Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks, Alaska

After a rough beginning to our trip to Alaska, it was good to finally be able to enjoy the first excursion to sail on a fully narrated three-and-a-half-hour tour on the Riverboat Discovery along the Chena and Tanana Rivers. Since 1950, the Binkley family has operated these riverboat tours in Fairbanks, Alaska.

It was a beautiful day, complete with a rainbow in the sky!

We sat on the top of the riverboat so that we would have a good view of the river.

The Riverboat Discovery goal is to give a complete Alaskan experience, and one of the unique aspects of life in Alaska is traveling by bush floatplane. A bush pilot took off and landed right next to the riverboat as the pilot shared his stories of village life and explained the vital role planes play in remote Alaska.

As we sailed we saw an eagle sitting along the river, and saw some caribou.

We also saw many beautiful homes along the river banks!

The riverboat stopped alongside the shore of the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher, and the Trailbreaker Kennels, located along the Chena River. We learned first hand about kennel life and the challenges that go into making a champion dogsled team from Susan's daughter. We also saw the puppies play in anticipation of joining the team.

The riverboat later stopped at the replica of Chena Fish Camp, where we saw a demonstration of how Alaskan Athabascan 

natives traditionally prepared salmon for smoking and drying.

We also enjoyed a one-hour stop at a replica of a Chena Indian Village, where Athabascan native guides showed us what a traditional village looked like, and gave us insight into their heritage. We learned about their connection to the land and animals of Alaska, their modes of travel, traditional living quarters and their traditional clothing made of animal hide and furs and decorated with beautiful beadwork.

It was wonderful to relax and enjoy the views along the river.  After the tour, we returned to the landing and dined family-style in the dining room. After lunch, we had a few more adventures--more about that in my next post!

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