Alaska border - Fairbanks, AK (291 miles)

        We're here!  We've driven the Alaska Highway from Dawson creek, British Columbia to Tok, Alaska and then the Richardson Highway to Fairbanks.  Along the way, we spent the afternoon with our friends Judy and John Hite who live in Delta Junction.  John and I taught together at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks back in the mid-'80's.  It was great visiting with them and catching up on the last 16 years.

        Now that I've driven the Alaska Highway, I have a few observations:

        1.  The road has been reworked in many places to where its pretty straight.  That's both good and bad.  Good because you can see down the road, bad because the fun of wondering what's around the next curve is gone.

        2.  Many of the grades have been eliminated or numerous small grades combined into one long slope, both up and down.  Again, good and bad: not a lot of small hills to climb but a few big ones.

        3.  However, with all the roadwork, the surface hasn't improved since the '80's.  Its still as rough as ever.  There are some stretches where you can use your cruise control but the majority have too many dips and frost heaves to make unfettered driving comfortable.

        The really bad thing about the highway, however, is that its ambience is gone.  Possibly 'ambience' isn't the best word.  Maybe its 'character' or 'feel' or some other word.  The road is now just that: a road.  Back in the '80's when we were driving it, every hundred miles or so there was a roadhouse where travelers could stop for a soda, to gas up, to just stretch or get a huge meal (remember that in Alaska quantity is more important than quality though quality usually went along with quantity), and there were always neat things to see at them.  With more and more RV's on the highway, those roadhouses just aren't needed anymore.  So, they're all closing.

        Travelers in cars needed them to fuel up, to eat or just to take a break from the road.  RVer's are self-sufficient in their traveling homes, can go 500-or-so or more miles without refueling, and don't have to to get out to stretch.  So, all the little roadhouses are long gone, replaced every 300-500 miles with RV parks.

        I remember in 1988 when we were traveling through Beaver Creek, Yukon Territory on our way home.  
We passed a sign advertising the Bear Creek Lodge down the road.  The sign gave a CB channel to call to check on vacancies.  We called, lined up a room for the night and the owner asked what we'd like for dinner.  While we were driving to his location, he had our meal cooked to order, gassed us up when we got there, and had our rooms ready.  When we drove by it yesterday, it was boarded up and looked as though it hadn't been open in several years.  Death by RV!

Day 47 (Thursday, 3 June):  AM: 40's w/ Rain; PM 70's & Sunny

        We started the day by taking care of things, replenishing groceries, gassing up the MG, a hair styling appointment for Jerri, and just regaining our bearings.  In amongst everything else, we made our "Shannon loop" taking photos of things from her life here in Fairbanks.

        Then, we pointed ourselves north towards the little town of Fox, Alaska.  On the way there, we passed the Alaska pipeline in one of the many places where its above ground and near a road.

        We got back to the RV stuffed and ready to just relax.  Earlier in the day, I had stopped to visit with a couple of friends who had helped me restore Shannon's Karmann Ghia.  One of them was pleased to learn that Shannon still had it and told all his co-workers all we'd done to it.  However, he was the bearer of some bad news: our other friend and motorcycle riding buddy had died in '92.  He had a heart attack while riding his Harley and "was dead before the bike hit the ground."  Then, this evening, I called another friend from 16 years ago but was 5 months too late; he'd recently died of a brain tumor.  So, though the day was topped by a wonderful meal, the sadness of losing friends overshadowed that enjoyment.  Seems everybody our age is passing!

Day 48 (Friday, 4 June):  Mid-70's & Sunny.

        The first thing we did was drive down to North Pole, Alaska and visit Santa Claus.  Luckily, he was in his workshop and took some time to visit with us.

        We waited, we did some shopping in his gift shop and gave Santa the addresses of some of our younger neighbors so he could drop them a postcard.  We also wandered out to his stables where he keeps the reindeer.  Here's a photo of the old boy, Donner, himself.

        Next, we wandered around the campus of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks where I taught.  We drifted down to the Patty Building where my office and classrooms were located - nothing's changed.  Finally, we ran by the farmer's market to see if it was open, tomorrow morning at 9am we'll be there to see what fresh products the farmers have for sale. 

        I may have said it before, but Tennessee Williams was correct when he said, "You can never go home again."   All the big boxes have come to Fairbanks: Fred Myers, Home Depot, Walmart, Sam's Club; heck, they're even building a Lowe's!  And with those big boxes, the quiet, unique flavor of Fairbanks as the last frontier city has faded away.  Fairbanks is now "any city USA"!  The little hardware store on the banks of the Chena River in 1985 that had every nut, bolt, and fastener that a bush pilot might need is just another Ace Hardware today.  The great restaurant that served hot (& I don't mean temperature-wise) Louisiana link sausage for breakfast with the biggest eggs you will ever see had been torn down and replaced with a mega-church.  You know the type: 3 services every Sunday plus the preppy coffee klatsch worship service.

        Sure, there are still the little corner mom and pop restaurants, antique shops, and bars tucked away if you know where to find them; but, the big hotel chains are moving in along with Denny's, 2 different KFC's, Taco bells, etc., ready to put them out of business.  Even the little gravel side roads are being paved or replaced with major divided thruways to get people over the city quickly.  And the pristine hillsides surrounding the city?  Huge houses perched on piers to provide the modern-day yuppies a better view from their elaborate homes.  No simple log cabins for them.

        The last frontier?  Nope, the last frontier is dead.  How unfortunate that people traveling to Alaska in this day and time will think its always been like this.  Even Jerri commented that we were actually lucky to see it before the Blockbusters and RAC's moved in.  About the only places to cling to their unique Alaska heritage will probably be the little seaside tourist towns.

Days 49 & 50 (Saturday & Sunday, 5 & 6 June):  80's & Sunny.

        Saturday was just a relaxed day in Fairbanks.  We visited the farmer's market to purchase fresh lettuce, cucumbers, and green tomatoes.  The lettuce made a super fresh salad for dinner, the tomatoes fried into appetizers, and the cuc's will be a great salad in a day or so.  After a drive out on Farmers Loop Road and some of the other country roads surrounding Fairbanks, we went back to the RV for a lunch of hamburgers grilled over charcoal and eaten outside.  The afternoon was just as relaxing.

        Sunday was another slow day in Fairbanks.  We got out and explored the town trying to find a part that still had the old flavor.  Finally, out around the Chena Pump House we found some of the older log homes. We're now in the time when its light 24 hours a day.  The shortest day of the year, Summer Solstice, will be here soon - June 21st - but we're already a total light.  Sure, the sun goes down around 11 pm and doesn't come back up until around 2 am but it never gets dark so long as the sky is clear.  Its not hard to sleep in total light, your body just doesn't want to.  It wants to enjoy all the sun and heat and doesn't seem to need the same amount of rest as during dark periods.  Strange how the body reacts to sunlight.

        We had also forgotten about the mosquitoes.  No, we remembered that mosquitoes were prevalent in Fairbanks, we had just forgotten they were EVERYWHERE.  I mean, everywhere. All the time!  They're not quite as big as they could be but they make up for their lack of size by their quantity.

        As we were about to leave Fort Wainwright, a guy came up to us to ask about our MGB.  Seems he just bought a '64 pull handle B that needs a lot of work.  I gave him my business card and told him what to do to get a Bentley manual and Moss catalog.  after he described his rust problem, I walked him through removing the windshield and front fenders to see the extent of his problems.  I'll probably hear from him soon.