Bill and Nancy wandering: Discovery River Cruise, Pioneer Park, Fairbanks, AK

At last we arrive in Fairbanks, second largest city in AK, and the center of support for all the interior activity. We spent the day at Pioneer Park, and took a riverboat cruise on the Discovery.

On the river we enjoyed seeing a float plane take off and land. There are over 1000 private planes registered in Fairbanks, and a metro population of about 100,000, and 13 people out of every thousand in the state is a private pilot, the highest in the nation.

Also stopped to see the dog team of the husband of Susan Butcher, who won the Iditarod 4 times.

He gave us a little briefing about the dogs, and a demonstration of training methods. Cool.

Next, a visit to Chena Athabascan Indian Village, to see some artifacts and enjoy a briefing from some of the natives about their culture and history.

We learned how a fish wheel scoops salmon from the river and deposits them into a catch basket. Sure easier than a hook and line!

At the mouth of the salmon river, we saw the clear water merge with the milky glacier runoff, and a modern day fishing camp on the gravel flats.

The Chena Village also has a post office, too bad we didn't bring our postcards to mail...

Of course above any self-respecting cabin is a pair of Moose antlers, right? Alaskans love their flowers, and have to enjoy them quickly, as they have such a short summer!

I had to check out an Athabascan spear, to see how it would look next to my grizzly kill... and looking over the Caribou for a likely meal.

Yes, kids, there really are reindeer! Domesticated Caribou, that is.

Here's Nancy conferring with Arlene, our Wagonmaster, as our tour guests reboard the riverboat. On to a restaurant on our tour bus for a great lunch on the river. There was a golf tee and a hole across the river, so some had to try their luck. Here's Nancy putting one in the water!