We started the morning with a group brunch of biscuits and gravy--and eggs, sausage, French toast, pigs-in-a-blanket, baked beans, scones....
Then, this afternoon the bus took us to the water front steamboat dock on the Cheno River where we entered the Binkley and Barrington trading post. There, four time Iditarod Champion Lance Mackey was in attendance signing books and posing for pictures (for a fee) as he raised money for the 2011 Iditarod. I bought a book and posed with Mr. Mackey, of course.
We boarded the steamboat Discovery III for a trip down the Cheno River to where it joins the Tanana River.
We had a demonstration of a float plane taking off and landing. (I think it was a Piper Bear Cub.)
We sailed passed many lovely log and cedar homes.
We stopped at the late Susan Butcher's home kennel where her husband David Monson gave a talk about sled dog training and had a team of 10 pull a 4-wheeler (without its engine) and him around the pond out back to demonstrate their power and joy in being allowed to pull something.
Finally, we stopped at a model Athapascan village and fish camp where we learned about the way of life of this group of Native Americans from several members of the people. There was the fish house, the village (winter) residence, the early nomadic residences, the fur bearers the trappers sought, the larger mammals (caribou, moose and grizzly bear) that were the meat and hide source. And examples of some of the traditional clothing.
David Monson joined us there to autograph copies of the book Granite, a children's book about Susan Butcher's lead dog in her Iditarod victories.
Then it was back to the docks and on the bus to dine at The Pump House.
I've got pictures of most of that, but I've got no time at the moment to edit them and put them in the post.
Tomorrow is a travel day as we will be leaving Fairbanks to head southeast to the Village of Tok once more. There's no (free) internet connection there and there won't be any the next night either at Destruction Bay, Yukon. So don't look for anything for the next few days.
Our plans for this Caraventure have been changed--by Mother Nature. We had been scheduled to travel from Tok up to Chicken and then on to Dawson City, Yukon, but, several days of heavy rain about a week ago washed out portions of the road between Chicken and Dawson City and the completion date for repairs was unknown. We are, therefore, going to retrace our steps southeastward out of Tok through Destruction Bay and back to Whitehorse. Our visit to Dawson City at the head of the Yukon and the real Klondike has been canceled. In a way that's disappointing, but after driving up the Dalton Highway yesterday, it's also a relief that we do not have to go over Top Of The World.
Okay, it's getting late and if I'm to drive tomorrow I need to get some sleep. See ya'll in a couple of days and, hopefully, I'll be able to post the photos that go with today's activities ad from here to Tok. (Won't be taking many from Tok to Whitehorse since we've been over that trail before when we came up to Alaska back on July 3rd and 4th.)
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