National Park Exploring the park

T

he 90-mile road into Denali National Park runs from the George 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 and then back on, if seats are available, whenever they want to go hike for awhile.

Visitors planning to hike, bike, camp, backpack or picnic in the park should take a shuttle bus. The shuttle is also available for folks who just want to enjoy the scenery. But be sure and bring along food and water. There are no convenience stores along the way.

Those who prefer a more deluxe trip can opt for one of the tours. A variety of lengths, prices and options are available. Fees vary in addition to the park entrance fee.

New this year on the Tundra Wilderness Tour, visitors can take home a DVD of their own tour. Recorded footage of

the animals and experience from their very own tour will be offered beginning in spring 2008 when the park opens.

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

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.

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 also serve as a windbreaker. Mittens and a warm hat are a good precaution.

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

— Kris Capps

Denali Highway Staff Report The Denali Highway is a 135mile mostly gravel road through the back country of Alaska.

So drive slowly, but expect to be rewarded with some of the most beautiful scenery the state has to offer and one of the most memorable trips to Denali National Park and Preserve.

Travelers from Fairbanks can access the Denali Highway either by taking the Parks Highway south to Cantwell or the Richardson Highway south Paxson.

Be sure and fill up before you head out; there aren’t any gas stations along the route.

• Starting in Paxson, the Denali Highway heads west along the southern boundary of the Alaska Range, with peaks greater than 12,000 feet. Travelers can also see Mount Sanford and Mount Drum, two of the most prominent peaks in the Wrangell Mountains to the southeast.

• The Tangle Lakes area, which begins around mile 16, is famous for its beauty and history. Archaeologists have scoured the site for artifacts and believe humans have lived in the area for at least 10,000 years.

• The highway includes several camping grounds and informational areas, including the Tangle Lakes Campground, the Delta National Wild & Scenic River Wayside, the Clearwater Wayside and Outhouse, and the Brushkana Creek Campground.

• During clear weather, Mount McKinley is visible around mile 124.

• The trip ends in Cantwell at the Parks Highway.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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12

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Nenana Storied history brings colorful river town to life Staff Report

BEST BETS

T

ake an afternoon to drive an easy 55 miles south to Nenana, where the scenery is second-tonone.

Wander through the Nenana Culture Center along the riverfront or see Toghotthele Hill, an Athabascan word meaning “mountain that parallels the river.” It’s a visible landmark, and the site has a long history as an Alaska Native gathering place.

Stop for a bite to eat at the Monderosa Bar and Grill, 309 Mile Parks Highway. It bills itself as having the “Best Burger in Alaska” and is open yearround. Even folks who live in Alaska year-round take periodic trips to the Monderosa for a fill of their tasty grub.

Visit the St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, built in 1906 as a mission and school for area children or the Alaska Railroad Museum, the Golden Railroad Spike Historic Park and Interpretive Center.

Pick up souvenirs at the Tripod Gift Shop, 404 N. Parks Highway, which has a terrific selection of Alaska arts and crafts. And take a second to e-

• Monderosa Bar and Grill, 309 Mile Parks Highway. It bills itself as having the “Best Burger in Alaska” and is open year-round.

• Visit St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, built in 1906 as a mission and school, the Alaska Railroad Museum and the Golden Railroad Spike Historic Park and Interpretive Center.

• Stop in at Tripod Gift Shop, 404 N. Parks Highway.

mail your friends and family at the Nenana City Public Library at 3rd and Market Street.

Nenana sits 55 miles south of Fairbanks on the Parks Highway along the Tanana River near the mouth of the Nenana River.

The construction of the Alaska Railroad in about 1915 doubled the area’s population.

The railroad crosses the Tanana River on the Mears Memorial Bridge, the longest single span bridge in the United States.

President Warren J. Harding

drove the golden spike to commemorate the railroad’s completion on July 15, 1923. Today, the population of Nenana is about 500.

Perhaps its greatest claim in Alaska lore stems from the Nenana Ice Classic, an annual lottery started by railroad workers in 1917 to guess when the ice covering the Tanana River would break up in the spring.

The storied trek to stop a diphtheria outbreak in Nome in 1925 — the basis for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race — actually began when the serum was unloaded from a train in the Nenana depot and sled dog teams took it overland to Nome. Today, mushers and snowmachiners in the Serum Run ’25 follow the original trail to continue the message of the importance of inoculations and other health issues. Several Iditarod and Yukon Quest mushers live in the area.

Nenana is the starting point for food and supplies shipped to communities by barge along the Tanana River. During the annual River Daze event each June, the town celebrates the river with fun, games and food.

A bluegrass beat calls Anderson home Staff Report

J

ust as summer hits its peak, the word “Anderson” starts flying around — not in reference to the town, but to the Anderson Bluegrass

and Country Music Festival.

The last weekend in July, the town’s 600-plus population swells with an influx of bluegrass bands and fans, who come out for a weekend of music, camping and festivities. It’s one of the biggest

TRIPOD GIFT SHO P and MINI MALL Call for complimentary city tours for groups of 20 or more Art Lovers Gallery & Hand Crafts • Sweets & Treats Shop Ulu Factory Outlet • King & Queen Shop • Bargain Corner

(907)832-5272 • FAX (907)832-5556 (907) 223-8444

OFFICIAL STATE OF ALASKA Authentically Restored

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family oriented gatherings in the region.

This year’s festival is scheduled for July 25, 26 and 27 at Riverside Park. The park offers a complete facility with host campsites, restrooms, showers, RV dumping, electrical hook-ups, telephone, rustic campsites with barbecue pits, a covered pavilion and a shooting range.

Anderson’s settlement began in 1962 with the construction of the Ballistic Missile Early Warning System at Clear Air Force Station.

It’s located about 55 miles southwest of Fairbanks, and the six-mile access road runs west from the George Parks Highway at Mile 283.5.

Nenana Railroad Depot Beautifully located on the river and filled with railroad memorabilia dating back to the beginning.

Nenana ARR Depot, $89 and up Call (907) 832-5556/5500/5272 or 223-8444 for reservations tripodgs@mtaonline.net

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Ester Eclectic mining town boasts artists, individuality Staff Report

E

ster is the site of one of the biggest gold strikes in Alaska, and there are active mines still in the area, but more active today is the art scene.

Sometimes known as “The Republic of Ester,” this bedroom community of Fairbanks attracts professors and artists and has an identity all its own.

Typically, tourists are drawn to the Ester Gold Camp and Malemute saloon, which is closed this year for renovations. Instead, take time to check out “The Republic of Ester” and what the clutch of artists, free-thinkers and progressives have to offer.

Alaska’s foremost jewelry designer Judie Gumm has a shop in downtown Ester. Her nature inspired jewelry, sculptural in detail, with her creative use of beads and stones has gained her a national following. Visit the Judie Gumm Designs Shop Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and — in April to December — Saturdays from noon to 5 p.m.

On Main Street, check out PhotoSynthesis: Photographic Studio and Gift Gallery, featuring work by local artists including photographer Monique Musick, the creator of the “Women of Ester” calendar, which features real Ester women in their real — au natural — beauty.

Ester Hatworks, housed in a 50-year-old log cabin behind the Ester Gold Camp, features hats, scarves, mittens, jackets, blankets, socks, headbands and vests

by Judy Stauffer. Her work features Polar Fleece, a lightweight, colorful, warm, fabric with high breathability.

Ester Designworks, 3717 Quartz Road in Ester, features

John Wagner/News-Miner

Tourists are drawn to the Ester Gold Camp and Malemute saloon, which is closed this year for renovations, but the freethinking community still has plenty to offer. work by Deirdre Alida Helfferich, who does publication design and production, and her husband Hans Molders, who does woodwork and interior design.

Some artists don’t have studios open to the public, but sell their work at the Farmer’s Market in Fairbanks, like Jean Lester, with landscapes, floral stationary, oil and pastel paintings and portraits, and Skip Nodler who runs the Old Ridge Wood Shop, a solar-powered wood shop producing tiny, intricate bowls with lids to dog sleds and guitars.

Step out of downtown for a bit and check out the Annex Gallery and Studio Space, 2922 Parks Highway, which hosts opening receptions for new exhibits on the first Friday of each month from 5:30-9 p.m. The summer’s artists include Don Murphy, Feather Hilger and the Fairbanks Watercolor Society. For appointments or information, call 457-6668.

The Alaska Village Arts Gift

Store, right across from the Pentecostal Church on the Parks Highway, features work by 50 to 100 Alaskan artists and is constantly expanding. The store is open from May to September.

The Golden Eagle Saloon is the Grand Central Station of Ester. Stop by to hang out with locals and peruse the vintage photos. The office of the Ester Republic Newspaper — an irreverent periodical published monthly in the Ester Commonwealth — is located next to the Golden Eagle. And so is the John Trigg Ester Library, which you can join for $1. The library was named for the man who loved books and created a book exchange at the Golden Eagle Saloon.

Ester Gold Camp will reopen next year, but for the 2008 season, the camp — which includes The Bunkhouse Hotel and Restaurant, the Malemute Saloon Show and the Northern Lights Show — remains closed.

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14

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

For more information ...

Visitors center is a key stop for Alaska knowledge Staff Report

A

laska’s Interior is a vast smorgasbord of activities. Where to begin? How about right in the middle.

The big milepost next to the sod-roofed Log Cabin Visitor Information Center on the Chena River in Fairbanks at 550 First Ave. tells visitors that they have reached the golden heart of the Alaska Interior.

The displays inside the large cabin offer a wealth of information about Fairbanks’ rich history and the variety of events, attractions and entertainment available locally.

Beside the cabin is Golden Heart Plaza, a site of many town celebrations.

The Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau runs the visitors center, and the staff and volunteers who work there are local residents.

Not only can they assist visitors with where to go and what to see in Fairbanks, but they can share their personal experiences of what it’s like to live here year-round.

Staff fluent in German and Japanese are available to assist international visitors.

The log cabin provides a variety of services, including: • More than 300 brochures for attractions, accommodations, tours, dining, shopping, camping, transportation and outdoor adventure in Interior Alaska, including Denali National Park and Preserve and other areas of

Sam Harrel/News-Miner

The Log Cabin Visitor Information Center, right on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks, should be your first stop in the city. The Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau runs the visitors center, and the staff and volunteers who work there are local residents who can educate you on all there is to know, see or do in and around Interior Alaska. the state • Free courtesy phones for local calls and pay phones for long-distance • Maps of the Fairbanks area • Self-guided walking and driving tour brochures • Daily listing of available hotel, bed and breakfast and hostel rooms • Information and visitors guides for other parts of the state, from Barrow to Ketchikan • Computers for visitors to make online travel arrangements and check e-mail (there is a 10-minute limit) The centerpiece of the neighboring Golden Heat Plaza is

Malcolm Alexander’s “Unknown First Family,” an 18-foot bronze statue dedicated to all families past, present and future, and to the indomitable spirit of the people of Alaska’s Interior. The monument commemorates the 25th anniversary of Alaskan statehood.

The clock tower was donated by the Fairbanks Rotary Club.

A time capsule, to be opened on Jan. 3, 2059, is buried behind the plaza on the riverbank.

For more information, visit the organization’s Web site, www.explorefairbanks.com or call 456-5774 or 456-INFO for a recording of daily events.

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200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

newsminer.com

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

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16

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Places of worship Fairbanks offers a multitude of churches, faiths and denominations should you choose to worship while on vacation. Unless otherwise noted, all service times are for Sunday.

Anglican • Anglican Church of the Redeemer Pioneer Park Chapel, Fairbanks 4575667. Eorship: 10 a.m.

• Anglican Church of St. George Masonic Lodge, 10th Ave. & Noble St. 479-6493. Sunday service: 11 a.m.

Anglican Catholic • St. Catherine’s Anglican Catholic Church, 965 Farmers Loop. 474-0121. Sunday Mass: 8:30 a.m.

Assembly of God • Alaska New Life Outreach Center

503 Kit Blvd., North Pole. 488-6431 Sunday worship: 10 a.m. & 6 p.m.

• Assembly of God Central Mission Church, 3558 Goldizen Ave., Fairbanks.

452-4866 Morning worship (English): 10 a.m.

Morning worship (Korean): 11a.m.12:30 p.m.

• First Assembly of God, 2830 Airport Way, Fairbanks. 474-9112 Morning worship: 8:30 &11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6:30 p.m.

• Intercultural Assembly of God, 720 25th Ave. 452-3983 Sunday school/all ages: 9:45 a.m.

Morning worship and children’s church: 10:45 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• Jubilee Worship Center, 541 Third St., 452-7031 Sunday school: 9:30 a.m.

Morning worship: 10:45 a.m.

Evening worship service: 6:30 p.m.

• Riverside Assembly of God, 129 A St., Anderson, (907) 582-2869 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

Baptist • Badger Road Baptist Church, 1/2 Mile Badger Road, 488-6486 Sunday school: 9:45 a.m.

Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• Bethel Church, 5.6 Mile Farmers Loop, 479-4380 Morning worship: 9:30, 11 a.m.

Childrens’ Church: 9:30 a.m.

• Bible Baptist Church, 32 Adak Ave. 452-1407 Sunday school: 10 a.m.

Morning worship: 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Evening service: 6 p.m.

Please see WORSHIP, Page 17

Worship Directory – Visitors are always welcome!

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

FAIRBANKS AREA Anglican Church of St. George Service: Sunday 11:00 a.m.

10th Ave. & Noble St. – Downstairs in Masonic Temple Call 479-6493 email: acsg@alaskarcs.com

Anglican Church of the Redeemer 10:00 a.m. at Church in Pioneer Park 457-5667 Episcopal Services (1928 Prayer Book)

Bethel Church (Conservative Baptist) 479-4380 1310 Farmers Loop Rd. (2 miles from Golf Course) Worship: Sat. 6:00 p.m., Sunday 9:30 a.m., 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School : 11:00 a.m.

Bible Baptist Church 452-1407 32 Adak Ave. 479-2197 Off the Steese Highway at College Road E. Sun 8:30 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 6 p.m. & Wed 7 p.m.

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

Christ Lutheran Church Farmers Loop & Iniakuk Avenue (ELCA) 479-4947 Sunday Worship: 9:30 a.m. www.clcfairbanks.org / clc@mosquitonet.com

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.

Congregation Or HaTzafon

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

Farewell Avenue Christian Church 100 Farewell Ave. facc@farewellave.com

456-6123

Sunday: 10 a.m. Bible School & 11 a.m. Worship /Communion

www.farewellave.com

First Assembly of God 2830 Airport Way, Fairbanks Please call for service times – 474-9112

First Presbyterian Church 547 Seventh Avenue at Cushman 452-2406 Traditional 8:45 a.m.

Contemporary 11:00 a.m.

First United Methodist Church 915 Second Avenue 452-2956 Traditional Services 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Contemporary Service 9:45 a.m.

Hamilton Acres Baptist Church 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.

McGrath Road Baptist Church

1744 Aurora Drive 456-1002 The Jewish Congregation of Fairbanks Friday evening services Torah & Bagels: Saturday mornings http://www.mosquitonet.com/~orhatzafon

1100 McGrath Road Independent 457-4611 Sunday 9:45 a.m., 11 a.m. & 6 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m.

Pastor Joel Smith www.mcgrathroadbaptistchurch.org

Denali Bible Chapel

452-3853 2204 Discovery Drive 457-6572 Services: Sunday 1:00 p.m., Wednesday 7:30 p.m.

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

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

New Life Pentecostal Church Sacred Heart Cathedral 2501 Airport Way Ph:474-9032 Fx:479-3327 Weekend Masses: May 27 - September 2 Sat. 5:00 p.m., Sun. 10:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

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

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

17

Places of worship

Please see WORSHIP, Page 18

First Baptist Church UCPC X

First Baptist Church is the Pioneer Southern Baptist Church in the Arctic pastor@firstbaptistfairbanks.com www.firstbaptistfairbanks.com

10334882-5-3-08VG08

Our Sunday Services: 9:45 am Sunday School 11:00 am Worship 6:00 pm Worship

College Rd.

805 6th Ave., Fairbanks, AK 99701 (907) 456-4923 Mark Howdeshell, Pastor

Come & Join Us! Journey Christian Church

Sunday worship at 10 a.m.

Regal Cinemas on Airport Way

455-4433 www.journeyalaska.org

University Community Presbyterian Church

Hot Licks Ice Cream

University Ave.

3510 College Rd.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Worship 9:30 a.m.

Childcare Provided

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• Community Baptist Church, 2535 Marigold Lane, North Pole, 488-4511 Sunday school (all ages): 9:45 a.m.

Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• Corinthian Baptist Church, 1679 23rd Ave., 456-4585 Sunday school: 9:30 a.m.

Sunday worship: 11 a.m.

• Faith Baptist Church, 1.8 Mile Chena Pump Road, 479-5063.

Worship service: 11 a.m.

• First Baptist Church of Fairbanks, 805 Sixth Ave., 456-4923 Sunday school/all ages: 9:45 a.m.

Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• First Baptist Church of North Pole 5th Avenue and Richardson Highway 488-2240 Sunday school: 9:45 a.m.

Morning worship: 10:45 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• Friendship Baptist Church, 1465 Lacey St., 456-4542 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 7 p.m.

• Hamilton Acres Baptist Church, 138 Farewell Ave., 452-7422 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Sunday Evening: 6 p.m.

• Korean Baptist Mission, 1501 Cushman St., 456-4542 Sunday school: 10 a.m.

Worship: 11 a.m.

• McGrath Road Baptist Church, 1100 McGrath Road, 457-4611 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening service: 6 p.m.

• Morning Star Baptist Church, School Road at Carbon Way, Healy, 683-2776 Sunday school: 10 a.m.

Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• Mount Pleasant Baptist Church, 3000 Peger Road, 374-6055 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• North Pole Bible Baptist Church, Peridot Street and Richardson Highway, 488-1777 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Pastors Jan & Samuel Adams

907-479-6728

ucpc@gci.net

12336211-08VG

Continued from Page 16

Worship Directory – Visitors are always welcome!

Each Friday, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner publishes additional local religion news. (continued)

St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church

HEALY AREA Holy Mary of Guadalupe Catholic Church

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

Wed. 9:30 a.m. & 7 p.m., Compline at 12 a.m. Sun. - Fri. www.stmatthewschurch.org

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 Road)

St. Paul Church

Mile 249, Parks Hwy. Healy 683-2303 Sun. Sch. 9:45 a.m., Church 11 a.m. & 7 p.m., Wed. 7 p.m.

Christian Worship – Wesleyan Tradition Sunday School 10 a.m. Worship 11 a.m.

City Lights Blvd. off Steese Hwy. Building with flag on top, second floor 479-7998 Elevator Available The Friendly Little Country Church

St. Raphael Catholic Church

Valley Chapel - Assembly of God NORTH POLE AREA Community Baptist Church Repp and Badger Roads North Pole 488-4511 Service: 11:00 a.m.

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

New Jerusalem COGIC

Syndoulos Lutheran Church (WELS)

2515 Mission Road, North Pole (907)488-7320 Sunday Services: 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.

4155 Geist Road 479-4324 Sunday Service: 10:30 a.m.

DELTA JUNCTION AREA Delta Presbyterian & Faith Lutheran Mile 266 ⁄2 Richardson Hwy. 895-4322 Sunday Worship Service (in summer) 10:00 a.m.

1

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 Masses: Daily 9 a.m., Sat. 6 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. & Noon Reconciliation: Saturday 5 p.m. or by appointment

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FAIRBANKS AREA

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18

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Places of worship Continued from Page 17

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• North Star Baptist Church, 345 First St., Anderson, 582-2820 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• Northstar Baptist Church, 315 Fifth Ave., 374-8775 Morning worship: 10 & 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 7 p.m.

• Shannon Park Baptist Church, 409 Lazelle Road, 452-4098 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• St. John Baptist Church, 802 17th Ave., 452-7795 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening service: 7 p.m.

• University Baptist Church, 1197 University Ave., 479-2440 Sunday worship: 9 a.m., 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

Christian Church

Church of God in Christ • First Church of God in Christ, 308 Ladd St., 452-6835 Worship: Noon Evening worship: 7:30 p.m.

• Greater New Hope Church of God in Christ, 3510 College Road, 458-7172 Sunday school (All ages): 10 a.m.

Worship: Noon • Lily of the Valley Church of God in Christ, 2404 S. Barnette St., 452-7594 Morning worship: Noon Evening service: 7:30 p.m.

• New Jerusalem Church of God in Christ, 2515 Mission Road, North Pole, 488-7320 Sunday worship: 11:30 a.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Latter-day Saints

• Farewell Avenue Christian Church, 100 Farewell Ave., 456-6123 Sunday school: 10 a.m.

Worship service and Communion: 11 a.m.

• New Testament Christian Church, 315 Fifth Ave., 474-8583 Sunday worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 7:30 p.m.

• Eielson Ward, 331 E. 8th Ave., North Pole, 488-7830 Sacrament meeting: 1 p.m.

Sunday school: 2:20 p.m.

PH/RS: 3:10 p.m.

• Fairbanks First Ward, 1500 Cowles St., 479-5371 Sacrament meeting: 9 a.m.

Sunday school: 10:20 a.m.

PH/RS: 11:10 a.m.

Christian Science • First Church of Christ Scientist, 811 First Ave., 456-2319 Sunday service: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday school: 10:30 a.m.

Episcopal

Church of Christ Church of Christ, 1/4 Mile Chena Small Tracts Road, 479-6170 or 479-2570 Bible study: 9:30 a.m.

Worship: 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.

• Eielson Church of Christ, In the Moose Creek community, 3445 Old Richardson Highway, 488-6664 or 452-9496 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• Northern Lights Church of Christ, 645 11th Ave. 456-4921 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• Church of God, Fairhill Community Church of God, 101 City Lights Blvd.

457-5522 Morning worship: 9:15 a.m. & 11 a.m.

• North Pole Church of God, 3509 Laurance Road, 488-1366 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening worship: 6 p.m.

• Valley of Blessing Church of God, 3007 Airport Way, 474-0434 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 1029 First Ave., 456-5235 Sunday worship: 8, 9:15 & 11:15 a.m.

• St. Jude’s Episcopal Church, 3408 Laurance Road, North Pole 488-9329 or 488-4282 Sunday Holy Eucharist: 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Congregation Or HaTzafon, 1744 Aurora Drive, Fairbanks, 479-1002 Friday Night services: 7:30 p.m.

Saturday Torah & Bagels: 10 a.m.

Lutheran • Christ Lutheran Church, Farmers Loop and Iniakuk Avenue., 479-4947

Sunday worship: 8 & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday school/all ages: 9:15 a.m.

• Fairbanks Lutheran Church, 1012 Cowles St., 452-3425 Heritage service: 8:30 a.m.

Contemporary service: 11 a.m.

• Faith Lutheran Church, 266.5 Mile Richardson Hwy., Delta Junction, 907-8954322 Worship: 10 a.m.

• Grace Lutheran CLC, Pioneer Park church, 4521326 Sunday service: 2 p.m.

• Lord of Life Lutheran Church, 1005 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole, 488-6720 Sunday school: 9-10 a.m.

Sunday service: 10:30 a.m.

• Syndoulos Lutheran Church, 4155 Geist Road, 479-4324 Sunday worship: 10:30 a.m.

Sunday school & Bible study: 9: 30 a.m.

• Zion Lutheran Church, 2982 Davis Road, 456-7660 Sunday traditional: 8:30 a.m.

Sunday contemporary: 11 a.m.

Methodist • First United Methodist Church, 915 Second Ave., 452-2956 Sunday school: 9:45 Traditional services: 8:30 a.m. &11 a.m.

Contemporary service: 9:45 a.m.

• First African Methodist Episcopal Church, 835 23rd Ave., 458-8882 Church School: 9:30 a.m.

Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• St. James Temple African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, 965 Farmers Loop, 479-3732 Sunday school: 9:45 a.m.-10:45 a.m.

Sunday worship: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

Nazarene • First Church of the Nazarene, 1524 Westwood Way, 479-6734 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Evening service: 6 p.m.

• North Pole Church of the Nazarene, 1955 Peridot Rd., 488-6173 Worship service: 11 a.m.

Evening service: 6 p.m.

• Two Rivers Community Church of

Please see WORSHIP, Page 19

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

19

Places of worship the Nazarene, 4629 Chena Hot Springs Road (Mile 14.8), 488-9086 Worship service: 11a.m.

Evening service: 6:30 p.m.

Pentecostal • Christ is the Answer, 16th Avenue and Noble Street, 488-3101 Sunday service: 11 a.m.

• First United Pentecostal Church, 907 23rd Ave., 452-2591 Sunday service: 3 p.m.

• New Life Pentecostal Church, 3526 International Way, 457-6572 or 452-3853 Sunday worship: 1 p.m.

• North Pole Worship Center, 2936 Badger Road, North Pole 488-9084 Sunday worship: 9 & 11 a.m.

• Pentecostal Church of God, 326 18th Ave., 452-5219 Morning worship: 11 a.m.

Sunday Night: 6 p.m.

Presbyterian • First Presbyterian Church, 547 Seventh Ave., 452-2406 Traditional worship: 8:45 a.m.

Sunday school: 10 a.m.

Contemporary worship: 11 a.m.

• Delta Presbyterian Church, 266.5 Mile Richardson Hwy., Delta Junction, 907-895-4322 Worship service: 10 a.m.

• New Hope Methodist-Presbyterian Church, 2371 Bradway Road (corner of Badger and Bradway), North Pole, 4889191 Worship: 9:30 a.m.

• University Community Presbyterian Church, 3510 College Road, 479-6728 Sunday worship: 9:30 a.m.

Roman Catholic • Denali Park/Healy — Summer, 6831007/683-2351, Saturday Mass: 6 p.m.

Wilderness Access Center Theater 1 mile Denali Park Road • Holy Mary of Guadalupe, Tri-Valley Subdivision, Healy (11 miles south of Denali Park), 683-1007/683-2351 Sunday Mass: 7 p.m.

Memorial Day—Labor Day • Immaculate Conception Parish, 115 North Cushman St., 452-3533 Daily Mass: Monday-Friday 12:10 p.m.

Saturday Mass: 5:30 p.m.

Sunday Mass: 7:30, 9:15 & 11 a.m.

• Sacred Heart Cathedral, 2501 Airport Way, 474-9032

Mass: Monday-Friday 5:30 p.m.

Saturday Mass: 5:15 p.m.

Sunday Mass: 9 and 11:30 a.m.

Spanish Mass: Sunday 1 p.m.

• St. Nicholas Catholic Church, 707 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole, 488-2595 Daily Mass: 9 a.m., except Wed. 7 p..m. Saturday Mass: 6 p.m.

Sunday Mass: 9 a.m. and noon.

• St. Raphael Catholic Church, Corner McGrath Road and Old Steese Highway, 457-6603 Mass: T, Th, Fri/9 a.m.; Wed. & Sat., 5:30 p.m.

Mass: Sunday 9:30 a.m.

Seventh-day Adventist • Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1811 Farmers Loop, 479-6070 Saturday services: Sabbath school: 9:30 a.m.

Morning worship: 11 a.m.

• North Pole Seventh Day Adventist Church, 3589 Joan Ave., North Pole, 4887751 Saturday services: Sabbath school: 11 a.m. worship service: 9:30 a.m.

Bible study: Tuesdays 7:30 p.m.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

21

Take a ride on old Engine No. 1 Staff Report See a piece of Fairbanks history at Pioneer Park and if the timing is right, take a ride.

Engine No. 1, Fairbanks’ first steam locomotive, originally transported people and freight on the 47-mile narrow-gauge Tanana Valley Railroad.

It was originally built by H.K. Porter & Co. in 1899 in Pittsburg and arrived in Fairbanks in 1905.

But after years of wear and tear and floods, the train’s engine became worn down and it was decommissioned.

The train was then moved to Pioneer Park,

which was then known as Alaskaland, in 1967.

More than 20 years later, a group of local residents started to restore the train. It is now the farthest north operating seems engine in the world.

Friends of Tanana Valley Railroad, a nonprofit organization, is now in charge of the Engine No. 1 restoration and the new Tanana Valley Railroad Train Museum located at Pioneer Park. The museum not only houses Engine No. 1, it also includes railroad memorabilia.

Engine No. 1 is scheduled to run six times this year: May 28, May 26, July 4, July 28, Sept. 1 and Oct. 25.

For more information visit www.ftvrr.org.

PIONEER PARK

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

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• 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 • Dog Sled Rides

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

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22

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Pioneer Park Detailed history of Fairbanks comes to life

By CHRISTI HANG chang@newsminer.com

F

un and history meet at Pioneer Park, a 44acre entertainment zone located at Airport Way and Peger Road.

Originally called Alaskaland, the park offers a variety of activities relating to the history of Interior Alaska. The park also is home to the area’s largest Fourth of July celebration.

The park is open daily from noon to 8 p.m. from May 24 through Labor Day. Entry to the park is free, though some attractions charge admission. For more information, call 459-1087.

Family activities • Crooked Creek and Whisky Island Railroad — trips around the park are available

Alaska International Senior Games Games for all Seniors Leisure Games Novelty Games Track & Field & more...

Photo courtesy Rebecca Zuleger

The giant salmon at Pioneer Park is an addition this year to the Fairbanks landmark, beckoning visitors who venture to the Alaska Salmon Bake, located in the park. several times a day. $2 adults, $1 children.

• Gold Rush Town — A dramatized gold rush town consisting of 35 pioneer cabins relocated to Pioneer Park from their original locations. Now renovated, some offer a variety of items including souvenirs, sweets and snacks.

• Miniature golf — play 18 or 36 holes at the outdoor mini Center for Education & Research and Gift Shop

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golf course. Call 452-7888 for more information.

Museums • Bear Gallery — located on the third floor of the Pioneer Park Centennial Center for the Arts. The museum includes exhibits from local artists and a gift shop. Free.

• Native Village — an outdoor museum representing Alaska Native architecture and artifacts. Free.

• Pioneer Air Museum — a collection of aircraft memorabilia managed by the Interior and Arctic Alaska Aeronautical Foundation. $2 adults, free for Please see PIONEER PARK, Page 23

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

23

Pioneer Park Continued from Page 22

children under 12 accompanied by an adult.

• Pioneer Museum — a collection of pioneer artifacts. Free but donations are welcome.

• S.S. Nenana Riverboat — Active for 21 years, the boat now hosts a historical diorama of the Tanana and Yukon rivers.

• Tanana Valley Railroad Museum — features the Tanana Valley Engine No. 1, the oldest operating steam locomotive in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. The train runs half a dozen times during the year. Visit www.fairnet.org/agencies/tvrr/ tvrr.html for more information.

• Wickersham House — dedicated to Judge James Wickersham, the first territorial representative for Alaska, the house is furnished the way it would have looked in the early 1900s. Free.

Head to the Salmon Bake Staff Report

S

etting itself apart from other buffets, Alaska Salmon Bake offers all-you-can-eat Alaskan halibut, salmon, Bering Sea cod or slow-roasted prime rib.

In addition to the main course, the Salmon Bake experience includes a salad bar, side dishes and deserts. But the Salmon Bake isn’t quantity over quality. The salmon sauce, beer batter and prime rib are perfected homemade recipes. Located at Pioneer Park, the restaurant is open from 5-9 p.m. daily from May 11 to Sept. 12. Started in 1979, the Salmon Bake also has beautiful gardens with Alaska Native carvings for diners who wish to eat al fresco. Be sure to visit the Pick ‘N Poke Gift Shop located next door. The gift shop offers souvenirs and Native crafts.

The all-you-can-eat dinner is $31 for adults and $15 for children and includes unlimited nonalcoholic beverages.

For more information call 452-7274.

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• Gazebo Nights — an hour of live performance at the white gazebo near the park entrance.

Starts at 7 p.m. every evening from May 21-Sept. 1. Free.

• Golden Heart Revue — a musical comedy about pioneer life in early Fairbanks. Shows are offered at 6:45 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. from May 18 to Sept. 12 at the Palace Theatre in Gold Rush Town. $18 adults, $9 children.

Reservations required by calling 452-7274.

• The Big Stampede Show — a 45-minute presentation located at the Pioneer Museum.

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24

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Summer Arts Festival Delve into the arts and flex a creative muscle

By CHRISTI HANG chang@newsminer.com

W

ith more than 100 classes, chances are the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival will have something to pique your interest.

This year’s festival includes new offerings in American roots music, filmmaking, classical and jazz guitar and scrapbooking.

And that’s in addition to the wide variety of classes offered every year.

“There is something for everyone,” Adela Batin Jackson, the festival’s public relations officer, said.

The festival runs from July 13 to July 27 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Jackson said people can register right up until the classes start.

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Guest artists come from all over the world to teach and perform July 13-27 at the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, held on the UAF campus. Free performances for the public are held at the UAF Great Hall at noon, Monday-Friday, July 14-18 and July 2125. For concert schedule information, visit www.fsaf.org.

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around North America and the world.

The festival also includes a plethora of performances, many of them free. Every weekday during the festival from 12:101:15 p.m., the ACS Lunch Bites provides a free musical perfomance featuring festival participants and guest artists at the Great Hall at UAF. There will also be various free performances and demonstrations from class participants during the festival. There are also $5 and $10 performance events during the festival.

For more information about the festival, including housing information and schedules, go to www.fsaf.org or call 4748869.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

25

A Glimpse of Fairbanks' Past Community museum hosts a range of attractions

T

he history of downtown Fairbanks lingers in its storefronts, on restaurant walls, in black-and-white photos. Snapshots show a frontier town and its collection of miners and entrepreneurs, a place creating a unique character one day at a time.

Curators have collected many of the images from Fairbanks’ birth and early years at the Fairbanks Community Museum, which offers a window into the staples of daily culture in historic Fairbanks.

“We have a little bit of everything,” museum president Robert Eley said. “We’ve had people spend everywhere from 20 minutes to two and a half hours in the museum.”

The museum, which reopens for the summer on May 5, fea-

tures, among other displays, “Klondike Gold Rush: Early Fairbanks,” a window through time to life in frontier Fairbanks when people left San Francisco and other established Lower 48 communities to try their hand at finding gold near the Arctic Circle.

The museum, located in the historic former Fairbanks City Hall on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Cushman Street, also features exhibits including “101 Things Fairbanksans do in Winter.” And this will be the museum’s second year with the exhibit “Deluge: The Flood of ’67.” The exhibit opened last year for the 40th anniversary of the flood and its devastating impacts on Fairbanks.

In recent years the museum has taken over the responsibility of running the Dog Mushing Museum in the same building.

The Mushers Museum includes exhibits on dog sleds and offers

• Santa Claus House •

an in-depth look at the history of mushing in Alaska. The displays include a history of the Yukon Quest Internationsl Sled Dog Race, which covers 1,000 miles between Fairbanks and Whitehorse, Yukon, and the well-known Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

“See what it’s like to live in this amazing northern city and what we do to cope with -40 degrees,” the museum trumpets from its Web site, www.fairbankscommunitymuseum.com.

“Commemorating and celebrating everything from the gold rush era to the great floods of of the 1960’s, the Fairbanks Community Museum houses the best collection of Fairbanks’ history.”

The musuems are open from Monday through Friday, 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free, but the museum accepts donations from visitors over the age of 12.

Contact staff writer Christopher Eshleman at 459-7582.

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Employment • Airport • Hotels • RV Parks • Recreation

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26

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

A State and its Heritage Native Alaskans play vital role in shaping state Staff Report

T

he first people to inhabit the great land of Alaska were Aleuts, Eskimos and Indians living a traditional lifestyle, hunting and gathering off the land and water, and differentiated by ethnic origin, language and culture.

Before European contact began in the mid-1700s, each group lived within defined regions of Alaska — the Tlingit and Haida along the southeastern coastal rainforest; the Aleuts in the Aleutian Archipelago; the Yupik Eskimos in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta and southwestern coast; the Inupiat Eskimos along the northern coasts and the Athabascans in

the Interior.

In the 250 years following European discovery of Alaska’s abundant natural resources, Native populations were dramatically affected by the exploitation of European and American colonists.

Aleuts were enslaved by Russian fur traders to hunt sea otters, and Yankee whalers decimated the whale population in the northern seas.

Deadly outbreaks of smallpox and measles also accompanied the boom and bust cycles.

Today, Native Americans make up approximately 15 percent of the state’s population, and reside in more than 200 communities and villages scattered widely

along the coastlines and rivers of this vast state.

Many modern Natives continue to practice traditional subsistence activities, which are intimately involved with cultural and spiritual values such as sharing, and respecting the land and animals.

In 1971, the passage of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act gave Alaska Natives 44 million acres of land and $962.5 million to compensate for land lost, and life began changing rapidly.

Today, regional profit, nonprofit and Native village corporations manage money and the land and provide benefits to numerous shareholders.

CHECK IT OUT A wide selection of highquality Native artwork can be found in gift shops and galleries around Fairbanks.

Traditional to modern ivory carving, baleen and birch bark basketry and beaded and porcupine quill items in every price range are readily available.

• Alaska House Art Gallery 1003 Cushman St. • Arctic Travelers Gift Shop 201 Cushman St. • The Artworks Campus Corner Mall 3977 College Road • Beads & Things 537 Second Ave. • New Horizons Gallery 519 First Ave. • TCR’s Ivory 555 Second Ave. • Museum Shop UA Museum of the North 907 Yukon Drive University of Alaska Fairbanks upper campus

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

27

The Rules of the Road Staff Report

I

far between. Plot out these locations on your road map so you have a ready reference. ALWAYS remember to dump before you head out of town.

• pull over, buddy — Slower vehicles are required by state law to pull over and let others pass if they are impeding more than five vehicles.

• Watch the road — The folks at Arctic RV & Interior Topper say the most common repairs they see on RVs are broken sewer valves and punctured water tanks — usually courtesy of a sizable pothole somewhere along one of our gravel highways.

• Numbers to know — 911 will hail emergency services anywhere in the state via cell phone — if you can get a signal. State Troopers also can be reached by dialing (800) 811-0911. For road conditions, call the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities at (800) 478-7675.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

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n Alaska, distances between campgrounds and service stations can be vast, so it pays to plan ahead.

First, pick up a Milepost — the mile-by-mile guide to Alaska roadways printed by Morris Communications. The books are available at book stores throughout the state and can be ordered online at www.themilepost.com.

The book lists all parks, campgrounds and even roadside pullouts.

The remote Steese, Elliott and Dalton highways (those roadways east and north of Fox) lure Interior region RVers. These are roads to be researched before they are driven.

Drivers should go prepared for anything. Only two dump stations are available in the 497mile stretch from Fairbanks to Deadhorse and there are only two service stations.

Bureau of Land Management brochures on the Steese, Elliott

and Dalton are available at Alaska Public Lands Information Centers, or contact the organization directly at (800) 437-7021.

Or, you can just stop where the road finds you. Numerous scenic pull-outs and rest areas dot Alaska’s roadways. It is legal to camp overnight in the pullout if the area is not posted otherwise, according to Alaska State Troopers.

State law does require that vehicles are at least 10 feet off the roadway and not posing a traffic hazard of any kind.

Following are a few tips courtesy of the Alaska Public Lands Information Center and learned Alaskan RVers.

• Learn road names An Alaskan probably wouldn’t know “Highway 6” if it passed outside his door. But if you ask him for directions to the “Steese Highway,” he will know exactly what you’re talking about.

• In town? Dump and fill — Dump stations and sources of potable water can be few and

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28

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Grab a Map, Take a Walk ...

Walking tours offer great downtown highlights

By AMANDA BOHMAN abohman@newsminer.com

W

ear comfortable shoes for this selfguided tour of historic downtown Fairbanks — not all of the 41 points of interest are along a sidewalk.

The approximately threemiles tour features historic buildings, a cemetery and historic monuments with their significance explained in a booklet available at the Log Cabin Visitor Information Center. The booklet, which includes a map, is $1.

Voice-guided tours are available in English, German and Japanese using MP3 players that can be checked out at the center. The MP3 players are free to use, but a credit card number is required as a deposit.

Highlights of the walking tour include: • Immaculate Conception Church, the city’s first Catholic church, built in 1904 by Father Francis Monroe and moved twice, once with volunteers who jacked the church off of its foundation.

Horses pulled and logs rolled the church across the Chena River.

• the Wickersham Monu-

IF YOU GO What: Downtown walking tour of historic Fairbanks Featuring: 41 points of interest How long?: About 3 miles or two hours Maps: $1 at the Log Cabin Visitor Information Center on First Avenue

ment, a plaque at the corner of First Avenue and Noble Street marking the original site of Judge James Wickersham’s frame home, which is now situated at Pioneer Park. Wickersham was Interior Alaska’s first judge.

• the Masonic Temple, built in 1906 by the Tanana Commercial Company. President Warren G. Harding spoke from the steps of the building in 1923.

• the Northward Building, Fairbanks’ first skyscraper, an eight-story apartment building constructed from 1950 to 1952.

It is the setting for Edna Ferbers’ novel, “Ice Palace,” about Alaskans striving for statehood in the 1950s.

• Lacey Street Theater, built in 1936 and showed movies for the next 40 years. It now

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7

Locations!

514 Old Steese 456-8686 1800 Airport Way 3574 Airport Way 227 N. Santa Claus Lane 452-5415 479-8688 (North Pole) 488-7444 2301 South Cushman Walmart Location 771 Badger Road 452-6000 374-7817 (North Pole) 488-2117

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serves as an ice museum, but classic movies are shown in the wintertime.

• the R.C. Wood House, a replica of a house built in 1906 and owned by a banker. President Harding ate dinner here.

• the Mary Lee Davis Home, built by a miner to keep his wife from moving to Seattle in 1916.

The house was a showplace at the time, featuring conveniences unheard of in Fairbanks.

• the Falcon Joslin Home, built in 1905 by the man who started the Tanana Valley Railroad. It’s Fairbanks’ oldest frame house still in its original location.

• Courthouse Square, the site of the first courthouse and federal jail in 1904. The current building was constructed in 1932 and served as the town’s central gathering area, housing a post office and federal court.

• Clay Street Cemetery, the resting place for more than 2,000 Fairbanks residents between 1903 and 1978. Buried here is Mary Pedro, wife of Felix Pedro, an Italian immigrant who first discovered gold in the Fairbanks area.

Contact staff writer Bohman at 459-7544.

Amanda

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

29

... or Put on the Running Shoes Interior Alaska passionate about its races Nora Gruner/News-Miner

Staff Report

Costumed runners wait for the start of the Midnight Sun Race in 2005.

The race is one of the more colorful local events, in which participants are encouraged to dress in costume.

R

unning is one of the most popular participatory sports in the Interior, so if you want to get up and go there’s an event almost every weekend throughout the summer months, and even into the winter for that matter.

Races can attract anywhere from 50-60 participants to upwards of 4,000 for the most popular event of the summer — the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Midnight Sun Run. The Midnight Sun Run is a 10-kilometer road race held at 10 p.m. on the Saturday closest to the summer solstice. This year’s run will be held on June 21 and a record turnout is expected for the 26th running of the event.

The race starts on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus and finishes at Pioneer Park.

Participants are encouraged to run in costumes, and the majority of the prizes for the event go to the costume division participants.

If you’re planning your trip around a running event, you’ll

probably want to try and catch one of the Flint Hills Cup races that usually attract the largest and most competitive fields.

The series starts on May 3 with the Chena River Run (5K) and the Flint Hills Mile on June 12, the Midnight Sun Run (10K) on June 21, the Gold Discovery Run (16.5 miles) on July 20, the Run of the Valkyries (8K) on Aug. 2, the Santa Claus HalfMarathon (13.1 miles) on Aug. 9,

the Golden Heart Trail Run (5K), on Aug. 23 and the Equinox Marathon (26.2 miles) on Sept. 20.

The Equinox is considered one of the toughest marathons in the country as the course climbs from the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus to the top of Ester Dome and back. The Equinox has been designated as a Team in Training event this year.

For more information go to www.runningclubnorth.com.

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30

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Time to Play Ball Baseball under the midnight sun is a tradition Staff Report It’s a sporting tradition like none other.

Since 1906, baseball has been played under the Midnight Sun, without the benefit of artificial lights, in Fairbanks, Alaska.

The Midnight Sun Game, which is on the list of the Baseball Hall of Fame’s must-see Top 10 attractions, will celebrate its 103rd anniversary on June 21 at Growden Memorial Park on Second Avenue and Wilbur Street.

A standing room-only crowd is always on hand for the game, which starts at 10:30 p.m. and is played using only the light of the sun. The game often lasts until 2 a.m. and most fans usually stay until the final out is recorded and the sun is coming back up over the hills that surround Fairbanks.

Many Major Leaguers have

shined under the Midnight Sun, passing through the gates of Growden Memorial Park as members of the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, who have hosted the contest since their inception in 1960.

The Goldpanners look to get back to their winning ways in the Midnight Sun game this year after seeing a 14-year Midnight Sun winning streak snapped last season.

The Goldpanners are an amateur summer league team comprised of college all-stars from across the country. They play in the six-team Alaska Baseball League, which includes two teams from Anchorage, one from Kenai, one from Palmer and the Athletes in Action, a team based in the Fairbanks area and which shares Growden Park with the Goldpanners.

Hall of Famers Tom Seaver

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and Dave Winfield have toiled under the Midnight Sun, as have current standouts such as Jason Giambi (Yankees), Ryan Garko (Indians), Mike Young (Rangers), Bobby Crosby (Athletics), Jacque Jones (Cubs), Adam Kennedy (Cardinals), Aaron Heilman (Mets), and Jason Lane (Yankees).

Former Giants slugger and all-time home run champ Barry Bonds played for the Goldpanners, though he never played in the Midnight Sun game.

For more about the game, ticket prices and the rich tradition of the Midnight Sun Game, go to www.goldpanners.com or call the Goldpanners office at (907) 451-0095.

If you can’t make it to Fairbanks, but still want to take in one of the top summer leagues in the world, there’s a game almost every night from June 18 to Aug. 1.

The only nights you won’t hear the crack of bats at Growden Memorial Park are July 5, July 14 and from July 19-22, when all six teams will be playing in the Alaska Baseball League Showcase in Anchorage, which is expected to attract major league scouts from across the country.

Most games start at 7 p.m., except the final week of the season, when games are moved up a half-hour to 6:30 p.m.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

31

Restaurants DOWNTOWN

Note to readers

Lavelle's Bistro American bistro and wine 575 First Ave. 450-0555 for reservations Summer hours (starting May 14) Lunch: Monday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner: Sunday and Monday 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Tuesday through Saturday 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Entrees: $12 lunch, $25 dinner

Soapy Smiths Pioneer Restaurant Burgers, sandwiches, soups, prime rib, steaks, halibut, salmon and seafood 543 Second Ave. 451-8380 Summer hours (starting May 15) 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Entrees: $8 to $12 lunch; $12 to $29 dinner

Co-op Diner Breakfast, hamburgers, sandwiches, wraps 535 Second Ave. (in the Co-op Plaza), 457-4907 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily Take out and delivery available. Entrees: $6.95 (breakfast) to $16.95

Gambardella's Pasta Bella Italian entrees, pizza, subs and salads 706 Second Ave. Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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The list of restaurants provided here is by far not a complete list of eateries in the Fairbanks area, but we tried our best to get as many establishments listed as possible. The list is roughly divided into areas of town: Downtown, West Fairbanks, College Road, East Fairbanks, Airport Way/South Cushman and areas outside of Fairbanks. North Pole restaurants are listed on page 69.

Take out and delivery available Entrees: $6.95 to $24.95

Big Daddy's BBQ and Banquet Hall BBQ pork, beef, ribs, chicken, sandwiches 107 Wickersham St. 452-2501 Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday: 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Entrees: $15 to $22; sandwich combos, $8.75 to $12.75

Aviator Steakhouse Steaks, seafood and homemade desserts 731 Second Ave. 456-7597 Open Tuesday - Saturday

4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Entrees: $22

The Diner Breakfast, lunch and dinner, diner fare 244 Illinois St. 451-0613 Monday and Tuesday 6:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Wed. through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Entrees: breakfast $6.95 to $9.95; sandwiches $6.95 to $9.95; dinner $6.95 to $14.95

The Pomegranate Freshly prepared soups, sandwiches, salads, entrees and desserts 414 Second Ave. 451-7505 Summer hours (start midMay): Monday through Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, Sunday and some holidays, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Entree: $6.50 to $12

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Hot Licks Ice Cream Homemade ice cream, floats, sodas and cakes to order 3453 College Road — open daily at noon 1521 S. Cushman St. Inside the Quality Inn — open daily at 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.

479-7813

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Bahn Thai Restaurant Thai cuisine 541 Third Ave. 452-8424 Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed Sunday Entrees: $7.95 except seafood Takeout available Please see RESTAURANTS, Page 32

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32

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Restaurants p.m. Will have outdoor seating available during summer

Continued from Page 31

Thai House Thai cuisine 412 Fifth Ave. 452-6123 Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed Sunday.

Take out available Lunch: $8.95; dinner: $13.95

Pizza 4 Less Pizza, spaghetti, chicken, subs and wings 246 Illinois St. 451-6060 Open daily 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Takeout and delivery only

McCafferty's Coffee House Espresso bar, soup, pastries and snacks; roast their own coffee 408 Cushman St. 456-6853 Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Live music Friday and Saturday evenings

Two Street Station Espresso bar, Kaladi’s coffee, salads, calzones and fresh pastries Servings Hot Licks ice cream on Saturday 523 Second Ave. 456-6242 Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 4

Iris Cafe & Saloon Hamburgers, sandwiches, steak and seafood; breakfast on weekends until about 2 p.m.

900 Noble St. 455-4747 Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Prices vary.

Red Lantern Steak & Spirits

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Regency Cove Restaurant

AIRPORT WAY/ SOUTH CUSHMAN

Fine dining 95 10th Ave. 459-2709 Mon.-Fri. 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Sat.-Sun 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

The Fudge Pot Espresso bar, soups, sandwiches, ice cream, fudge and gift shop 515 First Ave. 456-3834 Summer hours: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Prices vary

Trapper's Bar & Grill

Choice Rib & Teriyaki

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3101 S. Cushman 450-1250 219 3rd Ave. 450-1200

Mexican 200 Old Steese Highway 458-8226 Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday 12 a.m. to 9 p.m. prices vary

EAST FAIRBANKS

family owned and operated for over 35 years.

The Chowder House Soups, sandwiches, salads, pastries 206 Eagle Ave. 452-2882 Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. $10

Taco King

SPECIAL DISCOUNT

Mayflower Buffet Chinese, American and Japanese Cuisine and suishi 414 Third St. (at Eagle Plaza Mall) 452-3399 Monday through Thursday11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday noon to 9:30 p.m.

Carryout available

Prime rib, fine dining 813 Noble St. in Westmark Hotel 459-7725 Lunch 11 - 2 p.m.

Dinner 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. $20 to $25

Diner food 1347 Bedrock St. 456-6430 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Entrees: $8 to $18

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Fare: Teriyaki, rib and Korean cuisine 550 3rd St. 456-1232 Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sunday Entrees: lunch, $7.95 to $9.50;

Ming’s Asian Bistro Opening in May 2008 1900 Airport Way Full service Asian restaurant 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

479 8866

Alaska Salmon Bake All-you-can-eat wood grilled salmon, beer-battered halibut and cod, and slow-roasted prime rib; includes salad bar, dessert and drinks Airport Way in Pioneer Park 452-7274 Daily 5 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. $31 (for the all-you-can-eat special)

Bamboo Panda Chinese food 1235 Airport Way, Suite 3 458-8885, 458-8886 Monday to Friday 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday noon to 9:30 lunch: $6.75 $9.25 (for combination plate)

Todai Cuisine Japanese / sushi bar 1900 Airport Way 451-1100 Mon. - Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fri. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sat. noon to 11 p.m.; Sun. 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Entree: $8.95 to $19.95 Please see RESTAURANTS, Page 33

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

33

Restaurants Continued from Page 32

Dog Sled Saloon at Captain Bartlett Inn Burgers, nachos 1411 Airport Way 452-1888 Breakfast, lunch, dinner daily Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Bar open: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Food served until 11 p.m. prices vary

Airport Way Restaurant All-American food 1704 Airport Way 457-5182 Open 24 hours, seven days a week Entree: $10 to $20

Drop Inn Cafe/El Sombrero

m.

Mexican 1420 Cushman St. 456-5269 Monday to Friday 6 a.m. - 11p.

Sat.- Sun. 6 a.m. to midnight $8-$15

Deb's Cafe Comfort food 3513 Industrial Ave. 456-7829 Monday to Saturday 6 a.m.

- 4 p.m.

Sundays 8 a.m. -4 p.m.

Delivery available specials $8

Seoul Gate Fine Korean Cuisine 958 Cowles St. 456-2060 Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. -10 p.m.

Sunday 1:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Koreana Restaurant Korean 1528 S. Cushman St. 451-0651 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Monday to Sunday 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 5:30 - 9 p.m. $15 to $30

Wolf Run Restaurant

Thai cuisine 1450 S. Cushman St .

456-2170 Open every day, 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. lunch: $7.95, dinner: $10.95

Fine dining and desserts 3360 Wolf Run 458-0636 Monday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Tues. to Thurs. 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.

- 11 p.m.

Sunday 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. $8.50 lunch; $20 dinner

The Round Up Steakhouse

Common Grounds Coffee Shop

Steakhouse featuring seafood and famous cheesesteak 2701 S. Cushman St. 479-3663 Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturdays 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sundays 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. $15 to $30

Baked goods and espresso 1485 30th Ave. 322-2249 Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Sundays from 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Wireless Internet

Los Amigos

COLLEGE ROAD/ JOHANSEN

Sweet Basil Thai Restaurant

Steakhouse and Mexican food 636 28th Ave 452-3684 Monday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday breakfast buffet 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; lunch buffet $11.75.

Sunday buffet $14.75

UNIVERSITY AVENUE Zach's Restaurant at Sophie Station Fun, creative Alaskan cuisine 1717 University Ave. 479-3650

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Geraldo's Italian food and pizza 701 College Road 452-2299 Monday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. lunch $10; dinner $15

Gallo's Mexican 60 College Road 455-9225 Open daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. $13.95

Please see RESTAURANTS, Page 34

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34

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Restaurants Continued from Page 33

The Food Factory Burgers, chicken, seafood 44 College Road 452-3313 Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday Noon to 10 p.m. $12

Bakery Restaurant Homestyle cafe, fresh baked pastries and pies 69 College Road 456-8600 Monday through Saturday 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. $7 to $10

Panda Garden Chinese 29 College Road 452-3355 Takeout and delivery only Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. $10

Siam Square Classic Thai cuisine 59 College Road, Suite 202 458-7426 Open daily 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. $15

Ichiban Noodle House Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese 400 College Road 455-9116 Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. - midnight $10

College Coffee House Espresso, baked goods, sand-

wiches 3677 College Road (Campus Corner Mall) 374-0468 Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to midnight

Wok N' Roll Chinese 3535 College Rd. 455-4848 Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Sunday $6.75 to $12.50

College Town Pizzeria Pizza, calzones and salads and fresh-made gelato and Italian ice 3549 College Road 457-2200 Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Closed Sunday large pizza $20

Gulliver's Second-Story Cafe Sandwiches, pastries, espresso 3525 College Road 474-9574 Monday to Friday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Cookie Jar Restaurant Casual dining 1006 Cadillac Court 479-8319 Delivery Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Open Monday to Thursday 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. $10

Pazzo G's Pizza Joint Italian 3677 College Road (Campus Corner Mall) 456-2604 Mon. - Thurs. 11:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to midnight; Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Delivery: Monday Thursday, noon to midnight; Friday and Saturday, noon to 2 a.m.; Sunday noon to 10 p.m.

Pad Thai Authentic Thai Food 3400 College Road.

479-1251 Summer hours: Monday through Friday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. dinner $12 and $13; lunch $8.95

WEST FAIRBANKS Sam's Sourdough Cafe Homestyle, sourdough panckaes 3702 Cameron St., off University Avenue.

479-0523 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily Carryout available $7.95-$9.95

Marty's Bake Shop Bread, pastries, sandwiches 1896 Marika St., Suite 4 455-8660 Mon. - Fri. 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Not open on weekends but at the Farmers Market on Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. $7 Please see RESTAURANTS, Page 35

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

35

Restaurants Continued from Page 34

Pike's Landing Steaks, seafood 4438 Airport Way 479-6500 Lunch: 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday through Saturday Sunday brunch: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner: Monday through Sunday 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. $20

The Pump House Restaurant Seafood, wild game, choice steaks Mile 1.3 Chena Pump Road 479-8452 Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $10 to $30

Chena's Fine Dining and Deck Fine dining/American cuisine 4200 Boat St. 474-3644 Monday to Sunday 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Lemongrass

p.m.

Breakfast served on Saturday and Sunday until 4 p.m. $10 lunch and breakfast $20 dinner

Lulu's Bread and Bagels

Silver Gulch Brewery and Restuarant

Breads, bagels, pastries, coffee 364 Chena Pump Plaza 374-3804 Closed Monday Tuesday - Friday 6:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday 7 a.m.

- 5 p.m.

2195 Old Steese Highway.

452-2739 Brewery & restaurant featuring recipes incorporating fine ales, lagers & speciality beers.

Open daily at 4 p.m. www.silvergulch.com

GOLDSTREAM/ OUTSIDE FAIRBANKS On's Eggroll House Thai 735 Sheep Creek Rd 457-4709 Closed Monday Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Vallata American/Italian Cuisine 2.5 Mile Goldstream Rd. 455-6600 Tues.-Sun. 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Reservations recommended $20-$30 Call Pat tomorrow around 3:30

Ivory Jack's Restaurant

Brewsters Burgers, ribs, chicken 354 Old Steese Highway (North Gate Square) 3578 Airport Way (Teddy Bear Plaza) 374-9663

Please see RESTAURANTS, Page 36

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Authentic Thai Chena Pump Plaza 456-2200 Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. $8.95 to $10.95 dinner: $11.95 to $15.95

456-2538 Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. $9.95 - $15

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200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

36

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Restaurants Continued from Page 35

Mt. Aurora Fairbanks Creek Lodge Home-cooked, bistro style featuring Alaskan ingredients, 2320 Fairbanks Creek Rd., 3892000. Thursday-Sunday, lunch and dinner, brunch on Sunday. $20

Turtle Club Prime rib, seafood 2098 Old Steese Hwy, 457-3883 Monday through Saturday 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Reservation recommended. $23 - $30

Chatanika Gold Camp Steaks, seafood, 28 Mile Steese Highway, 389-2414

Hilltop Truck Stop Diner food, home-baked pies

3711 Elliott Highway 389-7600 Daily 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. breakfast, lunch and dinner all day. $9

Chatanika Lodge

FAST FOOD

Steaks, seafood Mile 28.3 Steese Highway 389-2164 Daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. $8 to $24 Live music every Sunday and on holidays

Fairbanks also has many of the same national chain restaurants found in the Lower 48. So, if you're in the mood for something fast and familiar: • McDonald's: 1930 Airport Way (with Playland for kids); 38 College Road; 3905 Geist Road • Burger King, 1690 Airport Way • Wendy's, 1859 Airport Way • Taco Bell: 87 College Rd.; 1450 University Ave. • Taco Del Mar, 930 Old Steese Hwy • Pizza Hut: 4001 Geist Road; 1990 Airport Way; 89 College Road • KFc: 69 College Road • A&W/KFC, 3428 Airport Way • Carl's Jr., Merhar Avenue • Chili's, 506 Merhar Ave. • Boston's Pizza, 1243 Old Steese Highway • Denny's, 1929 Airport Way • Bruegger's Bagels, Bentley Mall Annex • Subway: 1800 Airport Way; 3574 Airport Way; 514 Old Steese Highway • Quizno's 607 Old Steese Hwy

Two Rivers Lodge Fine dining.

Mile 16 Chena Hot Springs Road. 488-6815. Open 5 p.m. - 10 p.m daily. Lounge is open 3-10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Entrees start at $20.

Chena Hot Springs Seafood, steaks, chicken, salad Mile 56 Chena Hot Springs

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

37

Take Home a Piece of Alaska Shopping, gift opportunities abound in area Matt Hage/News-Miner

Staff Report

Gold Rush Fine Jewelry, 531 2nd Ave. in downtown Fairbanks, is one of many shopping destinations for Alaska visitors. The shop, owned by Mike Webb, specializes in gold and other gems.

Webb is seen holding a collection of gold nuggets mined from the Wiseman area north of Fairbanks.

A

laska souvenirs range from the mundane — such as T-shirts and key chains — to the exquisite in fine artwork, gold jewelry, beadwork, ivory carvings and furs — whatever your taste desires and pocketbook allows.

A treasury of specialty shops and galleries are located in Downtown Fairbanks from First Avenue on the Chena River, south to 10th Avenue, between Cushman and Noble streets. Put on your walking shoes and go exploring.

Many of the longtime businesses along the way have been dealing with Alaska craftspeople and artists, both Native and non-Native, for many years, and shopkeepers are happy to explain the tradition and history of many objects for sale. Don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Take a scenic walk, a mile or so west along the Chena River and you’ll enter Pioneer Park.

The historic Gold Rush town is home to a variety of gift shops housed in original Fairbanks cabins, and the Centennial Center features an art gallery and gift shop on the third floor.

On the fringes of Fairbanks, at the intersection of University Avenue and College Road, is a cluster of interesting shops near the main drive into the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

While there, drop by the university gift shop in the Wood Center on the upper campus and the UA Museum of the North gift shop by the main lobby of the museum (no entry fee required).

• Alaska House Art Gallery, 10th Avenue and Cushman Street, 456-6449 • Alaska Gold ’N’ Gems, 541 Second Ave., 456-8312 • Alaska Rag Co., 603 Lacey St., 451-4401 • Alaska Rare Coins, 551 Second Ave. Suite B, 452-6461 • Alaska Raw Fur Co., 4106 Boat St., 479-2462 • Arctic Travelers Gift Shop, 201 Cushman St., 456-7080 • Artworks, 3677 College Road, 479-2563 • Beads & Things, 537 Second Ave., 456-2323 • Co-op Plaza, 535 Second Ave. • The Craft Market, Fifth Avenue and Noble Street, 452-5495 • The Great Alaskan Bowl Co., 4630 Old Airport Road, 4749663 • If Only Gift Shop, 215 Cushman St., 457-6659 • Gulliver’s Books, 3525 College Road, 474-9574 • New Horizons Gallery, 519 First Ave., 456-2063 • Red Fox Fine Furs, 547 Second Ave., 456-3877 • TCR’s Ivory, 555 Second Ave., 452-1817

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newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

38

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

A Taste of Fresh Farmers market a staple for Interior produce Staff Report

S

hoppers at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market not only enjoy buying the freshest of the fresh produce, from vine-ripened tomatoes to Yukon Gold potatoes, but they have the added bonus of purchasing it firsthand from an Alaska farmer.

Twice weekly an abundant variety of summer produce is available, mixed among a wide assortment of colorful flower baskets and bouquets, bedding plants, trees, shrubs and herbs.

Also tempting the palate are tables loaded with specialty

“ Bowling Is For All Ages” 24 Lanes Pro Shop Snack Bar Cocktail Lounge

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jewelry and more.

Located at College Road and Caribou Way, the market is open Wednesdays from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The Tanana Valley Farmers Market opens May 10. Information: (907) 456-3276 or visit www.tvfmarket.com

Fine Jewelers & Designers

Full Service Bowling Center

Closed: Memorial Day – 4th of July – Labor Day

baked goods and breads, wild berry jams and jellies, honey, meats and sausages. Shoppers also are privy to assortments of cooked foods, sandwiches and sugar corn. The market showcases the work of local artists and crafts people — pottery, glasswork, beadwork, prints,

ALASKAN

952 Tenth Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701

Summer Hours – 7 Days A Week Open Noon to Midnight

Nora Gruner/News-Miner

The Tanana Valley Farmers Market opens for the season on May 10 and provides both residents and visitors a plethora of locally grown produce, arts and crafts.

CAMPGROUND AND RV PARK

• Private Wooded Campsites • Picnic Tables • Showers • Internet Access • Laundry • Limited Electric • 24-hour security and assistance • Spaces for Tents & Motor Homes • Dump Station • On the Bus Route • Firepits

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• Summer 907-456-7956 • Winter 907-452-3750 Fax: 907-456-7971

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

39

The Alaska Railroad All aboard for a ride across the wilderness Staff Report

T

he Alaska Railroad is the last full-service railroad in the United States, meaning it carries both freight and passengers through major ports and towns in Alaska.

President Woodrow Wilson authorized construction of the railroad in 1914 and choose the nearly 500-mile route from Seward, on the Gulf of Alaska, to Fairbanks, in the heart of the state.

The railroad is now owned by the state of Alaska, and offers tour packages highlighting the best of the Railbelt, the names for cities along the track.

The Alaska Railroad Corp. tour packages range from day trips visiting popular destinations to longer voyages exploring everything from the Arctic Circle to the sea.

The railroad also runs several cruise operations in the southern part of the state.

Tour guides accompany every trip to help passengers locate important scenic landmarks and learn about points of interest along the way.

Some of the more popular tours include: • a two-day trip between Fairbanks and Anchorage with a chance to get out and explore Denali National Park and Preserve.

• visiting some of the historic Railbelt cities along the route.

• the Hurricane Turn Train, starting in Talkeetna and winding along the Sustina River through a wilderness run where you can get out and explore.

• a six-day tour of Alaska’s national parks, including a back country tour of Denali, a cruise through the Kenai Fjords National Park and a visit to the icebergs of the Spencer Glacier.

R.A. Dillon/News-Miner

Brakeman Wade Sherwood of Anchorage is in charge of operating the switches along the side of the track that allow trains to pass on the Fairbanks to Anchorage route.

IF YOU GO For reservations and schedule information, call 800-544-0552 or visit www.alaskarailroad.com. Prices depend on length of voyage and destination.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Friends of Creamer’s Field is a nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire environmental stewardship and lifelong learning through experience, awareness and appreciation of the natural and historical resources of Creamer’s Refuge.

Giftshop open Saturdays Noon to 4 p.m.

452-5162 • www.creamersfield.org

fsaf.org

Enjoy “Lunch Bites”– FREE musical performances!

NOON-1:15 pm, Monday-Friday: July 14–18 and July 21–25

On the beautiful UAF campus

Great Hall, Fine Arts Bldg. 474-8869

The Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival is brought to you in partnership with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

40

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Riverboat Discovery River cruise a favorite journey in the Interior Staff Report

D

iscover the many facets of Alaska aboard the Riverboat Discovery.

The Riverboat Discovery travels on the Tanana and Chena

rivers twice daily, giving passengers a short course on Alaska history and glimpse of Alaska lifestyles, from the quiet days before the gold rush to the hustle and bustle of modern-day life.

The 3 1/2-hour tour trans-

ports the passengers back 100 years, when floating the rivers was the only way to travel in the Interior during the summer months. On any summer day, Please see DISCOVERY, Page 41

41

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

If you go Tours • Tours start May 13 and continue through Sept. 22. Tours launch at 8:45 a.m. and at 2 p.m.; they are often full, so reservations are recommended.

Admission • Tickets are $49.95 for adults and $34.95 for children age 3-12.

Children under 3 ride for free. Call 479-6673 for reservations, toll-free at 1-866-479-6673 or by fax at 479-4613. Online reservations are available at www.riverboatdiscovery.com.

Discovery Continued from Page 40

the cruise’s narrator is likely to touch on history, culture, anthropology, geology, glaciology, hydrology and engineering.

The Interior is river country, and many of its communities depend on rivers for travel, food and recreation.

Navigating the rivers of Alaska is a family tradition for the Binkley family that began more than 100 years ago when Charlie Binkley operated sternwheeler riverboats during the gold rush of 1898.

Capt. Jim and Mary Binkley’s first riverboat tours of Fairbanks began in 1950, and since then, the family business has upgraded to larger sternwheelers and incorporated two more generations of Binkleys as riverboat captains.

The voyage begins at Steamboat Landing, where the gift shop, museum and ice cream parlor are set in a replica gold rush town. As many as 900 passengers board at the dock and set off down the Chena River.

They soon see something that made a huge impact on Interior Alaska and helped bring about the obsolescence of the riverboat: the airplane.

A bush pilot takes off and lands his plane on pontoons on the river itself.

Passengers can see old cabins and other historic structures along the riverbank, including animal-hide and wood structures similar to the ones used for centuries by Native Alaskans.

The tour’s first stop is at Susan Butcher’s Trail Breaker Kennels. Passengers, while still on the boat, can hear a speech about dog mushing and watch a demonstration on the shore.

At the next stop, passengers go on land for a one-hour tour of a replica Athabascan Indian village near the former town site of Chena, a town that rivaled Fairbanks for dominance a century ago. Native Alaskan hosts tell the passengers stories about life in Alaska and explain a little about their culture and history.

Visitors also get to experience a fish camp with its operating fishwheel and techniques for preparing salmon for the drying rack.

The Discovery III has four viewing decks, three lower ones enclosed in glass and heated and the top one an open-air sun deck, to ensure that all enjoy the tour.

newsminer.com

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

42

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Creamer's Field Refuge is a birdwatcher's dream come true John Hagen/News-Miner

Staff Report

A crane, left, takes a peck at a crane that ventured too close as a group of cranes move across the front field of Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge.

G

etting a taste of the wilderness doesn’t necessarily require a road trip for visitors to Fairbanks.

Less than 5 minutes from downtown is Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, offering 1,800 acres of hiking, bird watching and education.

The former dairy farm serves as a rest stop for migratory birds, including Canada geese, pintails, mallards and golden plovers. An August festival is dedicated to the abundant sandhill cranes that pass through the area.

The varied terrain at the refuge offers food, shelter and nesting sites for many types of birds and waterfowl, as well as moose, foxes and squirrels. Some birds only stay in the area for a short time, on their way to nesting sites to the north or south of Fairbanks.

A parking lot off College Road provides birdwatching opportunities from your vehicle. The entrance to walking trails is located in the back lots, near the historic white barn and farm-

house. The latter building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is also the site of the Creamer’s Field visitor center, open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting May 17.

The visitor center and other activities are offered by the nonprofit Friends of Creamer’s Field.

The extensive nature trails at the refuge provide a variety of wildlife viewing options: The Boreal Forest Trail introduces walkers to typical forests of Interior Alaska.

An observation tower at one point of the trail offers a view of the surrounding terrain, and a new half-mile handicapped-accessible extension has been added. A brochure for self-guided tours is available.

Come sit & enjoy the patio or get it to go at

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The Seasonal Wetland Trail borders a wetland with changing water levels and opportunities to view wildlife. The walk includes interpretive signs and viewing platforms, and is wheelchair accessible during snow-free months and dry weather.

The Farm Road Trail takes walkers past patches of woods and open fields where migrating birds congregate.

The refuge often offers birdbanding demonstrations with cooperation from the Alaska Bird Observatory and hosts guided nature walks daily, free of charge.

The Alaska Bird Observatory is based at the refuge across the fields from the farmhouse. The nonprofit group works closely with the Arctic Audubon Society, conducting long-term studies of migrant and resident birds at the refuge. The ABO also offers a variety of educational programs on songbirds, ecology and conservation.

• June 7: Design Alaska Wild Arts Walk. Stroll the refuge from noon to 5 p.m. as artists and musicians display their work and talents.

• June through August: Sat-

Sun - Thurs 11 am - 12 am • Fri & Sat 11 am - 1 am

458-9222 • Fax: 458-7922 • www.bostonlink.com

Best itas Margar ! n i n To w

Please see CREAMER'S, Page 43

Farthe s Te q u i l at N o r t h Bar!

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a r n e As ad a • E n c h i l ad as • F l a n • H al i b u t Tac os & Fa j i tas • H al i b u t C e r v i c h e C • s a t i j a •F 60 College Rd. • Fairbanks, AK 99701 • (907) 455-9225

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Creamer's

43

State 'bird' can be a big pest Staff Report

BEST BET Guided nature walks: June through August, free daily guided walks will be at 10 a.m. weekdays and 7 p.m. Wednesday nights. No sign-up is necessary for the walks, which last about 2 hours and start at the farmhouse or trailhead.

Continued from Page 42

urday Mornings with an Artist, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A different artist will be featured each week.

• June 21: Dragonfly Day, with scientists leading an educational day about the amazing, abundant insects.

• Aug. 22-24: The Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival, with a keynote speech by naturalist John Acorn.

Contacts

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Friends of Creamer’s Field Visitors Center, College Road, for information on nature walks or events, 452-5162, e-mail creamers@ptialaska.net, Web site www. fairnet.org/agencies/creamers.

Alaska Bird Observatory, near Creamer’s Field at 418 Wedgewood Drive. Starting May 21, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Saturday. For information on demonstrations or activities, call 451-7159, e-mail birds@alaskabird.org, Web site www.alaskabird.org.

An Alaska Department of Fish and Game Web site with information about Creamer’s Field history is at www.wildlife.alaska. gov/index.cfm?adfg=refuge. creamers.

N

ow that you’ve made it to Alaska on your dream vacation, don’t let mosquitoes turn it into a nightmare.

Alaska is infamous for the size and quantity of its mosquitoes. The running joke in the Last Frontier is that mosquitoes are the unofficial state bird.

Fortunately, Alaska mosquitoes aren’t known to carry any diseases harmful to people.

All of that said, here’s some advice on how to avoid being carried off or sucked dry by a hungry horde of Alaska skeeters: • Load up on bug dope. The bug repellent of choice among most Alaskans is N, N diethyl-m-toluamide, more commonly known as DEET, the chemical used in most insect repellents.

Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide in a person’s or animal’s breath and the heat from their bodies. What DEET does is basically fool the mosquitoes by blocking out the bug’s carbon dioxide receptor.

Different repellents have different concentrations, but most Alaskans tend to use a DEET concentration of about 30 percent.

• Get a bug jacket or shirt. Bug jackets and bug shirts aren’t as smelly and messy as repellent and they work better, as long as you don’t mind wearing them. The lightweight jackets are like an anorak that slips over your shirt and has a hood that zips shut with a see-through mesh front. Some of the jackets are used in combination with DEET and some are not. Prices typically range from $25 to $65.

• Wear light-colored clothing. Some experts say mosquitoes are attracted to dark clothes.

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

44

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Take in Some Theater

BY CHRISTOPHER ESHLEMAN ceshleman@newsminer.com

WHAT'S SHOWING

F

airbanks Shakespeare Theatre, which turns 16 this year, will anchor the summer schedule with a pair of comedies, “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Twelfth Night,” and a one-day Renaissance Faire.

“We’re celebrating our sweet 16 with lots of laughter,” production manager Claudia Lively said.

The Renaissance Faire will be a first for the company. It falls on June 28. Lively said tickets will be available at the gate.

The company’s summer productions include, from July 2-20, “The Taming of the Shrew,” a battle of the sexes from the

E! COM L E W

Farthest North

MOOSE LODGE #1392 Welcomes all Visitors to Fairbanks!

‘The Taming of the Shrew’ Show times and reservations: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, July 2-20 2 p.m. Sundays Tickets: Adults $18 Active military/seniors/university students $15 Under 18 free Call 457-POET (457-7638) to buy tickets

‘Twelfth Night’ Show times and reservations 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, June 20-22 2 p.m. Sundays Tickets: Adults $10 Under 18 free

Bard’s cache of comedies.

Believed to be first performed in the late 16th century, “The Taming of the Shrew” focuses on a contentious courtship between characters Katherine and Petruchio. Film versions include the 1967 movie with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.

“It’s one of Shakespeare’s wildest comedies,” Lively said.

The play and other summer

THE

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Breakfast Lunch Dinner

productions from Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre will be performed outside at Jack Townsend Point, which sits behind the Museum of the North on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The fair will also be held at the park.

Also this summer, FST’s Groundlings Summer Drama Camp will present “Twelfth Night” June 20-22. It’s “Shakespeare’s sweetly blended masterpiece,” the company states on its Web site (www.fairbanks-shakespeare.org), “of hearts set awhirl by the absurdities of love.”

The company’s productions and educational programs reach about 10,000 people a year, organizers estimate. The cast and crew has performed in recent years at venues around North America and occasionally travels to other continents.

The company’s most recognized event is an annual Bard-athon, a weeklong, nonstop public reading of Shakespeare’s entire collection of plays. This winter’s production was the eighth straight.

SMOKE FREE OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK A United Way of the Tanana Valley Member Agency

BREAKFAST • LUNCH • DINNER

725 26th Avenue 452-7761

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129 1st Ave. Fairbanks, Alaska 99701 post11@alaska.net

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479-8319

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

45

Animals of the Arctic Research center offers look at tundra wildlife Staff Report

F

or thousands of years, musk oxen and caribou have roamed the harsh Arctic tundra.

Today, researchers at the Robert G. White Large Animal Research Station are studying these hardy animals to discover how they not only survived, but thrived in the Far North.

Located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, LARS, referred to as the "musk ox farm" by locals, offers popular tours, which allow visitors to get a close-up view of musk oxen, caribou and their domesticated cousins, reindeer.

The 134-acre site, run by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, studies the nutritional, behavioral and physiological aspects of musk oxen, reindeer and caribou.

Thousands of visitors stop by each year to watch the animals from viewing platforms, located

Nora Gruner/News-Miner

A new muskox calf stays near its mother at the Large Animal Research Station. outside the animals' living quarters, or to join the farm's trained staff of tour guides.

Visitors can take an hourlong tour or a half-hour mini tour. The tours are held seven days a week, starting May 26, and ending Sept. 1.

The Large Animal Research Station also has a gift shop open seven days a week from 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. www.uaf. edu/lars/

IF YOU GO Tour Information for 2008 • Tours are offered May 26 through Sept. 1, 7 days a week.

• Times are 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m.

• Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and $6 for students. Special rates are available for groups of more 20.

Please call (907) 474-5724 to schedule group visits.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Over 30 Flavors of Homemade Fudge

VISIT OUR STORE FOR UNIQUE

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Capture Your Alaska Memories

Historic Hall

A Museum of Alaskan Memorabilia & Ephemera

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ttern lt Pa

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o lecti e Se Wid

la of A

with a wide variety of Alaskan & Northern themed fabrics & craft ideas you won't find at home.

Come visit us in our replica of the 1906 Borough Library!

Step inside to the most unique-looking quilt shop in the U.S.!

Alaska Themed Fabrics • Alaskan Crafts Contemporary Quilting • Art Quilts • Art Dolls Patterns • Books • Alaska Made Souvenirs Monday–Saturday 9:30–6:30 & Sunday 12:00–5:00

825 First Avenue 452-2013

3065 College Rd., Fairbanks, AK 99709

18337396-5-3-08VG

Our convenient downtown location is part of the Walking Tour in Fairbanks.

(907) 474-8118 10335628-VG08

FREE Admission!

Open Monday – Saturday 10:30am – 5:30pm

Northernmost dealership in the world! www.alaskamaterialgirls.com

Alaska Photo Album quilt pattern available

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

46

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Midnight Sun's 18 Holes Staff Report

F

rom June through late July in Interior Alaska, golfers can tee off almost 24 hours a day. They have four courses from which to choose.

There are three courses in the Fairbanks area — Fairbanks Golf Club on Farmers Loop, North Star Golf Club off the Old Steese Highway and Chena Bend Golf Course on Fort Wainwright — and then there’s Black Diamond Golf Course near Healy in the shadow of the Alaska Range.

All four courses feature pro shops and dining facilities.

The Fairbanks Golf Club is a

Presents

“ The Alaska Travelers Companion” Look for this CD in stores and gift shops!

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Tour Alaska from your RV, your car, or your couch!

It’s like having an Alaskan in your backseat!

TEE TIMES • Black Diamond 683-4653 • Chena Bend Gold Course 353-6223 • Fairbanks Golf Club 479-6555 • North Star Golf Club 457-4653

nine-hole course that offers two tee boxes on each hole for an 18hole experience. The cost is $20 for nine holes and $30 for a full 18. Tee times are from 7 a.m.-10 p.m., but arrangements can be made to play any time during the night from mid-June to late July as the Interior basks in 24 hour daylight. There are leagues Monday through Thursday evenings.

The North Star Golf Club is North America’s northernmost course and has an 18-hole layout where players can often spot a variety of wildlife from moose, bear and fox to red-backed voles and hawks, owls and eagles.

There’s even a checklist on the scoreboard to mark off wildlife spotted while you’re enjoying your trip around the links.

Normal greens fees are $20

Forget-Me-Not Books

FAIRBANKS URGENT CARE CENTER Treatment of Acute Minor Illness & Injury

No appointment necessary Mon. • Fri. 7a.m. - 9p.m.

Sat. Sun • 10a.m. - 7p.m.

1867 Airport Way, Suite 130B

517 Gaffney Rd.

•

456-6210

Fairbanks, AK 99701

Alaska Raw Fur Co.

RAW FU R KA AS

.

CO

Fur Buyers — Great Gifts

Largest Selection of Tanned Furs in Alaska

4106 BOAT ST.

Also: • Great Fabric Selection • Beads • Leather • Skin Sewing Supplies

AIRP ORT

479-2462

“The finest jewelry creations and custom work in the territory”

AIRPORT WAY

Y WA IGH SH RK PA

Pelts • Parkas • Coats Hats • Mittens • Ruffs Custom Manufactured Fur Garments

~ Since 1979 ~ UNIVERSITY

AL

Supporting the Programs of 10333929-5-3-08VG

(next to Super 8 Motel)

Fairbanks • (907) 452-2178

Thousands of Books to choose from Alaskana, Popular Fiction, Vintage, History, Modern Literature, Classics, Children's Books and more.

11335503-5-3-08VG

Fairbanks, AK 99701

for nine holes and $30 for 18, but there are visitor specials.

Tee times can be arranged from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., but there are leagues on most evenings.

For more information visit www.northstargolf.com.

Chena Bend Golf Course on Fort Wainwright has been rated as Alaska’s No. 1 golf course by Golf Digest magazine. The challenging 18-hole course features greens fees of $25 for nine holes ($45 with cart) and $31 for 18 ($60 with cart). You’ll need to stop at the front gate and pick up a visitor’s pass to get to the golf course. Discounts are available for retired and active-duty military.

The clubhouse hours are from 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week and from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Black Diamond is a rustic nine-hole course located at 1 Mile Otto Lake Road in Healy, where you’ll find Alaska hazards such as tundra marsh and the occasional moose hoofprint. The relatively short course makes it accessible and fun for any style of play and the course design makes for a quick round, which can fit into almost any travel schedule. Midnight sun tee times are available.

Visit www.blackdiamondgolf. com for more information.

EAST RAMP

Shop on line at www.goldrushfinejewelry.com 531 2nd Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99701, 456-4991

10334866-5-3-08VG08

4106 Boat Street, Fairbanks, Alaska 99709

11335519-5-3-08VG

Open 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Monday–Friday • Saturdays 1 p.m.–6 p.m. www.alaskarawfur.com akrawfur@juno.com

• Gold Nuggets • Gold 'N' Quartz and gold nugget FINE jewelry made on site with Alaskan Gold

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

47

Summer Mushing Get a taste of Alaska's state sport Staff Report

H

ave you always wanted to try dog mushing, but can’t face the long, cold Alaska winter? No problem.

Several mushers have kennel tours or offer rides in the warmer summer months.

Alaskan Tails of the Trail with Mary Shields Mary Shields, the first woman to finish the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race from Anchorage to Nome, has shared her mushing life with summer visitors for the past 24 years. Meet the big, friendly huskies and learn about their care and training. If you’re missing your dog at home, this visit will give you a “dog fix” and a great opportunity for that photo to send back to your pet.

Mary explains the challenges and satisfactions of living in the North and traveling the wilderness trails by dog team. See a winter camp and hear memories of a 1,200-mile dog trip to Siberia.

Bring your questions and curiosity about “a path less traveled.”

Home-baked refreshments will

Photo courtesy Mary Shields

Mary Shields sings with one of her huskies at her Goldstream Valley home. The Iditarod veteran opens her home and kennel for evening tours. be served as you relax for conversation in Mary’s log cabin home.

The two-hour visit begins at 7:30 p.m.. Cost is $28 for adults.

Transportation is available for an extra $17. Reservations are required as the groups are kept small. Call Mary at 455-6469 or look at her Web site, www. maryshields.com

Other sites • Chena Hot Springs offers

two-mile dog cart rides with an Alaska musher for $60 per person. Call (907) 451-8104.

• Take a kennel tour at Paws for Adventure located at 3 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road. Call (907) 378-3630.

• Mushers in Denali National Park, such as four-time Iditarod champion Jeff King, also offer tours. In addition, visitors are suggested to visit the sled dog kennel inside Denali Park.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Day Tours?

We’ve got a Great One. Try our Denali in a Day tour from Fairbanks. Flightsee, go rafting, or take a hike.

;E;

AlaskaRailroad.com – where your vacation of a lifetime begins.

For information call (907) 265-2494 or 1-800-544-0552.

Hearing impaired please call (907) 265-2620.

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

48

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

There's Still Gold Out There If you visit Alaska, you have to pan for gold Staff Report

GOOD TO KNOW Claim jumpers were despised in frontier Fairbanks, and they aren’t too popular today either.

Recreational gold panners should only pan in water where they have permission from the property’s owner.

• a pan with riffles or grooves that help catch the fine minerals • a grizzly pan or sieve to winnow out the larger rocks • a sniffer bottle to gently suck up any gold • a container to hold the gold in; glass works best because the gold won’t scratch it, but be careful not to drop it.

A basic panning outfit runs about $35.

Waterproof boots and gloves to keep your hands and feet dry and warm are also recommended. The weather may be warm in Fairbanks during summer, but the streams are still cold.

Claim jumpers were despised in frontier Fairbanks, and they aren’t too popular today either.

Recreational gold panners should only pan in water where they have permission from the property’s owner. There are also several public areas near Fairbanks

I

N

G

A laska

Bird Observatory

O

d. , We . s e ., Tu Mon

$5,00V0EERRYY EV E TTOO GGOO NN! IO SSEESSSSIO

L! A E D IZES or NO

Advancing the appreciation, understanding and conservation of birds and their habitats through research and education.

L Y PR A E D ONE .

M Sun , . for t a i., S G ings Special r F , Irs. Draw E$v2e50 Drawings Thu ry Thurs b d a O N & T Sunday ay l l Pu

Our gift shop carries unique items for the nature lover in your life. Your purchase helps support ABO in its mission to advance the appreciation, understanding and conservation of birds and their habitats through research and education.

M-F 9:30-5 Joy School

Friendly Atmosphere • Complete Snack Bar • Pull Tabs Non-Smoking Area & Child Care Available

McKinley Animal Hosp.

Mon.–Thu. 6 p.m.–11 p.m. • Fri. 6–1:30 a.m. • Sat.–Sun. Noon–11 p.m.

10335442VG08

626 5th Avenue • 452-4834

Margaret Ave.

W

ith the price of gold at record highs, now is the perfect time for amateur gold seekers to seek a fortune in the hills.

In the early 1900s, thousands of gold hungry settlers streamed into the area around Fairbanks hoping to strike it rich.

Modern-day sourdoughs can still be seen bent over a local stream, pan in hand, bent on finding those elusive glimmering flakes.

Visitors to Alaska can get in on the action. Without much cost, even the greenest cheechako can get a taste of the hard work and golden rewards of the earliest Fairbanks settlers.

Several area attractions offer visitors the chance to pan for gold, with everyone guaranteed a little payout. El Dorado Gold Mine and the historic Gold Dredge No. 8 both have tours that include gold panning. Guides will show visitors a few tips and techniques and then offer help as each visitor gets their own poke to pan.

Hearty adventurers who want to get their feet wet in an actual Alaska stream and experience the real-life gamble of gold panning can outfit themselves without much investment.

Aspiring miners will need: • a shovel

where gold panning is allowed: • Pedro Creek. On the Steese Highway, about Mile 16, across from the Felix Pedro Monument.

Tradition holds that this was the area where gold was first discovered in Fairbanks by Pedro in 1902. There is a small area available for recreational panners.

• Nome Creek. Mile 57 Steese Highway. This campground on state land offers a large gold panning area.

• Dalton Highway. Various creeks along the Dalton Highway, also known as the Haul Road, are open to recreational miners.

The first such creek along the road is more than 100 miles north of Fairbanks. But the drive is beautiful and takes you above the Arctic Circle.

Maps of the more than 15 creeks available for panning along the road are available from the Bureau of Land Management.

Some rental car agencies do not allow their vehicles to be taken on gravel, so visitors should check before heading out and be prepared for bad roads, lots of truck travel and unpredictable weather.

Most of the early miners left Fairbanks as poor or poorer as when they arrived. Those trying their luck in one of Fairbanks’ many streams today may come up empty-handed as well. But for a real taste of Alaskan life, the thrill of spotting yellow in the bottom of your pan can’t be beat.

x

Wedgewood Dr. Bear Lodge

Visitor Center

College Road

418 Wedgewood Dr. • 451-7159 www.alaskabird.org

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

49

The Awe of the Aurora

By JILLIAN ROGERS jrogers@newsminer.com

E

ven though the aurora borealis, or northern lights, are best viewed in the coldest, darkest part of winter in Fairbanks, it is possible to see them in August. As the midnight sun begins to set and the mercury starts to drop at night, the wondrous spectacle known simply in Alaska as the aurora can make an appearance. You need patience, however, as the lights are most commonly seen long past when most go to bed.

The Interior is one of the best places in the world to catch a glimpse of the phenomenon.

Chena Hot Springs Resort is renowned for drawing visitors from around the world just to watch the aurora.

It is located under the most active band of northern lights, and it is away from urban light pollution.

Seeing the aurora was listed as one of the “top 100 things to

Jillian Rogers/The Associated Press

Tomoka Mizutani, 7, right, her mother Keiko, 36, middle, and her grandmother Ikuko Sugiur, 64, left, of Okazaki, Japan, watch the northern lights dance in the sky a top a hill at Chena Hot Springs Resort in the early morning hours. do before you die” by the Travel Channel.

Auroras occur in ring-shaped regions around the north and south geomagnetic poles. The colors are created by gases in the upper atmosphere and range from a neon green to red and magenta.

They occur about 60 miles above

Earth, at the very edge of the Earth’s atmosphere.

Auroral intensity varies from night to night and changes at times during each night.

The best viewing tends to be in the late evening to early morning hours, so bring a book and get comfortable — it’s worth the wait.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Members of

Members of

Fairbanks Convention&&Visitors Visitors Bureau Fairbanks Convention Bureau Stopby bythe the Cabin Visitor Information 550 First AvenueAK • Summer hours: 8am-8pm daily Stop LogLog Cabin Visitor Information Center • Center 550 First•Avenue • Fairbanks, 99701 • Summer hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily Call(907) (907) 456-5774 456-5774 for Information Visit Call for Fairbanks Fairbanksand andInterior InteriorAlaska Alaska Information • www.explorefairbanks.com Visit www.explorefairbanks.com

Tails of the Trail

410 Cushman Street Fairbanks, AK 99701 Historic City Hall 10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

Personal, home visit with this celebrated musher and author, Mary Shields, the first woman to complete the Iditarod.

Monday — Friday Exhibits • Winter in Fairbanks • Flood of 1967 • Klondike Gold Rush • Early Fairbanks • Dog Mushing Museum GIFT SHOP 457-3669 www.fairbankscommunitymuseum.com

(907)455-6469

13336929VG08

www.maryshields.com

10335446-5-3-08FCVBVG

Small groups.

Call for reservations.

10333928-5-3-08

Share her stories of 42 years living in the North.

Hands on experience with big friendly huskies.

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

50

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Members of

Members of

Fairbanks Convention&&Visitors Visitors Bureau Fairbanks Convention Bureau Stopby bythe the Cabin Visitor Information 550 First AvenueAK • Summer hours: 8am-8pm daily Stop LogLog Cabin Visitor Information Center • Center 550 First•Avenue • Fairbanks, 99701 • Summer hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily Call(907) (907) 456-5774 456-5774 for Information Visit Call for Fairbanks Fairbanksand andInterior InteriorAlaska Alaska Information • www.explorefairbanks.com Visit www.explorefairbanks.com

Come watch us weave!

Gift Shops Feature Alaskan Made:

Handwoven Rag Rugs created from recycled clothing • pottery • jewelry hand-crafted wood • soap • soy candles syrups/jams • art cards & more!

Tamarac Inn Motel 252 Minnie St.

Within walking distance to city center tamaracinn@alaska.com

907-456-6406 • 800-693-6406 fax 907-456-7238

13336944 5-3-08FCVB

Fairbanks, AK 99701

Downtown 603 Lacey Street • Fairbanks, AK 99701 Mon.–Thur. 10–6, Fri. 1–6, Sat. 10–6 10335433-5-3-08FCVB-VG

Phone/Fax (907) 451-4401 www.alaskaragco.com

Pioneer Park Cabin #4 Open Daily 11 a.m.– 9 p.m.

10335447-5-3-08FCVBVG

Mention this ad and receive an Alaskan Card free!

12336273-5-3-08VG FCVB

2600 College Road Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 456-3276 www.tvfmarket.com farmersmarket@mosquitonet.com

10333935-5-3-08VG

Wed. 11-4 • Sat. 9-4 May–September

In the heart of downtown Fairbanks between 2nd & 3rd Ave. 215 Cushman Street ~ 457-6659 Mon.–Sat. 10 - 7 Sun. Noon - 5

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

51

Members of

Members of

Fairbanks Convention&&Visitors Visitors Bureau Fairbanks Convention Bureau Stopby bythe the Cabin Visitor Information 550 First AvenueAK • Summer hours: 8am-8pm daily Stop LogLog Cabin Visitor Information Center • Center 550 First•Avenue • Fairbanks, 99701 • Summer hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily Call(907) (907) 456-5774 456-5774 for Information Visit Call for Fairbanks Fairbanksand andInterior InteriorAlaska Alaska Information • www.explorefairbanks.com Visit www.explorefairbanks.com

Locally owned hotel with spacious suites and rooms, cable TV, free local calls, non-smoking and air conditioned rooms Cafe & Saloon available, and… …one of Fairbanks' favorite restaurants.

Iris

B&B/INN

479-2447

Visitor Special

1-800-478-2705

• Green Fees – 18 holes • Golf cart & club rental • Logo ball & towel • Certificate from America’s Northernmost Golf Course

69

$

COURSE & GIFT SHOP

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Directions: Steese Exp., take Chena Hot Springs Exit, • Practice range LEFT to Old Steese Hwy, Right 3⁄4 mile to Golf Club Dr. • Daily wildlife sightings

NORTH STAR GOLF CLUB, 330 Golf Club Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99712 457-4653 www.northstargolf.com • Email: northstargolf@hotmail.com

18334071-5-3-08VGFCVB

13336931-5-3-08VGFCVB

557 Fairbanks St. (off Geist Rd.) Fairbanks, Alaska 99709 www.aaaacare.com

900 Noble St., Fairbanks, AK 99701 www.golden~nuggethotel.com

America’s Northernmost

Privacy of a Hotel without the price!

Hospitality of an Alaskan Log Home

Pat

(907) 452-5141

10335448-5-3-08FCVBVG

• Plush, Comfortable, clean rooms • Full Kitchen, living room, phones • Private or shared bath • Private, furnished guest home • Military families welcome/pets?

• Breakfast your way • Satellite or cable TV in each room • Beautiful decks • Close to train, downtown, UAF, airport & restaurants • Free pick-up airport or train • 24 Hour High Speed Internet Access

10334011-5-3-08VGFCVB

AAAA Care

Qiviuq & Fine Wool Yarns!

Inua Wool

INUA WOOL SHOPPE

Wow!

A SPECIALTY SHOP FOR KNITTERS Mail orders welcome! • www.inuawool.com 3180 PEGER RD. SUITE 160 • FAIRBANKS, AK 99701 11 - 5 Mon.-Sat. • 479-5830 or 1-800-478-9848

DOWNTOWN

(907)-456-2040 www.akpub.com/akbbrv/ahrose.html email: ahrosemarie@yahoo.com

10318385VG07FCVB

*+ Tax 302 Cowles St., Fairbanks, AK, 99701

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Ah, Rose Marie B&B Year 'Round $80*–$120*

Choose from our complete selection of yarn, buttons, needles, patterns & books for your next special project!

across from Visitor Information Cabin Reservations 450-0555

10333945VG08FCVB

Located in the heart of Downtown Fairbanks

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

52

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

The Tanana Chief Matt Hagel/News-Miner

Greatland River Tours' Tanana Chief made its maiden voyage down the Chena River Sept 20, 2000, near Pike's Landing. The boat is licensed to carry 162 people on its tours.

Sternwheeler takes a ride into the past Staff Report

B

uilt in 1898 in Unalaska, the original Tanana Chief sternwheeler served as a passenger and trade boat and became the first sternwheeler to navigate the Tanana and Chena rivers.

Today, you can ride on a replica of the Tanana Chief down the Chena River. Sternwheelers were abundant in the north between 1965 and 1955, especially on the Interior Alaska rivers. Sternwheelers, also called paddlewheelers, were used because they better negotiated the shallow river waters.

IF YOU GO Two-hour cruise Adult: $24.95 Children: 4-12 get 25 percent off ticket price Dinner cruise $49.95 Greatland River Tours (907) 452-TOUR

These days, the Tanana Chief offers sightseeing, dinner, charter and group cruises with live music, narrators, food and drinks all on board for your enjoyment.

A scenic two-hour cruise will cost $24.95 while children 4-12 get 25 percent off. Discounts are given to Alaskans, seniors and military.

Boarding begins at 6:30 p.m. and the boat returns to dock at 9 p.m.

The dinner cruise includes a decadent meal and costs $49.95 per person.

Charter cruises are also available and are perfect for a wedding, reception or any other special occasion.

For more information contact Greatland River Tours at (907) 452-TOUR or e-mail@ greatlanddrivetours.com.

You’re invited to join us for elegant dining Alaskan Salmon & Halibut Live Maine Lobster Prime Rib Every Day Famous 14 ft. Salad Bar Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

For reservations call

459-2709

Home should feel this good.

95 Tenth Avenue, Fairbanks, AK. 99701 |

907.459.2700 |

10335429-5-3-08VG

Whirlpool Suites Full Kitchens in all rooms Wireless Internet and Cable TV Fitness Center & Business Center Catering & Banquet Facilities

www.RegencyFairbanksHotel.com

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

53

Welcome to the Solstice Midnight Sun Festival a true Fairbanks event

By CHRISTOPHER ESHLEMAN ceshleman@newsminer.com

T

he Midnight Sun Festival is Fairbanks’ biggest annual single-day event, encompassing about a dozen square blocks downtown.

The event regularly draws about 40,000 people a year and, during the past two summers, has stepped up to incorporate modern features like breakdancing.

“We have a lot of new booths this year,” said Marisha Gardisser, who coordinates events for the Downtown Association of Fairbanks.

The 12-hour event, sponsored in part by BP, begins at noon and includes 150 booths ranging from food to crafts to games. It also features a historic car display and three stages of live music and performances.

The event will also feature, for the first time in three years, a popular 20-by-30-foot remote control car racetrack, Gardisser said.

Bands will include Cold Steel, Legends of Rock

Pat Michels/News-Miner

A sea of people descended on the Midnight Sun Festival, filling the streets downtown.

DID YOU KNOW? • The longest day: June 21 (sunset at 12:48 a.m., sunrise at 2:59 a.m.)

• Fairbanks is located at 64.8380 degrees north, 147.7160 degrees W

Unplugged and Solstice Complex.

This will be the first year bands are allowed to sell T-

shirts, CDs and other merchandise during performances, Gardisser said.

Parking will be free in the downtown area.

Last year’s event broadened to include graffiti displays and a breakdancing competition dubbed “BreakFast.” Sign up for this year’s breakdancing competition, which will feature three categories — three-onthree, one-on-one and footwork — at the Downtown Association of Fairbanks’ Web site, www. downtownfairbanks.com.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Gold Dredge No. 8 Staff Report

G

spend the day visiting the site on their own.

Directions: Head north on the Steese Expressway; turn left on Goldstream Road, left again on the Old Steese Highway, and the dredge will be about 1/3 of a mile on the right.

Transportation options: Visitors can either hook up with Gray Line of Alaska and enjoy Gold Dredge No. 8 as part of their Discover The Gold Tour, or visit on their own.

Web site: www.golddredgeno8.com or www.graylinealaska. com.

Styles By CB & Company

Your salon in the heart of Fairbanks.

524 Third Avenue, Suite A In the 2St. Station Caribou Bldg.

456-3313

10334019-5-3-08VG

old Dredge No. 8 offers visitors to the Interior a chance to see a piece of the gold mining history in action.

The dredge is one of a string of floating gold dredges that operated in the Goldstream Valley in the middle of the last century.

The five-deck, 250-foot dredge was built in Goldstream and spent 32 years traveling up Lower Goldstream Creek to Engineer Creek and back — more than 13 miles — scooping up hundreds of thousands of ounces of gold as it went.

It was one of four dredges operated by the F.E. Co. in the area and was the only one to spend its entire production life in Goldstream.

It was shut down in 1959 and is now a popular tourist attraction, owned by Gray Line of Alaska. The massive dredge is surrounded by period

bunkhouses, a wash house, warehouses, railroad cars and dredge master’s office giving it the feel of an authentic gold camp.

Many of the buildings were moved from Fairbanks a few years ago and house museum exhibits.

Scattered around the site are prehistoric tusks and bones that were often found during dredging. The site is listed as a National Historic Site and a National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark.

Visitors are given a poke of paydirt and given the opportunity to pan for gold.

Admission: Adults $25, Children $12.50 Gold Dredge No. 8 also offers lunch for an additional $9.75.

The Miner’s Buffet features allyou-can-eat beef stew with biscuits and blueberry crumb cake for dessert.

Hours: Guided tours are offered hourly from 9:30 a.m.2:30 p.m., but visitors can

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

54

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Fairbanks Campgrounds Pioneer Park 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks.

459-1087 The paved parking lot has 80 spots for RVs. No hookups. No tents allowed. No dump station on site. Potable water available.

Rates: $12 per night for a maximum stay of four consecutive nights.

Register at the information booth just inside the park’s front gate.

Chena Lake Recreation Area Mile 346 Richardson Highway.

488-1655 A total of 82 campsites, including locations near the lake and along the Chena River. Spots for tents and RVs. No utility hookups. Drinking water available in hand pumps. Dump station on site.

Rates: $10 a night for tents; $12 a night for RVs. A 10-night maximum stay is enforced. No reservations allowed.

An annual camping pass is available for $120.

Canoe, rowboats, kayaks and paddle boats rentals available.

Lake has designated swimming area without lifeguard. Lake is stocked with fish. Playground,

Noel Wien Library 459-1020 1215 Cowles Street - Fairbanks 10 AM 10 AM 10 AM 1 PM

– – – –

9 6 5 5

PM PM PM PM

Monday-Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday (Sept. -May)

horseshoe pits, volleyball nets and basketball courts available. Vending machines on site.

Chena Marina RV Park & Resort 1145 Shypoke Drive 479-4653 Fifty-nine campground spaces, most with electric and water hookups. Rates: $20 to $49.

WIFI, “Klondinental” breakfast, video lending library, free showers, coin-operated laundry and RV wash on site.

Chena River State Recreation Site 221 University Avenue, Fairbanks. 452-PARK(7275) Campground has 61 sites with some hookups. Spots for tents and RVs. Dumpstation and potable water on site.

Rates: $10 for tents, $17 for dry spots, $25 for hookups.

Picnic areas, boat launch, playground, trail system. Close to restaurants and shopping centers.

No showers.

Ester Gold Camp Closed this year for renovations

North Pole Branch Library 488-6101 601 Snowman Lane – North Pole 11 AM – 9 PM 11 AM – 6 PM 11 AM – 5 PM

Tuesday & Wednesday Thursday & Friday Saturday

Children’s Story Garden, glorious flower beds, and neighboring park with wildflower garden at Noel Wien

Free Internet!

• Computers with high-speed access • USB support for most cameras and thumb drives • Wireless and hardwired access for personal laptops

4140 Boat Street, Fairbanks.

474-0286 A total of 188 spots, from dry sites to full service. Dump station on site.

Rates: $19.95 for tents, $29.95 for partial hookups, $32.95 for full hookups. Good Sam discounts.

Free showers, and shuttles to Fairbanks destinations available.

Gift shop, RV wash station and laundry facility on site.

Riverview RV Park 1316 Badger Road. 488-6392 Campground offers 161 spots including full hookups, 30/50 amp service, dry RV sites, tent sites.

Cable television available.

Most spots can accommodate RVs up to 70 feet long.

Rates: $34.95 a night, $37.85 with full hookup. Good Sam discounts available: $31.65 a night, $34.35 with full hookup.

Showers, laundry, phones, complimentary WIFI Internet and a free vehicle wash are available. Grocery store with ATM on site. River fishing access and three-hole golf course.

Santaland RV Park

Plus:

17337136-5-3-08VG

Visit us on the web: www.library.fnsb.lib.ak.us

River’s Edge RV Park

1463 Wescott Garden Lane.

488-0295 Sixty-five campsites with full hookups and additional spots for tents. Dump station on site.

Rates: $120 weekly; $400 monthly. Discounts available.

Showers and laundry on site.

and compute - while sipping your favorite covered beverage

Temporary Library Cards – $20 non-refundable fee Local newspapers from the early 1900’s +, old phone books Local history & travel information Newspapers – local, regional & international Photocopiers & printers Free paperback exchange & used books for sale Special summer children’s activities and events Artwork by well-known Alaskan artists throughout Noel Wien Phone books for all of Alaska & northwest Canada and pay phones

1925 Chena Landing Loop.

451-8250 or 388-6388 Total of 52 campsites available including 15 with full hookups.

Tent spots also available. Dump station and potable water on site.

Rates: $15 a night for tents; $15 to $26 a night for RVs. Internet connections, laundry facility, showers and bathrooms.

Road’s End RV Park — 10

Bright, cheerful air conditioned areas to sit, read, listen, converse,

• • • • • • • • •

Ice Alaska Park and RV Campground

125 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole. 488-9123 More than 80 spots ranging from self-contained to full hookup as well as 50-amps. No tents.

Dump station on site.

Rates: from $24.95 to $34.95 a day. Good Sam discounts.

Free showers, cable TV and WIFI available. Daily shuttle service to area attractions. Next to the famed Santa Claus House.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

55

Alaska Campgrounds DENALI REGION McKinley RV Park Mile 248 Parks Highway (907) 683-2379 Open May 1-Sept. 24 75 sites, 13 with full hook-ups Sani-dump, laundry, restrooms, showers

Denali Riverside RV Park Mile 240 Parks Highway (907) 388-1748 Open June 10-Aug. 25 72 sites, 61 with partial hookups Sani-dump, restrooms, laundry, showers

Denali Rainbow Village & RV Park Mile 238.6 Parks Highway (907) 683-7777. Open May 15Sept. 15. 70 sites, 20 full hookups, 50 partial. Internet, TV, Sani-dump, restrooms, showers, laundry

Denali Grizzly Bear Resort Mile 231 Parks Highway (866) 583-2696. Open mid-May - mid-Sept. 63 sites, 34 tent sites, 29 sites with partial hook-ups.

TV, Internet, Sani-dump. Restrooms, laundry, showers

Cantwell RV Park Mile 209.9 Parks Highway, Cantwell. (800) 940-2210 Open May 15-September 79 sites, 76 partial hook-ups Internet, laundry, Sani-dump Restrooms, showers

SOUTH RICHARDSON HIGHWAY Kenny Lake Mercantile & RV Park Mile 7.2 Edgerton Highway Off the Richardson Highway.

(907) 822-3313. 19 sites, 10 with partial hook-ups. Diner, Internet, nine tent sites. Sani-dump, laundry, showers, restrooms

230 E. Egan Drive (907) 835-4425 Open May 1-Sept. 15

Bear Paw Camper Park, Valdez 101 North Harbor Drive (907) 835-2530 Open May 1-Sept. 30 113 sites, 87 with full hookups. Internet, TV, 20 tent sites Sani-dump, restrooms, showers, laundry

Eagle’s Rest RV Park & Cabins, Valdez 139 East Pioneer Drive (907) 835-2373 Open May-October 296 sites, 182 with full hookups 50 tent sites, phones Laundry, showers and restrooms TV and Internet

TOK CUTOFF/ TAYLOR HIGHWAY Chicken Gold Camp, the Original 66.4 Mile Taylor Highway (907) 235-6396 Open May 15-Sept. 15 24 RV sites, four pull-thrus, four partial hook-ups, Sanidump.

Laundromat, Internet, showers. Chickenrvpark@gmail.com

Chicken Creek RV Park 66.8 Mile Taylor Highway (907) 883-5081 38 sites, 24 sites with electrical only Sani-dump, restrooms, gift shop. travelalaska@starband.net www.townofchicken.com

Border City RV Park & Hotel Mile 1225.5 Alaska Highway (907) 774-2205 32 sites, 31 pull-thru sites Full hook-ups, 20 tent sites TV, Internet, Sani-dump Restooms, showers

78 RV sites, 10 tent sites, cafe 22 sites full hook-up TV, Internet, laundry, showers

Tok RV Village 1313.4 Alaska Highway (907) 883-5877 162 sites, 103 full hook-ups Restrooms, showers TV, Internet, Sani-dump

Gakona Alaska RV Park, Gakona Mile Post 4.25 Tok Cut Off (907) 822-3550 Open May 1-Sept. 30 85 sites, 48 with full hook-ups Six cabins, 16 tent sites TV, Internet, Sani-dump, laundry, restrooms and showers

Grizzly Lake Campground, Slana Mile 53 Tok Cut-Off (907) 822-5214 Open May 1-Oct. 1 24 sites, no hook-ups Restrooms, showers Sani-dump

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

GLENN HIGHWAY Tolsona Wilderness Campground, Glennallen Mile 173 Glenn Highway (907) 822-3865 Open May 20-Sept. 10 80 sites, 40 partial hook-ups Internet, laundry, Sani-dump Restrooms, showers

ALASKAN

PHOTOGRAPHIC REPAIR SERVICE USED CAMERAS & LENSES Digital and Film Repairs

WE SELL • Ilford Film • Batteries • Filters • Accessories •Tripods • Camera Bags • Digital Media Cards

Our 34th Year

Sourdough Campground No. 1 Prospector Way, Tok (907) 883-5543

Downtown Fairbanks 551 2nd Ave., Suite 221 Lavery Bldg. (upstairs) P.O. Box 71127, Fairbanks, AK 99707

452-8819 Mon.-Fr. 8 a.m. - 11 a.m. & 12:15 p.m. - 5 p.m.

10334857-5-3-08VG

Bayside RV Park, Valdez

96 sites, 70 with full hook-ups TV, restrooms and showers Laundry, Sani-dump

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

56

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Trans-Alaska Pipeline 800-mile line a marvel of modern engineering Staff Report

BY THE NUMBERS

T

he trans-Alaska oil pipeline is a marvel of modern engineering that has been the lifeblood of the state’s economy for more than three decades.

The pipeline takes crude oil on a nearly 800-mile journey from Alaska’s North Slope on the Beaufort Sea to the port of Valdez on Prince William Sound. When workers from around the country completed the pipeline in 1977, the project represented the largest privately funded construction effort in history, costing $8 billion.

The Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., created by a consortium of oil companies, built the pipeline and still operates it today out of a main office in Anchorage, with field offices in Fairbanks and Valdez. Although production on Alaska’s North Slope has been in decline since 1988, the pipeline still supplies about 17 percent of America’s oil needs and has pumped more than 15 billion barrels since oil began flowing on June 20, 1977.

The 48-inch pipeline crosses an active fault line, three mountain ranges and hundreds of rivers and creeks. Even though it is only a few feet wide, the pipeline covers more than 16 square miles of Alaska. Much of the pipeline is buried and special ventilators are used to keep the permafrost frozen and the line stable.

Sam Harrel/News-Miner

The trans-Alaska oil pipeline passes the information kiosk along the Steese Highway, a great place to learn about the pipeline's history and construction.

While small plane operators will offer aerial tours of the pipeline, the Fairbanks area boasts several spectacular places to view the pipeline by car.

• A small turnout eight miles down the Steese Highway between Fairbanks and Fox is one of the best places to get close to the pipeline. Visitors can get out and touch the pipeline and read about the construction effort on several informational displays.

• The Richardson Highway near Big Delta offers an impressive view of the pipeline crossing

• 8 billion — the cost of the project in the 1970s • 21,000 — the number of people who worked on the pipeline at the peak of its construction • 800 — approximate length of the pipeline, in miles • 120 degrees fahrenheit — the temperature of oil as it travels through the pipeline • 48 — the diameter of the pipeline, in inches • 31 — the number of people killed during construction

the Tanana River on a custom suspension bridge.

• The gravel Dalton Highway connects Fairbanks with Deadhorse on the North Slope an offers several viewing opportunities along the 414-mile trip.

Known locally as “the haul road” because it remains a busy thoroughfare for supply trucks heading north, the Dalton Highway is now open to the public and provides many opportunities to view the pipeline.

The pipeline is also visible in many places as it parallels the Richardson Highway between Fairbanks and the end of the line at tidewater in Valdez.

Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race Staff Report

T

he Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race is touted as the “Toughest Sled Dog Race in the World.”

And it begins or ends (depending on the year) right

Nestled on the Banks of the Chena River…

3228 Riverview Dr. Fairbanks, AK 99709

907-474-8439 Minutes to airport, downtown, university and major attractions.

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info@dreamalaskabb.com www.dreamalaskabb.com

here in Fairbanks on the frozen Chena River each and every year. Mushers from all over the world pit themselves and their teams of dogs against the harsh northern climate. The race trail goes over four mountain passes, rivers, glare ice and even open water, and with only seven checkpoints out on the trail, mushers must be self-sufficient and camp-out in temperatures that can drop to 60 below.

Merely completing the journey from Whitehorse to Fairbanks is a feat.

To learn more about the Yukon Quest, visit the Dog Mushers’ Museum located in the same building as the Fairbanks Community Museum on the corner of Fifth Avenue and Cushman Street. Admission is free,

but donations are appreciated.

The museum features an extensive history of Alaska’s state sport, and there are a number of old sleds and other gear on display. Also featured is a wall dedicated to the fascinating history and characters of the Yukon Quest.

A limited number of Yukon Quest souvenirs are available at the downtown location, but for a better selection and some other interesting interpretive displays, visit the Yukon Quest cabin at Pioneer Park. A knowledgable race enthusiast is at the cabin in the park from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily to answer all your questions.

For more information, call the Yukon Quest office at (907) 4527954.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

57

El Dorado Gold Mine Get grubby and pan for real gold in Alaska Staff Report

F

airbanks was founded as a gold rush town, and today visitors can still see what life was like in those early days by visiting the El Dorado Gold Mine.

Finding gold in the 19th century was hard work. Back then, prospectors chipped away at the ground with pick axes and slowly washed the dirt away from the gold — if any — in their pans.

Gold miners can still do that, but the El Dorado Gold Mine has made it a little easier for the rookies.

El Dorado is located in Fox, about a 15-minute drive north from Fairbanks on the Steese Highway. A tour of the mine gives visitors the chance to see how early miners practiced their trade, see a permafrost tunnel and take a train ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad.

The route is near the gold rush train route that took freight and passengers from the Tanana and Chena rivers to more than a doz-

IF YOU GO Tours Sunday-Friday at 9:45 a.m. and 3 p.m. and Saturday at 3 p.m. only Admission $34.95 for adults, $24.45 for children ages 3-12 Directions Take the Steese Highway north from Fairbanks to Fox and continue straight on the Elliott Highway.

The entrance is at Mile 1.3 Elliott Highway, approximately 10 miles north of Fairbanks.

en gold camps in the Interior.

The tour begins with the locomotive. Passengers hop on and travel through a permafrost tunnel and past the steam winch that once carried the buckets of paydirt from the ground to be processed.

The conductor is accomplished

fiddler Earl Hughes, who entertains riders by playing such songs as the “Wabash Cannonball” and other favorites.

While in the tunnel, visitors get a quick lesson on underground mining.

The passengers then arrive at the gold camp and are greeted by Yukon Yonda and her husband, Dexter Clark. The duo gives a demonstration on mining techniques and swaps old mining stories. Visitors also learn about modern gold mining and its importance to Alaska’s economy.

After the two-hour tour ends, everyone gets a shot at panning for gold.

It is suggested that visitors dress in layers and wear comfortable shoes and a jacket.

Transportation options: A $5 shuttle ride is available from the Riverboat Discovery, River’s Edge RV Park, River’s Edge Cottages, Pike’s Waterfront Lodge, and the Fairbanks visitor’s center.

Visit www.eldoradogoldmine. com for more information or call (866) 479-6673 or (907) 479-6673.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Chill Out at the Ice Museum

By AMANDA BOHMAN abohman@newsminer.com

E

What: Fairbanks Ice Museum, 500 Second Ave. When: May 1 through Sept. 30, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Tickets: $12 adults, $11 military and seniors, $6 children 6 years old to 12 years old and $2 children 5 and under Info: 907-451-8222 or www.icemuseum.com

A short film is played in the darkened theater on a large screen and features popular October-through-March activities in the far north.

Part of the film is dedicated to the World Ice Art Championships, an event drawing some of the world’s best ice sculptors to Fairbanks every March.

“The concept is really to show the people who come to Fairbanks in the summertime what it’s like in Fairbanks in the wintertime, which is three quarters of the

year,” Brickley said.

Champion sculptor An Zhe of China is one of the artists demonstrating his skills at the ice museum this year. Zhe belonged to the team that won second place this year in the ice art championships’ multi-block competition, realistic category, for the sculpture “Arctic Village.”

Four flat-screen televisions hang on the theater’s walls for additional viewing of the town’s winter activities. Ice cream and souvenirs are available.

Book all your travel online at: WWW.AMAZINGVACATION.ORG Home based travel agents wanted WWW.GETTRAVEL.BIZ

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njoy a slice of winter in Fairbanks at the historic Lacey Street Theater, home of the Fairbanks Ice Museum, the “coolest show in town.”

For up to $12 a ticket, museum-goers may watch a 19minute film, see an ice sculpting demonstration and take in four ice-sculpted scenes. The ice sculptures are kept in display cases that surround the theater’s 143 seats. Bring a sweater and a camera. The cases are kept at 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Visitors can go inside and take a look and take pictures of these displays and really experience the temperatures in the March time frame,” said Dick Brickley, who owns the museum with his wife.

One ice sculpture is of a dog musher with a team of sled dogs.

The musher’s face is hollowed out for picture-taking.

The museum also features an ice xylophone and sculptures of wildlife, including bears, seals and walruses.

IF YOU GO

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

58

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Of Curators & Culture Museum of the North offers range of exhibits Staff Report

W

IF YOU GO • Admission: $10 adults; $9 seniors; $5 ages 6-17; free for children younger than 6; tour groups may receive a discount at the front desk.

• Summer hours: 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily, May 15 through Sept. 15 • Location: University of Alaska Fairbanks upper campus • Getting there: The Fairbanks North Star Borough public transportation system has routes to the UAF campus. From there, shuttles are available to the museum.

• Did you know?: The museum presents the best of its research collection, which includes 1.4 million artifacts and specimens ranging from polar dinosaurs to contemporary art.

• Best bet: The museum store offers a broad collection of Alaska books, artwork and jewelry.

• Info: (907) 474-7505 or www.uaf.edu/museum

strations. It is shown at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily.

“Winter” gives visitors an insight into Alaska’s longest season by showing natural adaptation to life in the cold and the activities that sustain Alaskans through the winter. It is shown at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily.

At 7 p.m. daily the museum hosts “Gallery Talk: 2,000 years of Alaskan art.”

The special exhibit from May 17 through Nov. 30 will be “Hunting and Trapping in Alaska’s Interior: Our Stories, Our Lives,” in the special exhibits gallery.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Beluga Nights

THURSDAY | JULY 17 | 8:10PM Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival Jazz on the Lawn

SUNDAY | JULY 27 | 6PM Alaska’s Own Bearfoot

SUNDAY | AUGUST 3 | 6PM Millie and the Mentshn Beluga Field, lower UAF campus near the student recreation center. Free fun for the whole family.

Please bring your own chairs and blankets.

No dogs or alcohol.

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ith its distinctive curved design and gleaming architecture atop the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, the UA Museum of the North serves as both a major attraction and vital component of the university’s research and education facilities.

The building design was inspired by Alaska themes, such as ice and plate art, with the curved walls, soaring ceilings and eclectic spaces created to make visitors feels as if they’ve stepped into a glacier. Huge south-facing windows offer powerful views of the Tanana Valley, Alaska Range and Mount McKinley.

The museum’s exhibit highlights include a 2,000-year spectrum of Alaska art, from ancient ivory carvings to contemporary paintings and sculpture. The attractions include “Blue Babe,” a 36,000-year-old mummified steppe bison and a large display of gold and minerals.

A highlight of the displays is the Rose Berry Art Gallery. In the center of the gallery, a ramp leads to three of its most treasured pieces — “Mt. McKinley,” an oil landscape by Sydney Laurence; the “Okvik Madonna,” a 2,000-year-old ivory carving; and a gorgeous fur parka.

For a unique listening experience, The Place Where You Go To Listen offers a changing sound and light installation created by John Luther Adams.

The visual and audio sensations change throughout the day, driven by the real-time positions of the sun and moon, seismic activity and the aurora.

The Alaska Classics Gallery offers a floor-to-ceiling display of historic paintings from the museum’s collection.

A resource desk and computer kiosk links to Alaska’s Digital Archives to give visitors more information on the artists, their work and Alaska history and Native cultures.

The museum’s summer shows, “Dynamic Aurora” and “Winter,” run from June 1 to Aug. 31. A $5 show pass in addition to regular museum admission is required to watch the shows.

“Dynamic Aurora” explains the northern lights from scientific and cultural perspectives, using high-speed video, digital animations and hands-on demon-

Presented by UAF Wood Center Student Activities, UAF Wood Center Nanook Traditions and Summer Sessions. You may bring your own picnic or food may be available for purchase from UAF Dining Service. For more information, please visit www.uaf.edu/activity or call 474-7037.

UAF is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and educational institution. A Division of Student and Enrollment Services.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

59

Botanical Garden

John Hagen/News-Miner

A Hillcrest Fiesta Dahlia graces the Georgeson Botanital Garden.

Staff Report

P

lants need to be tough to survive the Interior Alaska winter, and the Georgeson Botanical Garden provides a peek at many of the hardy vegetables and flowers that are up to the challenge.

The garden, located on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, includes more than 1,000 trees, shrubs and other perennials, along with giant vegetables and flowering plants.

The nationally recognized garden is dedicated to the study and conservation of northern plant species, and generally attracts more than 30,000 visitors each year.

Georgeson began as the Horticultural Demonstration Garden in 1905. Through the years it has transformed from an annual flower and vegetable garden to a landscaped botanical garden.

From the beginning, the purpose of the garden was to give researchers a chance to learn which crops would grow best in the harsh climate of the Interior, which features short, intense summers and long, cold winters.

Techniques for crop production are studied at Georgeson, with the results passed on to local Alaskans.

The area includes areas for children, a pond, peony beds, sculpture and areas for quiet reflection and wildlife viewing.

Many of the plants in the garden have been collected on trips to China, Russia and Iceland.

UAF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and educational institution.

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES

Beluga Nights

SUNDAY | JUNE 15 | 6PM UAF Summer Music Academy’s Kaleidoscope of Music

SUNDAY | JUNE 29 | 6PM Jammin’ Salmon Dixieland Band Beluga Field, lower UAF campus near the student recreation center. Free fun for the whole family.

Please bring your own chairs and blankets.

No dogs or alcohol.

IF YOU GO

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Presented by UAF Wood Center Student Activities, UAF Wood Center Nanook Traditions and Summer Sessions. You may bring your own picnic or food may be available for purchase from UAF Dining Service. For more information, please visit www.uaf.edu/activity or call 474-7037.

UAF is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and educational institution. A Division of Student and Enrollment Services.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Admission: $2 adults; children 12 and younger, free Hours: 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily; Gift shop 9:30 a.m.5:30 p.m.

Guided tours: Free at 2 p.m. Fridays; group tours are available at other times for $5 per person, and may be scheduled at 474-6921 Location: 117 W. Tanana Drive, University of Alaska Fairbanks campus Information: www.uaf. edu/snras/gbg

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

60

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

I N

A CAMPUS CONNECTION

F A I R B A N K S

New Summer Hours!

The UA Museum of the North isn’t the only attraction at the University of Fairbanks Campus this summer. UAF is a Land, Sea and Space Grant and offers tours of some of its cutting edge research centers. • Geophysical Institute: The institute plays a large part in polar research. It also collects earthquake and volcano data.

Tours: Wednesdays, 2:30 p.m. from June 4-Aug. 27. No tour July 4. Reservations preferred. Call 474-7558 for information. • International Arctic Research Center: The IARC is headquarters for scientists studying arctic and global climate. Tours: Wednesdays, 4 p.m. from June 4- Aug. 27. Reservations preferred. Call 474-7558 for more information. • Poker Flat Research Range: Poker Flats is the only university-owned rocket range in the world. Tours: June 12, 26; July 10, 24; Aug. 9, 14; tours start at 1:30 p.m. Please make reservations for groups of 10 or more. Call 4747558 for more information. • Cold Climate Housing Research Center: Learn about new ideas for building homes in cold climates. These ideas include sustainable, affordable and energy-efficient approaches. There is also a library open during the week. Tours: Thursdays at 2 p.m.

Call 474-2404 or 457-3454 for more information or visit www. cchrc.org.

%SBNBUJD BSDIJUFDUVSF BOE OFX FYIJCJU HBMMFSJFT NBLF UIF NVTFVN BO FYUSBPSEJOBSZ EFTUJOBUJPO Explore 2,000 years of Alaska art in the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery.

Discover fascinating stories about Alaska’s cultures, places and wildlife in the award-winning Gallery of Alaska.

Experience our summer multimedia auditorium shows Dynamic Aurora and Winter.

Visit the special exhibit Hunting & Trapping in Alaska’s Interior: Our Stories, Our Lives.

Shop for gifts and Alaska Native art in the Museum Store.

MAPS

Enjoy our Audio Guide and Museum Cafe.

GREA Alaska & Canadian T GIFT topographic maps IDEA S! • National Geographic™ maps & posters • Space & aurora posters & books • Nautical charts & more...

•

Extended Summer Hours (May 15 – September 15)

9 AM - 7 PM Daily

474-6960

Admission charged.

Visa/MasterCard accepted.

GEOPHYSICAL INSTITUTE Photo by Patricia Fisher

MAP OFFICE International Arctic Research Center 930 Koyukuk Drive, Room 204, UAF Campus One block west of UAF museum Designated customer parking Curbside metered parking

Open Mon.-Fri., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Closed 5/26, 7/3 & 7/4, 9/1 Shipping available

maps@gi.alaska.edu www.gi.alaska.edu/services/mapoffice/ UAF is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer & educational institution.

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An AA/EO employer and educational institution.

24-hour information r XXX VBG FEV NVTFVN 0QFO ZFBS SPVOE PO UIF 6"' $BNQVT

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

61

Chena Hot Springs Resort There’s something for everyone at the springs

C

ALASKA GRIZZLY LODGE Bed & Breakfast Charming, Comfortable Rooms 4 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road Fairbanks, AK 99712 (907) 488-7475 (907) 488-0293 grizzlylodge@acsalaska.net www.alaskagrizzlylodge.com

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hena Hot Springs Resort became famous for curing ailing prospectors of their aches and pains as far back as 1905.

Just six years later, the property 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks at the end of Chena Hot Springs Road contained a stable, bathhouse and 12 small cabins for visitors.

The resort was on its way to becoming one of the biggest attractions in Interior Alaska and a reprieve from the daily grind for locals.

As word of the hot springs spread, Alaska’s delegate to Congress, James Wickersham, asked the Department of Agriculture to analyze the waters.

Results showed the water was unique to Chena.

The principal characteristics of the Chena Hot Springs waters consisted of sulfate, chloride and sodium bicarbonate.

In fact, it was similar to the waters of the Felsenquelle, one of the famous springs at Carls-

bad in Bohemia.

The resort is powered by the state’s first and only geothermal power plant.

Take a tour and learn how the plant runs the entire resort on the warm water from underground.

Chena Hot Springs has become a pioneer in alternative energy in the state and recently completed a facility to produce its own hydrogen.

The resort also boasts the only year-round ice museum in the world, the Aurora Ice Museum and Stolis Ice Bar. Have an ice martini in your own martini glass made from pure Alaskan ice, see the turret, the chess set, the reindeer hide-covered beds or celebrate a wedding in the ice chapel.

Accommodations range from modern hotel rooms to yurts and log cabins. The bar and restaurant offer a variety of cuisine.

Chena Hot Springs is removed from the hustle and bustle of Fairbanks and boasts Please see CHENA, Page 62

All trails lead to…

Pleasant Valley Store

(907) 488-9501

23.5 Mile Chena Hot Springs Road Gas • Groceries Sporting Goods • Ice Alaskan Gifts Information Alaska Hunting/Fishing License Post Office pleasantvalleystore.net

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

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By JILLIAN ROGERS jrogers@newsminer.com

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

62

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Steese Highway Where the pavement stops, the adventure begins Staff Report he 160-mile Steese Highway retraces a century of historic gold mining. The first 53 miles are paved — the rest is an adventure.

It offers road access to the vast White Mountains Recreation Area, where you can pan for your own gold at Nome Creek at 57 Mile, as well as hike, fish and camp.

Much of the area was burned by a massive wildfire in 2004, so please use caution.

The Steese Highway winds through the scenic Chatanika River Valley. The town of Chatanika, now erased by mining activity, was once 10,000 people strong. Chatanika Gold Camp is the site of the old Fairbanks Exploration Co. Camp, built in the 1920s. The camp is on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit www.fegoldcamp.com.

Just down the road at 28.5

Mile is a large rustic cedar lodge, across the street from Gold Dredge No. 3. The Chatanika Lodge was established in the 1930s as a trading post.

The lodge’s Alaska decor showcases its hearty fare, with a full kitchen serving breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Stop off at Long Creek Trading Post at 45 Mile for an espresso or ice cream.

The trading post also offers canoe rentals, groceries, camping, liquor and local advice on good fishing and gold panning spots.

RV parking and a dump station are also available.

A 2.5-mile loop offers access to the Davidson Ditch.

The ditch is an 83-mile series of ditches, siphons and pipes once used to carry water from a small man-made dam on the Chatanika River to the gold dredges of Fox and Chatanika.

It was one of the largest

Chena

facility includes: • Rock Lake • an indoor heated swimming pool • indoor and outdoor hot tubs • a complementary pool pass for for hotel guests all hotspring facilities

T

Continued from Page 61

beautiful grounds and facilities in a clean, healthy and beautiful natural environment. The

24 Hour Gas • Diesel ATM • Showers Full-Service Restaurant Groceries • Ice • Liquor Propane • Phone

Besides the famed springs, the resort includes a myriad of other activities perfect for families, couples or the solo traveler.

They include: • ATV excursions • mountain-bike rentals • gold panning • canoeing 101 • guided horseback riding • horse-drawn carriage rides • dog sled rides • flightseeing • guided fishing Call (907) 451-8104 for reservations or more information.

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

Rustic Alaskan Atmosphere

Saloon•Country Cooking•Lodging Fishing & Hiking Nearby Live music by Theresa Bauer Sunday afternoons 4-8pm

907-389-2164 Fax: 907-389-2166

5760 (281⁄2 Mi.) Steese Hwy. Fairbanks, AK 99712

chatanika.ak@att.net

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5.5 mile Elliott Hwy. • 15 minutes from Fairbanks Open 5 a.m. – Midnight • (907) 389-7600

engineered projects in the world when it was built in 1925.

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

After coasting down Eagle Summit to the town of Central, about 128 miles north of Fairbanks, travelers enter the Circle Mining District, which features many active mines.

The road ends on the banks of the Yukon River. The river is two miles wide at this point.

CHATANIKA LODGE

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*Limit 2 Per Visit – Not Valid With Any Other Offer exp. 12/08

... to drive the winding road to Circle, on the banks of the Yukon River. Before gold was discovered in Dawson City, Circle, founded in 1893, was the largest gold mining town on the river.

Ron & Shirley Franklin

Hand-Dipped Ice Cream Famous Homemade Pies!

Use this ad for $2 Off any Meal Purchase*

DON’T FORGET

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Whitehorse Come see the sights of the Yukon capital

By JILLIAN ROGERS jrogers@newsminer.com

Whitehorse Wann Rd Vicinity

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12th Ave

Downtown Whitehorse

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Two Mile Hill Rd Hamilton Blvd

Qwanlin Mall Yukon Center Bus depot MacBride Museum Train depot Visitor Center Yukon Gov. Bldg.

Library

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Airport

Downtown Whitehorse

Robert Service Rd To Dawson Creek

those notorious rapids no longer exist.

In 1957 and 1958, the Whitehorse Dam was built and the rapids disappeared under Schwatka

Lake, which along with the equally notorious Miles Canyon is just a short walk from downtown Please see WHITEHORSE, Page 64

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

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hitehorse is located approximately 550 miles from Fairbanks via the famous Alaska Highway, on the banks of the Yukon River. It is named after the Yukon River rapids that, more than 100 years ago, capsized boats and claimed lives of those hopeful gold-seekers heading to Dawson City for the Klondike Gold Rush.

The whitecaps were said to look like raging white horses.

The town was born just past those churning waters where exhausted stampeders would stop to regroup.

By 1901, as the gold rush in Dawson was fizzling out, Whitehorse had the makings of a bustling town with stores, churches and the famous White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad.

Named the capital of the Yukon Territory in 1953, Whitehorse is now a city of 20,000 and

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64

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Whitehorse Continued from Page 63

via a paved walking path along the river.

Must sees When visiting Whitehorse, start with a walking tour hosted by the Yukon Historical and Museums Association. The tour starts each day at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. from May until August at the corner of Third Avenue and Wood Street in LePage Park.

The McBride Museum on First Avenue offers visitors the chance to learn about the rich and colorful history of Whitehorse through photographs and interpretive displays. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer and costs $5 for adults. Just down the street is the historical White Pass and Yukon Route Railroad Depot.

The Yukon Transportation Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. seven days a week, the museum contains artifacts from different eras and many different modes of transportation.

Admission is $6 for adults.

Jillian Rogers photo

The S.S. Klondike National Historic Site rests on the shores of the Yukon River in Whitehorse and is open daily for tours.

Back downtown, the S.S. Klondike National Historical Site pays tribute to paddlewheeler days of the Yukon. The S.S. Klondike was built in 1929 but sank just seven years later.

It was rebuilt in 1937 and is touted as the largest and last of the sternwheelers. It is open dai-

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

& LANDING

Milepost 275 Richardson Hwy Delta Junction AK, 99737 One-quarter mile from the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Tanana River Crossing Tel. 907-895-4201 Fax 907-895-4787 www.rikas.com

Roadhouse Gift Shop Pavilion Restaurant & Bakery “Best food on the Alaska Highway!”

–Seattle Intelligencer

RV PARKING Ample turn-around space

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IKA’S OADHOUSE

ly for tours. Call (800) 661-0486 for hours and more information.

For the more adventurous types, rent a canoe, kayak or mountain bike downtown at Kanoe People. Phone (867) 6684899 for more information or email info@kanoepeople.com.

Also check out the Frantic Follies vaudeville revue at the Westmark Whitehorse on Wood Street, the Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre (with a cast of the largest woolly mammoth skeleton ever recovered) on the Alaska Highway, a botanical garden, a wildlife preserve, museums and the world’s largest weather vane, a DC 3 spinning on a pole at the airport.

Located 18 miles from downtown Whitehorse, Takhini Hot Springs offers a range of activities year-round, including, of course, swimming and soaking in the natural mineral springs.

For more information, see www.takhinihotsprings.yk.ca.

Open 24 hours 7 days a week Roadhouse and Restaurant Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

7 days a week Park & Dump Station Open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

65

Jillian Rogers photo

The Alaska Highway snakes along the shores of Kluane Lake in Yukon Territory, Canada.

Alaska Highway: A Wild Ride T

he Alaska Highway, also referred to as the Alcan Highway, runs from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon.

The end of the highway, completed in 1943, is near Milepost 1422, where it meets the Richardson Highway in Delta Junction, about 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. All of the Alaska Highway is paved, although highway improvement projects — such as the Shakwak Project between Haines Junction and

found along the Alaska Highway an average of every 20 to 50 miles. The longest stretch Please see ALCAN, Page 66

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Tenderfoot pottery OPEN

9 a.m. – 9 p.m. Daily Mile 294 Richardson Hwy. Between Fairbanks & Delta 907-895-4039 tenderfootpottery@gmail.com tenderfootpottery.com

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the border — often mean motorists have to drive on miles of gravel road through construction areas. Also, frost heaves, especially between Destruction Bay and the Alaska-Canada border have made the road bumpy, so be prepared to drive cautiously.

But the Alaska Highway is much improved from what is was even 20 years ago. During the 1980s, many of the rerouting and paving projects were completed. By 1992, the 50th anniversary of the Alaska Highway, the last section of original gravel road had been rerouted and paved.

Gas, food and lodging are

By JILLIAN ROGERS jrogers@newsminer.com

Alaska’s Friendly Frontier

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

2008 Events Friendly Frontier Days May

Deltana Fair July

4th of July Celebration July

Halloween Bash October

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

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Get Down and Boogie in Fox Small town’s dining, brews get rave reviews Staff Report

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ocated on the Steese Highway about 10 miles from Fairbanks, the hamlet of Fox was established as a mining camp in 1905, but is better known today for the sparkling water that flows from a spring outside of town and for its locally brewed beer, dining and dancing.

Fox boasts two of the “Best Restaurants” in 2008 in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner Readers’ Choice awards. Check out The Turtle Club, which features prime rib, seafood and salad bar, and Silver Gulch, a new addition to the Silver Gulch Brewery that’s been getting rave reviews from locals. The brewery also hosts public beer tastings Fridays from 5-6:30 p.m.

Check out the Howling Dog Saloon and get a feel for what

Alcan Continued from Page 67

without services is about 100 miles. Not all businesses are open year-round nor are most services available 24 hours a day, so be prepared by taking food and even extra fuel. The Milepost, www.milepost.com, is the definitive travel guide to the Alaska Highway and other highways in Alaska.

Remember that you will be driving in two different countries that use two different currencies. For the best rate, exchange your money at a bank. There are banks in Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson, Watson Lake, Whitehorse, Tok, Delta Junction, Haines Junction and ATMs in Destruction Bay and Beaver Creek. Haines Junction has a banking service at the general store.

Upon entering the Yukon Territory from British Columbia, the signpost forest in Watson Lake should be your first stop. The often-photographed forest was started by a U.S. Army soldier working on construction of the Alaska Highway in 1942 and is now home to more than 30,000 signs from all over the world. You can bring a sign from home to post, or pay to have one made on

the old-time roadhouses must have been like, where thirsty miners would congregate after a hard day’s work.

The Howling Dog moved from Ester to Fox in the mid-1970s.

Through the years, renovations have added a dance floor, including an extra barroom and a fullservice kitchen.

With its small-town camaraderie and rustic charm, it’s worth stepping inside “The Dog,” as it’s known to locals, just to mingle with the regulars, enjoy a locally made brew and gawk at the memorabilia that graces the walls and the ceilings.

Tourists and townies alike can get down and dirty to live music three or more nights a week.

Play horseshoes and volleyball out back or take home a T-shirt.

For more information, check out www.howlingdogsaloon.com.

Travelers have the option of turning the visit into an overnight stay by renting one of the rustic cabins scattered out back.

A pullout at 8 Mile Steese Highway provides an upclose and informative look at the Trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

The area is still actively mined and piles of tailings from the massive dredges that worked the area are still very much in evidence.

the spot if you’re there during the main tourist season. You can also learn about the aurora borealis at Watson Lake’s new Northern Lights Centre.

• Haines Junction/Kluane National Park Reserve Haines Junction, Yukon, established in 1942 during construction of the Alaska Highway, is on the eastern boundary of Kluane National Park Reserve, and the park visitor center is located in town. The preserve features extensive ice fields and mountains, and is a world-class adventure, travel and wilderness destination. You’ll find hiking trails of various difficulty, heli-hiking, fishing and trail rides. Haines Junction is also headquarters for the Tatshenshini-Alsek Wilderness Park, created in 1993 and known for its whitewater rafting.

• Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing Along the western shore of Kluane Lake, the largest lake in the Yukon, are two of the territory’s smaller communities, Destruction Bay and Burwash Landing. Both are on the Alaska Highway and are located in the Shakwak valley, on the perimeter of Kluane National Park. In Destruction Bay, Sejah’s Services and RV Park and the Talbot Arms Motel offer a range of accommodations, RV parking, restaurants, laundromat services, a general

store and a service station.

The Burwash Landing Museum is a must-see in the region and Duke River Trading, located in Burwash Landing, is a general store carrying mostly groceries.

The store also sells souvenirs, provides laundry facilities and operate an RV park with full hook-up and showers.

Burwash Landing Resort provides hotel/motel accommodation, camping, RV park with hook-up, restaurant, and lounge. Burwash Landing also has a cafeteria that caters to bus tours.

• The last Canadian community on the Alaska Highway is Beaver Creek.

Beaver Creek has a general store that operates only in the summer. There are three gas stations offering gasoline and diesel fuel.

One inn has a gift shop selling Yukon crafts. Individual First Nation members also sell authentic local crafts.

There are three inns with restaurants, two of which operate year-round. There is also a summer-only hostel that provides beds, TV and flush toilets. Hostel accommodations are at reasonable rates.

Have documents, identification, and your passport ready for the border crossing. If driving with your pet, have vaccination records ready.

BEST BET The Howling Dog Saloon is the place where tourists and townies can go to get down and boogie to live music. The saloon has an old-time roadhouse feel and offers locally made brew.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

67

Life in North Pole, Alaska Where the Christmas spirit lasts all year long

By JAN THACKER For the News-Miner

A

lthough it’s only about 13 miles south of Fairbanks, North Pole is a world unto itself. Of course, how could it not be, since it’s the home of Santa Claus and all things Christmas?

Over the years, North Pole businesses and residents have worked at living up to the name of their town. Many

Facts & Figures • Population: 1,750 in the city limits • Land area: 4.1 square miles in city limits • Record low: 78 below zero • Record high: 95

stores are decorated with a Christmas theme year round

and streets bear names like Santa Claus Lane, Snowman Lane, St. Nicholas Drive, Kris Kringle, Holiday Road, North Star Drive, Blitzen, and Donnor.

Once visitors to the area learn about North Pole, about Santa Claus House, what it’s like to live at 60 below or colder, and living with moose in the front yard, they are hooked.

Please see NORTH POLE, Page 68

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

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Visiting North Pole gets jotted onto their “must see” list.

So, what is it really like living in North Pole? Residents here are frequently asked why they would choose to live in North Pole when they could luxuriate under the big-city lights of Fairbanks.

Well, the theme “Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year Around,” pretty much sums it up.

It’s the people.

It’s going to the post office and talking to at least nine people you know.

It’s going for a walk and having half a dozen folks stop and ask if you need a ride.

It’s driving down Santa Claus Lane or going into Safeway and knowing many of the people you pass.

But beyond that, it’s the little things. It’s people looking out for one another and sharing each other’s burdens.

If you live in North Pole it doesn’t take long to know the mayor, city council members, fire department personnel and many of the store owners on a first-name basis.

In fact, it’s hard to live in North Pole and not know most of them.

We’re proud of our little town and the fact that Santa Claus lives here. Sometimes we might think it’s all a little hokey — the glitter and glitz of Christmas trappings in July

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Plack Rd

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

— but deep down we’re proud.

When we see a camera-toting tourist snapping pictures of Santa Claus House or posing in front of the reindeer pen it makes us puff up just a little bit.

There’s something wonderful about sending letters postmarked “North Pole, Alaska,” and living on streets named Mistletoe Lane or St. Nicholas Drive.

Life is a little slower and simpler in North Pole. You hardly ever see anyone in a suit, except for weddings and funerals. And over at City Hall, if you want to talk to the mayor you don’t need an appointment. You walk in and say, “Is Doug busy?” and if he isn’t you sit down and chat.

So, how did this little com-

North Pole

Hw y

munity come about and how did it get its name? It shouldn’t surprise you to learn that it had a lot to do with toys.

In 1944, before it was ever a town, the present site was the Bon Davis homestead.

The town started when Davis subdivided and settlers bought lots and set up housekeeping. Old-timers wanted to name the fledgling town “Moose Crossing,” to which Davis stated it might just as well be named “Mosquito Junction” in honor of the trillions of insects that also call it home.

The buyers of most of the homestead, the Dahl and Gaske Development Company, thought the name North Pole would attract a toy manufacturer. While that didn’t happen, it did become the official name and the city was incorpoPlease see NORTH POLE, Page 69

We welcome all to visit our community...featuring

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Home of Santa Claus

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SOD-ROOFED LOG CABINS in the TRUE ALASKA MOTIF

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

69

North Pole

IF YOU’RE HUNGRY

Continued from Page 68

rated in 1953 with James Ford appointed the first mayor.

A small school was built in 1953 in a donated house and the city scraped up $100 a month to pay a teacher to educate the 30 students.

Before long, North Pole Trading Post opened its doors, KJNP radio station went on the air, churches were built, and businesses thrust up from the untouched earth like eager mushrooms.

But it was Santa Claus House, started in 1952 and now celebrating its 56th year, that sealed the identity that would bring North Pole fame throughout the world.

North Pole is now a theme city, and we all cherish that identity.

Places to go, things to see: North Pole is full of “gifts” that are just waiting for our visitors to discover them. The biggest, of course, is Santa Claus House which is full of all sorts of delightful treasures.

• Mambo Grill, Latin American cuisine, 300 North Santa Claus Lane, 490-6868. Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sun. 5 to 9 p.m.

Takeout and delivery available.

• Pagoda, Chinese/Asian cuisine, 431 N. Santa Claus Lane, 4883338. Sat.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Fri. 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Delivery available.

• Fire Wok, Asian cuisine, 249 N. Santa Claus Lane, 488-8883.

Mon-Thurs. 10:45 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat. 4:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed Sunday.

• Elf’s Den, seafood, steak, pasta, pizza, 14 Mile Richardson Highway across from Santa Claus House, 488-3268. 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Deliver available.

• Harley’s Diner MC, featuring diner food, 2698 Hurst Road, 490-2883, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tues.-Sun. • Thai Cuisine Restaurant, 537 St. Nicholas Dr., 488-8260, Mon.Sat. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Mama C’s Moose Creek Kitchen, family dining, 3614 Old Richardson Hwy., 490-0145. Wed.-Thurs. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri. 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sat. 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

• Food Factory, casual dining, 101 Santa Claus Lane, 488-3538.

Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Fr. 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sun. noon to 10 p.m.

• Dalman’s Restaurant, family dining, 3340 Badger Road in BeaverBrook Mall, 488-1463, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Country Café, family dining, 235 N. Santa Claus Lane, 488-8455.

NORTH POLE SUMMER EVENTS July 4 Summer Festival, featuring a parade, games, booths, concessions.

Sept. 1 Labor Day, Mayor’s Picnic, Terry Miller Park on Santa Claus Lane.

First Friday art shows: The first Friday of each month features a free art show at North Pole Grange sponsored by the North Pole Art Society’s Watercolor Wednesday Group.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

IF YOU COME TO NORTH POLE, CHECK OUT: • Santa Claus House, 101 St. Nicholas Drive. Open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 488:2200.

• KJNP This missionary radio station that broadcasts clear to Russia. A great place for photos of sodroofed log cabins. Located at 2501 Mission Road. Info: 488-2216.

• Visitor Center Log Cabin, located the Richardson Highway and Mission Road Check it out for information and unique gifts. Open daily. 488-2242.

• Knotty Shop, 18 miles south, boasts wildlife displays, gifts and great ice cream cones. 488-3014.

Elf's Den Restaurant & Lounge A large lunch and dinner selection prime rib • steaks • seafood • pasta • pizza • sandwiches • salad bar

Open at 11:30 a.m. • 7 days a week

2323 Nelson Road North Pole, AK 99705

488-BREW

An Alaskan Gift Shop And Mounted Wildlife Display Unusual Burl Construction 32 Miles South of Fairbanks on Richardson Highway Phone: 488-3014 6565 Richardson Hwy., Salcha, AK 99714 knotty@alaska.net

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488-JAVA

THE KNOTTY SHOP Alaskan size ice cream cones at a small Texas price.

Many sugar-free syrups available!

Muffins, Bagels & Breakfast Sandwiches

& 69 St. Nicholas Dr. North Pole, AK 99705

488-8788 or 488-3268

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Over 30 Flavors!

Across from Santa Claus House 14 Mile Richardson Hwy • North Pole, AK 99705 • Next to North Pole Napa Auto Shop

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Chena Lakes Recreation Area Camping, fishing, hiking — all right next door docks (one handicap accessible), a lake boat launch, potable water stations and restrooms.

The River Park covers four miles of the Chena River and boasts a volleyball court and horseshoe pit. There is a covered pavilion, a changing room/warm up building and a variety of picnic sites, restrooms and fire rings.

The highlight of the area is the 4.5 kilometer self-guided nature trail and the river boat launch.

Both sites have campgrounds.

There are also five tent camping sites on the island located in the Lake Park. Access is only by boat.

Chena Lake is stocked annually by the Alaska Deptartment of Fish and Wildlife with rainbow trout, silver salmon and arctic char. The Chena River, located in the River Park, has a fishing menu of grayling, northern pike, whitefish, burbot and an annual run of king salmon.

Day-use fees are collected the Wednesday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, and fees entitle users to all parts of Chena

By JAN THACKER For the News-Miner

W

hen you want to get away from town and bask in some of Alaska’s wondrous beauty, you don’t have to hop a charter flight or drive for endless miles. You can travel just a few miles south of North Pole and visit theChena Lake Recreation Area.

A popular recreation spot for residents and visitors alike, Chena Lakes Recreation Area covers more than 2,000 acres and is comprised of two different segments.

The Lake Park, with a 260acre lake and broad sandy beaches, is where sunbathers and swimmers gather to relax and play under the midnight sun.

This park has three volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, playground, multiple day-use picnic sites, two covered pavilions, two changing room/warm up buildings, two designated swimming areas, a boat rental, two fishing Alpenglow’s

Fairbanks Shuttle

Santa Claus House No. Pole, AK

$12

800-770-2267 1:30p

6:45p

8:30a

3:45p

8:30p

Driver Waits 45-min Appx 1.5 hrs

Alaska Pipeline Tour narrated, 1-hr. $17 Mary Shield Tails of the Trails

$17

6:30p-7:00p, returns 9:45p

$10 Transfers Museum of the North Botanical Gardens Bird Sanctuary Pioneer Park Riverboats Restaurants

All fares round-trip, per person, minimum 2-persons, groups welcome

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North Pole, Alaska “Where the Spirit of Christmas Lives Year Round” Summer Festival July 4

Visitor Center Log Cabin Open Memorial Day through Labor Day North Pole Community Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 55071, North Pole, Alaska 99705-0071 2550 Mistletoe Drive North Pole, AK 99705 (907) 488-2242

www.northpolechamber.org email: kathy@northpolealaska.com

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riverviewrvpark.net info@riverviewrvpark.net

Hummingbird Espresso Hours: M-F 5:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Sat & Sun 6 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Phone (907) 488-5256 Ice Rage/ Espresso/ Breakfast Sandwiches/ Coffee and More

So Much to Offer … at

1-888-488-6392 (907) 488-6392

Lake Recreation Area. Free hospitality passes for senior citizens and the handicapped are available upon request. Fees range from $1 for bikers and walkers to $4 per vehicle. Tent camping is $10/night and the fee for vehicle campers is $12. Firewood is available and pedal boats, rowboats, canoes and kayaks can be rented.

Chena Lakes Recreation Area isn’t just for summertime pleasure. Residents use it year around, especially the groomed cross-country ski trails and trails for running and walking.

It also is a popular site year around, for horseback riding, dog mushing, ski-joring, snowmachining, cross-country skiing, running and walking. Interior Alaska Gun Dog Assoc. hunt tests, Fairbanks Retriever Club field trials, and the annual trebuchet and catapult competition are summertime events. In addition, part of the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race traverses through the area.

For more information call 4881655.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

71

Delta Junction Stunning backdrop enhances quaint farming town

By BROOKELYN BELLINGER For the News-Miner

A

News-Miner photo

Delta Junction sits at the end of the Alaska Highway. The town offers stunning views of the Alaska Range and the Granite Mountains.

Donnelly Dome to hunting big game animals. Camping is available at Quartz Lake, Lost Lake, Fielding Lake and at the Clearwater River.

Make sure and stop for a buffalo burger at the local’s favorite Buffalo Drive-In, open only in the summer and always a good place to catch up with

friends and enjoy an ice cream cone any time of the day. The IGA is also a local favorite, especially their deli items. And prepare yourself for their tasty bakery. Check in with friends and relatives before you get back on the road at the Delta Junction Library with free Internet access, open daily.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

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™ 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.

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

907-474-8600

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adventure@northernalaska.com

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t the end of the 1,422mile Alaska Highway sits the quaint farming town of Delta Junction.

This small town of about 800 welcomes visitors with stunning views of the Alaska Range and the Granite Mountains on clear days. This provides the agriculturally minded community a stunning backdrop for crops of straw, oats, grass seed, potatoes, livestock, dairy and exotic animals — a standout in Alaska’s frigid 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 mountainous terrain.

Sullivan’s Roadhouse, rescued from Alaska’s old trail system nearly 20 miles from Delta, provides a peek into life as it was back in the days when travels through Alaska demanded steely nerves and firm resolve.

Situated next to the Visitor’s Center in Delta, Sullivan’s Roadhouse is the oldest original roadhouse in Interior Alaska and is home to an impressive roadhouse museum staffed by knowledgeable volunteers. The beautiful gardens outside are a showstopper. Right next the roadhouse, enjoy viewing the ancient machinery that was used to build the Alaska Highway.

The Delta Junction Visitor’s Center is the place to get your official certificate for surviving the long journey up the Alaska Highway. Don’t forget a picture with the giant mosquito outside and browse the myriad of displays and information inside.

Nine miles northwest of town, visitors should not miss historic Rika’s Roadhouse in Big Delta. The roadhouse used to be an important stop for travelers and is now a beautifully restored site with many original buildings filled with artifacts from the era. A restaurant and gift shop is on site, along with geese, ducks, goats, a beautiful garden and a fantastic view of the Tanana River.

Camping also is available.

Recreation in the area is plentiful, from blue-ribbon arctic grayling fishing in the Delta Clearwater River to hiking up

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Soaring Into Solstice Eielson Air Force Base opens its house with aerial demonstrations, military equipment displays Staff Report

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he Eielson Air Force Base Soaring Into Solstice 2008 Open House is June 24 from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. and features displays of military personnel and equipment for the general public.

Aerial demonstrations begin with an F-22 fly-by at 10:30 a.m., and an Army exhibition featuring Stryker vehicles, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle demonstration and a helicopter-focused air assault begins about noon.

This year's team includes the Air Force’s first female lead-solo demonstration pilot, Maj. Samantha Weeks.

The Air Force follows at 2 p.m. with flybys and airfield “attacks” featuring the F-16C Fighting Falcon, KC-135 Stratotanker, HH-60 Pave Hawk, OH-58 Kiowa Warrior and the UH-60 BlackHawk.

Other entertainment includes military working dog demonstrations.

Food and beverages will be

TIPS TO ENJOY THE SHOW If this is your first air show or your 100th air show, you may find the tips below useful when you visit during the Open House: • Wear sunscreen and sunglasses • Take a hat and wear comfortable shoes • Leave unnecessary gear at home You’re welcome to bring a small folding lawn chair or blanket. Coolers, large bags and other items are prohibited. Pets, glass, alcohol, knives and guns are prohibited. A good rule of thumb is if you don’t take it to the airport, don’t bring it to the air show.

• Bring hearing protection Air shows can be a tad noisy whether it’s the growl of a propeller plane or the roar of an F-16.

• No smoking Smoking is prohibited on the flightline. A few smoking areas will be set up across the flightline road away from the aircraft, but never smoke near an airplane.

• Pick up your trash — Eielson Air Force Base

sold during the air show.

Currently static displays scheduled include: A-10, F-16CG, Aggressor F-16, C-21, KC-135, UH-60, B-52, C-12, F-15C, F22A, EA-6B, P-3, E-3, U-2, T-38, B-2,F-117A,CH-47, OH-58, UH-

60, UH-60 MEDEVAC, Shadow 200 UAV, Raven UAV, C-17, C130, CF-18 and various civilian aircraft.

Call 377-4636 for the most up-to-date air show information or go to www.eielson.af.mil.

Visit one of Alaska’s original gold rush era roadhouses built in 1906 and share a cup of coffee with trappers, miners, dog mushers or fishermen.

We serve fresh baked pies, giant cinnamon rolls and other delicious food. All served with traditional Alaskan hospitality.

Spend the night in an original room, a new room, or a comfortable cabin (Can accommodate: singles, doubles, or any size group.)

See you soon! Robert Lee, Innkeeper Since 1971 Historic and Prehistoric Artifacts on display!

• Full Bar • Group Rates • Gas ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED

FAX (907) 672-3221 11335533-08VG

A lovely scenic drive from Fairbanks on Elliott Highway, just 152 miles Northwest!

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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W Willow Av

Borealis Ave

e

Center St.

wy

Moose Horn Rd

Alaska H

Midnight Su n Dr

Gillam W ay

Sanford Dr

Red Fox Dr E Chena Way 3rd Ave

Tok Cut Glen off Hwy n Hw y

Trail

Sourdou gh St.

Sundog

I

f you arrived in Tok in the middle of winter, you would see why the Chamber of Commerce calls it “The coldest inhabited community in North America — with warm friendly people.” With winter temperatures of 30 below to 70 below, Tok has earned its reputation.

Summer though, brings a warmer opportunity to explore this first major city as travelers enter Alaska via the Alaska Highway.

Situated on the intersection of the Alaska Highway and Tok Cutoff to the Glenn Highway, Tok is a nice place to break yourself into the Alaska lifestyle, quirky and colorful as it is.

The first thing you’ll probably notice about Alaska is the slow pace, and Tok is no exception. Although a haven for weary road warriors and RV adventurers, you can still find that quiet piece of Alaska heaven you’ve been looking for.

Start off with a meal at the

Scoby Way

By BROOKELYN BELLINGER For the News-Miner

McKenzie Tr ail

Taking a Break in Tok

Post Office Park Visitors Center State Troopers

Tok

locals’ favorite restaurant, Fast Eddy’s. With extra big portions and a friendly staff, you’re guaranteed to go away satisfied.

If you’re looking for Alaskan gifts and art, check out All Alaska Gifts & Crafts, located at the main intersection in town.

Watch for the big yellow sign and check out the large stuffed moose in the glass gazebo next to the parking lot.

The inside is filled with displays of Alaska wildlife, jewelry, native crafts and Internet access. The Web site is www. allalaskagifts.com.

If you’re looking for entertainment, check out the popular “Dave’s Live Alaska Show” — a combination of songs, poetry and stories from life on the Last Frontier. The show runs nightly from June 1 to August 10 at Tok RV Village.

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

Historic Eagle Blazes Its Own Trail

By JILLIAN ROGERS jrogers@newsminer.com

T

starts at the old district courthouse at 9 a.m. daily and lasts two to three hours. It costs $5 per person. Call (907) 547-2325.

Today, Eagle is a quaint village of 150 to 200 people with a motel, B&B, restaurants, store, library, school and museum.

Stop in at the Riverside Cafe for a great lunch with a view of the famous bluff and the Yukon River.

The Yukon Queen II catamaran travels to Eagle from Dawson City, Yukon, each day. Eagle is an official checkpoint on the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race.

Alaska /Yukon Trails

1-800-770-7275

10334886-5-3-08VG

Fairbanks to Denali Park $46 Fairbanks to Anchorage $91 Top-of-the-World Hwy Tour Fairbanks to Dawson City $162 continue to Whitehorse +$143

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he Taylor Highway is a road steeped in the history of the Fortymile mining district, which was a destination for prospectors a decade before the historic strike in the Klondike.

The first portion of the 160mile Taylor Highway is wide and paved, but past the tiny community of Chicken, the road narrows and is often steep and winding.

Take a break at 86 Mile and get a close look at the old Jack Wade No. 1 Dredge, which sits right next to the highway.

Eagle was founded in 1897 by a group of malcontent gold prospectors who were unable to stake claims in the lucrative gold fields of the Klondike near Dawson City.

They decided to start their own town and staked claims in the area. A military post, Fort Egbert, was established.

Soldiers from the fort helped build the WAMCATS (Washington-Alaska Military Cable and Telegraph System).

In 1900, Judge James Wickersham established the first Federal Court in Alaska's Interior at Eagle. In 1970, Eagle was placed on the National Register of Historic Places and became a national landmark in 1975.

Several of the historic buildings at the fort and in the village have been restored. The Eagle Historical Society, www. eagleak.org, offers daily walking tours of the sites. The tour

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

74

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park Big on solitude, small on crowds

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com

T

he two best words to describe Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve are huge and rugged.

At 13.2 million acres, Wrangell-St. Elias is the largest national park in the United States. It is more than twice the size of Denali National Park and Preserve and six times the size of Yellowstone National Park, the largest park in the Lower 48.

Wrangell-St. Elias has the continent’s largest tidewater glacier (Hubbard); largest mountain/valley glacier (Nabesna); and largest subpolar ice field (Bagley).

“More than half the ice in Alaska is in Wrangell-St. Elias,” chief park interpreter Smitty Parratt said.

Despite its status as the country’s biggest park, Wrangell-St. Elias remains in the shadow of Denali National Park and Preserve.

“A lot of people have never heard of Wrangell-St. Elias,” Parratt said.

While Denali may be home to North America’s tallest peak

— 20,320-foot Mount McKinley — Wrangell-St. Elias has 18,008foot Mount St. Elias, the continent’s second-tallest mountain. It also boasts nine of the 16 tallest mountains in North America.

But unlike Denali, you won’t find any crowds at WrangellSt. Elias. While almost 500,000 visitors show up at Denali each summer, only about 50,000 visit Wrangell-St. Elias.

“It’s a lot less crowded, there’s less waiting in lines, less restrictions on what you can do, and there’s a lot more options for finding solitude,” Parratt said.

And visitors don’t have to ride a shuttle bus to get an close-up look at the park, as they do at Denali. There are two rough, gravel roads leading into the park and both are open to the public.

The 61-mile McCarthy Road leads to the town of McCarthy and the historic Kennicott copper mine in the west side of the park.

The 42-mile Nabesna Road provides access into the north side of the park and ends at a private hunting lodge.

While stories of shredded tires, broken shocks and bent axles are legendary on McCarthy

Road, Parratt said most are exaggerated. There are occasionally some “washboard” sections and there are some creek crossings on the Nabesna Road that can sometimes pose problems for twowheel drive vehicles.

“They’re not roads you can drive 60 mph; they’re more like 25-30 mph roads,” he said.

But it’s a good idea to have at least one or two spare tires with you, Parratt said.

The McCarthy Road is actually an old railroad bed. It originated in 1909 as a railway to support the Kennicott copper mines before large-scale mining ended in 1938. The road features several interesting historic sites. One is the Gilahina Trestle, an 890-foot long railroad trestle, which was built in only eight days during the winter of 1911. Another is the Kuskulana Bridge, which is perched more than 200 feet above the raging Kuskulana River.

The road ends at the Kennicott River, and visitors must cross a foot bridge to reach the town of McCarthy. You can either walk the half-mile to the town or take a shuttle.

There are a number of hiking options from McCarthy, including trails leading to the other mines in the area and the Root Glacier.

Hikes can range from 1 1/2 to 12 miles, Parratt said.

Flightseeing tours are also available in McCarthy, as well as out of Nabesna and Glennallen. Flying over the park offers tourists impressive views of the dramatic landscape for which Wrangell-St. Elias is famous.

“It’s incredible country,” Parratt said.

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Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

75

Yukon Territory Campgrounds Klondike Highway • Takhini Hot Springs, Km 197.8, N. Klondike Highway, 88 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $20-30.

(867) 633-2706.

• Lake Laberge, Km 224.6 N. Klondike Highway, 16 sites, $12.

• Fox Lake, Km 247.7 N. Klondike Highway, 33 sites, $12.

• Twin Lakes, Km 308 N. Klondike Highway, 18 sites $12.

up

• Sunrise Service Centre, Carmacks, 10 sites, full hookSani-Dump, $12.

(867) 863-5291.

• Hotel Carmacks, Carmacks 15 sites, full hook-up, SaniDump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $24-30.

(867) 863-5221.

• Tatchun Creek, Km 382.4 N. Klondike Highway, 12 sites, $12.

• Klondike River, Km 696.7 N. Klondike Highway, 38 sites, $12.

• GuggieVille RV Park & Gold Panning, Dawson City, 95 sites Sani-Dump, Laundromat, showers. $10-25. (866) 8606535.

• Bonanza Gold Motel & RV Park, Dawson City, 150 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $12-32. (888) 9936789.

• Gold Rush Campground & RV Park, Dawson City, 82 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $20-40. (888) 9935247.

• Dawson City RV Park & Campground, Dawson City, 90 sites, full hook-ups, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, shower. $19-39. (888) 993-5142.

tel/Tenting, Dawson City, 54 sites, showers. $8-13. (888) 9936823.

• Yukon River, Km 0.3 N. Klondike Highway, 98 sites, $12.

• Frenchman Lake/+8 km on Frenchman Road, Km 543.3 N. Klondike Highway, 10 sites, $12.

• Nunatak/+15 km on Frenchman Road, Km 543.3 N. Klondike Highway, 10 sites, $12.

• Tatchun Lake/+41 km on Frenchman Road, Km 543.3 N. Klondike Highway, 20 sites. $12.

Please see YUKON, Page 76

Gilpatrick's

Hotel Chitina

newsminer.com

Historic hotel • Full Service restaurant All rooms with private bath

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

The Gateway To Wrangell St. Elias Nat'l Park Hotel (907) 823-2244 Winter (907) 835-5542 33 Edgerton Hwy, Chitina AK 99566

• Dawson City River Hos-

12336281-5-3-08VG

• Coal Mine Campground, Carmacks, 26 sites, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, showers. $12.

(857) 863-6363.

• Pelly River Crossing Campground, Pelly Crossing, 30 sites No cost. (867) 537-3331.

• Moose Creek, Km 559.3 N. Klondike Highway, 36 sites, $12.

www.hotelchitina.com • info@hotelchitina.com

Join us on main street Kennicott, a ghost town overlooking the majestic Kennicott Glacier and 16,000-foot Wrangell Mountains. We offer you gracious hospitality, fine dining, comfortable guest rooms, and memories to last a lifetime.

Drive or fly into the heart of the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, and stay at:

1-800-582-5128

www.KennicottLodge.com LOOK FOR OUR BROCHURE AT ANY VISITOR CENTER.

12334648-5-3-08VB

CALL TOLL FREE

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

76

2008 Summer Visitors Guide 50 sites, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, showers. $14-20.

(867) 634-2812.

Yukon Continued from Page 75

Whitehorse • The Caribou RV Park, Km 1403 Alaska Highway, 52 sites, full hook-up laundromat, Internet, showers. $14-21.

(867) 668-2961.

• Wolf Creek, Km 1408.2 Alaska Highway, 40 sites, $12.

• Pioneer RV Park, Whitehorse, 150 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $10-23. (867) 668-5944.

• Hi Country RV Park, Whitehorse, 130 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $14-28. (867) 667-7445.

• Mountain Ridge Motel & RV Park, Whitehorse, 12 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Internet access, showers. $20-30.

(867) 667-4202.

• Robert Service Campground Whitehorse, no RV, 68 sites, Internet access, showers, $14.

(867) 668-3721.

• MacKenzie's RV Park, Whitehorse, 101 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $13-24. (867) 633-2337.

Kluane • Takhini River/+15 km on Kusawa Road, Km 1489.1, 13 sites, $12.

• Kusawa Lake/+23 km on Kusawa Road, Km 1489.1, 56 sites. $12.

• Otter Falls Cutoff, Km 1602

• Aishihik Lake/+42 km on Aishihik Road, Km. 1602.2, 16 sites. $12.

• Pine Lake, Km 1628, 42 sites. $12 • Kluane RV Kampground, Haines Junction, 100 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $15-24. (867) 634-2709.

• Fas Gas Service Station & RV Park, Haines Junction, 21 sites, Sani-Dump, showers. $10-17. (867) 634-2505.

• Bear Creek Lodge, Km 1646 9 sites, full hook-up, SaniDump, showers. $15-20. (867) 634-2301.

• Cottonwood RV Park, Km 1717, 60 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, showers. $22-27. (867) 841-4066.

• Congdon Creek, Km 1724.8, 81 sites. $12.

• Destruction Bay Lodge RV Park, Destruction Bay, 43 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. (867) 841-5332.

• Talbot Arm Motel, Destruction Bay, 9 sites, SaniDump, Laundromat, showers. $12.

(867) 841-4461.

• Dalan Campground, Burwash Landing, 25 sites, SaniDump. $10-15. (867) 841-4274.

• Burwash Landing Resort, Bushwash Landing, 14 sites, full hook-up, Sani-Dump, Laundromat, Internet access, showers. $14-18. (867) 841-4441.

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Travel in the Know by phone or web

VISITORS GUIDE ADVERTISING Act now for 2009 If your business is interested in placing an ad in the 2009 Visitors Guide, fill out and return this coupon.

Name ______________________________________________________________________________________ Business Name______________________________________________________________________________ Address____________________________________________________________________________________ City __________________________State ____________ Zip ___________Phone ______________________ 21336619-VG08

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

See Alaska’s Gold Mining Past On Elliott Highway Staff Report

T

he Elliott Highway is a trip through Alaska’s gold mining days — past and present — as well as a nature lover’s paradise. Five miles up the Elliott is Hilltop Truckstop, complete with a cafe known for its homemade pies and large breakfast plates. It is also the last gas station for miles.

The Chatanika River Bridge area offers two campgrounds, Whitefish Campground on the bridge’s north side, Olnes Pond Campground and a covered picnic area 11 miles from Fox. The campgrounds have toilets, trash barrels and fire pits, along with a boat launch. Fishermen will want to try out the waters at Tolovana River, 47 miles from Fox, where grayling and northern pike are plentiful.

At Mile 27, visitors can access the White Mountains National Recreation Area, which boasts 200 miles of trail and several remote cabins. Most are accessible only in winter. Call (907) 4742372 for a recording of current trail conditions. Basic restroom facilities are also found at public campgrounds and the White Mountains area entrances.

Arctic Circle Trading Post at Mile 49 offers Arctic Circle gifts and certificates.

The first 73 miles of the road are paved, to the junction with the Dalton Highway. Truck traffic is often heavy as far as Livengood, where supply trucks turn off onto the Dalton Highway, which leads to the North Slope.

The Elliott takes a sharp turn to the left here and is gravel for the last 40 miles.

At the end of the 152-mile road is Manley Hot Springs, a just reward for those who make the rugged trip. The hot springs are on the right just before the town.

The hot springs operators usually have cabins for rent, but they’re closed this summer for upgrades.

The springs and baths, however, are still open and offer a refreshing dip after a day traversing the Elliott Highway. Call 672-3231.

Manley Roadhouse is one of Alaska’s original gold rush-era roadhouses. For more information or reservations call the roadhouse at 672-3161.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

77

Head to the Arctic Circle Travelers lured by the mystique of the far, far north The Associated Press

A

Anaktuvuk Pass

This is one extreme road trip, stretching 414 miles to Deadhorse, a Prudhoe Bay industrial camp just south of the Arctic Ocean.

The Dalton was built in the 1970s for hauling supplies during construction of the 800-mile trans-Alaska oil pipeline. The entire length of the highway opened to the public in 1994, but most of it remains a gravel road. Beware of sharp rocks, potholes, steep grades and dense smoke from summer wildfires.

Few car-rental companies allow their vehicles to be used on the highway.

A big thanks to those that do.

What a way to experience the pipeline, an imposing steel structure flanked by brick-red pillars and fork-like tines. This colossal piece of landscape art would put Please see ARCTIC, Page 78

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

ARCTIC CIRCLE TOUR Daily departures 9am & 1pm 1 ⁄2 Day $275/person One Hour flight to Bettles see Brooks Range & Koyukuk River, Gift Shop Full Day $499/person incl Riverboat tour & Lunch

Bettles Lodge & Air Service 6146 Old Airport Way, Fairbanks AK 99706 1-800-770-5111 www.bettleslodge.com Arctic Circle Certificates

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

Let your High Arctic Adventure begin!

We specialize in selling Alaska’s Arctic!

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

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

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This is the last remaining settlement of Nunamiut, or inland, Inupiat Eskimos, located at the base of the Brooks Range near the northern Continental Divide.

Residents still hunt the caribou that migrate along the glacial valley, so it’s only fitting that Anaktuvuk Pass means “the place of caribou droppings” in Inupiaq.

The village, with 300 residents, is the only community within the Gates of the Arctic National Park and one of the rare villages with a museum.

The Simon Paneak Memorial Museum offers a comprehensive look at a once-nomadic people, as well as local artwork for sale, including caribou skin masks trimmed with wolf, fox or bear fur.

The village is off the road system. You have to fly there.

But that hasn’t stopped a growing number of travelers, even

The Dalton Highway

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NAKTUVUK PASS — The landscape is distracting, tundra shimmering under a late summer sun, deep valleys spattered with red and gold, sharp peaks dwarfing this tiny Alaska village. It takes first-time visitors a while to notice what’s missing.

There are no trees here.

But barren it’s not. This is eye-candy terrain, rich with nature, culture and history, from the Eskimo settlement of Anaktuvuk Pass to other stops above the Arctic Circle. Stark and beautiful, the top third of Alaska is increasingly finding favor with travelers lured by the mystique of the far, far north.

But be forewarned: This is not your finicky cousin’s luxury cruise. There are few frills here.

Some accommodations sport only bare plywood walls. The trade-off is the view: otherworldly, raw, unbelievably vast, utterly wild.

Whether you choose a group tour or self-guided trip, the base of operations for most is Fairbanks.

From Fairbanks, you can fly north, head off for backcountry treks or drive to North Slope oil country. While the majority of visitors come during the summer, many companies offer winter tours and services as well.

Here are some interesting points along the way:

cruise ship passengers like Donna Kucinski, 38, and Kathleen Gunning, 33.

The elementary school teachers from Chicopee, Mass., were looking for a more unusual sideexcursion during their August trip. And they found it with local guide Cyrus Median.

The 54-year-old Eskimo rolled his eight-wheel Argo over shallow sections of the meandering John River, then over grounds bursting with jewel-hued plants nestled in lichen.

Next was the caribou migration route, where bleached skulls and antlers from old hunts were scattered on the valley floor.

Towering over everything are the jagged, intricately carved mountains.

“It’s just totally different at the top of the world,” Kucinski said. “It’s so different from New England.”

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

78

2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Chicken Has Quirky Appeal Staff Report

L

ocated at Mile 66, Taylor Highway at the Chicken Creek Bridge, Chicken is perhaps the most quirky of all the small communities in the state.

It got its name in 1902 when the town was officially incorporated.

Lore has it that locals wanted to call it ptarmigan, because that was the wild bird of choice for prospectors in search of gold.

But when 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 large transient summer spike as miners come to town. There is no electricity, no phones and no plumbing.

Mail arrives twice a week by bush plane.

Chicken has several gift shops, cafes, a bar and a salmon bake. While there, take a tour of Tisha’s School House in the Old Town of Chicken.

Old Pedro Gold Dredge No. 4 is a popular attraction.

Other tours are available of the historic buildings, which are privately owned. Ask at the Goldpanner Gift Shop. And don't miss beautiful downtown Chicken. It’s worth the trip.

For more information, visit www.townofchicken.com.

John Wagner / News-Miner

A sign in downtown Barrow shows distances and directions to Fairbanks and major cities in the world.

Arctic Continued from Page 77

Christo to shame.

Along the roadway are granite slabs and other strange rock formations. Fields of fuschiacolored fireweed burst from burned forests. And you never know when you’ll see musk oxen, moose and Dall sheep.

Also check out Coldfoot, a rest stop for far north truckers and home of the Arctic Interagency Visitor Center.

A gold-mining hub in the early 1900s, Coldfoot was abandoned for Wiseman, a quaint outpost of 24 people 13 miles to the north where you can visit a gold-rush era cemetery and the nondenominational Kalhabuk Memorial Chapel, open 24-7, featuring free Bibles and Sunday sermons by a local state trooper and the chapel owner, longtime resident June Reakoff.

And of course, you must visit

Alaskan Arctic Turtle Tours • Prudhoe Bay • ANWR • Arctic Circle • Travel Alaska with experience.

907-457-1798 Fax 907-456-1798 1-888-456-1798

Brooks Range *Wildlife* email: wildalaska@alaska.net

Alaskan Arctic Turtle Tours Inc. PO Box 60866 Fairbanks, AK 99706 USA www.wildalaska.info

with Alaska’s Jim Winslow and Company

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See The Wonder of It All North!

the pullout at Mile 115 (Alaska travelers rely on mile markers since there are few towns to note where they’re at). Here, a sign for those wanting to take a picture marks the Arctic Circle.

Barrow The nation’s farthest north town is the land of endless days, when the summer sun doesn’t set for weeks and the Arctic Ocean glistens in the sublime light. And where else can you get your photo taken under an arch made of whale bones?

Ancient culture radiates in the largely Inupiat Eskimo community of 4,500 through Native dance demonstrations, oral histories, art made by locals, exhibits at the Inupiat Heritage Center and the sod-house remains of the original settlement of Ukpiagvik, or “the place where we hunt snowy owls.”

This is also major polar bear territory.

The best opportunities for seeing these gorgeous carnivores are from the safety of sightseeing vehicles at Point Barrow, 13 miles northeast of town.

Another must-see excursion is the Arctic Ocean, which deposits satiny driftwood all along the wind-swept coast.

If they dare, visitors also can take a dip in the icy deep, thanks to Fran Tate, owner of Pepe’s North of the Border restaurant, which, by the way, serves authentic dishes prepared by Mexican cooks.

Tate, a 76-year-old spitfire, greets her summer guests with an invitation to join her Polar Bear Club every evening at the water’s edge across the road from Pepe’s.

For a $10 membership, takers must fully submerge themselves to collect goose bumps and a certificate granting them lifetime bragging rights.

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

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Valdez Offers World-Class Fishing Town dubbed 'Alaska’s Little Switzerland' Minera l Creek

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nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil gushed into Prince William Sound.

The Exxon oil spill is considered one of the most devastating man-made environmental disasters ever to occur at sea. Thousands of birds and marine mammals died as a result of being coated with oil and the clean-up took months. Even today, effects of the spill are still being felt.

A study conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration determined that as of early 2007 more than 26,000 gallons of oil remain in contaminated coastline.

Valdez was also home to the greatest natural disasters to strike Alaska. On March 27, 1964, which like the Exxon oil spill was on Good Friday, the second largest earthquake ever recorded — and the largest in North America — struck Valdez.

The quake was originally

Valdez Halibut Charter with Mike McDaneld aboard the Dawn Treader

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Welcom

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aldez has everything you could ask for in an Alaskan city.

Spectacular scenery. Worldclass fishing. A storied history.

Dubbed “Alaska’s Little Switzerland,” the town of 4,300 sits on the edge of Prince William Sound surrounded by the spectacular snow-capped Chugach Mountains. The town receives an average of more than 300 inches of snow each winter, which equates to more than 25 feet.

Valdez is one of the premier fishing destinations in Alaska, boasting some of the finest halibut and silver salmon fishing in the state. Each summer, Alaskans and non-Alaskans alike make the long drive to Valdez in hopes of hooking a 300-pound halibut or a 20-pound silver salmon and netting a $15,000 check for winning the town’s annual halibut and silver salmon fishing derbies.

The city served as the starting point for gold seekers during the 1898 gold rush — most of whom went home empty handed — and today marks the end of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska oil pipeline, which was built between 1975 and 1977.

There are 18 giant crude oil storage tanks at the terminal in Valdez, with a total capacity of 9.18 million barrels. Tankers arrive almost daily to carry crude oil to refineries in the Lower 48.

It was one of those tankers, appropriately named the Exxon Valdez, that made the city a household name in America.

On March 24, 1989, the tanker Exxon Valdez struck Bligh Reef as it made its way out of the Valdez Narrows and

Eg a

By TIM MOWRY tmowry@newsminer.com

IF YOU GO 907-835-INFO Valdez Convention & Visitors Bureau, 200 Chenega Street, Valdez, AK 99686 www.valdezalaska.org

newsminer.com 200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-456-6661

recorded as between 8.4 and 8.6 on the Richter Scale but has since been upgraded to a 9.2.

The quake’s epicenter was 45 miles west of Valdez and shock waves tore the town apart.

Today, Valdez is a bustling tourist and fishing town. Cruises offer sightseeing trips to Columbia Glacier, the largest tidewater glacier in North America, and fishing charters offer halibut and salmon fishing trips on a daily basis from May to September.

Helicopter flightseeing trips and whitewater rafting trips are also available.

Glacier G lacier Kayaking and Hiking Prince William Sound Valdez, AK

Welcom e!

NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY

“Feel at home in Valdez”

Glen & Sharron Mills dave@sharktoothcharters.com

18337370VG08

(907)351-8853 or

10335435VG08

12336294-5-3-08VG

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 or Email: onen2rs@alaska.net

200 North Cushman Street, Fairbanks, AK 99701 Inside the News-Miner Building 907-459-7567 info@digitalexpressfairbanks.com

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2008 Summer Visitors Guide

Let Alaskans Show You Alaska.

Experience the icebergs of Columbia Glacier and the calving of Meares Glacier. See amazing wildlife. Relax on board our comfortable vessels as we entice you with stories of the past.

866-867-1297 Valdez 907-835-4731 www.stanstephenscruises.com