Day 34 - North Pole, AK

We had decided even before our fridge went down that not spending a night in Delta Junction was reasonable. However, we would make a pit stop there since it is the northern terminus of the Alaska Highway.

But first, we left Tok and of course it was still raining. I think we have been fairly lucky with the weather so far. If the sun was shining I would never have gotten to Fairbanks. The view of the mountains was breathtaking even with the low cloud cover and rain. Every once in a while the sun would peek through and shine on the mountain…amazing.

We reached Delta Junction and stopped at the visitors center. The town got its name from the river along which it is situated and from the junction of the Alaska Highway and the Richardson Highway. The town came into being like many others as a construction camp for the building of the Alaska Highway in 1942. As I said earlier Delta Junction is the northern terminus of the Alaska Highway. We started the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek, BC and now we are here at the end in Delta Junction, Alaska. Many are confused thinking Fairbanks is Mile 1523 when in actuality Fairbanks is the northern end of the historic Richardson Highway.

We arrive at our destination, River View RV Park in Fairbanks, AK shortly before 2 pm. It was just over a 5 hour trip. When I was in Tok, I called an RV place and they told me to be at their RV repair shop by 8 am on Monday. Okay, I can do that but in the meantime it’s Sunday with lots of time to see things so what better place to go but the North Pole to see Santa.

After we got set up we drove to the North Pole which is 11 miles from our campsite. North Pole received its name in a bid to lure a toy factory to the area in the 1950’s. The toy manufacturer never materialized but North Pole is now a residential community that prides itself on attracting people to their town. And I don’t think they have to try hard. It’s something about Santa, The North Pole, and we can’t forget about the reindeers. Their town motto is “Where the spirit of Christmas lives year round”. We had a great time shopping, looking at reindeer, and eating fudge.

After we got home and called it a day the skies opened up and it poured for about an hour. Surprisingly enough it also started to hail. They were about pea size but it was enough to hurt when I had to run back out to close the windows in the truck. Ouch!