The seventh posting of our Alaskan RV trip talks about our time in the Fairbanks area.
Fairbanks
On day 71, we get to the Elks Lodge in Fairbanks. They have a sign that this is the northernmost Elks Lodge. They have 30-amp sites, for $30 a night. This is a nice facility, right on the river. They have no water or dump station. We called ahead, and they told us we could get water and dump at the Chevron station. They had a dump station, but no potable water.
We go to dinner at the Alaskan Salmon Bake, It is an outdoor, all-you-can-eat buffet, with fried cod, grilled salmon and prime rib. The salmon has sugar on it, but we ask for seconds plain and that’s much better. The prices seems high, since we don’t normally eat much for dinner. The place is crowded, full of people from cruise ships. The restaurant is located in Pioneer Park. We walk around after dinner.
We stay at the Elks for two nights. We have been noticing one of the brake disks getting hot, while towing. We make an appointment at Kendall Honda to have them checked. We rent a car and go to the Cookie Jar for breakfast. This restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. After that, we go to the visitors center. They have a really nice display about the four seasons in Alaska, and the Alaskan natives. After that, we walk downtown. We walk through the Mushing Museum and have a late lunch at Soapy Smith’s Pioneer restaurant. Delicious king crab burgers. They don’t get to the car today, so we keep the rental overnight.
We are out of water, so today, we go to the Sourdough gas station for potable water and dump. Then we go to Pioneer Park. It is $12 a night, self-serve. No electric, but way cheaper than the Elks lodge.
Later that day we pick up the Honda. The brakes are fine, but the parking brakes are worn. Earlier, we had towed it for about 15 minutes with the brakes set. (See 2019 RV Trip—Alaska, Part 5.) They don’t have the parts, so we have to take care of them somewhere else.
Chena Hot Springs
We drive to Chena Hot Springs Resort on day 74. We pay $60 for three nights of dry camping. We find a nice secluded spot. On the first day, we take the free greenhouse and energy tour. This is very interesting. The resort generates electricity from the hot springs and grows food for the restaurant in year-round greenhouses.
The next day, we take the ice museum tour. It costs $60 for two people and two Appletinis in hand carved ice glasses. Afterwards, the tradition is that you make a wish and smash your ice glass.
Later, we have dinner in the restaurant. The Alaskan Scallops are great. We also have King Crab Cakes and Blackened Alaskan Halibut.
There is a little Verizon service here. We can send and receive text messages, and maybe make a phone call, but forget checking the weather.
The third day we go to the activity center a buy an hour of WiFi for $1. We try to Facetime, but the WiFi is too slow. We make a voice call instead. We use the internet to reserve five days at Riley Creek Campground in Denali National Park. Then, we go in the hot springs. It costs $26 for two seniors, for all day. Later, we go back to the hot springs. Then, we pay $1 for another hour of WiFi on another phone.
On the fourth day, we get up early, get potable water, and then dump our holding tanks. We attach the car, and drive to Fairbanks Visitor Center. We disconnect the car and go to the laundromat and the grocery store. Then we reconnect the car and drive to Denali National Park.
We’ve been on the road for 76 days, and driven 7,000 miles. We’ve spent $3,600 on gas and $1,800 on campgrounds.