The two RV Gypsies at Chena Hot Springs
July 16 and 17, 2009
(page 1 of 2)
Chena Hot Springs is Alaska's only year-round
100+ year old hot springs resort.
Below: Coffee shop and scenery driving to Chena Hot Springs. There were coffee shops all over Alaska and they were all shaped uniquely. Some of them also served ice cream. They say Alaskans eat more ice cream than anyone and they eat it all year round because it tastes cold to them in the summer and warm to them in the winter. Go figure!
coffee shop
sign - entering Chena River State Recreation Area
scenery driving to Chena Hot Springs
scenery driving to Chena Hot Springs
Below: Many people marked their mailbox or driveway with something unique - nautical stuff, airplanes, pink boulders, etc. Below is a mailbox with a lime-green airplane flying above it.
airplane on a mailbox
airplane on a mailbox
Below: Signs along the roadway
sign - caution - sled dog team crossing
sign - caution - sled dogs on trail
sign - trail crossing
sign - dog team crossing
Below: Chena Hot Springs Resort is the most accessible and developed hot spring resort in Alaska's Interior. Chena Hot Springs was discovered in August 1905 and became famous for curing crippled prospectors of their aches and pains.
sign - welcome to Chena Hot Springs Resort
entry to Chena Hot Springs Resort
Below: The new yard of the two RV Gypsies at Chena Hot Springs Campground.
(dry camping only) (front view and the trail behind the RV leading to the small river)
the RV and toad of the two RV Gypsies
the new backyard of the two RV Gypsies
river behind the two RV Gypsies' RV
river behind the two RV Gypsies' RV
Below: A small airport right by the
campground at Chena Hot Springs
Below: The lobby of the lodge
airport at Cheno Hot Springs
the lobby of the lodge
Below: Unique Landscaping at Chena Hot Springs
car planter
old car planter
racks and bones
landscaping
an old sled
cabin
scenery
Below: A light pole and a "tractor" with spinning wheels
a lightpole and a "tractor" with spinning wheels
a lightpole and a "tractor" with spinning wheels
Below: The Ice skating pond (thermometer shows it is 80 degrees outside) so no ice skating today!
ice skating pond
ice skating pond

Below: Lee Duquette relaxing on a (broken) swing at Chena Hot Springs.
Lee on a swing
Lee on a swing
ice skaing pond
one cloud in a very clear sky
Below: Lee Duquette checked out the herb and spice garden.
herb and spice garden
herb and spice garden
Below: A hot springs pond that feeds the hot springs soaking area. Lee checked out the temperature of the pond. The two RV Gypsies saw two moose in this area, but did not have the camera on them at the time. One of the moose stepped into the very hot water and right back out again.
hot pond
Lee checks out the temperature of the pond
Below: This is the area behind the hot springs soaking area. It is also the wooded mountain that the moose came from.
the back area of the soaking area
the back area of the soaking area
Below: Karen Duquette Inside the cafe with some new furry friends.
Karen Duquette inside the cafe
Karen Duquette inside the cafe
Karen Duquette inside the cafe
the carpet in the cafe
a mural
a bin of rocks you can buy
Below: ATV's were available to ride as a tour
Below: An interesting RV
ATV's
an interesting RV
Below: Lee Duquette in-between two snow tractors.
snow tractors
Lee and some snow tractors
snow tractors
snow tractor
Other fun things at Chena Hot Springs: rafting trips, canoe rentals, guided horseback riding, horse-drawn wagon ride, dog cart rides, kennel tour / dog sled demonstration, eco-tourism (fly in and out) guided ATV and 4 wheeler rides, rent a mountain bike, fishing, indoor pool, massages, and geothermal energy tour. And of course the hot springs soaking area itself and the Aurora Ice Museum -- see the next page for photos.
look below

go to the next pagecontinue on for photos of the hot springs soaking area and geothermal plant