Blogs from North Pole, Alaska, United States, North America

mileage - 173 miles Our lodge accommodations last night looked like they were right out of a story book – exactly what you would imagine in the middle of the Alaskan Mountain Range: beautiful, hand-hewn logs, rock fireplaces and views of the mountains where it snowed overnight. We were roughly 30 miles from civilization and so for dinner we had a choice of fresh salmon (cooked one way) from the nearby river for supper (thankfully we all like salmon), but there was something weird about the salad dressing that made our eyes burn??? Although good, it had to be eaten with our eyes closed. Like little kids anxiously waiting for Santa, we were all up most of the night at the Lodge. If it wasn’t the howling and howling of the wind, it was the midnight ... read more

While it was hard to part with the wonderful amenities that we had been enjoying in Tok, we knew we needed to get along in our journey. We pulled up stakes and headed out on Thursday venturing to our next destination which would end in Fairbanks. Along the way we stopped in Delta Junction, AK which is the end of the Alaska highway. Now remember we started it in Dawson Creek, BC, which was mile 0 and now we were ending it at mile 1422. Yes, that means we have driven all 1422 miles of it! We actually have driven 3406 miles so far on this trip and we still have a lot more to go. Crazy! I think this may be one of our longest road trips so far. Maybe not time but distance for ... read more

After a breakfast of biscuits and gravy (er...) we set off to the North Pole. Well, to North Pole, Alaska, where Christmas is celebrated 365 days a year. Santa was sadly on his Fall vacation, but we still got to send post cards from the town and arranged for him to send some letters to loved ones nearer to Christmas. The whole town was decorated, even the McDonalds, whose golden arches stood tall above a 30 foot candy cane. After lunch in the northern most Dennys in America, we headed to the Chena Hot Springs Resort. First stop was to the Ice Museum to see award winning ice sculptures, see the ice bedrooms and drink the world's strongest appletini, served in an ice glass. We were bundled up into Parkers on top of our coats and ... read more

North Pole For anyone who loves Christmas, a trip to the North Pole is a really fun stopover. Nineteen miles southeast of Fairbanks, this tiny town has many yuletide nods like candy cane striped lampposts and street names like Sleighbell Circle and St Nicholas Drive. The main destination should be the Santa Claus House, a large store chock full of Christmas merchandise, a live Santa, and even reindeer pens outside. Donnelly Dome and Lake Continuing south on Route 2 on the gorgeous Richardson Highway, which we’ll cover more fully in the next blog, the first major hiking destination is Donnelly Dome, a few miles south of the Delta Junction. Located near the Greeley Air Force Base (we heard test ordinance fired and witnessed a practice mass parachute jump), this bald mountain stands out. The 3 mile ... read more

Today was an easy day. While I cleaned the house and did laundry, Joe got the truck washed and ready for our next adventure. It's off to Denali National Park tomorrow. I am so excited, because I remember Denali from when Mom and I were there 15 years ago. I should have some great pictures to post in the next few days.... read more