The Alaska Chronicles - Better than Never

I thought I would finally upload some photos from our trip to Alaska to visit my dad this past April. We had a great (cold!) time, and I actually am excited to go back. Though I can't decide if I want to go back during the summer for nice weather and 24 hour sun, or in the dead of winter to experience -40F temps and the Fairbanks Ice Carving Festival... (I am being serious.)

Ice porcupine (towards the "melted away" stage, since this was April, afterall)

Probably my favorite thing we did in Alaska was visiting Chena Hot Springs, a gorgeous area up in the mountains with natural mineral hot springs that's been gussied up a bit for the tourist types. Walking the 50 feet or so from the nice warm building through the 20F temps is torture, but getting in that nice HOT water is oh so good, and I was amazed at how wonderful I felt afterwards (the back pain I'd been experience literally disappeared.)
 They also had goats there, and grow their own produce in greenhouses, so that was awesome.

Dad and goat.

Chad and goat.

Also there was a dragon barbeque.

I don't think it was for the goats...

Not so well-document is the trip we took to the home of some friends of my dad's, who live on a beautiful, secluded property with a gold mine on it that has been owned and run by three generations of their family. We even went INTO the gold mine for a little tour, which was a challenge for yours truly, the closeted claustrophobe (is there a pun there?)

Bock.

Whinny.

"Shorts weather"

Easter Sunday snowy walk.

Apart from that, just hanging out with my dad, eating lots of food, and doing some manual labor around their property (they live on and own a campground/RV Park called Northern Moosed RV Park).

Clearing some snow on an "Alaska Snowplow"

My pops - the man in the red suit himself.

We also had some of the best beer ever, and it just happens to be right across the street from where they live. :)

Ahhhh Alaska.... I couldn't live there year-round, but you gotta love the ride.