Day nine started with Dick going into panic mode because he couldn't find his keys and the spare was locked in the rear compartment; but cooler headed Russ prevailed and a search discovered that Dick had placed them in the Camera bag for safe keeping then promptly forgot where he put them. Then it was off again arriving at the U.S. border at approximatelly 9:00 AM, WE MADE IT TO ALASKA!!!!!!! The first several miles on Alaska roads was pretty good and we were lulled into a false sense of "these roads are so much better than the ones in the Yukon" Then reality jumped in in the form of miles and miles of gravel, loose gravel! One minute we're doing 60mph next we're down to 10mph but we finally made it to Tok at 11:40. After gasing up we decided to have an early lunch at Fast Eddys. One problem, since we gained an hour when we crossed the border it was only 10:40 and Fast Eddys didn't start serving lunch until 11:00 so we decided to have a cinnaman roll instead. Imagine a cinnaman roll designed to be shared by FOUR(really big); we both had our own and were probably on a sugar high the rest of the day. On the way from Tok to Delta Junction (the end of the Alaska Highway) we saw a Moose with a calf but by the time we got stopped for a picture they had reentered the brush and we missed an opportunity. But no matter we had made it to Alaska and were feeling pretty smug about it thinking we were all that and more for having made it. Then the good Lord allowed us to meet a young couple that told us that they were 6000 miles and four months into a year long oddesy which started in Buffalo NY to Alaska then they are going to do the California coast accros the US to Florida then back to Buffalo NY; and THEY WERE DOING IT ON BICYLES!!! So much for us being so proud. Not only that but they were camping out along the road side in tents and we were complaining about not having Air Conditioning, we better stop "snivling." We got back on the bikes and headed into Delta Junction for gas and the remaining leg to Fairbanks. The road from Delta to Fairbanks was great and the scenry was once again breathtaking, the expanse of space not marred by towns and cities is something that we don't see that much of even in Wyoming. Wife said its a go for the helmet cam,now I need to find one and still need to learn how to put pics on this site. Tomorrow we get off the bike for a day and go on a riverboat and act like tourists. Later.