Tok (July 28-29) - The drive to Tok from Whitehorse was brutal. We thought the potholes in WI were bad... there`s a reason why our bible (remember the MILEPOST book) says "Don`t miss anything but the potholes!" On top of those, the road was a roller coaster. We decided we weren`t going to look in the camper until the end of the drive. The drive was just over 7 hours but seemed to go by faster, I think just cause of our excitement. The border was so simple, just like the last time. They asked us a couple questions, welcomed us back, and we were in! The roads were better and the signs were finally in mph! We got into Tok around 5:15 p.m. and met up with Sam`s brother, Ben. Coincidentally, he is in Alaska right now for work. We met the group of guys he is working with and had a couple drinks before driving to the Golden Bear for dinner. Their group was scattered between the motel and cabins behind Fast Eddy`s, so we just parked in the big lot there. After dinner we brought Nelly out to meet everyone and have a couple more drinks. Nelly begged for some of the leftover pizza the guys had, and like always, scored 2 crust pieces! The next morning we all had breakfast at Fast Eddy`s - it`s an iconic stop in Tok for Alaska Highway travelers because you won`t have many other food options till you reach Fairbanks. After breakfast we took advantage of Ben`s hotel room and hoped in the shower.
Fairbanks (July 29-August 4) - We made our way into Fairbanks and decided to splurge a little and actually stay at a campsite! For $20/night we stayed at Chena River State Campground. We wanted to be able to un-hitch and take the truck places for the next couple days. First stop without the camper was the auto shop connected to Walmart. Bruce needed an oil change! We were starving and this oil change couldn`t have gone any slower...I think we`ve all had the experience before where you are watching the worker drag their feet - like COME ON!!! Eventually it was finished and we headed over to HooDoo Brewing. We had read there would be food trucks outside so this sounded perfect! We grabbed a beer from inside and then went out to order from the Thai restaurant that was there. The cook was the owner of the restaurant and very nice, giving us free samples and being generous with our food portion! It just wasn`t enough food. So we got back to camp and ordered more Thai food for pick-up. THAT was more than enough food. We slipped into food commas and that was it for the night. The rest of our time in Fairbanks we did some laundry, got our front windshield fixed (had a rock chip), replaced a cap so we could use our water again, checked out their dog park, the Morris Thompson Cultural Center, and just relaxed! We checked out Pioneer Park one day, which commemorates early Alaskan history with multiple museums and historic displays on site. We felt like we walked into 1903! Within the park (which was free!) is the SS Nenana - a sternwheeler that carried passengers and cargo on the Chena River from 1933 to 1954. At 230 feet (70 m) it is the second-longest wooden-hulled ship still in existence, and is now a museum. Dalton Hwy/Arctic Circle (July 30) - The James W. Dalton Highway (signed as Alaska Route 11), is a 414-mile road in Alaska. It begins at the Elliot Highway, north of Fairbanks, and ends at Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields. It is one of the most isolated roads in the United States. We left Fairbanks and planned to go up to the Arctic Circle and back. Right away Sam tried convincing me to go all the way to Prudhoe Bay - I was not for it at all because we didn`t pack enough food etc. but after saying "we could say we went to three oceans on our trip!" for the millionth time, I was convinced. The excitement didn`t last long because I looked in our bible (MILEPOST) and we needed 24-hr clearance to get on a tour from the end of the highway to the Atlantic Ocean. Unable to wait it out, we decided to go back to our original plan - up to the Arctic Circle. 139.4 miles from Fairbanks, we made our first stop at the Yukon River Bridge and walked up to the oil pipeline for the first time. Its huge! The next stop we took was 170.6 miles from Fairbanks. We turned down a dirt path (a different dirt path) and drove a mile west to scenic 86-Mile Overlook. We could see tors to the northeast, Yukon Flats Wildlife Refuge to the east and Fort Hamlin Hills to the southeast. 199.5 miles from Fairbanks, we finally made it to the 'Arctic Circle' sign! And you wouldn`t believe how small this world is .... just the day before, when we were in Delta Junction (end of the Alaska Hwy), we were talking to a couple that drove up from Cali on their bikes. We talked a bit and shared our plans with one another and when we said goodbye we joked that we`d see them up at the Arctic Circle ... and we did! We got our picture with the sign and then decided to drive 17 miles further into the Arctic Circle to enjoy a drink & PBJ at Gobblers Knob Wayside. The elevation at this spot was 1,500 ft. and offered a great view of the Jack White Range, Pope Creek Dome, Prospect Creek drainage, Pump Station No. 5, Jim River drainage, South Fork Koyukuk drainage and the Brooks Range on the northern horizon. We turned around there and started our journey back to camp - maybe one day we`ll return to drive it all the way! North Pole (July 31) - Let me just start with ... it`s not what you pictured the North Pole to look like as a child. There are no elves running around, talking snowmen, a giant Christmas tree or hot cocoa around each corner. But it was pretty neat with candy cane lights, festive street names, and the worlds largest Santa! The worlds largest Santa (42`) is at the Santa Claus House where we shopped around a bit and got to see his reindeer. Santa was "taking care of his elves" while we were there, so we didn't get to see him. The north pole that they have in town was actually flown over the North Pole :) On our way out of town we stopped at Little Richards Diner and absolutely loved it! We split a strawberry shake and a shrimp & fries basket. While we ate we enjoyed reading the signs on the wall with funny, and some not so funny, quotes.
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