Fairbanks, AK

I finally did it. I talked about it long enough. I looked at it and talked about it so much the boss told me if I mentioned it again she was going to knock my lights out... and I think she meant it.

I've been using an old(er) Cannon SLR for more years than I care to remember. A couple of days ago the FedEx man delivered my new Cannon 40D DSLR. Now, where photography is concerned I'm certainly not as good as my buddy Richard Weisser or John & Margaret Hokkanen but I like to tinker with it. By the way, if you haven't had the chance to meet Richard or see the magic that John and Margaret can do with a camera then put your mouse in gear and click on over. They're all amazing people.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

While out running errands with our friends from out of town this afternoon Dave leans over in the front seat and points out the ginormous flag flying over the Auto Trim Building. It's not often we have gale force winds in Fairbanks but today was a doozie and the flag was out in full force. Years ago I tried to talk Kathy into letting me put a similar flag in the center of our front yard but she was concerned planes would hit it while lining up to land at Eielson AFB so I settled for a 'normal' sized 'Ol Glory. We pass this beautiful flag every day on our way into Fairbanks and it never ceases to bring a smile to my face.

There's a running joke that if you're ever lost, just look for the Auto Trim flag and you'll have your bearings. As memory serves the flag is 15' x 25'... it's quite large. The 'video' above was a series of shots this afternoon and an experiment with Veoh. Hope you enjoy it!

---

Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts. Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you.

Recently we met with a couple looking for some help with a building project. They bought a parcel of land upon which they planned to build their dream home but due to a lack of planning and a little claimed deception on the part of the seller found themselves mired in a potential disaster. What takes this from bad to worse is the seller is a licensed (non Realtor) real estate agent.

What do you do when you don't know what you don't know? The seller, who happens to live next door, told them the ground in the area was good. Based in part on his statements the buyers didn't bother having a subsurface soils investigation done. They had no idea that could even be done.

Contrary to what some will say, you can not tell diddly about the soil without having the lot in question drilled. The type/size/age of trees or other vegetation won't tell you anything. The only ground you won't find permafrost under has palm trees growing up from it, as the old joke goes.

It wasn't until they hired a local company to excavate for the foundation and septic system that they discovered trouble brewing. Five feet down and no gravel.... 6 feet... 9 feet... 12 feet and still no gravel. Plenty of muck - wet clay that you couldn't build a dog house on, let alone a 2,200 sq. ft. house. Dig, dig, dig was the order of the day all the way down to 19' when they hit gravel... beneath 4' of water.

Having two test holes dug and examined would have cost $2,500. They are now facing a $30,000+ expense to bring in enough gravel to fill a 20' hole the width and depth of the foundation. We talked briefly about building the house on steel pilings but after looking at the plans we'll need roughly 25 pilings, which at $1,400 each plus a floating steel deck floor in the garage adds roughly $35,000 to the cost of the foundation.

They are understandably sick. I feel for them but at this point I'm not sure what can be done. They can't simply cut their losses and move on either as they paid, in my opinion, too much for the property. They could never resell it for what they paid and certainly not with the knowledge of the soil condition (at least in that spot). I'm not sure what options outside of litigation are available and even that's going to be a messy road to try and travel. The seller will simply hide behind caveat emptor as there are no disclosure requirements in the State of Alaska where undeveloped land is concerned.

If you're buying undeveloped land in Fairbanks or the Interior, have the property drilled. It could save you from making a very costly mistake which you could certainly end up regretting later.

---

Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts. Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you.

Chena Lakes Recreation Area

Located just a few miles from Fairbanks and North Pole is Chena Lakes Recreation Area; a 2,100 acre Lake and River Park, campground and picnic area. It's a fantastic place to spend a summer afternoon or weekend enjoying the great outdoors. Although Chena Lakes is only a few miles from the city of North Pole, once inside the park it feels like you're a million miles away.

The lake park is built around a 260 acre lake surrounded by a long sandy beach. Nestled into a winding loop are numerous waterfront picnic tables with BBQ grills and fire rings, several pavilions with changing rooms (which must be reserved), three volleyball courts, a horseshoe pit, a playground for the kids (and the kid in you), two fishing docks and a lake boat launch. An onsite vendor rents paddle boats, kayaks and canoes for those wishing to explore the lake. A couple of the islands have picnic tables, fire rings and tent camping sites set up as well.

Want to do a little fishing? The Alaska Department of Fish and Game stocks the lake with Rainbow Trout, Silver Salmon and Arctic Char and you can try your hand at catching Arctic Grayling, Northern Pike, Whitefish, Burbot and King Salmon.

The River Park is stretched along 4 miles of the south bank of the Chena River and has a volleyball court, horseshoe pit, a covered pavilion, changing room/warm up building, a 3 mile self guided nature trail, river boat launch, potable water stations, restrooms, and multiple day use picnic sites with tables and fire rings.

With so much to see and do, you might just want to spend the night or a weekend. Lucky for you Chena Lakes has two campgrounds with a total of 80 back in and pull through sites. Both campground loops are wooded and offer views of the Chena River, Chena Lakes or great views of the Alaskan wilderness. All of the campsites have a parking pad (most have a padded tent site as well), picnic table and fire ring. Restrooms, water pumps and trash receptacles are also close at hand. The one caveat to using the campground is that, like most state campgrounds, size matters. RV's up to 30' - 35'+/- will fit into most sites without a problem but beyond that there are only a few that you'll be able to get into. Lucky for us the few that accommodate larger rigs are among our favorite sites in the park.

There are trails galore running through the park. Several well developed ATV trails circle the park. In addition there are miles and miles of trails that cut through the park and flood control project that are great fun to hike and ride though. Chena Lakes also boasts several miles of wide paved bike paths to enjoy. Just remember, you're not necessarily alone out there... Bears and moose are commonly seen, so please use caution.

Additional Resources

Map and directions to Chena Lakes Recreation Area
Boat rental information
Chena Lake Recreation Area Fee Schedule

Chena Lakes Map & Rules
Picnic Reservation Form
Winter Trail Map and Guide

Photo's
click to enlarge

VIEW CHENA LAKES RECREATION AREA SLIDESHOW

---

Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts. Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you.

Greetings from sunny and slightly chilly Fairbanks, Alaska.

We made the decision late Friday to head to our favorite spot on the river for a weekend getaway. This particular area is located in the Chena State Recreation Area, approximately 50 miles from Fairbanks, on the banks of the Chena River.

We found this little oasis a few years ago while exploring the many access roads that lead from Chena Hot Springs Road to the Chena River. We have a couple of favorites - one in particular we were lucky to get is a secluded area tucked away on a bend in the river that affords us a measure of privacy from the rest of the riverbank camping folks. It's not an easy order to get the 'ol girl in there but it's definitely worth it.

To the east all we see out is a long stretch of the Chena River and the hills beyond. Moose, fox, beaver, robins, jay's and squirrels are regular visitors to the area. Just around the corner is a wonderful little deep hole that grayling are known to frequent. Follow the path along the river and you'll find several areas where the fishing is second to none and the scenery will take your breath away.

The tiles beneath my feet were warm this morning and yet I still shivered when I noticed the temperature was a very cool 34 degrees outside. Brrrr. With the coffee brewing and the boss sleeping I slipped on my shoes and stepped outside to greet the morning. Brrr indeed. The wind off the river made me instantly wish I had been wearing long johns. I peeked around the back of the motorhome to look at a tent occupied by a young couple that rolled in last night about 8:00. I imagine they were snuggled together in a warm sleeping bag; cozy as a two bugs in a rug.

We've spent many a night in a tent in our early years. Somehow the ground didn't feel quite so hard back them, or perhaps we were just more flexible. There are days I feel like a sellout for abandoning the purist ideals of basic camping but the second my feet hit the warm tile floor and I sat down and fired up the laptop while watching the river flow by from the comfort of my easy chair those feelings of guilt began to fade.

It's going to be a glorious day today despite the weatherman’s threat of a morning shower. Corned beef hash, fried eggs and English muffins with fresh ground Seattle's Best is on the menu for breakfast. Pull up a chair and join us and let's rejoice in all the Lord has provided! After breakfast we'll take our fly rods and head up the river to see what Nemo and his buddies are up to.

---

Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts. Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you.

Have you ever heard the phrase "up the creek without a paddle... with the repo man on the shore waitin' for the boat?" Well, of course you have. Apparently the saying originates from a place called Gosport, Endland where injured sailors would be sent up a creek and then loaded onto another boat that was on rails to the Hasler Hospital. At least that's the story I discovered after a little Googling. While we've probably all felt that way at least once it appears as though Maynard the Moose is livin' proof it actually happens!

The above photo (click to enlarge) was taken during an overflight to monitor conditions on the Yukon River, 12 miles downriver from Galena. U.S. Fish and Wildlife pilot Brad Scotton watched as Maynard floated down the Yukon River on an ever shrinking sheet of ice. Unfortunately, Scotton had to turn back and so we're left to wonder if Maynard the Moose made it off the ice or not. They're pretty adept at swimming so we'll hope Maynard made it to shore and is now working his way home.

The next time you think you're up the creek without a paddle, think of Mayanrd the Moose and remember it could always be worse!

---

Thinking about buying or selling real estate in Fairbanks or Interior Alaska? We know Fairbanks real estate – Think of us as your local experts. Search Fairbanks homes for sale, sign up for free new listing notifications, view Fairbanks market statistics or browse our virtual relocation package. Have questions? Contact us online or call us at (907) 699-6024. We would love to hear from you.