built for the Centennial last year. It was officially closed for the season when we were there but as we were a tour they took us around it. It is a small scale Disneyland but interesting. Really Fairbanks is not worth the trip. The only thing memorable about it is its up and coming University of Alaska and the 50cent fares on the town's bus. I think I'd have gone to Dawson City of gold rush fame in place of Fairbanks if I'd known about it. Well next day we set off for a 2 day bus drive down the Alcan highway to Whitehorse. The scenery was impressive but too much of a sameness hour after hour. The only interesting thing about this trip was that our driver was a very friendly sort and had song sheets stowed away. As I was sitting right behind him he appointed me choir master. So, with the mike in my hand I stood in front of the bus and led the singing in my glorious (spelled goriest) soprano voice. But it was fun and I got along O.K.
When we got to Whitehorse the second night we were all ready for a good meal which we did get, but I was forever set against the place by being charged, would you believe - 50 cents for a glass of Ice Tea! On complaining to the maitre d' he tried to tell me that they shipped in the tea all made up. Men give me a pain sometimes the things they think they can palm off on a woman. Next day we boarded the Whitehorse and Yukon narrow gauge railroad that runs down to Skagway. It follows the old goldrush trail of '98 and you can still see it in places worn into the hillside. This railroad is rather remarkable in that it is about 100 miles long, and was built in a year and a half in 1899-1900 with only men, horses and dynamite. No tractors, bulldozers etc. in those days. It is carved right out of the side of the canyon in places and is steep so the train goes very slowly. Our boat had had an accident in Vancouver before coming to Skagway on that trip so instead of being ready for us to board at 6:30 when we arrived we had to wait till 11 P.M. I had paid for single accomodations and I got a stateroom for one that you could hardly turn around in let alone stash a bag. So, since we were not full to capacity, I asked the purser if he could switch me, which he did. So I had a 2 person cabin to myself for the trip which was great.
Meals were sort of rough, however as I drew 3 retired English teachers for table companions. English was hardly my favorite subject in high school so we soon exhausted our common
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