Fairbanks

Towards Fairbanks

Having closed the parenthesis in the Denali park, we head north again with the aim of arriving in Fairbanks, still on the George Parks Hwy.

Nenana and the Tanana River

On the way we stop at Nenana, one of the many Indian villages that developed following the gold rush, which is now barely trying to survive among the numerous ruined houses. Now that there are no more reasons to look for gold minerals, the remaining population is basically Indian and is mainly dedicated to salmon fishing through the so-called fishwheels (floating systems that the water current rotates, pulling the fish up, while a slight inclination makes them fall into a basket placed on the shore).

The guides are probably right when they write that the only reason to visit Nenana is linked to the famous bet throughout the USA when the ice will break on Tanana River (which normally happens between April and May). The atmosphere is almost surreal, with mists that come and go like in a horror film. We visit the area along the river, where there is also an ancient railway station now used as a museum.

Shortly afterwards we hear the unmistakable trumpeting of the yellow-blue locomotive of the Alaska Railroad covering the route from Anchorage to Fairbanks. The village is located at the confluence of the Nenana River, which accompanied us from the Broad Pass, coming down from the Alaska Range, with the Tanana which instead comes from the east and originates from the same range. The Nenana will then end its journey in the majestic Yukon and then in the Bering Sea. The water that flows south of Broad Pass is largely concentrated in Talkeetna and then flows southward into the Pacific.

As already found elsewhere and we will have the opportunity to appreciate again, the Visitor Centers are very well set up (sometimes even overflowing with opulence) and have extremely competent and kind staff, able to provide information not only on the area where you are located but on the whole country. We also see a nice photo album lent by some inhabitant of the area where we see a moose entering a house, with the owner giving him the honors of the house, while the animal seems to feel at ease within the home.

It continues with a few drops of rain, and then opens up after a few tens of miles, and with the sky, soft hills covered in fir trees stand out in front of us, interspersed with frequent lakes.

Esther, ghost town on the permafrost

Esther it is a very original ghost town consisting of some old buildings.

It was known that it is a rather atypical community that arose from the desire of some mystics to remain isolated from the rest of the world. The most stubborn seem to have succeeded in their aim since the few remaining divide an almost uninhabited country among themselves, with the usual wooden houses which are starting to show noticeable inclinations due to the damage caused by the permafrost. The Malemute Saloon stands out.

Fairbanks between local history and northern life

Just before noon we are in Fairbanks, Alaska's second largest city with 80,000 inhabitants at 64° north latitude. Also created following the gold rush, it is the door to the last frontier, to the Arctic. We go to Northern Alaska Adventures to do a pre check-in for the next day and dedicate the afternoon to visiting this interesting town.

Let's start with Pioneer Park, covering it far and wide. It is a city park that could be considered a container of museums and local history. With ostentatiously American style, everything is done on a grand scale, but not without charm. Of particular interest we consider the Native Center, which publishes a long but clear film on the past and present of the natives, with a marked polemical streak towards the American conquerors and the methods with which this conquest took place.

The local history museum itself, focusing on the epic colonization of Alaska, is very informative. Objects of all kinds bear witness to the difficulties faced by the pioneers who arrived in search of fortunes linked to the search for gold. You can also visit the inside of the motor ship Nenana, where there are models of the various towns located along the Nenana and Yukon rivers, which the motor vessel traveled along until a few decades ago. We come to visit the home of Alaska's first governor.

Next we move to the outskirts to go and see a breeding farm muskoxen and in the university area the botanical garden, near which there are some reindeer. The garden deserves a careful look for the qualities of flowers and cultivated vegetables, of particular importance taking into account that we are a few degrees below the Polar Circle. Some plants are common with those of our mountains, while the vegetables exceed ours in terms of weight and size (cabbage in particular are enormous, sometimes exceeding 30 kg).

Let's go and meet John Davis, the owner of the B&B who will host us tonight (Ah, Rose Marie). There is no one in the house but on the door we find a note with our name containing the welcome and the invitation to sit in the indicated room with our luggage, since everything is open. This leaves us amazed at how we can be trusted to leave the door of a house near the center completely open without the fear of it being burgled. If these are the wild lands one wonders what they are where we live. We quickly settle in and as we are about to leave John arrives, who with a few words in discreet Italian tries to make us feel more comfortably at home.

Downtown Fairbanks and Northern Wealth

We go out to take a tour of the centre, passing through the Golden Heart Plaza, in what was the original nucleus of the city, which also arose as a service center for the stampede (adventurers in search of gold) in a very casual way. An enormous development was then created by the discovery of the oil basins of the north and even today there is an abundance of wealth linked to black gold.

Being home to a university linked to experiments in harsh climates with over 8,000 students, it also maintains an image of relaxation which goes alongside that of business, created by the frequent banks and companies linked to the extractive industry. On the square there is a statue in honor of the first colonizers from Siberia 20,000 years ago, the so-called Indians or Eskimos if referring to the Nordic regions.

Along the Chena River there is also the Visitor Centre, of disproportionate size which contains every kind of information you could wish for. There is also a museum gallery in which to see the history of the region, which is also that of Alaska and consequently the common thread of almost all the museums: the life of the natives - gold rush and conquest of the territory to the detriment of the first inhabitants - development following the Second World War - oil. In the midst of all this there may be some stuffed animals and information on the environment.

Certainly the downtown is the perfect representation of what comforts can be obtained with oil-related revenues, since tourism alone could in no way support such investments. In general, all of Alaska owes its well-being to this resource, which if it did not exist would make it a state economically dependent on the rest of the USA. Above all, public structures and those linked to the promotion of tourism display a wealth that even appears immeasurable in the Alaskan context.

Immaculate Conception Church and evening in Fairbanks

We also visit the white one from the outside Immaculate Conception Church which is located on the other side of the river. The building was moved in 1911 by making it slide on the river during the winter, thus bringing it forward a few hundred meters. and on the opposite bank. This case (like Chris McCandless's school bus) offers the opportunity to mention how paradoxically it is easier to move during the winter than in the summer. The frost transforms the rivers into a lane free of trees and also allows the transit of heavy vehicles, as well as making up for the lack of bridges. In the north, both dogs and snowmobiles can roam anywhere and there are towns that can only be reached by motorized vehicles in winter.

We have dinner in a nice little restaurant in the center of Fairbanks, Soapy Smith's. Very characteristic vintage style with beautiful vintage photos hanging on the walls. Very informal and exuberant tone from the waiter, at times almost immoderate. The salmon is average, i.e. good. Perhaps it lacks some garnish but the taste is its own. It should be remembered that to maintain high quality standards, salmon farming in Alaska is prohibited.

Since in the next few days we will leave "civilization" to immerse ourselves in the Nordic void, let's go do some shopping, taking advantage of the fact that supermarkets close late or not at all. We return with the vision of a glowing sunset. The setting sun at 10.30pm coats the few clouds walking across the sky in pink. The sun kept us company throughout the afternoon, at certain moments we even opened the windows slightly and came close to turning on the air conditioning.