Today we decided to take a real break from the wilderness for a bit and spent the day sightseeing in Fairbanks. We were told about the magnificent University of Alaska museum throughout our trip. It was everything that we'd been told. Such an incredible treasure!

After the museum we visited the Botanical Garden. We'd seen photos of the enormous cabbages grown here for years. Nothing prepared us for the intense color of the flowers. The delphiniums were glorious.

Next we stopped at the Farmer's Market to see if we could find fresh produce. It was there in abundance. On to the the Creamery, a former dairy that is now maintained as a wildlife preserve. Finally, a trip to downtown North Pole to see the area that handles all of the letters from Santa. No wonder I'm too wound up to sleep. It's 11:46 p.m. and I can see the first colorful sunset I've seen since we arrived in Alaska.