16 | July | 2017 | The Ireland Family

We woke up early to go to Nome. When we got to Nome we decided to go hike to a waterfall called Dorthy Falls. The waterfall was really pretty it was about 20ft high and 10ft wide. To get to the waterfall we had to climb over the White Mountains and there was no trail either but it was really fun. After hiking to the waterfall we went to a ghost town and a hot springs. The old ghost town had a old orphanage, church, a school, and some houses. The hot springs was 170 degrees fahrenheit it was very hot and I swam in the water. On the way to the hotel we stopped to get some fresh spring water strait out of the ground it was very good water. The next day we went to the place were the Iditarod race ends. Then we went to dredge #5 (the biggest dredge ever built). We climbed all over it and saw lots of different parts of the dredge it was really cool. Then we went to White Alice Radar Station. It was made for the Cold War. Then we went to the beach with all the gold in it we swam and panned for gold we got some gold but it was really small it was just dust. Then we went to the airport (the airport is so small it is just a room) we got on the airplane and went home.
Esther Ireland

We went to Nome we hiked to dorthy falls. We also hiked to the pilgrims hot springs. We also hiked to an old town. It was overgrown. It was not hot. There was an old church that was empty. I didn’t want to stay there forever. There was a really hot hot springs there. We changed into our swimsuits and tried it out. It was really hot. The next day we drove up to White Alice Radar Station. It was on a high mountain. After that we walked on the Nome beach. I went swimming. We also panned for gold and built a sand castle. My favorite part of the whole trip was dredge number 5. Because we got to go on the dredge. It was really old and falling apart. We went high and low on it.

Jadon Ireland

So… I went to Nome for a trip and my name is Rahab. We went to a gold beach and played there. And we were there for two days! We hiked to a waterfall, I got to take my shoes off and play in the water but the pictures we had to take was so boring. The waterfalls name was Dorothy. We had to hike over the mountains and a river to get there. After, we went to a hot springs. I stuck my foot in and got a burn on my foot. I wasn’t tired all the time. After that we went to bed. The next day we went to number 5 dredge… so cool. At first Jadon thought we couldn’t get in but then we went in. There were some missing steps. Daddy went first cause he needed to help us but he got grease on his hands and then I didn’t want to hold his hand cause I didn’t want grease on my hand. At the hot springs we saw an orphanage. I definitely didn’t want to live in that orphanage. One more thing, we lived in a hotel for two days. It was fancy but we still had to go to the grocery store to get our donuts for breakfast.

Love, Rahab

On July 11th and 12th we made a trip to Nome, AK. What is there to see in Nome, AK? Plenty! I loved visiting this quaint town. It’s charm is not your usually tourist spot, but that is why I loved it. It’s vastness is quite amazing.

Our first adventure, when we arrived in Nome, was to find Dorothy Falls. There are no signs to follow. The directions went something like this. Follow the road out of town, yes there is only one! Take a right before you get to the baseball field. Really its a dirt field with dugouts and a fence around it. Continue on till around mile marker 26 there is a red building. Cross the creek, follow the ridge line 1.5 miles or so to find Dorothy Falls. The first feat was actually finding the right spot, but not really knowing if we did until we found Dorothy Falls. We only say about 3 cars on the whole drive to the falls, which took about 45 minutes. Then on the way back from the falls we ran into a man who was mining his claim on the creek. He took some time to show us how to mine with a pan and where to look for gold on the river. He was able to show us a speck of gold! I was thankful for him because he gave me a ride on his quad so I didn’t have to cross the frigid creek again barefoot. It was mighty cold! The hike was totally worth it! Dorothy Falls was spectacular! We loved playing around on the falls. We had it all to our selves!

After this hike we headed down the road to find Pilgrim Hot Springs. The road was rough and the locals warned us to have plenty of bug dope. The gravel road was only 7 miles long, but it took 45 minutes to drive it. Yes, the mosquitos were horrendous, I was thankful for the ‘good’ dope! At Pilgrim Hot Springs there was a ghost town. About 100 years ago, there was a mission there that run an orphanage. This place was remote! Hard to imagine how they survived, even with the hot springs there. The church building was quaint in the vastness. A humbling picture to see.

We also put our feet in the Pilgrim Hot Springs. Unless you Greg and Esther who went all the way in! It was really hot!

One of my favorite parts on this first day was hunting for the spring water on the side of the road. Again the directions were, look for a pipe coming out of the hill around Salmon Lake. Right, we can find that! On the drive up we missed it, imagine that! At the Hot Springs we asked another local, he gave us the added directions: “look on the right for a white/black pipe, with orange cones…I think….and if you past Salmon Lake you have gone too far.” I’ve never drank water from the side of the road, but this water was amazing! We were all excited to fill our water bottles!

Day 2 we stayed more local to Nome. We found dredge number 5. Apparently this is the largest dredge made! It was mammoth! Crazy thing is we could walk right into this old, abandoned machine. Last time it was operated was in the 1950’s. Let just say my Mom heart was thumping. It was pretty cool to walk around in it and get a close look at it, though. Thankfully I have watched many times the Gold Rush with my Dad and actually know how it operates and how dangerous this equipment can be! Dad next time you should come with! Oh, and the locals use this as a swim spot in the summer! Crazy!

Next we went to check out ‘White Alice.’ Never heard of it? Yep me either! Apparently it was a radar station used it to defend Alaska, well the US, in the Cold War from Russia. Who knew! What impressed me was the view of Nome from up there! You see the whole town and the Bering Sea. God’s beauty never ceases to amaze me! Oh, fun fact, and we FaceTimed with our friends who live in Haiti from ‘White Alice.’

We ended our trip on the Nome beach. It was a sunny 65*F afternoon, couldn’t ask for better weather! We had a great afternoon panning for gold, building sand castles, making sand angels, and swimming in the Bering Sea. Well, do toes count?!? It’s cold!