July 2, 2009

July 2, 2009

This morning we drove down the street to visit the Museum of the North on the campus of the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. We have gotten good reports about it and we were not disappointed. The museum covers everything Alaska. The history portion ranges from the Indians who traveled here across the Bering land bridge during the Ice Age, to Alaska’s ownership by Russia during the fur-trapping era, to its purchase by the US and its strategic importance during WWII. There is also a large section on Alaska wildlife from prehistoric to the modern. The highlight of the museum was the screening of two movies. One was a detailed technical explanation of the Aurora Borealis phenomenon (which I liked) and another on surviving brutally cold perpetually dark winters in interior Alaska (which Aimee liked best). The museum also had a special photography exhibit on polar bears that was wonderful.

After the museum we did some retail therapy for Aimee, going first back to Pioneer Village and then to downtown Fairbanks.