June 30, 2010

We were awakened by a loud knock on our door at 5:30 AM. The workers were there to restripe the part of the parking lot we and a bunch of other trailers were in. We all had to move, including Vicki and Lowell, who had come back to Fairbanks from the Dalton Highway. We left Fairbanks and set out for Copper Center. We don't have to be there until Friday, so we are going to Tangle Lakes BLM Campground on the Denali Highway. We drove through North Pole and ate pancakes, sausage and eggs at the Country Cafe. This place was on Diner, Drive-ins and Dives. We stopped at the Pagoda Resturant first, but they weren't open yet. The Pagoda was in the movie, "A Christmas Story". It was also on Triple D. We toured Rika's Roadhouse near Delta Junction. Built in 1910, this is one of the last remaining roadhouses left on the Valdez to Fairbanks route. We stopped at the Black Rapids Roadhouse built in 1902 that is in the process of restoration. We stopped in Delta Junction to get a picture of the monument for the "End of the Alaska Highway" mile 1422. We did not stop on June 17 when we went through here. We passed the Black Rapids Glacier, Isabel Pass, Gulkana Glacier and Summit Lake before reaching Paxson. We also stopped at the Gulkana River Salmon Spawning Viewpoint. There were lots of salmon there and a no fishing sign. A rivet came out of the Casita on the backsplash were it meets the upper cabinet above the sink. We replaced it.