Fairbanks, Alaska with no itinerary, no specific agenda, all on our own. We didn’t wake up until 8am. Sandy hasn’t slept in until 8am since high school! After breakfast we needed a shuttle to the airport. We picked up our Nissan from Avis to begin a day of roaming around Fairbanks. First destination was the Botanical Gardens. We arrived to find it was closed. So, we headed to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks to find a surprise. That big momma Moose and her baby were on the road. We carefully moved the car forward to get a few good photos.

In downtown Fairbanks we discovered Soapy Smith’s restaurant. We were greeted by the owner who was so excited to tell us about the history of this restaurant. It was started by his grandparents. Grandma ran Soapy Smith’s until she passed away at age 100. Crab Cake sandwich and clam chowder were excellent.

Most of the afternoon was spent in R&R mode. I watched Albert Pujols hit home run #696 and saw the Cardinals score three runs in the ninth inning to win 7-5.

After some shopping at Fred Meyers for lunch food and travel mix for our journey tomorrow. we headed for dinner. Again, we discovered another great family restaurant story. Pikes Landing was started by a guy who transplanted from Bellingham, Washington. Today its a popular sports bar restaurant with good food a good service.

We hope to get a good nights sleep because tomorrow we have a seven hour drive to Valdes, Alaska. If the weather is nice we should get some spectacular fall color photographs for you to enjoy.