The Train to Denali.3

Nenana is about 55 miles from Fairbanks. As the train goes expect to arrive there after about an hour into the ride. There are speed limits set for the rail and often, we traveled at the break-neck speed of .... 35 miles an hour! It is however just the right speed for taking in Alaska's natural beauty, but not the speed when you "gotta get there". Nenana is an historic community/Athabaskan (Indian) village. It is famous for the sale of lottery tickets. This is Alaska's only form of legalized gambling. There is no Lotto here, or casinos. The Tanana River and the Nanana River meet at Nenana. In the spring they celebrate the Break Up, otherwise known as a spring thaw. A clock and tripod are placed on the frozen river. Tickets are sold whereas the purchaser tries to guess the exact date and time of the breakup. When the tripod drops into the river and the clock stops, this is the official time of the break up. The Jackpot is a whopping $300,000.00

The Train to Denali.2

We were blessed with a clear morning, although the temperature felt brisk. We were also blessed with so many fall colors. The train takes a southern route out of Fairbanks toward Denali, but there is a climb in elevation.  The terrain between Fairbanks and Nenana is a vast wonderland of black pines, white pines, birch and aspens. September 1st, our day of travel seemed to be a marking point for cooler temperatures and changing colors.

These are colors that look stunning when they are spread across the wilderness. It's as if they were perfectly placed with the Creator's paint brush on a giant canvass. Gold, auburn, umber, sage and dark green harmonize as the new season of autumn is welcomed. The flat terrain is dominated by the Black Spruce - a tall spindly dark evergreen. It is hearty variety and will survive the harsh temperatures farther to the north. There is also the White Spruce - there are fewer of these and they resemble a Christmas tree. Next are the Birch and Aspen - both have white trunks and golden leaves this time of year. The Aspen looks more full at the top and has a smoother trunk. Birch is commonly used to craft Ulu knives and bowls.

The Train to Denali

We decided it was time to get out again and explore more of Alaska. The tour season will end soon; September 15th is the last day to take a guided tour. This time our destination was Mount McKinley or Denali, which translates "the High One" in Athabaskan. With a little careful planning, we hopped on the Holland America McKinley Explorer Train. The train departs from the Fairbanks Depot at 8:00 am and arrives at Denali National Park at about 12:30 pm.

Breakfast was served on the train for a separate charge. Meals are not included in the fare. Passengers were gradually excused to the dining area below for a hot hearty breakfast that was served quickly. We had a biscuit, breakfast potatoes and reindeer sausage. Hot coffee, juice and soda were available to us too.

The Moose Lot

The moose are finally coming out of hiding. Once in a while we see a few of them in an open field just off the Robert Mitchell Expressway, near Peger Road. We named this location The Moose Lot. Moose are beginning to find their way closer into the city as temperatures become cooler. We shot these photos at dusk.

Visitors are Welcome: Heather Zulkanycz

Heather visited us in July while she interviewed at Warbelow's. Heather was a student of David's when he taught in Prescott, Arizona. Heather earned her instrument, commercial and multi-engine certificates when she flew with David.

While she was here, we showed her the best of Fairbanks; where to shop for the best food values, and where to dine. We also spent some time with her at Heritage Park. Heather had spent some time in Fairbanks as an intern for Alaska Airlines, but didn't see much of the town at that time. We convinced her stay long term and is now enjoying her hectic position at Warbelow's in the dispatch office.

Visitors are Welcome: Josh Verhalan

Josh began his flight training a few years ago and was a student of David's when he instructed at North-Aire in Arizona. Josh visited us in August and took about two weeks of flight instruction in the meantime.  He has become a friend of ours and in fact, I used to rub elbows with him when we worked together at Streets of New York in Prescott. Josh was a delivery driver while I waited tables. The extra spending money came in handy for him.

Josh was also given the glamorous job of babysitting the Warbelow's booth at the Tanana Valley Fair either with Heather, or David. The fair took up a bunch of David's time as he was required to help promote the flight school and the airline.

Josh lived a little bit of his dream and got in a little "Alaska Time" with his flying.

Here are a few pictures of Josh, Heather and David.

93 and Sunny in Fairbanks

It was Sunday afternoon, August 15th and we were tooling around with the top down. It felt warm and balmy. We were driving back toward town on Airport Way when when we saw the answer to our question, "How hot is it anyway?" I took this quick photo, just to show that we can have a few warm ones here, too.

As I am writing this, (August 18th) we can expect the sun to set at 9:59 this evening. That's already a big difference from our first day here, in June when the sun set at about 1/2 hour past midnight and rose again at about 3:00 in the morning. By August 31st, the sun will set at around 9:10 and rise again at about 6:30 The last few days we have seen the August rains (the 2nd wettest month) and a sudden drops in temperature. Today, it's around 55 degrees.

We still have some shopping to do before the extremely cold temperatures arrive and we will finish "winterizing" the car tomorrow. According to the locals, extreme temperatures last a few weeks at a time, just as they would in places like Minnesota where David grew up and Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where I grew up. I'm looking forward to making comparisons to winter in Fairbanks to winter in Eau Claire.

The list below was found on the Weather Channel's web site:

• The average warmest month is July.

• The highest recorded temperature was 94°F in 1991.

• The average coolest month is January.

• The lowest recorded temperature was -66°F in 1961.

• July is the average wettest month.