No one can argue that Alaska is a mecca for anyone looking for adventure. Whether you're looking to spend time in the rugged outdoors, spot some incredible wildlife, or experience life off-the-grid in any way, shape, or form, Alaska is the perfect place. As the second-largest city in the state, Fairbanks has it's own unique version of adventures that you won't find anywhere else and is the perfect home base for those looking for a one-of-a-kind adventure. If you've been around here for awhile, you know that we're all about those off-the-beaten-path kind of adventures. But we can always recognize when a more "touristy" activity is worth the hype and that's why we're highlighting the Fairbanks Riverboat Discovery river cruise in this post. Every summer the sternwheeler known as the Riverboat Discovery takes passengers on an all-encompassing river cruise immersing passengers in the history and culture of Alaska. In the 3-hour narrated tour, passengers learn about recent history and changes to transportation around interior Alaska - including presentations by a floatplane and at a sled dog kennel - in addition to being transported back thousands of years in a walking tour of an authentic native village and summer fishing camp. Some of the guides at the village as well as on the boat are natives themselves who grew up in villages around Alaska and offer a truly unique insight. The tour starts and ends at "Steamboat Springs", modeled after a trading post but essentially a gift shop complete with Alaskan souvenirs and concessions. Even if we don't talk you into going on the cruise, this gift shop is worth a visit. Not only is it the best souvenir shop in Fairbanks because of their selection and prices, but here you can also enter the 40 below chamber and get a little taste of what Fairbanks is like during the winter. Entering the cooler set to -40 degrees is free but you can pay to get your picture taken next to the thermometer. As the boat leaves the dock, the narrator starts to talk about the history of the company and the history of sternwheelers in interior Alaska. The tour company is a family owned business going back 5 generations. Over 100 years ago, when most people were brought to Alaska by gold fever, Charles M Binkley saw opportunity in a building a freighting business along the tributaries in interior Alaska and the rest is history! Not too far down the river, the tour meets up with a float plane pilot who takes off and lands right on the river next to the boat while explaining the importance of small planes in interior Alaska and what they do for the remote villages. It's not everyday you see a float plane up close in action, unless you live in Alaska ;) It's the perfect intro to life in the interior. Further down the river you pass a sled dog kennel. Officially called the Trail Breaker Kennel, it's home to the late Susan Butcher, a four-time winner of the Iditarod. Her husband now runs the kennel and does a presentation of kennel life and what goes into the summer training of a dogsled team. While this demonstration is very interesting, the best part is watching the sweet little sled dog pups tumbling over each other along the shore. As you continue down the river, you pass a native summer fishing camp with a guide on the shore that explains the importance of these fishing camps during the salmon runs each year and how they still use the historic ways of processing and storing fish for the tribe to last until the next year. Complete with an old school salmon trap as well as a smoke house, this demonstration is the perfect segue into the next part of the tour. The boat takes you all the way down the Chena River until you meet the Tanana River. It then turns around and stops back at the native village and lets everyone off to walk around and explore. There are presentations given that teach about the history and culture of native villages and how tribes have survived here for the last 10,000 years. My favorite part was learning about the different traditional fur clothing but learning about ancient home building and family life is very interesting as well. Although our kids favorite part was finding wild raspberry bushes and picking until their hearts' content ;) After an hour of exploring the living museum, you board the boat and make your way back to Steamboat Springs. We received complimentary donuts and coffee while on the boat and they did offer other food choices for purchase. They also gave samples of smoked salmon on the way back, just to give the full Alaskan experience. In addition to all that is offered on this tour, you get to enjoy the stunning views along the river and have the opportunity to spot some wildlife. We saw a few bald eagles along the way and it was just the cherry on top of a fun and educational experience for the entire family. There's a reason this tour was voted the best boat tour in North America and we definitely recommend putting it on your bucket list for your summer trip to Fairbanks, Alaska.
Comment or questions? We'd love to hear them! If you're interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Follow us on Instagram for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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