Fairbanks- the plan for the first day

[kkbrig]

Wow. I've finally done it! The first day of the land tour is planned! I think I am pushing a lot in here, fishing for feedback before I book the second tour as to whether this is a possible time frame:

 

June 28 (29)-We arrive after midnight after a very long travel day. Renting a car. Staying at Westmark in downtown Fairbanks.

 

June 29- Tails and Trails tour with Mary Shields at 10am (about a 30 minute drive from the hotel). The website says the tour lasts 2 hours and 15 minutes, so until 12:15. This one is booked.

 

Gold Dredge 8 is supposedly a 22 minute drive from Mary's place. Want to make the 1:45pm tour here. We've got an hour and a half, but we will need to eat also (we can eat quickly and are fine for picking up something fast, but not sure there are many such options along this route!). Have not booked this yet. Wondering if I am being too hopeful here? Wondering about quick food options along this route? Ideally we pick up sandwiches somewhere to go before Tails of the Trails but reality is that we will probably not be moving early enough after going to sleep in the middle of the night.

 

Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum- this is open until 8pm, so we may be able to hit this after Gold Dredge (DH would love this place). If we are too tired or hungry at this point, we will skip.

 

Dinner- Cookie Jar? Bad 2 da Bone? Thai House? Depending what we feel like. Then we will need to return the car and get back to the hotel.

 

June 30- Cruisetour begins- Riverboat tour in the morning (does not include Gold Dredge 8) then bus to Denali lodge, rest to be planned.

[Budget Queen]

I suggest you have your "lunch" prepurchased ahead of time, and not count on stopping anywhere between these tours , that seem to be the priority to take?

[kkbrig]

I was thinking that was probably our best bet- to bring a lunch along. Didn't know if by chance there were some quick stops along that route that aren't showing up on my yelp or trip advisor maps.

 

Thanks!

[Northern Aurora]

Since you don't know the route I would suggest budgeting about 45 minutes to drive from the Westmark to Mary Shields' home. You could consider stopping at Bun on the Run which is a local tradition for scones to munch on later. Bun on the Run is a seasonal bakery which operates out of a trailer parked on the grounds of Beaver Sports on College Road (near the intersection of Farmer's Loop Rd, College Rd, and University Avenue).

 

If you drive on Goldstream Road from Mary's home to Gold Dredge #8 there won't be any food options (assuming no one parks a food truck someplace) except for Ivory Jack's. They have been open for lunch. I am mentioning it, but quite frankly am not recommending it. Also remember that there is a TransAlaska Pipeline info site near Gold Dredge #8.

 

Regarding dinner, I realize that the Cookie Jar was featured on that Food Network show "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" (or whatever that show is called), and while they were good in the past for at least the last 7 or 8 years both service and food has become rather iffy. Bad 2 da Bone is rather new, and we haven't tried it. Fairbanks has a number of Thai restaurants, and the Thai House is probably the best over-all; it is within walking distance from the Westmark Fairbanks. I don't know how long you plan to spend at Gold Dredge #8, but the Silver Gulch Brewery (also featured on that FN program) and the Turtle Club would be dinner options. Also Geraldo's is close to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum, which is another option, as is the Brewsters on the Old Steese.

[kkbrig]

Thanks for the food recommendations! I did not know about the FN featuring of those restaurants, had just read about the Cookie Jar (and Ivory Jacks) in a trip report. Bun on the Run sounds perfect for us to try! And it is so great to have choices at all those locations so we can eat when we get hungry.

 

 

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[Northern Aurora]

kkbrig: The Food Network program with Guy F. (I am not going to try to spell it) titled something along the lines of "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" was in Fairbanks several years ago. If my recollection is correct the featured restaurants included the Cookie Jar, Big Daddy's Barbecue, Silver Gulch, the Elf's Den and an asian restaurant in North Pole. When our local paper ran the story announcing the planned restaurants there were quite a few reader comments on the paper's reader comment section of their website. A number of the readers offered their own suggestions, many of which were more interesting places than the ones selected by FN.

 

But I just wanted to remind folks that almost all of our local restaurants have their menus on their websites in order to avoid any surprises. The Turtle Club, for example, is THE place in Fairbanks for prime rib, but vegans wouldn't have many options there.