Parks Hwy to Fairbanks

Parks Hwy to Fairbanks is the road with a view.  From the road you see Mt. McKinley around every turn.  It's an amazing site to see this tall white mountain shooting up from the lush green landscape around you.  Alaskan roads, this time of year, are springing forth with flowers. Mostly the purple flower called the Fireweed.  They tell us that this flower blooms purple all the way to the top of it's steam, when the purple starts to die then summer is over. This starts the cold season.  

This is our fist pull over to see the mountain.  

Purple Fireweed.

Picnics are the best restaurants here in Alaska.  We have found that eating out is a little more than in the lower 48.  For example..back home you could get a $5 pizzas at Little Ceasers, here that same pizza is $7.99. The $1 menu at McDonald's here is called the Value Menu and the one dollar items here are $1.50.  Not too bad, but when you are out traveling through the state the best thing to do is pack a picnic and pull over at one of Alaska's great pull out picnic spots. The views are more amazing than sitting in any old restaurant. 

We learned the hard way that up here in Alaska you are suppose to call Mt. McKinley, Mt. Denali.   Alaskan people do not like the fact that someone in Ohio petitioned congress to name  Mt. Denali after one of our presidents, William McKinley.  Alaskans do not like the fact that it's their state and they did not get a say in the process.  To them it's Mt. Daneli and always will be.  The name Denali means "The great one." and it's a pretty great Mountain to see.

We arrived in Fairbanks and stopped by the visitor center. We learned all about the Native Alaskan way of life.  Here we see how they hang up salmon to cure.

In AK some of the trees will get a growth like this,  which is caused by a disease on the tree.  It forms this 'knot' or "mess up" on the tree, but does not harm the tree's growth.  People will use these trees for house post and other decorator purposes.  We have even seen handmade bowls and plates made from these knots.  Amazing how a 'mess up' could turn out to be useful and even beautiful.  That reminds me of other things in life, God can use our 'mess ups' and turn them into beautiful things.  Even our very life, when it seems that we were a "mess up", God can turn it into a beautiful amazing life with a loving family.

The museum had a Northern Lights display.

Bryson takes a ride on an Alaskan toy, a snowmobile.

If you ever come it Alaska you will understand this saying to it's fullest.

Here is a display of Native Alaskan artifacts.

Every one up here as moose horns on their houses, barns, and anywhere else they can find a spot to display them.

Typical river boat.

The best way to experience Alaska is camping.  There are camp spots all over the state.  You don't need reservations.  You just pull in!  We have became expert campers with no electricity.  These state campgrounds don't provide hook-ups.  But it's a cheap way to go.  The mosquitoes even think it's a great way to camp.  I think they get up set with us when we pull into their camp spot so they start biting. People up here joke that the mosquito is the state bird.  

Can't camp with out our Jiffy Pop! Getting to Fairbanks is just half of our weekend. I'll be posting all about the Eskimo Olympics from this weekend trip in a few blog posts. Check back soon !