The North Pole

Friday July 13th 2012

We drove past Denali National Park and Fairbanks on our way to the North Pole, we will stop and visit them on our way back to Anchorage. 

 

We did make a stop at the Alaska Veterans Memorial just south of Denali National Park.  Spent a little time just walking the grounds and looking at the displays. The memorial consists of a semicircle of five 20 foot tall concrete panels, one for each branch of the service and each with a large star on the upper part and inscriptions on the lower part. The memorial was dedicated in 1984.  The site was selected because it was located between Alaska’s two largest cities, Anchorage and Fairbanks, and there is a wonderful view of Mount McKinley from the entrance to the memorial.  Thanks to all the men and women who served in the Armed forces we live in the best country.

 

 

The people of the North Pole want to make sure you know where you are.

  

The first stop we make in a new town is always the visitor center.  The North Pole had a wonderful one, log cabin with a sod roof, the ladies inside were so helpful and friendly.

 

Next to the visitor center they had these cute cutouts and who can resist taking pictures.

  

We had Calzones for dinner at the Elf’s Den, really a lot of food.  The Elf’s den was featured on Dinners Drive Inns and Dives.  they were kind enough to let us spend the night in their parking lot.

Saturday morning we started our tour of the town, a very small town, population 2226

  

North Pole gift shop is the biggest attraction, it is a gift shop named Santa Clause House the modern-day incarnation of a trading post established in the town's early days. The Santa Claus House is known for the world's largest fiberglass statue of Santa Claus outside. Prior to Christmas each year, the  post office in North Pole receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa Claus, and thousands more from people wanting the town's postmark on their Christmas greeting cards to their families. It advertises the ZIP code 99705 as the ZIP code of Santa.

Santa must get a lot mail to have this many mailboxes.

 

Donna with Santa.  She was also interviewed by the Ukrainian Press. It was so exciting Santa and the press all in one day. 

And what would a visit to the North Pole be if you didn’t check on Santa’s Reindeer.  I think this was Blitzen.

You ask did I buy anything at Santa Clause House, what do you think. 

 

If your in the North Pole you have to check out the Alaskan pipeline.

 

The Zipline In Talkeetna

Wednesday July 11th 2012

Mike’s sister Donna has flown back to MN and we are resting up for our next adventures.  Not sure what they will be but pretty positive we will find some. We all had a great time, wish she could have stayed longer.

Steve and Sandy are still in Kenai catching Salmon, Mike and I are a little north of Anchorage trying to catch some Northern Pike and Trout.  We heard Steve is catching his limit everyday, Mike no so much.  We plan on getting back together for the rest of the trip in a few days.

Donna and I wanted to do the Zipline and Mike thought he would give it a try.  I highly recommend Denali Zipline Tours they are great and very safety conscious, everything is done by the book.  The people running it are highly trained and very professional.

 

 

A total of seven people were on our little adventure.  One young girl from the area in her early 20s, 2 girls from Georgia in their early 30s, and a women more our age from Minnesota.  We all had a great time together.  Spending almost 3 hours up in the trees you learn a lot about each other.

   

Mike had his first zip, and his repel.  I thought the repel was the scariest part of the trip.  I maybe smiling in the picture as I’m pushing off for the repel but inside I was shaking.

 

One of the nine Ziplines we will be going on.

 

The longest zipline was over a lake, pretty intense.

 

 

Donna on the second longest zipling and her coming in for a landing. 

  

 

Two of the 3 suspension bridges we had to cross.

 

 

Mike took pictures of just about everyone as they finished the last line.

  

 

Dose it look like we were having a fun time. 

This was all Donna’s idea, she did the research and found the place before she even left home. Her and I wanted do it again the next day when we were more relaxed and could really enjoy the sights.  You could see Mount McKinley from one of the lines if it was a clear day, no such luck we had clouds.  Just the best day ever.  Thank you Donna.

 

Press Flash The Associated Press

Saturday July 14th 2012

Patrick Sison photo editor with the Associated Press in New York contacted us today about our story with Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna.  He would like to use some of photos for a story on the Mayor.  What a surprise that was.

Donna was interviewed today by the Ukrainian Press while hanging out with Santa at the North Pole.  What a thrill that was. We are the Alaskan celebrities for the week. 

WOW Pictures to follow in a few days.  To much excitement, we are celebrating tonight. Personal appearances can be scheduled though our agent.

 

Talkeetna And Our TV Interview With The Mayor

Wednesday July 11th 2012

Talkeetna is close to world-class salmon fishing and Denali. Tourists travel to Talkeetna each summer to fish, raft and go flightseeing and Ziplinning. Products from local artists, musicians and craftspeople are available in area stores. A 37-year history of The Moose Dropping Festival, a two-day celebration held over two days each July. The event was named after a lottery where participants bet on numbered, varnished pieces of moose feces, or moose droppings" dropped from a helicopter onto a target. Over 12,000 people attend the festival.  The population of the town is only 430. 

Talkeetna's largest celebration of the winter, called Winterfest, takes place during the entire month of December, and features a motorized Parade of Lights, a lighted tree in the Village Park, a Taste of Talkeetna, and numerous special events hosted by local businesses and special events at Talkeetna Public Library.

    

  

A few of the buildings in town and other sights.

  

Our Interview with Channel 2 news out of Anchorage.  They wanted us to meet the mayor of Walkeetna so we walked around town to find him.

We found him out back in an alley taking a nap.

 

No kidding this is the mayor and Mike got to shake his hand.  Mr. Stubbs is his name, I would vote for him if I lived in town, he was very nice.

Stubbs is a feral cat that lives in and around Talkeetna, making himself warm in the winter near Nagley's Store. The people of Talkeetna so love Stubbs and so avoid civic responsibility that Stubbs was officially elected mayor in a write-in campaign.