Tom and Sally's RV Adventures: Pioneer Days and the Red Green River Regatta

Most everyone knows that Tom participates in "Open Mic Nights". One of the showcases up here is held in an education center. Sally participated in her first OMN playing the hammer dulcimer, and did a very good job. We forgot to take pictures while we were playing, but they said another one is coming, so we will photogragh Sally on-stage.

After the OMN at teh Sheldon Center

We also took a trip into Denali National Park. I know you are getting tired of hearing us say it, but it is a grand adventure each time. The Mountain showed for us again and the animal spotting was exciting.

So lucky - another lovely view of Denali

The ptarmigan have fledged and coveys are everywhere!

as are the golden eagles

Fantastic caribou sighting

Sometime in the year 1900, a prospector and a trader chanced to meet at a spot on the Chena River. The spot was as far up the river as a boat could navigate. The prospector saw the smoke from a fire the trader had started and followed the smoke to the trader. They both thought this was a good spot to establish a trading outpost. The spot soon started providing services for the prospectors and trappers in the area. This is now the town center of Fairbanks. Each year during the last weekend of July, the town of Fairbanks hosts a festival called Pioneer Days. Many of the locals participate in storytelling, music and other general mayhem. This year the governor, Sarah Palin, chose to have a picnic and resign from her post and turn over the power to the Lt. Governor Sean Parnell at Pioneer Park during the festival weekend. We avoided that part (there were a lot of people attending and a lot of traffic), but we did enjoy some of the festivities.

We attended a race event at the Mitchell Raceway on Saturday night. The track is a 3/8 mile dirt track. It is quite small, with seating for about 300-400. The main event was for Outlaw cars. They are small Indy looking vehicles with a large spoiler on the top. The spoiler is used to keep the cars from rolling as they turn sideways making the turns in the track. They throw a lot of dust in the air (even with constant watering down of the track). The action is somewhat like Bristol, for the fans that know NASCAR, very little passing, but it is very exciting when someone tries to pass. We got very dirty, but we had a great time.

LIttle outlaw cars on the track - notice the guy in the turn sliding sideways

He's not out of control - that's how they get around the turns

Lots of dirt - Tom collected a little!

The big event for us, though, was the Red Green River Regatta. Red Green is a northern favorite TV show. It was produced out of Canada. It is sort of a variety show with the main characters being rather Rube Goldberg-ish about repairing things or making simple tasks even "simpler". They had a big sponsor out of 3M, so Duct Tape was used as the "Handyman's Secret Weapon". The river regatta required that boats follow the Red Green theme for creativity and heavy use of Duct Tape. Enjoy the pictures of some of these ... eh, water-craft.