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Published: July 15th 2011
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Wednesday, July 6th starting mileage is 10947 64 degrees. Pioneer Park, Fairbanks
Had a big breakfast with Roger from New York, who was traveling by himself, and John who lives with his wife in Florida . Both rigs were on their way out of town that day. We then went next door to the Mickey’Ds to send off the blog entry. Valerie went inside as the signal wasn’t strong enough to upload the pics. I could get my e-mail sitting beside the restaurant in Rosie II.
Drove a mile or so to the Chena River where the Riverboat Discovery was docked to take a three and a half hour cruise. The family that owns this enterprise is the 5th generation to operate steamboats. The first and second generations were riverboat pilots that operated freight vessels up and down the Yukon and Tanana Rivers. The journey was about 2000 miles round trip and they could do about 10 trips between spring break-up until winter freeze-up. With the shift to trains and planes to carry freight, the family began riverboat excursions in 1950.
Even though we barely went down the Chena River, it was a nice program
of activities. They started off with a demonstration of a float plane taking off and landing on the river alongside of the boat.
We then went further down the river looking at different houses built on the its’ banks, to the dog kennels of Susan Butcher, a 4 time Iditarod Champion, and her husband Dave Monson. The boat stop here was very interesting. Dave was hooked to the sound and TV system on the boat and he spoke from the bank in front of his house and kennels. Helpers had puppies out to show the passengers and then they hooked up a dog team to show how they keep the dogs fit when there is no snow. Valerie and I thought that the dogs should look like huskies, but these dogs looked like mutts. We learned that they use a different kind of dog for racing than the huskies that are used to haul loads.
A short ways down the river they had set up a “village” that we got off the boat to explore and “tour.” High School and College students, from various tribes, acted as guides and demonstrated how salmon were caught, cut, and dried; how
clothing was made of furs; about various furs; and about living in these villages. It was very well done without us having the feeling of people being tired of the same performance twice a day for the whole summer. On the way back we were greeted on the banks by the matriarch of the family who had two other generations with her.
Back at the dock, I counted over 10 buses from cruise lines and other tours waiting to load passengers. Even though this endeavor was definitely commercial it was reasonably priced since we had a 2-for coupon, clean, smoothly executed, and the demonstrations and commentary very well done.
Drove Rosie II to Chena State Park
for the night. Several RT’s there with us for the night. Nice park in the cooler trees instead of the hot pavement.
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