{"id":1847,"date":"2013-05-31T04:30:31","date_gmt":"2013-05-31T04:30:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/?p=1847"},"modified":"2014-01-26T23:54:28","modified_gmt":"2014-01-26T23:54:28","slug":"may-26-through-30-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/?p=1847","title":{"rendered":"May 26 through 30, 2013 Delta Junction, End of Alaskan Highway to North Pole Alaska"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Lots<\/a><\/p>\n

By this afternoon we will reach our new home for the next four months in North Pole, Alaska.\u00a0 Cut short from the five months due to problems on both our end and the RV park\u2019s end, we will still have plenty of time to explore Alaska.\u00a0\u00a0 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. \u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ll be working two eight hour weekend shifts in the office \u00a0straight through, no breaks.\u00a0 No bathroom, no air conditioner, 80 plus degrees in the little office. \u00a0\u00a0John gets two hours, two weekend days.\u00a0 I should survive but the heat is a killer here. \u00a0\u00a0A better deal for John, he loves the heat, I hate it, but I\u2019ll considering this time served for all the years he worked and I took early retirement, over and over again.<\/p>\n

Tok is a strange little pass-through town with hundreds of people going somewhere.\u00a0 Motorcycles leaving Alaska for the lower 48, bicyclers out for a spin from one territory to another, RV\u2019s by the hundreds headed out in hopes of catching the \u201cbig one\u201d, see wild beasties or just to explore and enjoy the scenery.\u00a0 We had a nice spot for the night and found a hidden gem of a restaurant, Fast Eddies, just a block up the road.\u00a0 After some of the other places we have dined, this place was a total surprise.\u00a0 Really nice interior with comfy booths and a marvelous menu.\u00a0 A bit on the pricy side but then we are in a pass-through town in the middle of the wilderness.<\/p>\n

\"End<\/a>\u00a0\"Trapper\u00a0\"Bigger<\/a>\u00a0\"My<\/a>\u00a0\"The<\/a>\u00a0\"Strange<\/a><\/p>\n

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 \u201ceverything is bigger in Alaska\u201d picture of mosquitoes\u2026 and unfortunately, me.\u00a0 Last stop was for LilyPad\u2019s never ending guzzling of diesel, plus the added cost of Ribbit\u2019s gas, now no longer being a towed.<\/p>\n

\"Riverview<\/a>\u00a0\"Home<\/a> \"11pm<\/a><\/p>\n

We arrived late afternoon at Riverview RV Park and set up in site 154 having both sites on either side left empty.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Someone mentioned a moose wanders by most nights so we went in search but only found droppings.\u00a0 At least I\u2019m getting closer to my picture of a moose. \u00a0\u00a0Already met our next door neighbors.\u00a0 A young couple with two cutie pie munchkins.\u00a0 Nice people, nice place, think all will be OK.<\/p>\n

\"Fantastic<\/a>\u00a0\"Santa's<\/a>\u00a0\"Gas<\/a><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0 \u00a0Finally we are ready to set up housekeeping and put temporary roots down.\u00a0 John is leaving to visit his mom on Monday and staying for the week.\u00a0 When he returns from Florida, Hector\u2019s Welding will fix the RV frame, the tool box will be sold and we will squish what\u2019s left into our already overstuffed RV.<\/p>\n

Another daybreak, another beautiful sunrise and I spent the morning training.\u00a0 Afternoon was relaxing in the our RV air conditioning.\u00a0 Still need to find a vet, dentist, doctor, hospital and all the other things needed to survive.<\/p>\n

Not many big rigs in Alaska.\u00a0 It is completely unreasonable to drag everything you own over these roads.\u00a0 I\u2019m still not ready to give up my breakables but the thought creeps into my mind every so often.\u00a0 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.\u00a0\u00a0 Downsizing is again beginning to look very appealing.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

My first day of work.\u00a0 Learning a new program and where everything is located.\u00a0 Hot, sticky, sweaty, not my idea of Alaska at all.\u00a0 I sure hope I can handle the heat in this tiny non-air conditioned office for 8 hours straight.<\/p>\n

\"Sternwheeler<\/a>\u00a0\"Delightfully\u00a0\"Athabascan<\/a>\u00a0 \"Alaskan\u00a0\"Impressive<\/a>\u00a0\"Earliest\u00a0<\/a>\"Chena<\/a>\u00a0\"Trappers\u00a0\"Inside<\/a> \"Reindeer<\/a>\u00a0\"The<\/a>\u00a0\"Texas<\/a>\u00a0\"Mushers<\/a>\u00a0\"Hand<\/a>\u00a0\"Susan<\/a>\u00a0\"Alaskan<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n

Today is our tour of the Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery, compliments of the RV park.\u00a0 Total enjoyable day.\u00a0 The experience began with a stop in the 40 degrees below room.\u00a0 Loved it!\u00a0 After we boarded the riverboat our immersion into frontier living for a day began.\u00a0 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. \u00a0A definite must see when in Fairbanks. \u00a0The rest of the day was icing my foot and resting up for work in the morning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By this afternoon we will reach our new home for the next four months in North Pole, Alaska.\u00a0 Cut short from the five months due to problems on both our end and the RV park\u2019s end, we will still have … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lilypad"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1847"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1848,"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1847\/revisions\/1848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/perrellas.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}