Gold Rush…

After a restful night of sleep, we awoke, got ready, and headed downstairs. We decided to stuff ourselves with carbs at the Northern Latitudes breakfast buffet here at the Westmark.

We then boarded a tour bus bound for the Chena River. Here we boarded the Discovery III, a sternwheeler similar to the ones used early pioneers in the Fairbanks area. We spent three hours floating up and down the peaceful Chena.

Piper Super Cub Floatplane Taking Off From The Chena River

During this time, we were able to watch a Piper Super Cub floatplane take off and land. We also saw a demonstration of training for Iditarod sled dogs. Lastly, we disembarked at a living history museum dedicated to the culture of the native Athabaskan people. The commentors are all of indigenous descent and did a great job keeping the audience engaged. We able to see native ceremonial dress, hunting implements, furs, and housing.

Ceremonial Athabaskan Attire

We followed this riverboat trip with a family style dinner and looked around at the gift shop before reboarding our tour bus.

Our next stop was Gold Dredge 8, an active mining claim adjacent to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. We boarded a small gauge train that carried us throughout the property. The tour guide wasn’t very engaging and was sometimes too technical. We were given a chance to pan for gold, and this is where we struck it rich. Okay, together we found $25 worth in gold, which isn’t enough to retire on.

Soaking Up The Alaskan Sun

We are now back at the Westmark and are trying to decide what to do for dinner. Tomorrow we will be up early as our bags have to be ready to be picked up by 6:00am. At 7:00am we will head out for our four hour train ride to Denali National Park.