Fairbanks---the last day!!

Our day was full of neat adventures. First we went to a viewing area of the Alaska Pipeline. It was really pretty interesting to see it and read the displays.

I love signs like these!! This was at the Pipeline.

Really cool to be able to see this.

Wes, Ron and Bill checking out the Alaska Pipeline.

Next we went panning for gold!! After a really neat presentation, we were given bags to pan for gold ourselves. We all got some and you could have it weighed. I had 3 ounces that is worth about $12 and Dwight's was 2.5 ounces and worth around $10. It was really alot of fun.

All aboard!

We rode the train down in the cave and he told us about it.

He was telling us about life in the day of a gold miner.

The sluice--where the dirt runs through and separates the big stuff out.

The guy giving the demo's find! I think it was rigged!

Let's get this panning on the road!

Joe quit digging in the stuff sifted through! Patti are they that little!!

Looking for the big one!

Ulla, Bill, Jodi and Manny---Jodi got a birthday present out of this excursion!

Diane was hoping for a big find!

Keep looking Bill.

Ron is still looking for gold--looks like Carol is done!

Diane modeling the largest gold nugget ever found in an Alaskan Gold Field. It was 19 ounces and when it was found in July 1995 it was worth $40,000.

Then we went back downtown for lunch at Big Daddy's BBQ. It was featured on a show with Guy Fering. It was okay but not like we make in Texas! Some of us walked to the Visitor's Center to see some really neat displays.

They have retired sled dogs downtown for adoption! I wanted this one.

Horns, horns and more horns.

Then on to the Riverboat Discovery! While we were waiting for the cruise, Dwight, Bill and I went into a room that was 25 below zero! It was neat! They had a setup in the gift shop where you could get a picture taken with Lance Mackey, Alaska's most dominant dog musher. He has won the Yukon Quest AND the Iditarod four years in a row! Well there was this cute dog also so Dwight and I took a picture with them and he autographed the holder. NEAT!

Dwight and Bob and I went in a room that was 20 degrees BELOW ZERO!!! It really felt pretty good. Think we only made it about 2 minutes. Maybe less!!

Then it was off on the boat. We saw a plane taking off and landing ont he water, a sled dog demonstration and we got off at a village of a tribe that I can't remember. They gave us 3 demonstrations and it was really neat. Then there was a girl there with some of the sled dogs and Susan Butcher's husband David Monson was autographing the book he and his wife wrote. We got one. It was really neat talking to him.

Riverboat Discovery

Bush plane--did a demo taking off and landing on the water.

Bush plane.

David Monson--Susan Butcher's husband and one of the workers. And puppies!!!

Susan Butcher's husband and daughters run this training facility.

They are so excited to run that they jump up and down and yelp!

They are ready!

Ready, set, go!!!

They were going about 20mph here!

Coming in for home!

Reindeer

Statue is of Granite, one of Susan Butcher's dogs who had helped her win 4 Iditirods. She and her husband wrote a book about the dog for their daughters. We bought one and he autographed it.

The girl giving us demonstrations.

Beautiful coat.

Different hides.

Mushing dog.

More dogs.

Neat old houses to see.

Had to put Dwight to work---we ran out of money!!

Susan Butcher. Won the Iditirod 4 times. Passed away in 2006 from cancer at age 51.

Some of the gang on the Riverboat.