Tōk to Fairbanks

We started the day in Tōk getting caught up on our routine chores. Then we headed off to our next stop, Fairbanks. The road was excellent and very straight, at least compared to what we have been traveling on. We soon spied a pair of Trumpeter Swans with their two cute goslings. A short time later we noticed what we assumed was a fairly young female moose eating in a pond just off the road. We did a quick u-turn, our VanGo can turn on a dime, and went back to the moose and photographed our willing model. We soon had more pictures than we would later want to sort through. Our sighting soon became a moose jam and we bailed.

As we were getting close to Fairbanks we spotted a wart hog. Not a type of swine, but an attack aircraft with two fighter escorts on final approach to Eielsen Air Force Base.

Laura wanted to go shopping at the North Pole for some Christmas ornaments. The North Pole is a small tourist attraction just before Fairbanks. DR of couse waited in the van, but Laura bought him a Grinch ornament anyway. The only redeeming grace was DR got to drive around 6 round-abouts, which he enjoys and finds much more efficient than stop lights (insert Laura rolling her eyes).

As mentioned in earlier posts DR was supposed to receive a replacement antenna via general delivery to Fairbanks. DR had never received anything via general delivery before. As it turned out we went straight to the correct post office, and after showing his ID to the clerk, DR received his package in less than a minute. Kudos to the USPS, at least something to do with the US government still works.

We were short on a few Safeway specific items, so we found a Safeway and sure enough they had what we were after.

We are right now sitting in a vacant building parking lot hiding in the shade of the building from the seldom setting sun. It’s one of the hottest days that we have encountered at 91 degrees (F). We plan to drive across the street and park for the night at a welcoming Walmart. Tomorrow we are off to the James Dalton Highway and the Arctic Circle.