The thirsty Brrrr!

The 56 mile road to Chena Hot Springs passes the home to 5-time Iditarod champ Rick Swenson and a number of other dog mushers. There is an extensive system of mushing trails to that follow along the road.  

Here we are! The end of the road at Chena Hot Springs! Home to the springs and the ice!

We really thought that we could withstand the heat of these beautiful springs, but only lasted about 15 minutes! The water mister did not master cooling the hot water, so climbing upon the rocks was our only relief. Whew...let's head to the Ice museum!

The tour included very heavy parkas that were necessary to keep us from freezing! Inside it remains a constant 20 degrees! Ready...set...GO!  Brrr!

Inside there was a xylophone. It was very pretty....and not the music that was being played!

The bar where we we going to sit on ice and drink our appletinni.

These sculptures are professionaly carved...

The chandeliers had 52 branches and were lit to reflect the northern lights...

There is a chapel inside, where, believe it or not QUICK weddings have occured. There are also 4 bedrooms. You can purchase an overnight stay for a whopping $600 per person. The keepers let you in at 10 o'clock at night. They only supply you a cariboo fur skin to lay down on the ice, mind you.....there are no restrooms, so you had better not drink any liquids, because....If you should continue to exist until 6AM you are awarded a certificate of survival!  NO, I am not staying....I want my appletinni!

Finally! My drink is being poured! Do I look thirsty? Do I look happy? Do I look Cold?

CHEERS! This is a moment neither of us will ever forget!

This is for Norma.....

Awww, Nancy found a fireplace to warm up....NOT! Seriously folks...literally EVERYTHING is ICE!

Once inside you could not leave the building because the warmer temps outside (except in winter) will ruin the sculptures. The 40 minutes we spent inside were priceless. On our way out we witnessed a sculpture making more martini glasses!

Once outside our glasses and our camera lenses fogged immediatly!

Part of the tradition is to break the ice glass...I would have rather had it filled again.....

I'm a believer

I don't know why I keep photographing mosquitos except for the fact that we were warned of the size they are! I should have brought along a bigger can of repellent!

So, the book to own as one travels to and through Alaska is called Milepost. It is published every year with road condition updates, things to do and see, roadside pullouts, wayside attractions ....milepost by milepost. It is quite intriguing actually. As I was skimming through it I noticed this "knotty shop" souvenir store with an ad that read...show this ad and receive 1 free single scoop ice cream. Ok....I'm a cheap skate! If she hadn't signed my book I very well may have detoured my trip planner to come back this way! Yes, the mocha ice cream was delicious!

Upon exiting with cone in hand and mouth I was pretty sure I had overdosed on sugar. Really, what's wrong with this picture! I guess anything goes in Alaska!

All those years of package car driving during Christmas peak I never once thought that the North Pole was real! Well, we are still 55 miles away. Let's just see....I still don't believe.

My Oh My! It really does exsist! It also looks like Nancy and I just can't get enough of delivering either!

Here's the old guys abode! Looks pretty fancy. Let's go get a peek inside!

Holy smokes! His elves have been quite busy so far! The sign on his big red chair said that he was taking the day off. He must be really tired from instructing the elfs. You know, supervisors get like that!

The street lights were lined in candy canes.....

Even McDonalds! What's this town coming to?

I would have a picture of the welcome to Fairbanks, BUT, my nose was in my milepost finding directions to our next pitch. So this is what you get.....another free park with several events to offer!

A person can really get hungry driving the wagon train. We washed the dust from our dresses, invested in dangling garb and set out for the true Alaskan experience.

Between the salad bar shack and the dessert shack there is no question where Loretta spent most of her eating participation! Well, the cone had worn off by then!

Back in the saddle! As they say....if you can'tcatch 'em, ride 'em! Yippee! Come on Nancy! See how fun it is!

Ya Spencie! Loads of fun! Get me off of here!

Giddy up little doggie

Good morning! Lets hit the road! We are only going about 100 miles today so we will pull over frequently. State side we call these rest stops, but here they are called "double ended pull outs." The mountains are the beginning of the Alaskan Range.  

Glacier silt makes the rivers a muddy chocolate color. The Tanana cuts a wide path and runs swift in the deepest parts. Yes, that's snow!

Just another picture of the mountains....

Tilly is warning Nancy to get the fly swatter! There are monster mosquitos about to attack!

It seemed only fitting to picture Rosie, BEAN and Tilly at the end of the Highway monument, located at Delta Junction. You gotta be a really tough dog to make it this far!

Leaving Delta Junction we are now rolling along the Richardson Highway. This is the first view of the Alaska pipeline that is visable from the road.

Well, we've been on the road for a few hours. Seems like a good time to set camp and stretch our legs at Quartz Lake. There are signs of animals in the area including bear proof litter bins. We have now entered the infamous GRIZZLY country!

The park has no power, sewer or water, but that didn't stop me from using the gallon container to wash the windows. Really, I need a job!

I just can't resist posting how many moose we keep seeing. This one was very near our site!

OK, go ahead and take a guess what these shacks are. You can't see it but they are all on skids that look like huge skis! Umm, umm, umm. If the mighty Yukon River can freeze what about these lakes further north? Yep, you're right! They are ice fishing huts that can be rented from the park! Curiously, I wanted to enter but the doors were all padlocked!

Rika's Roadhouse is on the Historical Registar. In 1923 she bought it for $10. It provided a rest stop to weary travelers. She raised livestock and grew vegtables and fruits, which allowed her to serve fresh produce, eggs, milk and meat.

I might look happy here, but that look is nervous excitement. The hike to Moose Lake was a narrow winding trail with little peek-a-boo areas. Alone on the trail with just the sound of the wind whistling through the brush, the trees would crack conveying a certain impression that we were about to run face to face with a moose or a bear!  My hiking poles would be my only protection! Relax, take a deep breath and start singing! OK, I'm better now. Look at the huge beaver dam behind me! It's a mansion!

Closer to moose country, further from civilization.

Hence the namesake of the lake. What a sight to behold!

Back at camp, it is time to relax!

Color between black and white

Oh, do I have so much to say! For those of you that know Rosie, her goal and her age, you ought to appreciate that she has finally made it to Alaska! She is quite the traveller, as this is her 11th state within her young years! Need I say that we had to rouse her from the comforts of her bed for this photo opportunity. She binded her favor by turning her cheek to view the distant mountains. 

OK, this is crazy, we are now in Alaska, the USA for gosh sakes, and the road has all but diminished to potholes, dust, and basically despicable! This road is in no condition to warrant a recreational vehicle, NOR a passenger car to cross! The road signs warned of soft shoulders, warning not to pull over. It looks wide right now, but wait until we round the corner...oh, for the next 45 miles it was basically a disaster. We averaged 17 miles an hour, you do the math. At this point my hair is too busy turning the color between black and white!

 A pilot car  forewarned us only 3 minutes in advance that 2 tour buses were about to railroad the unpaved path. It was in my best interest to come to a compete STOP to let them pass me!

After another heroine driving event we finally arrived in the area called Chicken. Now if we had known that that the road was so abhorrent, we might have chosen an alternate route. You know that we have tread millions of miles between the two of us. Professionally and privately. We seem to always choose the road less challenged. Friends had forewarned us that, everyone experiences this road once, to say they have, yet never again.

Welcome to Tok, Alaska. Pronounced that like "poke." We are staying at an RV park that offers a power wash to rid the glick and tar from our rig and car. All the amenities including a red fox that has been hanging out in the woods beyond, though we never saw it. Now that we are in the land of the midnight sun it is time to relax. Jalapeno burgers on the grill and a cold beverage to calm my rattled nerves. Life is good! 

They say everything in Alaska is BIG....well this proves it! Sorry...I got it before it got me!

Time to chill with a paddle on Moon Lake. It was very serene. Keep your eye on the bog behind Nancy.....

We encountered, face to face with a moose!

Don't interrupt a grazing moose! Do you know that they can swim? And quite fast as we have learned! Thankfully it wasn't a mother with her calf! 

I best go an a serious diet......