Fox Pup's AK Vacation - Day 4: Sled Dog Puppies!!!

9 week old Alaskan Husky

Today we started our day going to Jeff King’s homestead just south of Denali National Park.  Jeff King has won the Iditarod 4 times… one of only a few to make that accomplishment.  We met at a lodge near the park, and Jeff’s wife Donna brought us to their home.  As we pulled up to the front of the house, we saw a few people bringing over some adorable puppies… most of them about 7 weeks old!  As we got off the van, we were handed a puppy to cuddle with.  Donna warned us before we even got off the van that they know how many puppies they start out with, and we are not allowed to bring one home.  Darn. ;)  They were quite cuddly, and very hard to return to their rightful owners.  After we had our fill of the puppies, Jeff, Donna, and Tessa (Jeff and Donna’s daughter) shared with us a lot of information about raising the dogs, racing the dogs, and great stories from their many years of experience.  The dogs are all Alaskan Huskies, which are long distance runners and therefore small, strong, and actually not as furry as you might expect.  Pretty neat to see them and hear their stories.  Those dogs are well loved and obviously enjoy what they do! 

Alaskan Fall Foliage

After the sled dog tour, we drove on toward Fairbanks.  This time, our drive was during the day, so we got to see much more beautiful scenery.   The birch trees are just golden, and there were lots of hillsides filled with golden birch trees.  So pretty!  We took many photos along the way, but they just don’t capture what we were seeing.  That doesn’t stop us from snapping away though!

 

We decided to go to the Silver Gulch Brewery for dinner, which meant a drive on a scenic road northeast toward Fox.  On the way there, we came across a plane parked in a lot next to the road.  Not a bush plane... but a commercial jet.  We have no idea how it got there, but when we stopped to take pictures of it, we also found a couple moose in someone's front yard.  Neat!

Our lodging for the next two nights is a log home B&B, and it’s beautiful.  Our hosts are very hospitable, too!  Can’t wait to explore Fairbanks tomorrow.