The Great Escape - Day 30: Fairbank's Auto Museum and Pioneer Park

July 19, Fairbanks, AK

We met up with Richard and Bridget Machida in the lobby of our hotel, the Pikes Waterfront Lodge at 9:30AM this morning as planned.

Introductions were made and soon we were all packed up in their two vehicles with our luggage and off to our first tourist stop under their guidance.

First stop was at a coffee shop to meet up with some friends of the Machidas.

After coffee, we went to the University of Alaska's Experimental Farm:  We wandered about this quite large farm enjoying the sight of many flowers and vegetable sections.  I didn't take many pictures, perhaps I'll get some from Martha or Larry and I can add them later.

Larry, Richard and yours truly

The next stop was the Large Animal Research Station where we found some Musk Ox and of course a gift shop related to Musk Ox fur products.  Pricey.

Musk Ox

Then it was time for lunch, we weren't that hungry so we just did a quick stop at the Zorba on the Run lunch wagon for gyros.

After lunch, we went over to the Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum.  Very nicely museum showing cars from the early 1900s to the mid-1930s.  I took way too many pictures so here's just a sampling of what either caught my eye or a hood ornament/logo which I found nice.

 1926 Fordson Snow Motor....three were brought up

to haul fuel to Barrow for a planned flight attempt but

they failed 60 miles into the 800 mile journey.

 1917 Ford Model T Snow Flyer

 1914 Woods Mobilette

Brakes were a $10 option!

 1912 American Underslung

Type 34 "Tourist" 

 Hood ornament from a

1912 Pierce-Arrow Model 66 A-4

 Logo from a 

1914 Moline-Knight

Model MK-50 Touring

After this point, I failed to get a pic of the data plaque for each vehicle, sorry.

Before hood ornaments became popular, manufacturers apparently put their name on the radiator:

 Premier

 Hood Ornament from a

1922 Wills Saint Claire

 Hood Ornament from a

1928 Pierce-Arrow

 Hood ornament from a

1927 Stutz

Blackhawk Boattail Speedster (shown below)

 Hood Ornament from a

1932 Cadillac

Series 452-B Imperial Limousine (shown below)

 No data recorded

 Hood ornament and logo from a

1934 American Austin series 475 Coupe

 1925 Stutz Speedway Six Series 695 Sportbrohm

and it's hood ornament below; also

functioned as radiator indicator

 1930 Packard Deluxe Eight Roadster 745-422

and its hood ornament below

 1933 Auburn Model 12-16A Custom Boattail Speedster

and its hood ornament below

After the auto museum, it was a ride to the Pioneer Park where Fairbanks has relocated several buildings to give a feel of the old days of Fairbanks.  There's an old Steamboat Paddle Boat there but due to PTSD issues from yesterday's debacle, I didn't take a picture.

 Bridget and Martha point to the "typo"

in the distance arrow for the Moon

 Larry waiting patiently for the ladies to catch up from

their nearby shopping

 Wildlife sighting: Larry Moose

 Old sign on the side of a saloon

The rest of the park is typical tourist shops, activities for the kids such as a carousel ride and fortunately for us guys, a small aviation museum!

So while the ladies did their shopping amongst the souvenir shops, the three guys perused the aviation museum exhibits.

The girls found us there and we headed out to the Chena Pumphouse Restaurant for a beer and drinks.  Ironically, this is one of the locations that is cruised by the Riverboat Discovery paddleboat we journeyed on yesterday.

And yes, it came by as we sat in the outdoor dining area.  No pics again by me, but perhaps Larry will send me what he took.  Some of us waved at the passengers as the once again very overcrowded boat sailed by.....I did not.

The sun tried but the clouds won out, bringing also a cool breeze which drove us back to the vehicles and over to Bridget and Richard's home for some more chatting.

Soon enough, it was time to take the Halls to the nearby Fairbanks airport for them to catch their flight to Minnesota and eventually Dallas, TX where they'll drive back to their home near Austin.

We said our goodbyes and returned to the Machida home where we will spend the next three days.  More to come.