Road Trip 2010: Day 46: Fairbanks to Tok

We departed Fairbanks/North Pole early on the morning of the 24th under clearing skies that soon became azure blue. Our destination for the day: Tok, AK, the only town a ground traveler must pass through twice when visiting the main portion of Alaska. There is no other highway that crosses the boarder.

A short distance out of North Pole, we passed Eielson Air Force Base...which is huge! Odd part is, there was a line fighter jets on the runway and another of five bombers and no signs on the highway. A half mile down the road (and still alongside the runways and hangers) there were signs posted warning there could be no stopping and no photography.

A bit further south and the Alaskan Range once again came into view.

Is that McKinley off to the west?

Mount Deborah to our south.

Snow capped Hayes, Hess and Deborah glint in the sun.

The pipeline still paralleled our path and when we crossed the Tanana, it too had to cross...via its own suspension bridge.

The pipeline gets suspended over the Tanana

Schematic of suspension bridge

Construction and maintenance of the pipeline require(d) thinking outside the box.

We continued south on the Richardson to the town of Delta Junction.

Delta Junction: Northern Terminus of Alaskan Highway: MP 1422

Wooden plaque on Highway Construction

A life size model of Alaskan Mosquito.
(Or so I'm told. They were pretty mild while we visited.)

Bison warning sign

Comparison of VIPs: "Very Important Pipelines"

Heading south to Tok, we came upon a very kitshcey roadside attraction. While we went in and signed their guest book, we passed on paying the $9 each to walk around. It could have been a great, hokey sorta place with a little more maintenance, but it appeared sadly run down.

Mukluk Land