This was a
rest day, of sorts. We got up and went for a little hike from our hotel to the
NPS Visitor Center. Since the trail took us through areas of forest, Karen was
on high alert for any wildlife that might be lurking within. She set up some
good luck stones on a wall along the trail, and then headed into the wild.
We
encountered one furry critter, who gave us a menacing glance. Other than that,
we made it to the visitor center unscathed. We reviewed a 3-D map of the road
into the Denali backcountry, then caught a shuttle back to the hotel to pick up
our bags. On the way back, we saw a moose (from the safety of the bus) munching
on some roadside snacks.
The last leg
of our Alaska Railroad Gold Star train trip took us north through the quite
scenic Nenana River Gorge. During dinner on the train, we sat with a young
couple who were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Brandon
and Beth (and their three young daughters) live in Husila, AK, which is a small
village halfway between Fairbanks and Nome. The only way to get there is by
air. Brandon moved there several years ago to be a pastor for a church there.
They told us interesting stories of life in a village where it is more
economical for them to hunt their own food, than to order it flown in from
outside retailers.
Once in
Fairbanks, the sun was still high in the sky. We took a stroll through
downtown, and then Karen convinced the hotel shuttle driver take us over to the
local Walgreen’s for supplies.
It’s now
about 11:00PM and the sun shows no signs of going down. We’ve got to be down in
the lobby at 4:30AM to catch our ride up to the Arctic Circle town of Coldfoot.
We won’t likely have a good connection up there, so we’ll do some updating once
we return to Fairbanks on Sunday night.
Next: Arctic
Circle
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