Day 53: Delta Junction and North Pole

June 6, 2014

Today started out sunny, cold and very windy. We had a windy, noisy night because the slide awnings were flapping in the strong winds. We had breakfast in the rig and moved on toward Delta Junction and North Pole. We stopped for geocaches at the Black Rapids Roadhouse, which is in terrible disrepair but currently being restored, and at various scenic pullouts.

Black Rapids Roadhouse

Between there and Delta we saw 3 moose and a caribou. One of the turn outs was a great viewing location for the pipeline.

 

 

At Delta Junction we had our picture taken at the end of the Alaska Highway. That is a long, arduous, bumpy and beautiful drive! Mama Ruby and Daddy Dwight were certainly in our thoughts today since they were at this same location receiving an identical certificate of completion for the highway in 1986.

Alaska State Bird

The lady in the Visitor's Center was very nice and informative and suggested we go next door to the Sullivan Roadhouse.

The docent there was also very informative and we really enjoyed his tour of the roadhouse. BTW, for those coming to Alaska this year, this is a nice museum and it does not charge an entry feel. We showed the gentleman at the museum Aunt Jean's photo album from when she was here in Alaska in the 1940's and he was very interested. He would like for us to share the album with someone with the University in Fairbanks. He is trying to contact that person for us. We will see what if anything comes of that.

After leaving the visitor's center and museum we went to the Delta Meat and Sausage Company and sampled Reindeer sausage, elk sausage, and buffalo summer sausage. Yes, we now have some in our refrigerator for some future meals. We didn't need lunch. Then we went to the Northern Lights Dairy. The sign at the visitors center said this was where we would find the “best home made ice cream.” We didn't realized we were going to the actual dairy but we did. Holstein cows were all around. It was a large dairy.

We all thought of Uncle George and Janet and Gerald. We knew they would have all loved to have seen this dairy. We also didn't realize that we were not going to an ice cream shop or tasting facility. All that was available was ½ gallon containers of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry. Yes, we have a ½ gallon of strawberry ice cream in the freezer. Everyone agrees it does taste very much like homemade and has lots of strawberries.

We then went to our campground – Riverview RV Park – between North Pole and Fairbanks. After checking in and setting up we went back into North Pole to visit the welcome center, to eat dinner and then the Santa's House.

Notice the sunrise and sunset times

We looked around there but will have to go back tomorrow to talk to Santa as he had just left for supper when we arrived. We did see many of the gifts his elves are getting ready for Christmas, be we aren't telling.

Tomorrow we plan to take the Riverboat Discovery tour in the morning and then see what we can get into afterwards. We hope everyone has a great weekend (even though we are having trouble keeping track of what day of the week it is.)