FAIRBANKS

I hope today I will be able to import those pics. Really think its the system up here and not me. Henry, you may think otherwise!
Up early for breakfast before Hank leaves. After he left I viewed the dogs and handlers getting ready for the North American Championship dog sled race. This is different from the Iditarod. These dogs are sprinters. Its a race of 2 separate days for approx. 35 miles. Fastest time for both days is the winner. This year Randy DeKulper fm. Hesperia, MI won. There were 16 sleds. I could see all the prep for the race at my hotel room window but it was more fun being in with the crowd.
Very warm today, 40 degrees. Certainly not expected here. The race is much more low key than the Iditarod, although one participant had run the Iditarod as well. The dogs are yelping, jumping and ready to go. Fun to watch.
After the racers took off they had races for the kids, then a parka parade. Homemade parkas. There were 7 participant, 2 young kids and the rest adults. The parkas were beautiful. The winner was chosen by "the people" by hand clapping and whooooting!
Then they had a fur auction. Beautiful furs. None made up, just the skins. They also had antlers fm. moose, caribou, dall sheep, and whatever else has horns. Furs were expensive!.
They were selling moose burgers and reindeer sausages for ones tasty delight.
Took pictures down by the Tanana River where the sleds go. This is the river where you can estimate the time and date of the ice breakup. Big bucks for the winner. This contest is statewide.
Took a cab to the Ice Park Sculptures. They said you couldn't walk and right they were. Farther than you think and extremely icy on the road. Saw 2 cars that had slipped into a ditch.
THIS WAS INCREDIBLE!! $10 admission fee. 160 sculptures done from ice artists near and as far away as Japan, Australia etc. There is a Disneyland type cart that drives you around the sculptures if you don't want to walk. Good overview. Across from it is a childrens ice park. Slides, fun ice rides for the kids. It was very crowded. Spring break over today so they were here in numbers.
The weather was so warm the ice was dripping. Some of the sculptures had "sun shock". Lines in the ice as it is starting to melt. I met Peg, an ice artist. She let me sculpt on one of the blocks. Interesting. She finds it quite addicting but therapeutic working with the ice. The ice blocks come from a lake on this property. Peg also told me the park is being threatened with extinction! It was "sold" to the Ice park from the City for $1 a year. Now the Railroad is claiming the land. They built apts on land across from the park and now the Railroad claims the 16 acres is worth $3 MIL but the park claims it is worth$1MIL. The Ice park can't buy it for that price so perhaps the Railroad will have claim to it and perhaps do an apt complex here. What a shame that would be. I still couldn't understand how the City owned it and now the Railroad is claiming it. She didn't understand either but said it was "political". Dah! She said to write an article to the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, on line.
If any of you know of this plight and don't want to see the end of the park, please write the newspaper.
Just an overview of the park visitors: It was like Disneyland in Ice. The kids were having so much fun, many adult on the slides as well. I just saw lots of joy and happiness. I never saw anyone crying or upset.
The adults were in awe of the artist works and interpretations. It was a very happy place in the middle of a long, dark and cold winter here. I did not see this on the streets of Fairbanks but certainly saw the happiness here. They said it is entirely different at night as they light up the sculptures with color. I will come back with Hank.
Went for a swim when I got back. A nice facility. Swimming pool and hot tub. Dinner at the hotel. Still full from the moose burger. Nice Bistro. Food is quite expensive. Just a burger is about $17 and nothing to write home about!
Getting late but the long light hours fool you. Till tomorrow.