August 7, 2019
It was sprinkling rain and 57 degrees when we left Tok. The road on this part of the Alaska Highway was very bumpy due to the areas of road patch. We passed through Tanana Valley State Forest. We saw several different species of trees; Paper Birch, Quaking Aspen, Poplar, Black Spruce, White Spruce, and Tamarack.
(click on photos to start slideshow)
The highway passed through an area of permafrost and we could see the evidence in the stunted Black Spruce Trees. They were definitely smaller than the Black Spruce we saw earlier today.
Delta Junction is located at Mile 1422 of the Alaska Highway. This is the official end of the Alaska Highway. We stopped at the Visitors Center to take our pictures at the monument that marks the end of the highway. We also received our certificate certifying that we have reached the end of the Alaska Highway…number 3 for us!
As we left Delta Junction, we could see dark, heavy rain clouds in front of us. As we crossed the Tanana River Bridge, we could see the pipeline crossing the river enroute to Valdez. We could see it, but it was raining too hard to get a picture.
We stopped at the Knotty Shop to purchase some burl wood souvenirs. We stopped here on our previous trips and the store is one of my favorites in Alaska! Success! I purchased a burl wood jewelry type box. It is bubblewrapped and stored under our bed for safe keeping.
The next attraction on our route was Eilson Air Force Base. As we passed by, there were signs posted that photography was not allowed in the area. Shhhh…
Our next stop…The Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska. The Santa Claus House was started in 1952 ( the year I was born).Over the years it has garnered attention, since it served as the North Pole Post Office for 20 years. As I remembered, this place had lots of Christmas ornaments, but, not as many as Bronners in Frankenbuth. However, I did manage to buy quite a few things! The highlight for all of the customers (me included) was Santa Claus! I would have sat on his lap but there were too many children waiting to talk to him. I did get Santa and Mrs. Claus to pose for a picture!
In Faribanks, we checked into the River’s Edge RV Park, located on the Chena River. We will be here for 3 days!
We are finallly here in Alaska and can really relax and enjoy all there is to do in the Last Frontier!