August 22, 2023 - Alaska
Fairbanks
We checked out Fairbanks today, starting with the Fairbanks Visitors Center.  Sometimes visitor centers are little more than tourist traps but this one was pretty good. Almost like a museum with exhibits, diorams, maps and lots of information.   he Morris Thompson Cultural & Visitors Center exhibits to be interesting and we were glad we visited. Don't miss the Antler Arch just outside the center.
   
A nice map of Alaska.  Remember how big Denali National Park and Preserve was.  It looks small on this map.  You can see on this map that there are virtually no roads west of Highway 3.  In fact, as a friend of mine at Essex Skypark who lived in Alaska told me, there are only three roads in Alaska.  Highways One, Two and Three form a triangle between Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Tok (on the eastern edge).
   
Another neat Alaskan map, this one topographical.
   
Zooming in a little, you can see how Anchorage, Wasilla and Talkeetna are nestled down into a valley based on the Susitna River, surrounded by big mountains.
   
A plane!  This plane belonged to and was flown by Episcopal Bishop William J. Gordan, Jr.:  the Flying Bishop of Alaska.  During his 26 years of service, he logged hundreds of thousands of air miles visiting congregations all over Alaska.  This plane is a replica of his Piper PA-20.
   
Out in front of the visitors center is this little log cabin, one of the original Fairbanks houses.
   
The famous moose antler arch.
     
Next stop was the University of Alaska Museum of the North.   A combination of Alaskan history, culture and animal life, plus an Alaskan art museum, it was very interesting.
   
Painting of mammoths grazing in front of the Alaskan Range.
   
Big Brown Bear.
   
Polar Bear!
   
Arctic Fox.
   
Wolves.  Nice doggy!
   
"Blue Babe", the famous Steppe Bison recovered from a placer mine in 1979.   Steppe Bison roamed Alaska from 100,000 to 10,000 years ago.  This one died about 36,000 years ago after an American Lion attack.  It soon became encased in cold soil, which became permanently frozen, preserving the bison.
   
An interesting exhibit on the Alaskan pipeline.
   
Now in the art museum section.
   
A painting of Mount Denali, when it was known as Mount McKinley.
   
Photograph of Mount McKinely and Wonder Lake by the great nature photographer Ansel Adams.
   
 
   
The Alaskan oil pipeline runs just north of Fairbanks so we drove out to see it.  Most of it is supported above the tundra but where possible it is buried underground.  Here you can see it going underground.
   
A close-up of one of the supports.
   
You don't hear much about the pipeline anymore, not this one, at least.  The oil is starting to run out so the pipeline doesn't flow at full capacity anymore.
   
Don't mess with the pipeline!
   
Interesting information on the pipeline.
   
Parker shows off her new Cinderella costume!
   
 
   
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