By this afternoon we will reach our new home for the next four months in North Pole, Alaska. Cut short from the five months due to problems on both our end and the RV park’s end, we will still have plenty of time to explore Alaska. Our pay for our (mostly my) working time is a nice big site, free Wi-Fi, free cable, free utilities and lots of time off to make side trips around the state. I’ll be working two eight hour weekend shifts in the office straight through, no breaks. No bathroom, no air conditioner, 80 plus degrees in the little office. John gets two hours, two weekend days. I should survive but the heat is a killer here. A better deal for John, he loves the heat, I hate it, but I’ll considering this time served for all the years he worked and I took early retirement, over and over again.
Tok is a strange little pass-through town with hundreds of people going somewhere. Motorcycles leaving Alaska for the lower 48, bicyclers out for a spin from one territory to another, RV’s by the hundreds headed out in hopes of catching the “big one”, see wild beasties or just to explore and enjoy the scenery. We had a nice spot for the night and found a hidden gem of a restaurant, Fast Eddies, just a block up the road. After some of the other places we have dined, this place was a total surprise. Really nice interior with comfy booths and a marvelous menu. A bit on the pricy side but then we are in a pass-through town in the middle of the wilderness.
Stops as we traveled along our way included the local grocery, The Knotty Shop, the end of the Alaska Highway marker in Delta Junction along with “everything is bigger in Alaska” picture of mosquitoes… and unfortunately, me. Last stop was for LilyPad’s never ending guzzling of diesel, plus the added cost of Ribbit’s gas, now no longer being a towed.
We arrived late afternoon at Riverview RV Park and set up in site 154 having both sites on either side left empty. The park is quiet, 170 very large 70 foot long spaces, 30/50 amp throughout, perfectly situated on the river, private shower rooms, nice bathrooms and a huge deck by the river. Someone mentioned a moose wanders by most nights so we went in search but only found droppings. At least I’m getting closer to my picture of a moose. Already met our next door neighbors. A young couple with two cutie pie munchkins. Nice people, nice place, think all will be OK.
Went in search of a welder to fix LilyPad and then drove around and found a great little health food store, Wal-Mart, the post office, Safeway and Fred Meyers. Finally we are ready to set up housekeeping and put temporary roots down. John is leaving to visit his mom on Monday and staying for the week. When he returns from Florida, Hector’s Welding will fix the RV frame, the tool box will be sold and we will squish what’s left into our already overstuffed RV.
Another daybreak, another beautiful sunrise and I spent the morning training. Afternoon was relaxing in the our RV air conditioning. Still need to find a vet, dentist, doctor, hospital and all the other things needed to survive.
Not many big rigs in Alaska. It is completely unreasonable to drag everything you own over these roads. I’m still not ready to give up my breakables but the thought creeps into my mind every so often. Our past months on the road make it a burden to unpack and pack breakables constantly but there is nothing I can do until November when we return home. Downsizing is again beginning to look very appealing.
My first day of work. Learning a new program and where everything is located. Hot, sticky, sweaty, not my idea of Alaska at all. I sure hope I can handle the heat in this tiny non-air conditioned office for 8 hours straight.
Today is our tour of the Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery, compliments of the RV park. Total enjoyable day. The experience began with a stop in the 40 degrees below room. Loved it! After we boarded the riverboat our immersion into frontier living for a day began. A stop at an Athabascan Indian village, watching a bush pilot in action, wildlife, Alaskan culture, the kennels of Susan Butcher and a visit to champion sled dogs in action. A definite must see when in Fairbanks. The rest of the day was icing my foot and resting up for work in the morning.