Ravens in Athabascan Culture

Athabascan natives, who are the ones in the interior of Alaska,  believe that the Raven created the earth.  They believe that at one time animals and people spoke a common language and shared a common society.  Animals have spirits to be treated with deference and respect.  Here are some raven depictions from the Museum at the university of Alaska, including sculptures and  a pictograph.

There was also one sitting on our picnic table at the campground.  No, that isn't a miniature picnic table.  The raven was really that big!

Creamers Diary

Creamers Dairy

Our friend Janice put us in touch with her childhood friend in Fairbanks.  We had a great time with them at Creamers Dairy, a farm which is now owned by the government and which is a major migratory bird flyway.

We had been wondering why we haven’t seen many birds this whole trip, and the answer is because most of them are migratory and they were already ahead of us, flying further north for the summer.   One of the species that comes here is the Sandhill Crane, which also flies to the Platte River, close to where my sister lives in Nebraska. 

The fields here have been planted with rapeseed (from which we get canola oil).  It is attractive for the color.  They also plant fragrant flowers.  The military, which has both an Army and Air Force post in Fairbanks, applauds and encourages this field, because it takes the birds on a trajectory away from the airfields where bird strikes have been common in the past.

We spent a delightful day with Fred and Marty.  Fred recently became a guide here, having taken the orientation course, and we were his first students.

We spent a lovely afternoon at the Pump House restaurant, one of the features on the Riverboat Discovery tour.  We sat next to Cripple Creek, which is where the first gold in the area was discovered.  It is about 2 12 feet wide and unimpressive.  You’d never know it started the rush to the Yukon Gold Fields.

So, we watched the riverboat go by for the third day in a row, and enjoyed it just as much.

Chena Hot Spring Bike Classic

Chena Hot Springs Bike Classic

John found out about a bike ride taking place outside Fairbanks that sounded pretty interesting to him.  Coincidentally, Fred was planning on riding in it with the Fairbanks Bicycle Club.  The ride was a thirty five miles through some beautiful country. 

   It started at the Paradise Valley Store in Two Rivers.  A group of serious riders had started earlier nearer Fairbanks and was 62 miles.  As the Peloton went by, the riders started from Paradise Valley.  I followed in the car. 

And took some pictures of the riders in front of me (Fred and John) as I went by.  At the side of the road on the other side was a Moose.  Do I take pictures of the riders or the moose?  Both I guess, and I didn’t hit either one!

These riders didn’t follow any of the rules of the road I was familiar with, and it was

hard to pass them and people were passing me on this narrow road.

John came across the finish line in good time, and there was a luncheon.  One of the perks of the ride was a dip in the Hot Springs, a natural spring in a beautiful rock setting.  We decided to stay at the campground at the springs, and later at night, after dinner, we went into the springs and came out thoroughly relaxed.   It was a wonderful day. 

John and I took a ride back down the highway, since I said I had missed seeing a lot of it while keeping an eye on the riders.  We happened upon another moose, standing in the water.  They are now feeding on the plants on the bottom of the lakes and ponds as well as the remaining young willow shoots beside the roads.  

And, we saw a beautiful butterfly and a fly fisherman in the North Chena River practicing catch and release.  He caught several fish while we were watching. 

We thoroughly enjoyed this trip, which was 57 miles up the Chena River Valley.  It would never have happened if it hadn’t been for the bike ride, and John really enjoyed being among bikers once again. 

Flowers in Fairbanks

Flowers in Fairbanks

The wild iris’s are in full bloom here, and in abundance.

 I had to show you these, and also to show how well rhubarb and iris blend together in a garden setting!

Chena River Afternoon

The Chena River

Fairbanks sits in a vast valley full of rivers, one of which is the Chena.  We stayed at the Chena River State Recreational Campground right in Fairbanks.  We enjoyed our time there, and walked down to the river to see kayakers and other boaters.

  We spotted these young men who had put together a raft of 55-gallon drums and could float it down the river while consuming quantities of their favorite beverage.  We watched as they struggled to get it back on the trailer.  This was about ten at night.

 Things seem to start later in the day in Alaska.  The mornings may be a little overcast, but the best part of the day starts around four or five in the afternoon, and continues until at least midnight.

Falafel in Fairbanks

Falafel in Fairbanks

Almost every day that we have spent in Fairbanks, we have passed a little stand by the side of the road with a Falafel sign.  And each time, there has been a long line waiting to be served.  One day, we had the opportunity to eat there, and we saw what the attraction was!

Nadar Weiss is an Israeli who completed his time in the Army and decided to take a trip around the world.  He fell in love with Alaska, and then fell in love with an Alaskan and decided to stay here.   They have one child, and twins were born in May of this year.  Looking for a job, he and his wife decided to try making Falafels.  He had never cooked before.  And one of the first issues was that there was no pita bread to be found in the entire state.  So, they learned how to make pita, and then experimented with the ingredients.  He says that Israelis like their Falafel more spicy and with lots of pickles.  Alaskans like lots of lettuce.  

He started out selling at the Farmer’s Market, but when his lines got too long, they had him move to the edge of the market.  He now sells close to 250 Falafels a day.  And he’s open 5 days a week for four hours a day.

He has been featured on The World on NPR with Terry Gross as the northern most place in the US you can buy a Falafel.  He is closed in the winter and those who are looking for their “fix” anxiously await his announcement on when he will be open for the summer.

Oh, and a Falafel costs $8.

So, when it comes to creative ways to make a living, it truly can be done.  You can
sell Falafels to the Eskimos, as the tag line for the NPR newscast went.

Bike Tires in Alaska

Bike Tires in Alaska

Who knew there was such a thing as studded tires?  John went to a bike store to sign up for the Chena Hot Springs Bike Classic, and we spotted these tires there. The road tires were pretty hefty, too!

Retracing our steps to Fairbanks

Retracing our steps to Fairbanks

We got up at 5 am at the Arctic Circle.  We were so tired and bitten by the mosquitoes, we decided to get on the road immediately.  We drove for an hour and then stopped at the Tor formations for breakfast.  While we were there, a little elderly woman in a bright red car (how come there was no mud on it?) drove up to use the restroom.   When she got out, she was dressed in a red blazer, navy slacks, and white shoes!  Where did she come from?  When she left, John watched her, thinking he had the perfect theory.  She was headed perhaps to Fairbanks to go to church, since it was Sunday.  Even though Fairbanks was 100 miles away, it seemed like a comfortable explanation.  Except --- she turned north!  The nearest spot in the road was Coldfoot, and that was another 80 miles up the road.  Believe me, there was nothing in between! It was six in the morning at this point.  She has to remain the mystery lady!

We crossed No Name Creek which makes you wonder why they couldn’t give it a name if they could make a sign.

We stopped once again at the Yukon River Crossing to take another look at the pipeline close up and get diesel once more.

 We pulled into a camping area close to the Hot Spot Café and watched a motorcyclist, covered with mud, washing himself off, fully clothed at the “potable water” pump.

The river behind us was pretty as it wended its way towards the Beaufort Sea.

We drove through the rain once again, and were glad to get back into Fairbanks about 5:30 in the afternoon.