Tok-Gateway to Alaska!

On Mother’s day, our family got together and we made what is becoming our traditional Mother’s day trip to Tok (sounds like Poke) Alaska. We like to eat at a restaurant called Fast Eddy's, (owned by the Young family) that has some of the best food in Alaska’s interior. Course we have to travel over 100 miles to get there. But it is so worth the trip, beautiful scenery all the way.

A scenic view of the Tanana River, going to Tok, on the Alaska Highway


Picture by K. Fields

The roads are clear of ice and snow, and our speed limits have just been raised a few years ago to 65 miles per hour, so it really doesn’t take that long to get there. And it makes a nice change of scenery. The Rivers are flowing freely now, even with huge layers of Ice on the edges.

The beautiful half frozen Tanana River, with a snowy mountain backdrop

Picture by K. Fields

Along the road pullouts there are very nicely done, and very informational historical signs posted to tell about the area you are at and what makes it special.

Very Nice Information Signs on the Alaska Highway rest areas on the way to Tok



Picture by K. Fields

Tok was actually named after a husky pup on August 15, 1942 when the U.S. Army’s Corp (the 97th engineers—an all black corps) were breaking trail north from Slana on what is now the Tok Cutoff. They were working their way to the point where they would intersect with and begin breaking trail southeast on what would become the Alaska Highway. Their job consisted of not only building the road, but naming points along the way. The young pup, named Tok, was their beloved mascot, and upon their arrival at where Tok now is, it was unanimously decided to name the junction after the pup. Excerpt from local author and historian, Donna Blasor-Bernhardt in “Tok, The Real Story” (1996).

Artistic Information sign at one of the rest stops on the way to Tok

Picture by K. Fields

Tok is not a highly populated place, approx 1400 people live there. Which has always surprised me as it is the first city you come to after crossing the Canada/Alaska border which is 93 miles from Tok. In fact it hardly looks like a city at all:

Middle of Tok, view on the right, with beautiful mountain range backdrop

Picture by K. Fields

Middle of Tok, view to the left, expansive beautiful skies!

Picture by K. Fields

I love traveling to Tok, I do it maybe twice a year, and it always is a worthwhile trip. The beauty that is around every corner during the trip, somehow seems to refresh my spirit.

CU