Delta Junction, AK - The Alaska Highway

The colors are changing from green to yellows and oranges in Alaska signaling it is time to head south before the snows fly. Below right is our last glimpse of Mt. McKinley.

The pipeline crosses the Tanana River.

How about the size of the mosquitoes here in AK?

Delta Junction -72 deg F in 1975 has been recorded as the low; +9 deg F in 1983. What was that about global warming? Seems plenty cold enough for me....

Some pictures explaining the pipeline and how it is cleaned out with the use of "pigs". Over time these pigs have become very scientific and much smaller and do a great job of keeping that oil flowing from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez.

Delta Junction, the northern terminus of the Alcan Highway; constructed during WW II as a military supply route for interior Alaska Military and airfields.

7 Army Regiments, 42 Contractors and Public Road Administrators working from the Delta Junction South and Dawson Creek North completed the road when they met at Soldiers Summit at Kluane Lake Yukon Territory in November 1942. At the peak of construction 77 contractors employed 15,000 men and 11,000 pieces of road building equipment. The total construction cost for 1422 miles was $115,000,000!






Don and I, after leaving Fairbanks where some count the Alaska Highway as ending, we stand at the actual End Of

The Alaska Highway. We
are about to continue
South out of Alaska,
through the beautiful
Yukon, and across the
Providences of Canada
(British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba) through
Minnesota and Wisconsin,
Indiana to Michigan.

One last pass by Mile 0 in Dawson Creek, Yukon, the beginning of the Alaska Highway. We did the whole thing...

And so we have come to the conclusion of our Alaska Blog. We hope you enjoyed sharing our trip and that maybe you might be inspired to make the trip to Alaska yourself some day.
Karen and Don

The town of Fairbanks, AK

The first 4 pictures are samples of downtown Fairbanks. Fairbanks is pretty much an industrial and military town. It is not as fancy and tourist oriented as Anchorage; however Fairbanks has it's own low key personality.

Below this metal cutout is outside the post office.From the horse and sled days to today's air service.

The town of Fairbanks is full of wall paintings.

This beautiful building to the right is Courthouse Square.

Welcome to Fairbanks, The Golden Heart City.

The Alaska Hwy which continues for 1422 miles from Dawson Creek, BC to Delta Junction, AK, was built in 8 months in 1942. The highway was originally built for military necessity and followed along a line of airfields, winter roads, old Indian trails and rivers. Because most of the early military traffic was headed to Fairbanks, the Alaska Highway is often measured all the way

to Fairbanks. The Fairbanks to Valdez Trail
(now the Richardson Hwy) began construction in 1899 and was paved in 1957! The Alaska Hwy joins the Richardson Hwy and the road continues 98 miles to Fairbanks.

Below is the William Ransom Wood Memorial Footbridge. To the right is the flag and flower decorated Cushman Street (driving )Bridge

Catholic Bishop of Northern Alaska Church (below), sits on the Chena River from Golden Heart Park.

Personally, I think it would be nice to see a flower box like this one on those concrete blocks used in those miles and miles of construction, wouldn't you? Probably cause too many accidents tho.

This 18-foot bronze statue (below) is of the "unknown first family" by sculptor Malcom Alexander and sits in the middle of Golden Heart Park downtown next to the Visitor Center Log Cabin

Captain E. B. Barnette set out from St. Michael (the mouth of the Yukon River) in 1901 to open a trading post. His destination was Tanacross, however, the stern-wheeler could no longer fight the fast-moving, shallow waters beyond the Chena River so Barnette was dropped off near the present day site of 1st Avenue and Cushman Street (see above commeration). His trading post was set up and a year later after gold was discovered 16 miles north, the trading post area was to become known as "Fairbanks".

Nothing Don loves better than a clean red truck. Jerry even volunteered to help wash it. Lookin' good guys! No more Dalton Road paint job (dirt).

The last meal together in Fairbanks with Judy Funk, Don, Jerry Funk, George Bryant, Betty Bryant and Molly. They also made it back from Prudhoe Bay with no mishaps. Loved the time spent with both couples. Great traveling with you!













Look who has Molly now! Hey and that box wine is pretty good Betty. Thanks for supplying it.

Did you know the sun rises and sets in the north here in northern Alaska? This is our last sunset.

Safe trip home everyone.

BBFN Karen and Don