Alaska Bound Day 47

Day 47 Riverview RV Park North Pole, AK I’m happy to report Arctic RV in Fairbanks was able to solve Judy’s electrical problem which was a breaker replacement. She may have more details in her blog. You can link to her blog from this page. I also made progress. I started by telephoning Progressive Insurance and doing a claim on the pitting on the windshield. They referred me to the Glass Doctor franchise here in North Pole whoco uld take me right away. When I arrived I noticed they had a 76 Lube sign and asked about oil change. Yes they did that, and rotating tires, and replacing wiper blades. In other words I found one stop shopping for my automotive needs as a result of the glass problem! I was very impressed by their service. So after such a productive morning we headed into Fairbanks for the afternoon to check out Pioneer Park which was originally “Alaska Land”. A combination of park with playgrounds, a carousel, train ride and train museum, air museum, art museum and a number of old original Fairbanks buildings which were moved to the park in 1967 after a major flood in the downtown area. Most are now shops primarily selling local art and crafts. We rode the train and toured the historic buildings. Having read a book about Fairbanks in the early 1900’s it was fun to see the structures and in several incidences talk with the people whose families had been in the area at the time the buildings were still in use. Even those growing up in the 50’s told of some primitive lifestyles. We also discussed the present use of outhouses with a couple of shopkeepers. Lack of water in many areas is part of the reason. Many expensive homes, have water trucked in.
The highlight of the day though came this evening. We were treated to dinner at the famous Pump House restaurant located on the river. Our hosts were Alaskan Roadtrek owners John and Dell who were celebrating their 48th wedding anniversary. We had a wonderful table outside where we could watch the river traffic. After dinner we toured the university’s botanical garden and then had a driving tour of the downtown. They both grew up in Alaska and spoke of their lives as children. We have been so fortunate to have the Roadtrek network and the wonderful people who are part of the group and so willingly give us information, suggestions, and special treatment when we visit their area.