Tuesday, May 30th - Memorial Day Weekend

"IN HONOR OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES WHO SERVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR. THE NAMES OF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND OF THOSE WHO REMAIN MISSING ARE INSCRIBED IN THE ORDER THEY WERE TAKEN FROM US." Preamble of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

The Moving Wall arrived in Fairbanks on Wednesday and stayed until today. On Thursday, Rachael and I went downtown to Veterans Park to view it.

From the website:

"The Moving Wall" is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for almost twenty years. When John Devitt attended the 1982 dedication in Washington, he felt the positive power of "The Wall." He vowed to share that experience with those who did not have the opportunity to go to Washington.

John, Norris Shears, Gerry Haver, and other Vietnam veteran volunteers built The Moving Wall. It went on display for the first time in Tyler, Texas in October of 1984. Two structures of The Moving Wall now travel the USA from April through November, spending about a week at each site.

On Friday at 11am, the names of those men and women we've lost in Afghanistan and Iraq were read aloud. At 5pm, they began reading the names of those we lost in Vietnam. It was estimated to take 70 hours to complete the reading; seventy hours to read the names of 58,228 men and women who served in the U.S. military and gave their lives in Vietnam. Very sad.

Saturday was Museums Day here in Fairbanks. Museums Day is an opportunity to visit more than a dozen local museums for free. I've been to some of the museums on the list, but for others it was my first time checking them out. It was an enjoyable day with absolutely perfect weather for parking and wandering around downtown.

After visiting the Fairbanks Community Museum, the Alaska Public Lands Information Center, the Rebekah House, and the Fairbanks Ice Museum, Rachael and I drove over to Pioneer Park to visit the Kitty Hensley House, the Pioneer Air Museum, the Tanana Valley Railroad Museum, and the Sternwheeler S.S. Nenana. There were a lot of people out and about, and lots of families and children playing on the swings and riding the carousel at Pioneer Park.

An early dance hall girl from the Yukon Territory - $1 a waltz.	One of the murals downtown.	View of Cushman St. Bridge and Immaculate Conception Catholic Church	Historic "Main School" turned City Hall
Co-Op Diner (selective coloring) Historic 50's style restaurant	Rachael models an ice parka at The Ice Museum	Delicious homemade fudge at The Fudge Pot. Next door is New Horizons Gallery.	Carl Ben Eielson Read about this amazing aviator HERE.
A panoramic view taken from the SS Nenana Sternwheeler. The pink house is the Kitty Hensley house, the other log buildings are historical cabins relocated from Fairbanks to Pioneer Park.		Another panoramic view from the SS Nenana. This shows the Georgia Lee House ( which is the park office), Grizzly's Tent Camp Food, and various other shops.
Gold Rush Ice Cream Parlour	McKenzie's Dream Carousel (foreground) is fully restored with beautiful hand-painted horses	A gentleman and his dog relax on the new green grass.	Kids of all ages love to ride on McKenzie's Dream Carousel. This boy waves to his mother and brother as he passes.
Inside the Wickersham House	Kitty Hensley Kitchen	A trio performs for visitors to Pioneer Park, but these two boys seem to enjoy it most.	The Pioneer Park Chapel hosts weddings in summer
Grizzly's Tent Camp Food			This is my feline furkid, Airborne, in her new kitty bed. Doesn't she look quite happy?