In May/June 2023, Jill and I toured Alaska by land and by sea. We traveled from Fairbanks to Whittier by motor coach and train and then sailed from Whittier to Vancouver aboard the Majestic Princess. We had a blast!
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about my morning stroll through the grounds of the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Click HERE to read a short introduction to our Cruisetour.
This story, part of a series, is about my morning stroll through the grounds of the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.
Fairbanks, Alaska (Monday, May 29, 2023) I awoke with a start, bright light in my face. I felt a bit disoriented.
Could it be morning already? I muttered to myself.
I peeked at the clock. It was four a.m.
What the heck! Did I forget to turn off the lamp?
And then I remembered.
Fairbanks was known as the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ – a four-month season of near-endless daylight from late April to late August.
Later, when I checked that day’s weather forecast, I learned that the sun rose at 3:45 a.m. and would set a few minutes before midnight. Nearly twenty hours of daylight!
I pulled the pillow over my head and slept for another hour or so.
Could it be morning already? I muttered to myself.
I peeked at the clock. It was four a.m.
What the heck! Did I forget to turn off the lamp?
And then I remembered.
Fairbanks was known as the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’ – a four-month season of near-endless daylight from late April to late August.
Later, when I checked that day’s weather forecast, I learned that the sun rose at 3:45 a.m. and would set a few minutes before midnight. Nearly twenty hours of daylight!
I pulled the pillow over my head and slept for another hour or so.
A couple months back, after we booked the Cruisetour, I said to Jill, “I’m flying in a day early.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I didn’t see downtown Fairbanks on our trip last year, and never thought I’d have a second chance,” I replied. “Now I do, and if I fly in on Sunday, I’ll have the better part of Monday to go sightseeing.”
“Is there much to see?”
I read this blurb to her, from explorefairbanks.com:
“Why?” she asked.
“I didn’t see downtown Fairbanks on our trip last year, and never thought I’d have a second chance,” I replied. “Now I do, and if I fly in on Sunday, I’ll have the better part of Monday to go sightseeing.”
“Is there much to see?”
I read this blurb to her, from explorefairbanks.com:
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Downtown Fairbanks is a delightful blend of old and new. Historic buildings dating back to gold rush days, a vibrant contemporary art scene, an array of delicious eating and drinking establishments, museums, shops, a cultural and visitors center, and, in the center of town, iconic Golden Heart Plaza.
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“That sounds great dad, but you’re on your own,” said Jill. “I know that I’ll need that Sunday to finish articles due while we’re gone.”
And with a chuckle, she added, “I guess I’ll tour downtown Fairbanks vicariously through your Facebook posts!”
It proved to be a long day of travel. Phoenix to Seattle, Seattle to Fairbanks. Nearly 14 hours from start to finish, including a four-hour layover at SeaTac Airport. I was exhausted by the time I reached the Fairbanks Princess Riverside lodge, which overlooked the Chena River. But…
And with a chuckle, she added, “I guess I’ll tour downtown Fairbanks vicariously through your Facebook posts!”
It proved to be a long day of travel. Phoenix to Seattle, Seattle to Fairbanks. Nearly 14 hours from start to finish, including a four-hour layover at SeaTac Airport. I was exhausted by the time I reached the Fairbanks Princess Riverside lodge, which overlooked the Chena River. But…
No Pain, No Gain!
My gain? Great memories of the sights I saw in Fairbanks.
I was rarin’ to go when I woke for the second time that morning.
I showered, dressed, and made my way to Edgewater Dining Room, where I enjoyed a hearty meal from the breakfast buffet – orange juice and coffee (lots of coffee!), fruit and yogurt, bacon and eggs, and a waffle with maple syrup and a dab of whipped cream.
Well, that ought to hold me!
From my window table, I had a clear view of the terraced deck that extended to near the edge of the scenic Chena River – a 100-mile tributary of the Tanana River that flows west through Fairbanks.
With an eye on the river and the paved path that ran along it, I thought, this is the perfect place to burn some of the oh-too-many-calories I just consumed.
I paid my tab and headed out the front entrance.
I showered, dressed, and made my way to Edgewater Dining Room, where I enjoyed a hearty meal from the breakfast buffet – orange juice and coffee (lots of coffee!), fruit and yogurt, bacon and eggs, and a waffle with maple syrup and a dab of whipped cream.
Well, that ought to hold me!
From my window table, I had a clear view of the terraced deck that extended to near the edge of the scenic Chena River – a 100-mile tributary of the Tanana River that flows west through Fairbanks.
With an eye on the river and the paved path that ran along it, I thought, this is the perfect place to burn some of the oh-too-many-calories I just consumed.
I paid my tab and headed out the front entrance.
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There, not more than not 100 feet from the door, was a moose!
Okay, you got me…it wasn’t a real moose. It was, though, a Kodak moment. The three-story lodge was L-shaped, and I walked to the end of the upright extension of the letter ‘L.’ There, I stood near the bank of the Chena River. |
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The three-story lodge was L-shaped, and I walked to the end of the upright extension of the letter ‘L.’ There, I stood near the bank of the Chena River.
I’m not the best judge of distances, so my estimate may be off a bit, but I gauged the river to be fifty yards wide. There were a few homes on the far side, each with a floating dock (but, at the moment, there were no boats in sight), and trees…lots and lots of trees, including white spruce, western hemlock, and aspen. |
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A handful of ducks glided effortlessly through the water off the near bank, and then something else caught my eye. There were two boaters, one in a green kayak, the other in a red one. And like the ducks, they too paddled effortlessly down river. I waved to them as they went by, and they waved back.
I followed the path to several raised beds. They were empty, but it looked as though someone had recently turned the soil.
For flowers when the temperature warms up, I thought.
Flowers, yes, and something more, as I later learned. (Don’t worry…you will too.)
I continued on the path around the far corner of the lodge – the end of the horizontal extension of the letter ‘L’ – and halfway to the front entrance I spied a decorative sign with raised letters.
I followed the path to several raised beds. They were empty, but it looked as though someone had recently turned the soil.
For flowers when the temperature warms up, I thought.
Flowers, yes, and something more, as I later learned. (Don’t worry…you will too.)
I continued on the path around the far corner of the lodge – the end of the horizontal extension of the letter ‘L’ – and halfway to the front entrance I spied a decorative sign with raised letters.
Welcome to Golden Heart City
A reporter for the Fairbank Daily News-Miner wrote, ‘Fairbanks comes by its nickname naturally. It was a combination of good luck, bad luck and gold that lead to the establishment of the community in 1902.’
That was the year gold fever struck – when word of gold in the creeks around Fairbanks started a stampede. It was the ‘first explosion in a long history of booms and busts.’
The gold rush was meteoric – there were more than 18,000 people in the mining district of Fairbanks by 1908. And then, in 1911, the gold rush ended – it had played out – and by 1920, only 1,100 people made Fairbanks their home.
That was (and is) Fairbanks’ gold mining legacy – a legacy that put the word ‘Golden’ in its nickname.
And what about ‘Heart?’ Well, that was a tip of the hat to the city’s central location in Alaska – 64° 50' 7.3140'' N and 147° 46' 36.2964'' W.
(I know, I know…nerdy stuff!)
The sign stood at the start of a trail that led into the woods. The words ‘Welcome to Golden Heart City’ beckoned me, and I heeded the call.
It proved to be an easy walk, a short trail of crushed stone, maybe a half-mile at most.
That was the year gold fever struck – when word of gold in the creeks around Fairbanks started a stampede. It was the ‘first explosion in a long history of booms and busts.’
The gold rush was meteoric – there were more than 18,000 people in the mining district of Fairbanks by 1908. And then, in 1911, the gold rush ended – it had played out – and by 1920, only 1,100 people made Fairbanks their home.
That was (and is) Fairbanks’ gold mining legacy – a legacy that put the word ‘Golden’ in its nickname.
And what about ‘Heart?’ Well, that was a tip of the hat to the city’s central location in Alaska – 64° 50' 7.3140'' N and 147° 46' 36.2964'' W.
(I know, I know…nerdy stuff!)
The sign stood at the start of a trail that led into the woods. The words ‘Welcome to Golden Heart City’ beckoned me, and I heeded the call.
It proved to be an easy walk, a short trail of crushed stone, maybe a half-mile at most.
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I reached a clearing with three structures – a couple of one-room ‘dry’ cabins (no running water) and a bear cache. I don’t know whether the cabins were originals or reproductions – they seemed to be originals, perhaps relocated from somewhere in the Fairbanks’ area – but I do know that the bear cache was an original, as there was a sign that told me so. The cache was built on stilts to safely store food outdoors, as the stilts prevented bears and other wild animals from accessing the food.
How clever! The trail ended near the front entrance of the lodge. I didn’t burn many of the calories I had consumed, but I welcomed the exercise and enjoyed the few ‘discoveries’ I had made. I looked at my watch. It was 9:15. Back inside the lodge, I made a quick stop at the concierge desk. |
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“I can do better than that,” she replied. “We have a shuttle that runs to and from downtown all day. The roundtrip cost is ten dollars, and the first shuttle leaves at ten o-clock. How many tickets would you like?”
Great salesmanship – pitch it and then close the sale!
“Yes, thank you,” I answered. “Just one.”
And with ticket in hand, I went to my room to collect the things I would need that day.
The forecasted high was fifty-one degrees and there was an eighty-one percent chance of rain.
I could hear my wife’s voice. “Howard, you need to layer.”
So, I did.
Wool socks, thermal underwear (TMI?!), water-repellent cargo pants, flannel shirt, and fleece pullover. I also grabbed my bright red waterproof jacket. Besides keeping me dry, the color ensured I stood out in my selfies!
Next, I stuffed my backpack with essentials - an umbrella, water bottles, snacks (there would be no time for lunch), and a map of downtown Fairbanks.
The shuttle arrived promptly at ten, and I climbed on board with a dozen or so other guests from the lodge. There were several drop off points downtown, and I planned to get off at the first stop – the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, the perfect place to begin my self-guided tour.
The driver said, “Sit back and relax. I’ll have you downtown in fifteen to twenty minutes.”
Easy peasy, right? Well, not exactly.
Ten minutes into the ride – less than a mile from downtown – the bus developed a mechanical problem that caused it to spew thick black smoke from near the rear axle. Our driver stopped the bus and called dispatch.
When he ended his call, he said, “Folks, they’ll send a replacement bus, but I don’t know how long it’ll take. Downtown is just a few blocks from here, and the Cultural Center is less than a mile away. It’s an easy walk, and I can point you in the right direction if you’d like to go.”
I was out of the bus in a flash!
The driver’s instructions were brief – left/right/right/left with the names of the streets to make them on. With that, I hoofed it to the Cultural Center.
Later I learned that the other passengers did the same.
Click to read my next story, A Stroll Through the Golden Heart of Alaska.
Great salesmanship – pitch it and then close the sale!
“Yes, thank you,” I answered. “Just one.”
And with ticket in hand, I went to my room to collect the things I would need that day.
The forecasted high was fifty-one degrees and there was an eighty-one percent chance of rain.
I could hear my wife’s voice. “Howard, you need to layer.”
So, I did.
Wool socks, thermal underwear (TMI?!), water-repellent cargo pants, flannel shirt, and fleece pullover. I also grabbed my bright red waterproof jacket. Besides keeping me dry, the color ensured I stood out in my selfies!
Next, I stuffed my backpack with essentials - an umbrella, water bottles, snacks (there would be no time for lunch), and a map of downtown Fairbanks.
The shuttle arrived promptly at ten, and I climbed on board with a dozen or so other guests from the lodge. There were several drop off points downtown, and I planned to get off at the first stop – the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, the perfect place to begin my self-guided tour.
The driver said, “Sit back and relax. I’ll have you downtown in fifteen to twenty minutes.”
Easy peasy, right? Well, not exactly.
Ten minutes into the ride – less than a mile from downtown – the bus developed a mechanical problem that caused it to spew thick black smoke from near the rear axle. Our driver stopped the bus and called dispatch.
When he ended his call, he said, “Folks, they’ll send a replacement bus, but I don’t know how long it’ll take. Downtown is just a few blocks from here, and the Cultural Center is less than a mile away. It’s an easy walk, and I can point you in the right direction if you’d like to go.”
I was out of the bus in a flash!
The driver’s instructions were brief – left/right/right/left with the names of the streets to make them on. With that, I hoofed it to the Cultural Center.
Later I learned that the other passengers did the same.
Click to read my next story, A Stroll Through the Golden Heart of Alaska.