June 22, 2018

Today has been the first rain that we’ve seen on our trip thus far and we are thanking our lucky stars because originally (before we left home) we had planned to make this (the 22nd) the date that we booked our tour into Denali Park.  But....as luck would have it we figured that might be cutting it a bit tight on the solstice activities (whatever they might be) and that we’d make it for the 23rd instead.  Are we ever glad we did!  It would have been such a disappointment to have paid for a huge tour and a room in Denali if it were raining the entire time.

As a result of this rainy day we’ve spent the first half of it in the WalMart parking lot (yes, we decided to move last night ...or should I say this morning) rather than be the only vehicle looking like it was camped in the parking lot at the ball park.  We’re very grateful to have the motor home as we’re still in our p.j.’s and sipping on endless coffee (and some of it might even have a little Bailey’s in it). We don’t have to be in Denali (hotel parking lot) until 5:30 a.m. so we can just take our time checking out a little more of Fairbanks and whatever we find between here and Denali Lodge.

We’re considering finding an RV campground nearby where we can just use their shower (and maybe their laundry facilities) this afternoon too.

Lynda has just gone into our bathroom to get dressed while I type this up and I have to tell you that while she was in there the bathroom door opened and out shot her leg and then an arm and then she said, “I’m just practicing my can-can for when I come back to Dawson and need a job”.  LOL - OMG!!  I can see it all now.....she will be the one that can just let her perky bits show but keep her saggy bits under cover.  LOL

The rain has now stopped completely and the skies are starting to have some beautiful blue sections peeking out again.  Fingers are crossed that this trend continues and that Lady Luck stays on our side as we head into Denali....and we want to get there before dark for sure!  LOL (it never gets dark here)

Lynda has just read the MilePost and there is tons for us to see/do today so we’re going to forfeit the shower/laundry idea and just wait another day to get clean’ish.  It’s been so long now...what’s another day of pretending we’re settlers from a hundred years ago where the opportunity to wash your hair was limited.  

Lynda’s just gone into WalMart to grab something and I’m seriously thinking about moving....just a couple of stalls over so when she comes back she won’t be able to tell which RV is us.  See what happens when you have no wifi or cell service (I tried to get cell service today but without any luck)....you get really creative in entertaining yourself.  LOL. 

The other thing I should mention here is that the WalMart parking lot in Fairbanks has at least 100 round yellow posts with four plugs on each.  I’m pretty sure these are for locals in the winter who need to plug in their car but now in the summer........they’re sure great for RV’s!

Better run and get ready to roll....till later.....

L & L

We’re back.....parked in the lower parking lot of a fancy hotel here in Denali Park for the night.  We’ve decided we are just going to squat right here in the parking lot and keep our fingers crossed that no one says anything to us.  We’ll be taking a 13 hour tour into Denali from the lobby here tomorrow morning at 6 a.m. and we’re booked to stay at the lodge here tomorrow night after we get back from our tour soooo we feel kind of justified to crash here tonight....at least that’s the way I’m choosing to see it.  :-)

We had a bit of a damp drive down from Fairbanks today ....the first rain we’ve had so can’t really complain and even though there was a bit of rain there was just as much sun and blue sky.  We stopped for a late lunch at a place just north of Nenana, a little town (population 500) that gets its name from the Athabaskan first people and it means “a great place to camp between the rivers”.  It was a great place to stop for lunch too!  Monderosa (the name of the restaurant) is said to have the best burgers in Alaska and they were pretty damn good alright!  Massive but really good.  Afterward we went into the little town where our first stop was at the Info Centre that is run by a local family.  The mom and her four boys (all under age 6) were “working” today.  The boys had matching yellow aprons and hats and ran a lemonade stand out front and mom ran the info centre/gift shop.  The building has a grass roof and is one of the original buildings from the area.  The main industry in Nenana is the train...in fact the train tracks almost completely circle the town.  The train doesn’t stop there unless someone flags it down but historically this location was key for the industry.  The other claim to fame in this little place is a competition called the Ice Classic.  A tri-pod is placed on the ice in the river and everyone from far and wide places bets as to the exact time that tri-pod will fall through the ice officially ending winter and signalling the start of ‘break-up’.  A trip wire runs from the tri-pod on the ice to the watch tower on land.  That wire is attached to a clock.  This is how they can know the exact time the tri-pod goes down....its a very competitive event and locals spend months researching past dates and climate conditions in their attempt to predict the current year’s date and time and win the lottery.  We also took advantage of the RV campground in Nenana so were able to get a shower and do a load of laundry.  It was a super nice campground with great services....if we weren’t needing to be in Denali by 6 a.m. we might have stayed the night there.  Our final stop in Nenana before heading back to the highway was at the First Episcopal church which is one of the oldest churches in the region and that is left open for anyone to visit 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year.  It has a gorgeous red door at the end of a shrub lined stone walkway and as promised...that door was unlocked.  Inside we found hand hewn benches and on the alter at the front there was a beautiful white hide fringed blanket that was decorated in traditional native beadwork.  The stained glass window behind the alter added to the simple beauty of the single room building.  All in all....Nenana was a good place to camp between the rivers back in the day of the first people and still today it is a good place to stop.

We’d hoped to see some more wildlife between Fairbanks and here (heading south toward Anchorage) but no luck on that front.  Tomorrow will be a better day for seeing animals!  In fact, our RV is parked atop two massive mounds of moose poop pellets....a good sign I’m thinking.  :-)

Till next time,

 L & L