Explore the journey — one trail, museum, meal, and memory at a time.
UofA Museum of the North
I spent most of the day at the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks, wandering through Alaska’s history, art and science. From permafrost and Pleistocene animals to Blue Babe and The Place Where You Go to Listen, this was one of those museums where I kept finding reasons to slow down.
Dalton Highway to Fairbanks, AK
After visiting Deadhorse and the Arctic Ocean, I headed south to Fairbanks on the Dalton Highway. The long ride crossed the Brooks Range, the Arctic Circle and the Yukon River, following the Alaska Pipeline much of the way. After seeing the road firsthand—and the damage it can do to vehicles—I was very glad my campervan was safely parked in Fairbanks.
Prudhoe Bay
My goals for Deadhorse were simple: reach the Arctic Ocean, experience the Dalton Highway and stop at the Arctic Circle. Before heading south, I spent a day exploring Prudhoe Bay, standing in the surprisingly comfortable shallows of the Beaufort Sea and meeting another remarkable cast of people along the way.
Valdez Museum & Oil Terminal
The Valdez Museum covers more history per square foot than most places I've been — the 9.2 earthquake that liquefied the waterfront and forced the whole town to move four miles, the $8 billion pipeline that eliminated Alaska's income tax, and an exhibit on Lee Wulff, the father of modern fly fishing, who grew up fishing these exact waters.