Skip to main content

By Sternwheeler on the Chena River

Sternwheeler Riverboat
This three-hour leisurely cruise on the Chena River was one of the best experiences I had in Fairbanks. As our riverboat slowly made its way to the confluence with the Tanana River, I witnessed how life on the river evolved from the subsistence lifestyle of the nomadic Athabascan Indians to the arrival of riverboats that brought the villagers their supplies and correspondence which was replaced by sled dogs during the winter months when the river was frozen to the red-hot housing market by the Chena River today. There’s much to learn as the 100-mile long Chena River continues its journey through time and place.

A bush pilot expertly lands his float plane on the Chena River. Bush pilots deliver supplies to remote villages and are also used for tourism purposes.

At the Trail Breaker Kennel and home of the late Iditarod four-time champion, Susan Butcher, we had the chance to see a dog mushing demonstration and get up close with some of the huskies at the Athabascan Indian village.

President Ronald Reagan stayed overnight here on his way back to the White House from a meeting in China. This was then the house of former Senator Frank Murkowski. The Pope was also on stopover in Fairbanks on his way to South Korea so they had the opportunity to meet at the Fairbanks International Airport.

We got off at the Chena Indian Village Living Museum and learned all about the culture and traditions of the Athabascan Indians who have lived in Interior Alaska for thousands of years. Photo shown above is one of several log cabins with a sod roof which can be found in the village. For more insight into the Athabascan way of life, follow this link: https://www.travelswithcharie.com/2021/09/athabaskan-indian-village-life.html

Deer roam the banks of the Chena River at the Athabascan Indian Village.

The 584-mile long Tanana River is a tributary of the Yukon River. Here’s where the Tanana and Chena rivers meet. 

The fabulous riverfront homes along the banks of the Chena River

As we cruised slowly on the Chena River, I noticed that there were many big homes along the banks of the river. It seems that this is where the affluent of Fairbanks reside or at least have a summer home. There are a few log cabins but most of the houses have a modern design aesthetic with large windows to capture the light which is absent during the long winter months.

Some residents have their own boat or two. 

Some have their own float plane.

Most homes have picture windows.

How about this expansive lawn?

Excerpt from The Brook by Alfred Lord Tennyson
I chatter, chatter as I flow
To join the brimming river
For men may come and men may go
But I go on forever.

Check this link for more information about the sternwheeler river cruise:

*****

Images by TravelswithCharie


Labels:
Location: Chena River, Alaska 99709, USA

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Carlos Botong Francisco - Progress of Medicine in the Philippines

Pre-colonial period Pag-unlad ng Panggagamot sa Pilipinas (The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines) is a group of four large-scale paintings depicting healing practices in the Philippines from pre-colonial times to the modern period. Carlos Botong Francisco was commissioned in 1953 by  Dr. Agerico Sison who was then the director of Philippine General Hospital (PGH) together with   Dr. Eduardo Quisumbing of the National Museum, Dr. Florentino Herrera, Jr. and Dr. Constantino Manahan. These oil on canvas paintings measure 2.92 meters in height and 2.76 meters in width (9.71 ft x 8.92 ft) and were displayed at the main entrance hall of PGH for over five decades. Owing to its location, the artworks were in a state of "severe deterioration" at the beginning of the 21st century from exposure to heat, humidity, dirt, dust, smoke, insect stains, grime, termites and an oxidized synthetic resin used in an earlier restoration. These canvases were restored three times, the last was...
Read more

Filipino Struggles in History - Carlos Botong Francisco

In 1968, Antonio Villegas (then Mayor of Manila), commissioned Carlos "Botong" Francisco to paint the history of Manila for Manila City Hall. The series of large scale paintings was called  Kasaysayan ng Maynila  (History of Manila).  The paintings deteriorated over time and no attempt was made to preserve these historical canvases until 2013 when Mayor Amado Lim sent them to the National Museum for extensive restoration. Four years later, in 2017, Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada and the Manila City Council signed an agreement with the National Museum to leave the paintings at the museum so they may reach a larger audience in exchange for museum grade reproductions to replace the originals. Kasaysayan ng Maynila was later renamed Filipino Struggles in History and is now on display at the Senate Hall of the National Museum . Carlos "Botong" Francisco died in March 1969, a few months after completing the paintings. He is one of the first Filipino modernists and...
Read more

8 Heritage Houses of Iloilo

Lizares Mansion The province of Iloilo on the island of Panay has a rich trove of heritage houses, left over from the sugar industry boom in the 19th century. Iloilo also had the largest port in the Philippines at that time which facilitated the export of sugar to foreign shores and deposited money in the hands of the sugar barons. The barons dropped their earnings into the acquisition of properties in Negros and the construction of beautiful homes in Iloilo, many of which are located in the vicinity of the Jaro Cathedral. The Lizares Mansion was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife, Concepcion Gamboa and five children. The family fled to safety when World War II broke out and the house was occupied by the Japanese military. The family returned to the house after the war but left once again after the demise of Don Emiliano. It was sold to the Dominican order in the 1960s and was converted in 1978 to a private school, Angelicum School. The mansion now houses the ...
Read more