(June 1-9, 2018 – Chicken to Tok and North Pole)

From Chicken, Alaska, we made our way down the Taylor Highway to Tetlin Junction and rejoined the ALCAN Highway, turning towards Tok, Alaska. We were glad to leave the Taylor Highway behind, as this was the roughest road we had been on this trip. Although paved, the Taylor had many sections of road damage – many-times-patched potholes, frost heaves, slumps, and other rough patches. We came off the Taylor feeling like a James Bond martini – shaken, not stirred…

Tok, Alaska

Travel Itinerary 2018 – Alaska Part I

We stayed at the Tok RV Village, a nice forested campground. This was one of the last campgrounds where we did not make reservations – we felt reservations would be increasingly important down the road as we were nearing peak travel season and more popular destinations in Alaska. Fortunately, the campground still had many sites available and could accommodate us.

We originally had planned a two-night stay in Tok, followed by another two-night stop at Delta Junction before arriving in Fairbanks. We decided to skip Delta Junction and extend our stay to three-nights in Tok and an extra night in Fairbanks. Checking with both campgrounds, we had no problem extending our stays.

Highlights of our stay in Tok include day-trips to view the spectacular mountain scenery just out-of-town, pizza at Fast Eddies Restaurant (Thanks for the tip, Larry & Cheryl!), and washing our vehicles and trailer at the campground RV wash. (Yes, we are easily entertained…)

While in Tok, I also called ahead to Fairbanks to schedule maintenance on both our Ford F-350 and Toyota Tundra trucks. Both vehicles were due for minor maintenance oil and filter changes. We had also noted some vibration in the Tundra’s front suspension and wanted the alignment and steering assembly checked out. We were able to get a service appointment for the Ford, but not for the Tundra. Fortunately, the Toyota dealership had a branch in Anchorage and scheduled us for when we would be in the area.

North Pole & Fairbanks, Alaska

From Tok, we moved on to the Fairbanks area, staying for five nights at the Riverview RV Park at North Pole, Alaska. Riverview was a nice and quiet campground right on the banks of the Chena River. Riverview is a popular campground and we booked reservations well ahead of our arrival.

Kim has cousins in Fairbanks and we were delighted to hook up with them. One evening we got together with Kim’s cousin, Muriel, Muriel’s aunt and another friend, for a play-date with our dogs. We all met at a beach along the Tanana River, took a short hike and watched the dogs chase each other and chase after balls in the river.

Another evening, we met Muriel and her husband, Chris, for dinner at the Alaska Salmon Bake in Fairbanks. All-you-care-to-eat salmon, cod, and prime rib (and crab for extra $). Food was great and we had an exciting show as a strong thunderstorm swept through while we were eating.

I also got the F-350 in for the service appointment – multi-point inspection, oil and filters changed, tires rotated, etc. Everything checked out OK on the vehicle and we are good to go!

One evening Kim and I planned to go to dinner at a very nice restaurant, the Pump House Restaurant & Saloon. My mom had sent us a gift certificate for the Pump House to help us celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. (Thanks, mom!) Unfortunately, I caught a bad head cold and was feeling too under the weather to go. Kim and her cousins ended up going, instead, and had a very nice time. Wish I could have been there, but that’s how it worked out.

Despite catching a cold, we had a nice time in Fairbanks and look forward to visiting another time. There are many more things we would like to see in the area.

That’s all for now. Safe travels and enjoy the journey!