Krutys_Adventures: June 2014

Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum

Decided to celebrate Fathers Day by taking Ed & Butch to see old autos. Kathy and I tagged along.

Kathy & I decided we were very glad that we didn't live in the early 1900's...Just would not enjoy wearing these items of clothing.

We got to see early snowmobiles used in Alaska.

Then Ed and I got dressed up and enjoyed our "drive" in a 1911 Everitt.

Here are a few from the very late 1800's

Tomorrow...one more museum...then time to clean up...stock up, before heading out into the wild back country again.

Gold Dredge 8

We went panning for gold today and between the 2 of us we got $48 worth of gold. Of course it cost us $40 to go on the tour to the Gold Dredge 8 just north of Fairbanks....but we had fun.

Here is a picture of the Gold Dredge 8 that was shut down in 1959 when it was determined it wasn't cost effective any more, with the new laws and the fixed price of gold at the time. It is now a tourist attraction.

Kathy and Butch panned out $45 worth of gold between the two of them...Kathy is hooked.

Can you see the tiny flecks of gold in the pan?

We also got up close and personal with the Alaska Pipeline. It started to spit rain while we were waiting for the train to take us back to the gold dredge and we stood under the pipeline trying to stay out of the rain. But of course the it rained on the pipe and drips rain down and around the pipe and we got wet anyway.

Riverboat Discovery

Yesterday was a fun day. We work to beautiful sunshine. We went to visit Santa at the North Pole.

We had lunch at a place where Dennis wanted to visit...they advertised $5.99 lunch. It was good...chicken salad sandwich and soup. Then we headed to the Riverboat Discovery where we spent almost 3 hours cruising down the Chena River.

Here is a picture of the Original Riverboat Discovery that carried people and goods up and down the river in years past.

Then we went past Susan Butcher's champion dogs...here is a couple of pictures of her husband working a team of dogs.

Then we saw a reproduction of a Chena Indian Village. The picture shows how they fish and dry salmon.

Today we will try our luck at gold panning...wish we luck.

Tok to the North Pole, Alaska

After getting our radiator fixed in the RV, we were able to head north again on the Alaska Highway. We moved about 80 miles to a nice gravel area by a river and enjoyed the view for 3 days.

Today we broke camp and took our time getting to the North Pole. We made 4 stops before we got to the Famcamp at Fort Wainwright, Fairbanks, Alaska, only to be told they only had sites with water...no electric. So we moved over to Riverview RV Park in North Pole, Alaska. Tomorrow we hope to find cheaper camping so we can stay for a few more days...there is lots to see in the area.

Sullivan Roadhouse in Delta Junction. In the early 1900 roadhouses were an important part of Alaska. They were the B&B's of their time. A place to stop and eat and spend the night. They were also a place where the locals went out to eat.

We had to stop at the visitor center in Delta Junction...the official end of the Alaska Highway. Got our certificate and pin and pictures.

They told us mosquitoes were big in Alaska..but REALLY!!!!

Here is a picture of Rika's Roadhouse. As you can see it is a lot larger and nicer than the Sullivan Roadhouse.

Then we stopped at the Knotty Shop for ice cream and to check out the "knotty stuff" like the burl wood displays in front of the shop.

I got a picture of Santa's Workshop at the North Pole on the way by...tomorrow I want to go visit Santa and tell him how good I have been and how bad Ed has been! ;-) Just kidding Ed. Anyone want me to put a good word in for you just let me know.

More pictures of Chicken and Eagle, Alaska

These 2 pictures I took in Chicken. The moose was the 4th moose we saw in Chicken.
The next pictures I took in Eagle, Alaska. I guess Eagle had more to see before the flood in 2009. An ice jam in the spring of 2009 caused a massive flood that took out a lot of the buildings close to the river.

The high water mark was on the building that Ed and Dennis was sitting in front of eating their lunch. That was the only place we found food for lunch...a frozen hamburger warmed up in the microwave!!!

Chicken Alaska

Yesterday we took a little drive in the jeep with 4 friends.....just 96 miles to Chicken, Alaska on mostly paved roads...then further on down the same road another 65 miles to Eagle, Alaska on dirt and gravel road. We enjoyed our trip to Chicken. We got to see 4 moose. 2 adults and 2 babies.

Chicken is an old mining town with lots of old mining equipment.

That's a mining dredge behind the moose.

Downtown Chicken.

Then we headed to Eagle, Alaska...population 86 at the end of a long 65 mile gravel/dirt road. This Y the left leads to Eagle and the right fork is what is known as the Top of the World Highway to Dawson City, Yukon...I think we chose the wrong road. We were going for lunch and this is what we ended up with in Eagle.

Oh well...we had a fun time...just a very long day. Life is good and on to more adventures.

Last 40 miles of the Alaska Highway

The last 40 miles of the Alaska Highway in the Yukon...before getting to Alaska is a mess right now. Lots of road construction and gravel. We followed Dennis and this is what we saw.

Here we are at the Alaskan Border....WE MADE IT!!!!

We just had a minor problem with those gravel stretches of the Alaska Highway......

Anti-freeze leakage........so here we are in the shop getting our radiator fixed.

Oh well...just a minor problem in our grand adventure.

Whitehorse, Yukon for a few days

We decided to do Skagway by way of ferry out of Haines, Alaska. We will just do a day trip there. We are in Whitehorse, Yukon until Tuesday...then heading to Haines, Alaska. The past few days we have not seen many animals...just a black bear after leaving Watson Lake. The new vegetation is not as lush as in British Columbia so that may be why the animals are not close to the highway. But the scenery is fantastic. Here are a few pictures.