We stayed in North Pole the night that we got there then visited Santa Claus House the next morning on our way to Fairbanks.  The first thing we did in Fairbanks was to go to the Museum up at the University.  That is a visit you don't want to miss if you go to Fairbanks.  They have this great big boulder made of jade there found in the Kobuk River area.  It is flat on top where they cut the top off so you can see inside. It weighs 3550 lbs.  This is a copper nugget next to the jade it weighs 5495 lbs and was found on Dan Creek in the Wrangell Mountains during placer mining activity in that area in 1936.  There are so many exhibits I can't mention all of them here.  The lighting was dim so picture taking was not good as we were not allowed to use a flash in there.  I've lightened my pictures up just so I can see them!
                  We stayed at Rivers Edge RV Park for 2 nights.  It was pleasant enough and Punkin Head had room to play and to get tangled up under the truck.  We got caught up with the laundry and used their larger bathrooms to take our showers in.   We did something fun while there.  We got on one of the city buses and rode their entire route with them.  That gave us the opportunity to look around without driving the truck and camper around town and it only cost us seniors 75 cents!  We got off at Fred Meyers and picked up a few groceries and walked back to the RV Park.  It was good to get out and walk!
         When you are in Fairbanks you just must go to the Pioneer Park (formerly Alaska Land) for their Salmon Bake.  They had salmon, halibut, cod, and prime rib.  Now for you vegetarians that doesn't sound so good but they had a salad bar as well.  Prepare to dig deep in your pocket for this meal!  It comes with desert and drink as well so that was nice.  There is lots to see in Pioneer Park as well.  They have an air museum but we didn't go in that.  It was things we had already seen before so we passed on it. The riverboat Nenana is a focal point of the park.  Billy had a friend that was meeting us there so he sat and watched for him and I got around to a few shops and took pictures.  It was late in the day and most of the shops were closed so I just mosied around looking and taking pictures.  There was a lot of old machinery there that I am fascinated with so took lots of pictures of that.  Also came upon some girls doing their belly dancing so I took  pictures of them during their numbers.
                                   
 
     The next morning we headed out of town to Chena Hot Springs where we used to go when we lived in Fairbanks.  It has expanded since we were there last.  They have added Aurora Ice Museum to the grounds.  They have horse rides now too.  There is a lot of old things sitting around besides the senior citizens!  We enjoyed the large inside pool first then the inside small pools that are hotter.  Then we ventured to the outside large pool that is like a big pond lined with rocks.  It is hotter on one end than the other and has a cooling spray when it gets too hot.  I had to get out as I was getting a little light headed.  Just before we left I had the pleasure of meeting the owner of Chena Hot Springs, Bernie Karl, after a short visit and some picture taking he had a phone call and we had to get going so that ended that conversation.  The couple on the left are holding martini glasses made out of ice, they had just been in the Ice Museum.  Bernie is in the middle, myself then a man from southern California in the real estates business whose name escapes me at the moment.
                                             The sled dog team crossing sign was at Chena Hot Springs area and the mama and 2 baby moose were on the way back from the Springs.  These were moose numbered 4, 5, and 6.  Then just before Pedros Monument we seen number 7.  I wonder if the number of Moose will catch up with the number of bears we've seen?  On the way back to Fairbanks  I got to go gold panning!  Billy took me to Pedros Monument and across the road you can go and pan for gold for free.  Well I only put 2 pans of dirt through and didn't find even a speck!  Too many people have been there before me! Lol  I would love to find a stream that no one else has known about and play around in the dirt and rocks around there for awhile.
             
 One of the things we just had to do while in Fairbanks is to go to the little town of Fox and have dinner at The Turtle Club!  They have the best prime rib we have ever had anywhere.  Again the price wasn't cheap but the food was very good and again it has become a tradition for us to stop in there.  They have the biggest little turtle collection that I have ever seen!  You can't look at all of them it would take too much time.  I did get to meet the owner Greta Lindley, what a nice lady she was, if I was still in the work force and lived in Fairbanks I wouldn't mind working for her.  To say the least it was the hi-light of our trip to Fairbanks area.
                                                             
      
                                   
     We will call it a night now this blog entry has been a hard one to get posted as we are in a very poor cell area and the computer doesn't work very well in those circumstances.  I keep getting interrupted and kicked off line and have to start some things over.  So post this I will.  Next post will be about our trip from Fairbanks to Wasilla.