Old Murphy Dome Road

I took a drive the other day, just for the heck of it. Up the Steese Highway, and straight on through to the Elliott Highway, I turned onto Old Murphy Dome Road. It’s a long road–I’d forgotten just how long it was, and I only made it less than halfway before turning around. (I had a sleeping baby in the backseat.)

I’m not sure why I drove there, but for the reason that my baby was waking, and I knew if I stopped the car, he’d wake up for good, and it was too early for him to end his nap. So I kept driving, and eventually stopped and took some pictures. Because it was just too pretty to ignore.

Just a few miles outside of Fairbanks, Alaska, you can get these kind of views. The kind where you don’t see another living soul for miles.

In driving five or so miles, on a relatively well maintained road (I was surprised, although we haven’t gotten large amounts of snow for awhile, there was evidence of this road being plowed), I saw no one. A couple residences, sure, but no live being, other than many birds. It would be the perfect place to go running. A long stretch of solitude.

And a view like this…

This is probably what people move to Alaska for.