About Fairbanks North Star County, AK

Fairbanks Alaska Dentist Diana Helmbrecht, DDS

In need of a dentist in Fairbanks, Alaska? Dr. Diana Helmbrecht, DDS is the only name you need to know. Several weeks ago I reluctantly made an appointment after having endured a persistent toothache. I say reluctantly because I knew I needed a root canal and was not looking forward to it. Does anyone really?

The positive experience starts the moment you walk though the office door. The office is bright and cheery and Dr. Helmbrecht's staff is nothing if not genuinely friendly. Dr. Helmbrecht has been practicing in Fairbanks for almost 25 years and has has the experience of a seasoned professional while staying current on the cutting edge developments in dental medicine.

How good is she? Not wanting to watch I had my eyes closed and did not even feel her give me either of the shots of anesthetic. I kept waiting for it but was shocked to hear he say "alright, that's done" as she tilted the chair back to an upright position.

From start to finish, it took her less than an hour to take x-rays (processed in house and ready in minutes) to performing the root canal and putting in a temporary crown. I was expecting to take the rest of the day off but instead felt so good I went back to the office and tackeled some projects I had been putting off.

Located at 114 Minnie Street in the Geek City Electronics building, Dr. Helmbrecht is personable, smart and dedicated to taking exceptional care of her patients dental needs.

Have questions or want to schedule an appointment? Give Dr. Helmbrecht's office a call at (907) 456-4580. You'll be glad you did!

Fairbanks Alaska Dentist Dr. Diana Hemlbrecht (c) 2009

I hate to start talking about how fast time is flying by, because it's inevitable some wiseacre will say something about age. But, it's true. It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the arrival of spring and now the first snowflakes of winter are falling.

We were fortunate this year to have what felt like an actual Autumn, rather than moving from summer to winter in a matter of days. Mother Nature blessed us with a warm, dry fall that, for me at least, makes the arrival of winter seem a little less dreary.

Since it's snowing and I'm not ready for the white stuff just yet, I thought I would post a few photo's of the fall colors in Interior Alaska.

We have a multitude of hues of yellows and golds but don't typically see a great deal of reds in our fall colors. But, just two short hours south in Denali National Park, the color pallette comes alive with almost every color imaginable.

We spent an afternoon hiking up this old dry creek bed taking pictures of the colors and wildlife. I love summers in the Park, but Mother Nature really puts on a show in the fall.

Although beautiful, these mountain streams never really get above 'frigid' despite the near constant sunshine. Yours truly discovered that what is frigid in June is downright cold as ice in September. Note to self; watch where you step.

There is a saying that goes "when the fireweed blossoms turn to cotton, summer days will soon be forgotten." The cotton signals the end of summer. Well, the blossoms have turned to cotton, and since snow is falling, it must be so! Now, where the heck are my snowshoes?

Fairbanks Alaska Homes For Sale in Doyon Estates - 99701

Doyon Estates is one of Fairbanks newest residential developments. Homes in Doyon Estates are sought after due to the neighborhoods proximity to the new east Fairbanks shopping district, downtown Fairbanks and the University of Alaska. It's also a short five-minute drive to Fort Wainwright.

Single Family homes in Doyon Estates - 99701

Fantastic single family home built by Darrell Russell of Denali Builders.

Beautiful cedar-sided home by Roger Burks of Aurora Builders.

View a slideshow of homes in Doyon Estates.

Currently there are five homes for sale in Doyon Estates -

• $550,000 | 3 Bedrooms | 3.0 Bathrooms | 2,634 Sq. Ft
  

• $467,250 | 3 Bedrooms | 3.0 Bathrooms | 2,620 Sq. Ft.
  

• $415,000 | 4 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms | 2,410 Sq. Ft.
  

• $355,000 | 3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms | 2,067 Sq. Ft.
  

• $307,000 | 3 Bedrooms | 2.5 Bathrooms | 1,520 Sq. Ft.

Click To View Annotated Fairbanks Map

Doyon Estates is composed of recent construction custom-built and spec-built homes, some with Chena River frontage and is one of the few developments governed by an active Homeowners Association. Ready for find your dream home? Search for Fairbanks homes for sale in Doyon Estates.

Yep, it's that time of year again. Time for the 2009 Fairbanks Alaska Golden Days celebration.

Fairbanks was founded by men and women lured north by the promise of a new dawn... a new day that with luck would be filled with the sight of gold at the bottom of their goldpan or sluicebox. Felix Pedro fanned the flames of those desires when he discovered a massive gold-bearing creek north of Fairbanks. Fairbanks founding-father E.T. Barnette sought to capitalize on the news by establishing a trading post on the banks of the Chena River to serve the army of miners who flocked to the Interior.

The annual Golden Days celebration seeks to remember and celebrate Fairbanks gold rush history. One of the most popular events is the Golden Days Jail. For a mere $5 arrest warrants can be issued for friends, coworkers or even your boss... The Marshals will lock them up and throw away the key!

Events run from the July 22nd through the 25th and culminates with a boisterous street fair and the largest parade in the state. Over 100 entries will be on display including marching bands, clowns, jugglers, antique cars, unicycle riders and floats. The parade winds its way from the Carlson Center through downtown Fairbanks, where it ends at Noble Street and Airport Way.

Don't forget to get your Rubber Duckie tickets for the big race on the 25th. 6,000 yellow rubber duckies race from the Wendell Street bridge to the Cushman Street bridge for the chance to win cash and prizes totaling over $20,000, including a $10,000 cash price for first place! Tickets are available anywhere you see the bright yellow signs in business windows or Goldie & Luckie the big, inflatable yellow ducks!

2009 Golden Days Festival Calendar of Events

Wednesday - Thursday - Friday - Saturday

We'll see you at the 2009 Fairbanks Alaska Golden Days Celebration!

Sullivan Roadhouse ~ Delta Junction, Alaska History

The terminus of the historic 1,422 mile Alaska (or Alcan) Highway lies at the heart of Delta Junction, Alaska. At that junction, travelers headed north to Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright or Eielson Air Force Base will find the Sullivan Roadhouse - the oldest original roadhouse still standing in Interior Alaska.

Following the lure of the Klondike gold rush to Alaska in the 1890's, Jack Sullivan and Florence Hamburg joined thousands of others on the long, arduous trek north with dreams of strikng it rich. It was in Nome, Alaska that they met and were married in 1900 before moving to Fairbanks and finally establishing a home and roadhouse on the newly cut Valdez to Fairbanks trail system in 1905.

Beginning in 1902, General Wilds P. Richardson was commissioned to clear a trail between the deep water Port of Valdez and the Interior city of Fairbanks. The 380-mile trip through the mountainous terrain often took up to two weeks to complete by open-air stagecoach. As such, roadhouses were located approximately every twenty-five miles (considered a days journey) and were a welcome sight to travelers hoping to find a warm meal and a place to rest. According to history, "Ma" Sullivan was a consummate hostess and the big, comfortable roadhouse was among the nicest stops on the trail.

Fate dealt the Sullivan's a blow in 1906 when the Alaska Roads Commission moved the Donnelly-Washburn Cut-off, a winter short-cut, 4.5 miles east in an effort to bypass some of the steeper mountain grades on the trail. Undeterred, Jack and Florence moved the roadhouse log-by-log back to the trail and rebuilt and improved the building. Improvements made to the main trail in 1917 to make it passable by automobile and the abandonment of the Donnelly-Washburn Cut-off in 1921 was the beginning of the end for the Sullivan Roadhouse. In 1922 Jack and Florence packed a few personal belongings and said good-bye to their home before moving to Fairbanks. The abandoned Roadhouse became a forgotten relic, left to return to the earth from which it came.

Left almost completely furnished, the former Sullivan Roadhouse found itself, some 20 years later, on the edge of the Oklahoma Bombing Range on the grounds of the newly developed Fort Greely US Army Base. Used by troops as temporary shelter, the building was maintained and protected from wildfires for almost 30 years. Thanks to improvements made by the Sullivans in the 1906 move and continuing care by the US Army, the building survived long after the vast majority of other Valdez to Fairbanks Trail roadhouses collapsed.

In the early 1970's the US Army sent a young soldier to clean up the site of the Sullivan Roadhouse. His orders were to bulldoze the artifacts left in and around the buildings by the Sullivans into a hole and cover them with dirt. Fortunately for future generations, the young soldier understood the historical value of the items and couldn't bring himself to bury them. Defying a direct order, he secretly gathered and hauled the items out and hid them in his barn.

In 1996, one of the last acts of the Army Legacy Fund, a Congressional Historical Preservation program, was to move the Sullivan Roadhouse from what appeared to be its final resting place in the Alaskan wilderness to a new home in Delta Junction, Alaska. Once moved, the building was then gifted to the city of Delta Junction, who renovated the building with hopes of turning it into a museum. Once complete, the building was ready to be opened to the public, but sadly, there were very few items original to the old building. That is until a local benefactor, who has chosen to remain anonymous, stepped forward to tell the tale of a disobeyed order and a treasure trove of original artifacts.

Thanks to the actions of that young man, future generations will have the opportunity to tour the Sullivan Roadhouse to catch a glimpse of what life was like for those early pioneers. The Roadhouse is located behind the Visitors Center at the intersection of the Alaska Highway and the Richardson Highway and is open 7 days a week from Memorial Day to Mid September. The next time you find yourself passing through Delta or with a free afternoon, stop by and visit Sullivan's Roadhouse in beautiful Delta Junction, Alaska.