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Fairbanks, Alaska is 358 miles north of Anchorage (by way of the Parks Highway),and 188 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Its central location makes it the focal point for the tiny villages scattered throughout the surrounding wilderness. Fairbanks is called "The Golden Heart of Alaska," a reference to the character of her people as much as to the location in Alaska's interior, or to the discovery of gold in 1902.
Alaska is known for its harsh winter climate, but Fairbanks natives enjoy their wonderful summers to the fullest while they can. The Interior has temperatures ranging from 65 degrees below zero in the winter to 90 degrees above in the summer. The shortest winter day of the year has less than three hours of sunlight, the longest (around June 21) never really ends, though officially it has over 21 hours. |
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There was a wonderful mural
painted on a building near Bridgewater Hotel, and when Karen Duquette
noticed that she (as the photographer) would have her reflection in
it, she told Lee Duquette to go stand in front of the window. And Karen's
sister Ilse also took some photos at the same time. Karen never did
see what the photo Ilse took looked like, but it must have been a photo
of Karen. |
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Then Lee Duquette came and
took a picture of himself, Karen and Ilse, as they were all reflected
in the building's window. |
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Below: In the same area, the
sidewalk had some great paintings. It was difficult to get good photos
of the sidewalk though, But both Karen and Ilse stood in the road and
did their best, while Lee Duquette watched for traffic. |
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Below: Then Karen Duquette
and her sister Ilse Blahak went across the street to photograph the
Chena River. |
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Then Karen, Lee and Ilse headed to the corner to photograph the flags
along the bridge. |
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Crossing the street, and heading to downtown Fairbanks, they found an interesting mile marker. |
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Below: A statue depicting an Inuit family in winter clothing in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska, USA, dedicated to the first nation of Alaska, the Inuit. |
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Time Capsule to be opened in 2059 |
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Below: View from each side of the William R. Wood bridge |
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 The bronze sculpture shown below was erected to commemorate the secret 1941 Lend-Lease partnership between eventual Cold War rivals, the United States and the Soviet Union. Artist Richard T. Wallen's monument honors the heroic pilots who ferried nearly 8,000 warplanes from the U.S. to Siberia to help Russia defend against the invading German army. They flew risky missions over remote and unpaved wilderness, making their way in stages, from one hastily built airfield to the next. The 2006 dedication of the Alaska-Siberia Lend-Lease Memorial in Fairbanks was an event attended by dignitaries from the U.S., Russia, Canada, Great Britain and France.
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Below: A close-up of the engraved words on the monument shown above.
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The back side of the monument
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