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Dining on the Yukon River

A bus tour of northern Alaska gave the chance to enjoy two very good meals at Yukon River Camp, lunch on the way up and dinner on teh way back. This establishment is located on the Yukon River along the Dalton Highway that runs along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. This map dates from the early days of the highway and shows the stops along the way.
Alaska receives a great many Chinese visitors, which is reflected in the menu even in this remote region. My salmon bahn mi was excellent. Our guide explained that the salmon probably didn't come from the river next to us; salmon populations have gone down. But it was still excellent.
I topped off lunch with a piece of cherry pie and ice cream. Great fruit, very nice crust.
My dinner was this excellent salmon noodle soup. The camp has an excellent selection of high-quality Chinese sauces. I used some siracha sauce, toasted sesame oil, and some wonderfully umami-filled soy sauce.

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