Sunday, Feb 11, 2018: Glennallen, to Fairbanks, AK

Finding a place for breakfast this morning was a challenge.  We had thought we would return to the IGA deli, however when we left the hotel, the grocery store was not yet open on a Sunday morning, so the gas station was the only option.  We bought the bare minimum, and it was not great!  We discussed our options as to whether we go directly north to Delta Junction where we eventually want to be or first go south to Valdez, before turning around and going north.  The weather had us confused.  In the end, we drove north.  It was 2 hours before we found a Roadhouse along Meier Lake for breakfast.  Today the clouds kept shifting, at times it appeared to be clearing, and at time the sun was on mountains, but then again it could be cloudy. The exciting part of today was that we saw 11 moose.  We are still looking for caribou!

Pipeline

Towns are NOT close to each other in Alaska.  It is a long drive between places. The road conditions today were usually good, but at times, the surface was totally snow covered.  In fact, in one area, there was almost no snow on the ground, but at other places there was at least 2 feet of snow.  We finally made it to Delta Junction! At Delta, we continued driving the Richardson Highway to Fairbanks.  About 20 miles east of North Pole is the Knotty Shop.  We had been told about this shop, so we stopped to look around – all the Alaska Souvenirs you would want!   It was around 4:00pm when we arrived at the LaQuinta Inn by the airport.  We will be here for two nights. Fairbanks continues to be a winter wonderland, due to the freezing rain before the snow several weeks ago. 

Tomorrow we will do things in Fairbanks, some of them will be things I did while Cal was in Eagle, but not everything.

Alaska in winter is lovely.  We are so glad we came.  It is great the weather did not hinder us from being able to drive around the State.  We are thrilled the weather was clear when we were near Denali, so we could finally see it – third time was the charm! HOWEVER, I have absolutely no desire to live in the bush, where everything you do in the spring, summer and fall is preparing to survive the cold and snow. Those who can afford to, close-up their Alaskan home, going south for the winter. Those who stay here, embrace the winter, enjoying the outdoor activities.  We have been told you need to be outside in the white snow to help fight the depression of the darkness.  February is an invigorating month, as the days are getting longer.