Went panning for gold today- got about $12 total- won't get too rich this way. Nice to have a few days in one place. We are used to doing everything at warp speed to see everything so it is nice to have down time. Tomorrow we plan to spend some time on the Chena river. It is very slow and grandma feels safe enough to give it a go.

Decided to try Fairbanks anyway and as luck would have it it rained all day and has settled the smoke. We are here at North Pole Alaska where it is Christmas theme everywhere. Kinda fun in August. Will stay here for a few days and see what the area has to offer. Finally got the cable figured out so Bruce is back to channel surfing and sleeping in front of the TV. Roads much better today.