July 15
0 miles biked
$55 of Ubers!
Although today was a rest day, it was jam packed. We were out and about all day. First order of business was resupply. Though we still have a lot of food, we did pick up a few things to supplement our food supplies, some more itch cream for my bug bites, and to return a couple things to REI.
We met up with our new cycling couple friends for lunch at another Thai restaurant, a trip to the local bike shop, and a visit to the University of Alaska Museum of the North.
The museum was awesome, featuring an impressive collection of fossils, cultural artifacts from across Alaska, and an impressive collection of Native Art. I was especially impressed with the intricate basketry.
The museum now possesses the infamous Bus 142, where Chris McCandless aka Alexander Supertramp (Into the Wild) spent his final days. However, they are still working on the exhibit for the bus, so while we did not get to see it, they did display a book of his photographs and a few other items of his.
The interior of Alaska is home to Athabascans, descendants of the people who crossed Beringia some 35,000 years ago. Athabascans refer to themselves as Dena, which means people. This stood out to me, because in Arizona, the Navajo refer to themselves as Diné, which also means people. Such similar words must be connected? And yes, the Navajo and the Apache are indeed descended from the Athabascans.
So we also made a stop at the Cultural Center after the museum, to learn a bit more about the Athabascan culture of interior Alaska specifically.
All in all, it was a busy day! We stopped at a food truck on the way back to the hotel. Our room is a disaster, with bikes, gear, and food strewn across the place. Tomorrow we’ll pack it all up and head out in the afternoon, toward Denali. We have a lot of climbing ahead of us!