...1.4...Alaska...Day TEN...

...today will be our last full day with the kiddos...we'll head to the airport late tonight...and tomorrow will be a full day in the airport so probably no post tomorrow...

...remember how I'd mentioned that our rental car was having heater issues...well even plugged in overnight it wouldn't start this morning...at all...so the Man called the rental company and got us a new car...they're supposed to come and tow the other one from the AirBnb...and I'm so glad we had a car with a heater because we spent a good deal of time in it yesteray...

...but we just spent the morning playing...which is a lot of fun now that all the big projects are done...

...then we drove across the frozen river on the way out of their neighborhood...

...and up the highway to a restaurant Our Airman wanted to take us to...it was a beautiful drive...

...and we arrived at The Turtle Club...

...the restaurant air lock...did I mention that it was -55° F this morning...

...their door is covered with ice...

...we had a nice lunch and we learned that The Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles ("International Association of Turtles", "Turtle Club" or similar title) started as an informal "drinking club" between American World War II pilots, for humor and camaraderie. Any member who was asked "Are you a Turtle?" needed to reply, loudly, "You bet your sweet @@@ I am", or buy the questioner a drink...their T-shirts have that very saying stamped on them...it was a fun place...

...then we headed back down the highway...

...and by down I mean south...

...Fairbanks will gain about 7 minutes of light per day between now and the solstice...which means that while we've been here the days have gotten longer by over an hour...it's crazy...it's still dark a lot of the day though...

...the road ends at the Chena Hot Springs and Ice Museum...

...the kiddos had been here before and wanted to bring us...

...they had some historic farming equipment...

...it reminded me of North Dakota...

...this igloo-like building is the Ice Museum...and there's an airplane hovering beside it...

...and the lighted building is the hot springs pool...

...it was all really pretty...and only -23° F here because of the springs...

...we had fun walking around seeing everything...we'd bundled up pretty well in our ski suits...

...the NOT frozen Chena Hot Springs...so neat...

...on our way out we stopped to admire the train...

...and the final stop was the Santa House...

...it's where Santa 'lives'...he's there 365 days a year...

...and it's where they deliver his mail...North Pole, AK...haha...

...and he really was there...and no line of children waiting to see him...

...everyone bought some sweets...I got a strawberry candy cane...it was delicious...

~Have a lovely day!