Chena Hot Springs, Fairbanks, AK

July 21, 2015

The last couple of days were free days and we had to do some of the mundane sort of things, like grocery shopping and laundry.

Last night the caravan had dinner at "The Salmon Bake" in a place called Pioneer Park. The park is a collection of a bunch of small shops with a collection of antiques dating back to the 1800's. The Salmon Bake is an all you can eat dinner with prime rib, salmon, salad bar, bread and of course, desert. It was pretty good, served buffet style, but kept hot. We enjoyed it.

Today, Tom and Sandy joined us for a ride to Chena Hot Springs, which was about an hours drive east of Fairbanks. As we started out of town, we passed sign after sign of warnings for moose! One sign even said it was a moose danger zone. Of course, we saw nothing!!! Not one single moose, nothing that lived and breathed and 4 legs, much less a moose. After we got to the hot springs, we got reports from a couple of our members that they saw a mama and two babies. It's disgusting how everyone has seen multiple moose but us!!!

After arriving at the hot springs, we decided to have brunch before doing anything else. They had some very unusual tables in this restaurant, but we ended up with a normal table. The food was delicious and reasonably priced, we really enjoyed it. 

 The flowers everywhere are prolific, with so much sunshine it's like everything that grows is on steroids!

 The big ice house

Everyone had to put on a heavy jacket, we were about to enter the deep freeze. At 25-30* even Phil put on one of the jackets provided

 The ice sculptures all had colored lights behind them, or in them to show the detail of the carving. It was amazing!

 The pictures don't do the carvings and the detail justice, but hopefully you will get the idea.

 The lights are inside the Christmas Tree

 One of the ice beds. they had pieces of carpet on anything we could sit or lay on so that we could experience it without freezing to death in the process.

Proof positive that Phil had one of their heavy jackets on.  You can't see the carving real well in this one, but he is standing in front of the Coca Cola Polar Bear

A view taken from one end of the ice house, even the chandeliers were ice carvings

 Another Ice Bed. There were four or five bedrooms within the ice house, and each had a different type of decor 

This is the ice bar, Tom and Phil had a drink in glasses made of ice, our guide and bartender even said that the guys could take the glasses home if they wanted too!!

 Another view of the Ice Bar

One of the stools at the bar, decorations within the carvings

 More ice carvings

 Live flowers in ice, this was one of several on display

The work stations to the left and below, along with the tools of the trade.

 Outside once again, on the grounds of the hot springs, we find a piece de art, a dragon made of metal scraps with a flower basket in his mouth.

Below is one of the natural hot springs in the compound

On our way home Phil drove at about 45 mph all the way so that we could closely examine both sides of the road looking for a moose. They were as elusive as three dollar bills. Didn't see a one!! This is getting really ridiculous!!