China Hot Springs, Ice Museum, Denali, Trapper Creek and Talkeetna

The last weekend in Fairbanks, our friend, Alison Kernicky from NC flew up to travel with us for 2 weeks to the Anchorage area and into Soldotna, Kenai Peninsula.

The first weekend we went to Chena Hot Springs and the Ice Museum.  The hot springs were just that!  We had to wait 30 minutes to enter them due to lightening and thunder.  Also the ice museum was a delight with many ice sculptures to admire.

Moose on the way

and on the way back!

Alison Kernicky has joined our journey!

Flowers in Alaska continue to WOW me!

Ice Museum - had to wear special coats
and go in and out quickly.

A special end to a great day.  God's promise.







Then on to Denali National Park to go on a 8 hour bus tour, see wildlife, and bask in God's creation just for us.  Our only hope is that man will take care of it and use it for His Glory.

Staying in a RV park in Healy, AK, about 7 miles from the entrance to Denali National Park.

In the park, rivers.......

Cliffs, narrow roads.........

Construction workers on the highways.

Yes, they have to know how to climb rock faces.

Many rivers with their own paths........

silt...........to gold pan!

We learned that 2 weeks after we left Denali NP
there was a mudslide that left tourists stranded.

Mama Bear showing twins how to fatten

up for the winter.  Our bus did not even 

phaze her!

Even the moose are fattening up

for the winter.

We are all fattening up for the winter!
Wayne, me and Alison at the entrance.

Dog sled teams are used in the DNP for 

rescue and regular park checks in 

the dead of winter.

They love to run.............

And of course they are rewarded

with great snacks!

A model of the DNP in the info center.

Wildlife looks small from a bus
up close

THEY ARE HUGE!

On to Trapper Creek and Talkeetna.  At DNP we were unable to view Mt. McKinley because of the weather but once we got to Trapper Creek we THINK we saw it from about 100 miles distance.  The Rasmussen's that live in Talkeetna have a wildlife all around their house.  It was fun to watch moose in their yard.

We THINK Mt. McKinley in the distance!

The beauty of Alaska is

mesmerizing.  Thank you God for 

the beauty of the earth.

The Sutherland's met us in Trapper Creek, we had dinner

in Talkeetna and the next morning we were off to Anchorage

when 

UH OH.

Finishing up at Camp Li-Wa - July 2016

Never in a million years would I have dreamed that I would be saying how hot it was in Alaska even in July!  We are there!  Not only hot temps moved into Fairbanks for the month of July, so did many days of rain but Alaskans don't let that stop them from having fun.  Days are long, but the summer months are few so they must take advantage of every moment.  Here the kids are playing "gaga ball" in the rain......beats sitting in the cabin hour upon hour.

This month was bittersweet.  Wayne's twin sister, Wanda, lost the battle to cancer but she is now rejoicing in Heaven with Edith, Jack and G'ma & G'pa.  Cancer took her away from us but her sweet spirit lingers on.  We flew to Florida to spend one last week with her, Lou, Barb & Gary.  It is still so hard to believe she is gone.

We continued to sightsee in Fairbanks taking in the well known Museum of the North affiliated with University of Alaska.  Very in depth history of Alaska with many artifacts.

Gold Rush Town at Pioneer Park

has many original cabins from the 

old town Fairbanks.  They were

carefully moved to this new location.

So this is what Wayne & Gail look like
with antlers!  Can't imagine carrying these
around all summer, spring & fall!

We tried to drive up to the Yukon River
from Fairbanks but the threatening weather
caused us to need to turn around.  Unpaved
roads, slippery mud, and fast moving oil
tankers were SCAREEEEEY!  Just not
worth the hassle.  We turned around and
came back.

Below:  Wayne trying to hold up the Alaskan
Pipeline!

Flowers at Dredge 8 were gorgeous.

The Fieler's came home with $54 worth of gold,

the Anderson's close to $30.  At least we paid for 

our excursion!

Below:  the way they dredged for the gold 

during the Gold Rush Days.

Our SOWER working group for the months of June & July 2016 at Camp Li-Wa, Fairbanks, AK.

Roy & Sue Anderson and us.  Again, taking care of the flowers and vegetable gardens at Li-Wa was

a treat.

Our tasks at Li-Wa consisted of painting murals, working on construction of the new dining hall/kitchen/conference center, gardening, chicken picking, kitchen help, office work, repair of the  ceiling in Woodside Building, roofing of the small animal barn, installation of overhead lights in bathrooms and laundry area of Woodside ........ it was a busy 2 months!

The men continue to work on the new dining hall/kitchen/conference center.

A new railing was installed on the outside of Woodside.

The men took down ceiling "tiles" and re-installed securing with nail gun and adding a mold so that they no longer will come out when hit with basketballs!

The ladies helped out on Sundays with registration for the upcoming week of camp.

Camp Cook - Mz. Chris

Some of Mz. Chris's wares......

fresh baked bread everyday.

We were not the only volunteers this summer - the Eagle Scouts built this new oct-ta-ball court.

Now on to Soldotna for our project in August.  We will be traveling for 2 weeks down through Denali, into Anchorage and on around to the Kenai Peninsula.  Our friend from NC will be joining us for the adventure and experience RVing at its best.

2 weeks of Camp Li-Wa, Fairbanks, AK - June 2016

Camp Li-Wa, Fairbanks, Alaska is everything we have dreamed about for the last 18 months and more.  Just when I thought a camp could not be anymore needy, God says look at this one.  Never have we been to a camp where the building that contains the dining hall and kitchen has been officially condemned because the the permafrost heaves in the ground cause the building to constantly be in motion.  They no longer serve meals in the dining hall instead the kids eat in a huge multipurpose pavilion with a white tent that can serve as a dining hall, chapel and meeting room.

The condemned dining/kitchen

building to be replaced by 

next summer.

The new building that will replace the above.
This is the building that Wayne & Roy
are now working on for June & July.

Artist rendition of finished building.

Roy & Wayne have completed a renovation of the climbing wall, and it has already been used.  Then they repaired the large sliding rear doors to the barn.  It originally took 3 people to open one door, now one person can do it with one hand!  Now they are working on the construction of the new dining/kitchen hall to hopefully be completed by camp season next year.

New floor added to climbing wall.
After the wall was repaired the leader
group gave Wayne & Roy a group hug!

Inside the climbing wall.

Discussion about building plans for
the new dining/kitchen hall.

A floating floor to have several feet of

insulation with steel beams bearing the weight

about 20 ft. underground.  If not permafrost

would cause the building to sway and be 

uneven.

The rear barn door now repaired.





Gail & Sue have been working independently during the day but during registration times for camp we get to work together.  Sue primarily has been working on camp registration forms during the week.  Gail makes sure the vegetable garden and greenhouse stays watered along with flowering plants.  Because the daylight hours are long, plants need to be watered several times per day unless it rains, which it rained almost everyday the 2nd week.

Above:  Sue working on registration forms in "her office".
Right:  Daylight at 1:00 a.m., never to be any darker than this!
















The first weekend we took in 4 museums.  The Mushing Museum (came out feeling like a whip), the Mining Museum (came out wanting a gold nugget), the Air Museum at Pioneer Park (came out feeling like my commercial flights in a Boeing was too prissy) and the Fairbanks Info Center Museum (came out feeling like a few inches of snow in NC was nothing to talk about)!  After church we visited the Farmer's Market and everyone ate at a different booth.  By the time we leave, we have been told that there will be 100 lb. cabbages being sold at the market.

Right:  Riverboat Nenana at Pioneer Park

Below:  Viewing the Alaskan Pipeline close
to Camp Li-Wa

Yes, the guys have done a little panning, no avail!  Our bank account has not grown neither have our pockets!  But, they were very happy the day we went to the Antique Auto Museum.  We each pick out our favorite cars and decided to reinvest our house proceeds for an antique to pull behind the RV!

Left:  Me and Wayne tootling along,
red hat and all.

Below:  The Anderson's in the same get up!

Left:  The girls have picked out their favorite.

Below:  The guys theirs!

Now, off to North Pole to Santa's house and Pagoda restaurant for lunch.

Santa works non-stop 24/7, and 365/365!

Of course we have been good (so far) this year.

So we each have our favorite
stuffed animals at Santa's House.
These are tame, friendly, soft and
huggable.  Those on the side of
the road are not so!













Then, on to the Large Animal Research Center of UAF - we were able to view moscox, reindeer.  Never new moscox even existed.  A little too far south for these guys but they wanted to accommodate us foreigners!

New babies at Camp Li-Wa 

barn this spring.

Baa-baa black sheep.

Horses for trail rides too.

Lastly this weekend we took in ivory carvings at the Rare Coin Shop and furs at the traders outfit.  Walrus ivory is only allowed to be carved by natives.  Amazing work.  A final lunch at KFC (wonder if it is Alaskan chickens they use) and then Roy and Sue drop us off at the airport for a quick trip to see the Schroeder's in Florida.

Left and below:  Each cabin had a short
presentation for their parents at the end of
the first week of camp.  They (leaders
included) left tired and fulfilled.

Our sweet sister and sister-in-law, Wanda, is battling the effects of cancer treatments and its prognosis.  Wayne and I are in Florida spending some time and making lasting memories with her.  Such a trooper.  

It's a crazy journey.  We are trying to experience everything that Alaska has to offer while working at Camp Li-Wa.  It's a different world........till next week...................we too are crazy!