North To Barrow, AK

[DriVer]

This is a messsage from: Ding-a-ling

Mon. Aug. 3, 2009
Fairbanks, AK

Hello Everyone!

Yesterday was the big adventure - a flight to the northernmost point on the North American continent, Barrow, Alaska. Bette, I and five other travelers from our Winnebago caravan flew from Fairbanks to Barrow via Prudhoe Bay. The return flight was direct from Barrow to Fairbanks.

71°17" north latitude is as far as you can go on the continent. The weather was fairly nice - 55° and mostly sunny. There were some showers but they didn't last long. For yesterday, Sunday, the sun rose at 3:49 AM and set today, Monday morning, at 1:50 AM.

The town of Barrow is rather barren and forlorn looking. No paved streets, just gravel and no sidewalks. Buildings are set on pilings due to the permafrost. There is a monument to Will Rogers and Wiley Post who died when their plane crashed nearby in the late 1930's.

The town is inhabited by mostly the native Inupiaq Eskimos. There is no industry, production or processing of goods. The largest employers are the North Slope Borough (county) municipality and the North Slope Borough School District. Tourism is a small segment of the economy. There was a US Naval Arctic facility, but it closed years ago. The USAF still operates a long range radar facility, keeping a watch over the horizon on the Russian "bear." The natives still hunt whales and make things from the remains.

There is one gas station selling unleaded regular at $4.719 / gallon. That rate was set last fall when the tanker last arrived and will be adjusted up or down this fall when the next load arrives. Bananas are $1.79 / lb. and milk is $8.00 / gal.

Our selection of eateries was rather limited, so we ate at Pepe's North of the Border Mexican restaurant. There was also the Osaka Japanese restaurant and Arctic Pizza.

Barrow is not a pretty place to visit but it certainly is something to be seen.

The adventure continues.......

FJF