Fairbanks, Alaska

I like Fairbanks-spent a week at the University in 995. Uof F has a great museum plus they have research farms on Musk Ox and Caribou. Wool from Musk Ox is very valuable-bringing $16 an ounce. I saw a small skein of yarn in the gift shop for 50 dollars. I suspect that a king size bed comforter would cost as much as a Lincoln. The town has real people-sparse on tourists and dogs are everywhere. You can see teams of sled dogs pulling four wheeled carts - preparing for the Yukon Quest or the Iditerod.

We treated ourselves (twice) to a salmon,halibut,prime rib bake-wow-fantastic-especially after meals of granola.

Fairbanks was hosting an Inter tribal Midnight Sun Pow Wow-I had never been to one before so what the heck. There were lots of Native Americans (Duhhhh)-some had stands selling everything from jewelry to drums.

I met a character named River Mike-he lives full time in a tent. He showed me pictures of it in the middle of winter-surrounded by three feet of snow. A stovepipe was sticking out-for the wood stove. Mike was selling engraved wooden slabs -two of them caught my eye: "Only to the white man was nature a wilderness" and "I wonder as I wonder".