We've Reached Alaska!

After an incredible drive (unpaved & almost unimproved!) over The Top of The World Drive from Dawson City to Tok, Alaska, we spent the holiday weekend at the Tok River State Park, just a mile outside Tok. As you can see from the photo, it was a lovely spot, with our picture window overlooking the fast-moving river. Now, Sunday, we've moved our rigs to Fairbanks, to the State Park here, along the Chena River.
The frost heaves on the paved roads make for a very bumpy ride. The gravel roads don't suffer from frost heaves, although you pay for that with the dust, dirt, and mud!
We will stay here for about 5 days, using this as our base camp for day/side trips. We will go north up a gravel road just to the Arctic Circle (have to have that photo!), and a special overnight trip out to Manley Hot Springs, named after my great grandfather. We will leave the rigs here as that road is gravel and there are no accomodations for RV's out there. And of course, a visit to the University of Alaska Museum here in town. It's recognized as one of the best in the state.
Good things we got great pics of the Alaska Range while in the Tok State Park. Today, as we drove along them, there was a fire with smoke covering them totally. We stopped at Delta Junction to lunch, visit the museum and the famous Sullivan Roadhouse (moved to this spot courtesy the US Army of all people!). My great-grandfather would have stopped at that Roadhouse on his 2nd, of four! trips to Alaska, as it was on the Valdez-to-Fairbanks trail. The trail was 10 feet wide and 268 miles long. He told my mother that he walked the entire way and as it was winter trail, he did it on a snow-covered trail! As best she recalls, it was either 1904 or 1908.
Contrast that with our trip today.... I prepared my mini-crockpot with a roast to slow cook, and gave it to Jan. Their 5th wheel has solar power and she puts her crock pot in the sink, lets it cook while they drive and voila! a meal ready at dinnertime. Since it's Sunday it's my turn to host the whole group. We will have broccoli/cauliflower/carrots for a veg, boiled Yukon Gold potatoes, the pot roast done in the crock pot, and I baked a mincemeat pie (last night) for dessert. Life on the open road....
Garth hung the clock I gave him. All it has are days of the week on it so we know today is Sunday. Had we not been traveling we'd have found a church to attend for services but that didn't work out today.
It's warmer weather now, in the high 70's in Fairbanks and we've opened every window in the rig to cool off. We'll do some shopping here in town and do laundry (of course!)
Garth says he's having a great time. We have walkie-talkies to use while traveling so we are always in contact with Jan & Walt. He likes to hear Walt's pithy comments about the roads and the other RV drivers. Whoever is in the lead gives warning of upcoming stops and the following rig gives notice of cars needing to pass. That arrangement seems to work really well.
More later!