Fairbanks

The Wi-Fi service at these RV parks is very spotty. I wrote a post last Tuesday about Fairbanks but my connection crashed and I lost the post. I didn't have time to do another one then. So I'll do a shorter version now. It takes a lot of time to up load the pictures.

I didn't find Fairbanks all that interesting. It is the economic, commercial and cultural center for a good part of northern and central Alaska. The downtown was just like any downtown, banks and office buildings. A lot of empty storefronts. It didn't have any north woods feel to it. It had a very nice boardwalk and park along the Chena River that goes right through town.

This log cabin is still in it's original location downtown. They built the Visitors/Cultural Center next to it.

The Skyline.

A Plaza. The Farmers' Market was just closing for the day.

 

A colorful building.

 This Catholic Church was built in 1904 and is still in use. It is on the National List Of Historic Buildings.

The front of the Courthouse. Art Deco, I believe.

They had these air vents all over downtown. Then they had a contest to color them.

 

The next day I decided to drive to the end of civilization. About an hour north of Fairbanks the paved highway ends. All that is left is the gravel Dalton Highway that runs 420 miles to Prudhoe Bay and Deadhorse.

 The pipeline

Most of the pipeline has been built above the ground. Why, you ask? Well, this blog is educational if nothing else. The oil flowing through the pipeline creates heat. The ground is mostly permafrost. If the line was buried in the permafrost the heat would melt the permafrost which would create damage to the pipeline.

Me. Livin' good!

Ok, Randy, you always wanted to do The Dalton Highway to Prudhoe Bay. Here is where it starts.

                                                

 

Wednesday, I left Fairbanks and drove to Denali NP. That will be the next post.

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