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Climb
on board an authentic Alaskan sternwheeler,
the Riverboat
Discovery, and take a journey
back in time along the Chena and
Tanana Rivers. Since 1950, the Binkley
family has operated riverboat cruises
in Fairbanks; now you can cruise
out into nature with third- and fourth-generation
captains and experience the area's
history and beauty firsthand. Take
a tour with native Alaskans in a
traditional village and meet some
of the pioneers who call this land
home.
Sternwheeler boats transport
you out into the Alaskan wilderness,
but also back to a time when gold-rush
fever was sweeping across the state.
You climb aboard either the Discovery
II or Discovery III for a fully
narrated three-and-a-half-hour
tour. As the wheel churns up the
water, you'll watch the trees go
by, looking for wildlife and heading
out to see the "wedding of the
waters" where the Chena and Tanana
Rivers meet. The boiling current
of the glacial Tanana creates clouds
of silt that rise and fall as they
meet the clear Chena waters. As
you cruise along you'll enjoy complimentary
fresh baked donuts and coffee and
sample Captain Jim's smoked salmon.
As a special treat, you'll watch
one of Alaska's bush pilots take
off from a grassy strip right along
the river.
But all your time isn't spent on
the boat. You'll make an unforgettable
one-hour stop at Chena Indian Village.
Here native Alaskan guides will take
you around their Athabascan village,
letting you in on the secrets of their
heritage and showing off their beautiful
beadwork.
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