PALMER, AK (Day 3).  This morning as a tour group we car pooled up to Independence Mine State Park and Hatcher Pass.  It was quite a drive up to Hatcher Pass, along narrow winding mountain roads with blind corners. Oncoming vehicles nearly had to stop to squeeze by you.  It was a pretty clear day with nice views.

The wagonmaster took the following photo of us:

Steven and Betty View the Scene from Hilltop

Betty Does Imitation of Julie Andrews' Sound of Music Twirl

Then we drove back down most of the winding roads to visit the state park.  Bad thing about state parks is that our national park senior pass will not work.  The Independence Mine was a working gold mine in days past, but now serves as a sort of outdoor museum.  It was quite a workout climbing up the hills to see all the exhibits.  The mining work was only half the exercise those men got.

Steven in Parking Lot of State Park

Mine Barracks and Operations Viewed From Old Headquarters

Mine Operations Viewed from Dilapidated Mine

Inside Old Engineering Operations Building

 After that we visited the Palmer musk ox farm.  This farm is loosely affiliated with the one run by the University of Alaska in Fairbanks that we had visited earlier in our trip.  This farm is much nicer, with many more musk oxen, a total of 84.  There is much more space for them, making photographing them easier.  They have fur so thick in layers that they are comfortable at 80 degrees below zero, so the unusually hot summer here has them panting in discomfort.

One of the 84 Musk Oxen

Musk Ox Closeup

The Musk Oxen Suffer from the Unusual Heat This Year

Steven Holds a Musk Ox Horn

Musk Ox Skull Frontal View 

Musk Ox Skull Bottom View

We then went to the Palmer visitors center to see their farming exhibit of large vegetables.  These are the largest grown in Alaska and the largest grown in the country.  We watched a video on the Depression era experiment that the federal government sponsored to send upper Midwest citizens of Scandinavian descent to start a colony in this area.  We then returned to our motorhome to rest and do indoor chores.

Replicas of Record Large Veggies

Caption for Record Replicas

Some Veggies Growing in Center's Garden

Exhibit Commemorating Colony Families