Fairbanks

Had a busy day today.  Went to the Gold Dredge No 8 where we learned about dredging for gold, and actually had a chance to try panning for gold ourselves afterwards.  As a sop to the soft tourist, the water in the troughs was warm.  (Bet the prospectors wished they were so lucky.)  Tom and I actually panned the least amount of gold of all the folks on the bus - $6 worth - so we won the booby prize - a shot glass - because, according to our tour guide, Pete, we gave it our "best shot". 

(BTW, Pete is a mature 24 years old :-) )

Later we went on a paddle-wheeler on the Chena River.  Had a great intro to dog sledding courtesy of Dave Monson, widower of the famous Susan Butcher.  Susan won the Iditerod four times, before dying of leukemia in 2006.  Then we stopped at a recreation of an Athabaskan Indian village and had a chance to see how these nomadic tribes lived way back when. 

Also had a chance to experience -40F, the normal Alaskan winter temp.

Had dinner in the hotel bar again tonight.  Sadly, Steve was not there.  However, we can state, unequivocally, that the martinis are still pretty good.  (And so were the jokes :-) )

I am finding that this sun-never-setting thing is actually messing with my sleep patterns.  (I who never has trouble sleeping.)  I'm waking up several times in the night, thinking it's time to get up ...