[Vision2020] Third Street Jam (was LMT Article)

[Chris Storhok]

Dick,
The state literally survives off of tourist dollars as tourism is now the
second largest segment of the economy, (obviously behind oil)  During the
summer months Fairbanks alone has around 10,000 outside tourists a day pass
through and that number is expected to increase for years to come.
Fairbanks is way behind Anchorage which sees around 35,000 a day pass
through - most head up to Denali N.P. and turn around there.  Around 500 of
the tourists that make there way up here each day head on up to either
Barrow or Gates of the Arctic and then head home.  We have another 500 or so
that travel up the Alaska Highway (Canadian gas prices plus the trend toward
shorter vacations have really knocked that number down from the peak of 1000
a day in the 1980's)   

We are currently working on attracting winter tourists as well, it will not
be long before you hear Fairbanks marketed as "America's Winter Capital"
Fairbanks is rapidly developing it cross country skiing potential, dog
mushing, down hill skiing, and snow machine options.  Combine in the
absolute guarantee of snow and the beautiful auroras we have great potential
for more winter tourists.  Global warming may leave us as about the only
accessible area left in the US with snow every year.  One fun winter
activity, the Japanese now bring several charter 747 flights to Fairbanks
filled with young Japanese couples who, out of tradition, love to try to
conceive their children under the auroras.  This market is expanding as
well!  (I hope this tradition catches on in the US - anybody on V2020 who
may be interested in a similar package let me know...it does involve several
nights out at Chena Hot Springs...)

The low for regular unleaded is $2.6999 and the high is $2.8999 in the
region (and yes people are very angry that our prices are not at $2.4599 as
they are in Anchorage - to show you a real scam, almost all of Anchorage's
fuel is refined right here in beautiful North Pole and shipped via RR to
Anchorage.  The states says that Anchorage's volume justifies lower prices,
I know from gas station owners that they use Fairbanks to make a profit
since they "can't compete against the lone importer of cheap fuel - Costco,
in Anchorage"  


Chris



-----Original Message-----
From: Richard Schmidt [mailto:44schmidt at earthlink.net]
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 11:26 AM
To: Chris Storhok; Art Deco; Vision 2020
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Third Street Jam (was LMT Article)


Chris,

That will be pretty neat to have a 350 + mile trail from Anchorage to 
Fairbanks among other trails. One of the things that impressed me when I was

there in May was that I stayed in Motels with free WiFi. The other thing was

the literature and booklets you have to inform tourists what is available to

see and do. Alaska is really out to bring in tourists and the new slogan 
"B-4-U-DIE" is pretty attention getting. See Alaska B-4-U-DIE. Anchorage has

a beautiful map that shows all the important things there. I suspect that 
Fairbanks does too.
What is no lead gas selling for in North Pole?  It is finally down to $2.599

here.

Dick


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Chris Storhok" <cstorhok at co.fairbanks.ak.us>
To: "'Richard Schmidt'" <44schmidt at earthlink.net>; "Art Deco" 
<deco at moscow.com>; "Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 3:07 PM
Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Third Street Jam (was LMT Article)


> Dick,
> The trails that run along the Parks Highway from Anchorage north to Denali
> N.P. consist of a short section of the Iditarod trail, the Talkeetna trail
> (also known as the Kesugi ridge trail), connecting trails constructed by 
> the
> Mat-Su borough between Wasilla and Houston, and finally the Capital trail,
> built as part of  Willow's attempt to have the capital moved there.  It is
> possible to walk, bike, mush, and/or snow machine from downtown Anchorage 
> to
> Healy (just north of Denali N.P.) on trails.  From Healy north to the 
> Nenana
> Bridge the trail system is located on the shoulder of the Parks Highway. 
> On
> the north side of the Nenana Bridge to Fairbanks there are various trails
> and closed sections of the old highway that again allow you to stay away
> from the highway.  Once in the Fairbanks region there are trials that lead
> to Circle, to the White Mountains, to Canada (the Yukon Quest trail - 
> which
> I hiked and biked part of this summer with a friend from Seattle), to 
> Chena
> Hot Springs, and finally south east towards Delta Junction and the Alaska
> Highway.  The state is putting a lot of money into new trails since many
> tourists are now taking the summer to walk or bike through the state 
> instead
> of sitting on buses.  Within the next few years a dedicated paved/gravel
> trail system will run from Healy to Fairbanks and then south east to 
> Valdez
> - part of which will be a 100 mile loop system around Fairbanks that I am
> currently putting the funding package together for.
> The National Park Service and BLM are also working on new trails in the
> Wrangle-St. Elias N.P., the Copper River valley (using the "Million Dollar
> Bridge" just north of Cordova, trails along the Denali Highway (which
> basically connects Wrangle N.P. and Denali) and finally a trail system 
> north
> from Fairbanks to Gates of the Arctic N.P./Preserve (which will connect
> through the White Mtn. N.R.A, the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, 
> and
> run along side the western boundary of ANWR).
> Most of these trails are parallel to ancient Native Alaskan trails that 
> date
> back to the ice age.
> That is the long answer, (had to thrown the long answer out to hopefully
> entice V2020 readers to take a nice long vacation in Alaska - got to do my
> job!)
>
> The short answer is - yes, Anchorage and Fairbanks will be connected 
> within
> five years by a dedicated trail system.
>
> Chris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Schmidt [mailto:44schmidt at earthlink.net]
> Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 10:20 AM
> To: Chris Storhok; Art Deco; Vision 2020
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Third Street Jam (was LMT Article)
>
>
> Chris,
>
> Please enlighten me about the bike paths I see along the road 30 miles or 
> so
>
> north of Anchorage and pedestrian/bike bridges over rivers many, many 
> miles
> north of Anchorage. Are they thinking of connecting Anchorage and 
> Fairbanks
> with a bike trail??
>
> Dick
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Chris Storhok" <cstorhok at co.fairbanks.ak.us>
> To: "'Richard Schmidt'" <44schmidt at earthlink.net>; "Art Deco"
> <deco at moscow.com>; "Vision 2020" <vision2020 at moscow.com>
> Sent: Thursday, October 27, 2005 12:46 PM
> Subject: RE: [Vision2020] Third Street Jam (was LMT Article)
>
>