AlaskaTokAlaska

ALASKA!!

Just the name has a certain mystique to it. My name is Donna Blasor-Bernhardt and I'd like to invite you to share my Alaska. I live in Tok, in the eastern interior of the state, where we have hot, dry, beautiful summers (into the 70's & 80's) and very cold, but still beautiful snowy winters (sometimes dropping into the minus 70's). In the summer, Tok has clear clean skies...in the winter we watch the northern lights speed across our skies. I own and operate WinterCabin Bed & Breakfast/WinterCabin Retreat. WinterCabin consists of of several small log cabins in a peaceful wooded setting. Being a writer myself, I encourage writer's, artists, photographers, musicians, actors--creative people--to come and stay. Those who have been here slip into the peaceful comfort of the log cabins immediately. After a quiet, reflective stay, they return home fully charged, their souls full of creativity.

LET'S TALK ABOUT TOK!!!

First...where IS Tok? It's the first community you reach if you're driving the Alaska Highway. Just 90 miles from the Alaska/Yukon border. What is there to do in Tok? Well, if you are planning a trip, you might want to consider spending an extra day or two at WinterCabin Bed and Breakfast. Keep this in mind when making reservations. There are a variety of things to do in Tok itself, including shopping in unique gift shops, watching dog sled demonstrations, panning for gold at my B & B, or visiting the local theme park (where the Tent in Tok has been resurrected--I'll tell you LOTS more about the"Tent In Tok" later on!), you can make Tok, and especially WinterCabin Bed and Breakfast, a "home base"
for your activities.

DAY TRIPS?? YOU BET!! HISTORY....GOLD PANNING!!

Why not plan an adventureous day trip into the historic fortymile gold country? This is an area as rich in gold nuggets as it is in old miner's tales. A short drive up the Taylor Highway from Tok and you're immediately in this wild and scenic, boom and bust country. Eleven years before the Klondike gold rush, the first major placer gold strike was discovered at Franklin Gulch, a tributary of the Fortymile River. At the time, many miners filed their claim locations in both Dawson City, Yukon and Eagle, Alaska because of questions arising as to whether those claims were actually in Alaska or the Yukon.

HISTORIC JACK WADE CREEK

A very historic section in the Fortymile is the Jack Wade Creek claims. First located in 1892, and mined continuously ever since, it was named for the two men who originally located it -- Jack Anderson and Wade Nelson. In 1951, after working for nearly twenty years with the Yukon Placer Company, George Robinson bought the Jack Wade claims from the company and mined it on his own until 1970.

BIG GOLD NUGGETS!!

Some BIG nuggets have come out of Jack Wade Creek. Friends of mine now hold the claims. In 1983, they discovered a nugget weighing in at just under 57 ounces!! At the time of its discovery, this palm-size behemoth was the 12th largest nugget known to be found in Alaska. It still ranks somewhere around 14th or 15th. Yes, they still have the nugget....and yes, they're still looking for its "big brother." And incidentally, these friends own and operate Jack Wake Gold Jewelry in Tok. "He" mines the gold and "She" makes beautiful jewelry from it. If you visit her place, don't try to be cool and tell her you know Mr Jack Wade. She'll know immediately that you're a cheechako! (A cheechako is Alaskan vernacular for a newcomer or tenderfoot, "sourdough" being exactly the opposite.). I'm a sourdough!!

THE MAJESTIC TANANA RIVER

So how about a trip in a jet boat on the exciting and majestic Tanana River? Tok lies in the upper Tanana River valley. The Tanana is a large, wide river, emptying into the Yukon. And since I mentioned cheechakos a minute ago, let's get one thing straight--"Tok" is NOT pronounced like "talk." It rhymes with "poke" even though there's no "e" on the end-- and if you want to know how Tok got its name--you'll have to buy my book (on the "books" page). Also, Tanana is pronounced tan'-uh-naw. It does NOT rhyme with "banana."

BOAT THE TANANA

Now, back to the river. Whether you want to spend an afternoon of sightseeing or wildlife photography, a day of fishing, or overnight camping, I can help you with arrangements. The picture on my photo page of the sunset at Beaver Pike is one I took on the Tanana River. Another friend of mine (I have a lot of friends!) owns and operates Tok River Runners. He offers different boat packages or can custom tailor one especially for you. If Tok isn't your only destination, plan a night's stay at WinterCabin B & B, take your river adventure, then return to WinterCabin and prepare for the rest of your trip around Alaska. I can even offer freezer space for your catch of the day.

OTHER SUMMER IDEAS

Looking for other ideas? Hiking trails aren't too far away. Like to bicycle? Tok has paved bike paths and WinterCabin Bed & Breakfast is easily accessible to them. Take a flightseeing trip around the area and photograph the ultimate in mountains...the Alaska Range. Or come visit in the autumn, watch the trees turn golden hues and the tundra ablaze in reds and oranges.

WINTER IDEAS!!

And there's always winter. Don't let the cold scare you off! Just bring an extra parka and enjoy the beauty of the North in its season of tranquility. Moose and caribou abound here in the winter months. Ride in a dog sled and have a mushing adventure. Or come watch the start of the All-Alaskan Sled Dog Derby in Tok, a new long-distance race highly accessible to spectators and held along the Alaska Highway. And don't forget the northern lights! Tok is one of the best places in the world to view the aurora borealis. The northern lights photos on MY "photo" pages were taken right in front of my cabin.

So, what's there to do? Plenty! I hope I've given you a few ideas. And of course, you can always come to visit and just relax. Alaska...and Tok...is a great place for that!

STAY TUNED..........BECAUSE

I will be adding more information to these pages about Alaska, Tok, myself and the bed & breakfast. For now, please follow the links to my more detailed website...and enjoy!

EMAIL ME FOR MORE INFO: wntrcabn@aptalaska.net

ALASKA! ALASKA! ALASKA!

"Northern Lights, Mountains & Mystique"

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