Hotel Captain Bartlett Inn Fairbanks

... ok, ok, let’s just leave and head back to the park.

The next day back at Savage Camp Natalie, Dan, and Val wanted to take a bus ride out into the park. Dave didn’t want to ride the bus so he stayed back at camp with me. The day turned out to be nasty with fog and rain predominant, but our intrepid group made the best of it. They saw some animals, and the color in the park this time of year is beautiful. The highlight was a pair of bears found busy ...

... and landing from a riverbank strip. Further along, the boat stopped at Trail Breaker Kennels. They are run by David Monson, widower of the late Susan Butcher, four-time Iditarod champion. Here, we heard a lively lecture and saw a demonstration of mushing training 2009-style - the dogs were hitched to an ATV!



We viewed the wedding of the clear Chena River with the silty Tanana River, then the sternwheeler turned around on the Tanana ...

... Champion, Susan Butcher's, home and sled dog kennel (Susan lost her life to lukemia a couple of years ago). A bush pilot did a demonstration and we took a tour of a Chena Indian Village. We are within walking distance to Pioneer Park. We will go there tomorrow. I will put on more pictures and try to tell more about the pictures I sent yesterday. More later.

... for questions and further information. For those who may be unable to attend the presentation in person, you may view our stories and testimonies and photos on our website at http://www.travelpod.com/members/Alaska Team. We are still in the process of adding adventures and photos, but should have it completed soon. Hope to see you there! The Alaska Team 2008

Well the two hour flight went alright, luckily I can sleep through about anything. Got to wake up as we descended through thick ceiling and see all of Fairbanks looking very cold. At least I had a ride waiting for me at the airport. Nothing too exciting ...

... go out all the time on the road which is not safe. For the size, they had a good supply of RV goods. Going back to the RV, I dropped off Pooh, put on some warmer clothes - it was warm in the morning but then became cooler in the afternoon - and went to a political rally in a park in Fairbanks for this guy named Mark Begich. He is a Democrat going against legendary Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. Now Alaska is a big time Red state, but Stevens is under FBI ...

... down the river in kayaks and more. After Gary made Alex and I 'typical' Alaska breakfast (big) we headed out for a look-see. We got a lesson on perma-frost and what it does when you build on it. Basically, the heat captured in the craw space melts the perma-frost and the foundation sinks. We got to see some examples. Damn brokers. After a visit to Gary's business/shop (B&B Excavation "We Can Dig It") we headed to ...

... contemplating the origins of the Universe I turned the knob out of curiosity. Initially nothing happened apart from a very quiet motor noise then suddenly, without any warning, a jet of water shot me in the ****. I leapt like a salmon in a bid to escape the aquatic insult but this bidet device had quite some power as the jet of water hit the ceiling and the far wall. Debs: You have no idea how disturbing it is to be quietly enjoying a drink with a ...

... and I didn't realize that it didn't come with one. He will try and download something and work on it later. The campground has free Internet so it would be nice to take advantage of that amenity. He has to go to the office because he doesn't have wireless capabilities. The other campers ...

... my pay stubs to decorate my walls. Toured this summer, including a performing trip to New York, got home and no job and no money. Searched for job while house sitting. Would get up in the morning, a domesticated, suburban house surrounded me. The kind of house where I grew up. Kitchen, bedrooms, a dining room for special occasions. Stairs. A real house. I woke every morning next to a woman I loved. A woman there was such a connection to that each morning would begin with ...