Denali to Fairbanks

On the morning of Wednesday, July 9, 2025, we picked up a breakfast snack, rechecked our rooms again, and loaded on to the bus.

The drive to Fairbanks was in the two and half hour range. However, this could be extended as there was a wildfire along one section of the highway that had been a nuisance.

According to our bus driver, it was possible that our traffic flow could be disrupted. Firefighting officials might shutdown the highway with a one lane traffic feed that alternated travel in either direction.

As we approached this stretch of the highway, we knew instantly when we were within range of the fire. That familiar campfire aroma seeped into the interior of the bus. Soon we came upon charred forest with occasional plumes of lingering smoke.

We passed staging areas for the fire crews. We could see where bulldozers had plowed access roads and fire breaks. One fire truck was parked on the shoulder of the highway with its firehose stretched into the wilderness.

At some point, my old bladder needed a restroom break.

I was warned by the people sitting in the back of the bus near the restroom that the door didn’t latch properly.

Needless to say, this potty break was going to be an experience.

Securing the door, trying to keep my balance, and my aim on the target was challenging. Thankfully, the potty gods were kind to me—no errors with the door or hitting the target occurred.

In hindsight, I simply should have sat down on the toilet.

Despite a slight delay from the fire, we were ahead of schedule arriving into Fairbanks.

This meant the Holland America personnel had to do some quick thinking. So, we made an unscheduled stop at the visitors center.

The Morris Thompson Cultural Visitors Center isn’t your typical visitors center. Yes, employees can provide helpful information to travelers, but there is a nice store, an information center for national and state parks, a theater, and lots of cultural and historical displays about Fairbanks and the surrounding area.

Morris Thompson was a prominent leader in Alaska.

His work focused on matters related to Alaskan Natives. A businessman and a political appointee, Mr. Thompson was best known for his leadership and work at the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Sadly, Mr. Morris, his wife, and daughter were killed in the crash of Alaskan Airline Flight 261. (Multiple Sources)

Another fixture in the community was Episcopal Bishop William J. Gordon, Jr. Bishop Gordon at the very young age of 29 was elected as the Third Episcopal Bishop of Alaska.

In 1948 with his family in tow, he settled in Fairbanks. Realizing that riverboat travel limited his summer access to visiting clergy and their churches, Bishop Gordon learned to fly. A replica of the Piper PA-22 that he flew is on display at the museum.

That’s one thing we learned about Alaska was how useful airplanes were in remote areas.

From the visitor’s center, we re-boarded the bus with our destination to Riverboat Discovery.

Once on site, we were directed to a large dining facility, where we enjoyed a family style lunch.

After lunch, we boarded the riverboat for a tour along the Chena River. Our guide was full of local information about the river, Fairbanks, and the entire surrounding area.

Despite seeing the devastation from the wildfire, I was amazed at how lush and green the landscape was along the banks of the river.

One of the highlights of the cruise for me, and probably for our friend, Dan, was the interaction with a bush pilot who landed his float plane on the river. The Captain of the riverboat and the pilot of the plane shared a lively conversation broadcast to the passengers.

Interestingly, our Dan, who also has his private pilot’s license had booked a training flight on a float plane. Turns out that Dan’s training flight was going to be in the same plane with the same pilot who was a part of the riverboat tour. In fact on Thursday, Dan landed with the pilot on the river with the riverboat’s first cruise of the morning.

After the plane, we learned about Trail Breaker Kennel and everything related to sled dogs and four time Iditarod champion, Susan Butcher. This facility is located along the river.

Another treat was seeing caribou on the shoreline.

Before heading back to the dock, we had one last stop at Chena Village to learn more about the early lives of the Athabascan people.

Back at the dock, we unloaded for one last swoop through the shops at the center.

From there, we took the bus back into Fairbanks to our hotel for the evening.

In closing out this day, I’m drawn to the size of Alaska—it is massive. I’m privileged to see this snapshot in places where tourist typically tread.

Yet, I imagine there are many precious places throughout Alaska where tourist rarely venture. I hope those spaces can be quietly preserved, and that includes the stunning state and national parks that are currently protected. We can never let go of this cherished land.

Tomorrow, we would hustle to explore Fairbanks.

And then late on Thursday, we would be heading back home.