This morning we ran errands at Walmart then took Maverick to a off-leash dog park. We were killing time waiting for the Summer Solstice Festival downtown. At about noon we headed downtown. We found parking easily enough near the visitor/cultural center. The festival had food vendors, crafts, and art. The festival had a wholesome local fair feel and we really enjoyed wandering around. We grabbed a tasty lunch from the food vendors.
After the festival it was still early. We decided to head to the Chen River Hot Springs. We ran back to the coach and grabbed our bathing suits. We had heard the drive was fairly long and were under the impression it was partly gravel. As it turns out the entire drive was two-lane paved road the entire way. All along the road is the Chena River State Recreation area. There are many river access sites all along the way. The Chena River Hot Springs road (that’s the name) dead ends at a nice privately owned lodge. The lodge had rooms, cabins, and RV camping. It also has a pool, and of course the hot springs. It also has a grass airstrip big enough that a DC-4 four engine transport was parked there. The hots springs were really nice, but again, VERY hot. As a matter of fact, it was hot enough I couldn’t go all the way to the hottest end before it became too hot to stand. The spring require a $15 per person entry fee that also gives you access to the pool. We stayed in the springs about 45 minutes. They provide changing rooms, showers, and dysfunctional lockers. I enjoyed the clean shower before getting re-dressed for the drive back. After the springs we also explored the nearby creek with Maverick. On the drive back we also stopped at one of the many Chena River access areas.