Monday the tour continued with a bus ride to Dredge #8 in
Fairbanks. Before the dredge could be
used the company had to invest in an electric power plant to provide the needed
electricity, provide water, and prepare the area to be mined. Dirt and gravel had to be removed before
mining could begin. The dredge was
operated from 1928 until 1959 when it was no longer profitable. At this site we panned for gold and we
collected gold that was valued at $24. The picture shows our friends getting ready to pan for gold. I
also got to hold a large gold nugget that was worth $75,000.
After leaving the dredge site we stopped to view the Alyeska
pipeline where it is above the land. The
pipeline runs from Prudhoe to Valdez for 800 miles. The pipe has a 48 inch diameter, and it is
well insulated. The pipeline was built
at a cost of 8 billion dollars, and it took two years to build beginning in
1975.
Next stop was at the Fountainhead Antique Auto
Museum. The cars were of preservation
quality andseveral had won the Concours d’Elegance. Bettie and I were fortunate to have a picture taken in vintage clothes in an Everitt. The museum also had many vintage dresses that were worn when these cars were manufactured. One vehicle that intrigued me was a snowmobile made by the Ford Motor Company. Notice it has cylinders with spiral fins instead of tracks.
After the visiting the auto museum we took in an artisan
who sculpted ice figures. Several
different sculptures were displayed in a large walk-in cooler. We also got the thrill of sledding down an
ice slide, and it was fast.
The day will end with a pulled pork dinner.
