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FAIRBANKS |
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FAIRBANKS , 358 miles north of Anchorage, is at the end of the
Alaska Highway from Canada and definitely at the end of the road for
most tourists. Though flat and somewhat bland, its central location
makes a great base for exploring a hinterland of gold mines and hot
springs, and a staging point for both the tiny villages scattered around
the surrounding wilderness, and for journeys along the Dalton Highway (aka
the "Haul Road") to the Arctic Ocean oil community of Prudhoe Bay .
Alaska's second most populous town was founded accidentally, in 1901,
when a steamship carrying E.T. Barnette, a merchant with all his wares
on board, ran aground in the shallows of the Chena River. Unable to
transport the supplies he was carrying, Barnette set up shop in the
wilderness and catered to the few trappers and prospectors trying their
luck in the area. The following year, with the beginnings of the Gold
Rush , a tent city sprang up on the site, and Barnette made a mint. In
1908, at the height of the gold stampede, Fairbanks had a population of
18,500, but by 1920 the population had dwindled to only 1100. To thwart
possible Japanese attacks during World War II, several huge military
bases were built and the population rebounded, getting a further boost
in the mid-1970s when it became the transportation center for the trans-Alaska
oil pipeline project: construction and other oil-related activities
brought a rush of workers seeking wages of up to $1500 per week and the
popu lation reached an all-time high.
The spectacular aurora borealis is a major winter attraction, as is the
Ice Festival in mid-March, with its ice sculpting competition and open
sled dog race on the frozen downtown streets. Summer visitors should try
to catch the three-day World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in mid-July when
contestants from around the state compete in the standard dance, art and
sports competitions, as well as some unusual ones like ear-pulling,
knuckle hop, high kick and the blanket toss, where age and wisdom often
defeat youth and strength.
Fairbanks suffers remarkable extremes of climate, with winter
temperatures dropping to -70°F and summer highs topping 90°F. Proximity
to the Arctic Circle means over 21 hours of sunlight in midsummer, when
midnight baseball games take place under natural light, and 2am bar
evacuees are confronted by bright sunshine
The Town
Besides the visitor centers, the only point of interest downtown is the
small Fairbanks Community Museum , 450 Cushman St at 5th Avenue (summer
Mon-Sat 10am-5pm; donation requested), containing locally donated
trapping and mining and dogsled racing equipment. The museum also acts
as the public face of the Yukon Quest dogsled race - a grueling
thousand-mile marathon between Fairbanks and Whitehorse - selling
related books, videos and T-shirts. A similarly wintry theme is pursued
at the Ice Museum , 500 2nd Ave at Lacey Street (summer daily 10am-6pm;
$8), a year-round chance to get a taste of the annual Ice Sculpting
competition by way of a slide show and walk-in refrigerators housing
some small ice carvings.
A couple of miles west on the banks of the Chena River, the Alaskaland
complex celebrates Alaskan history in a very touristy, but not
unpleasant way; admission is free, though different attractions charge
small fees. Two reasonable museums cover the early pioneering days, and
a miniature railway encircles the entire park; there's plenty here for
the kids to do.
From the downtown area, College Road heads west past Creamer's Field ,
thick with sandhill cranes and Canada geese, especially in spring and
fall. Further out, the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Museum (summer
daily 9am-5pm, closing times vary; $5; tel 907/474-7505 ), occupies a
corner of the attractive campus on the northeastern edge of town and
houses some of the state's best examples of Native Alaskan artifacts and
pioneer relics, as well as natural and human history displays.
Unashamedly touristy but great fun and very popular is a four-hour
cruise down the Chena River on the "Riverboat Discovery" ($40; tel
907/479-6673 ), which includes a visit to a mock Native village.
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