The gold rush around Fairbanks started in 1896, and even with crude implements, hundreds of  thousands of dollars worth of the mineral was taken out. Then, in 1927, technology caught up and these dredges were deployed. That's when the gold really started to flow – for 15 years. Yonda, our guide, and her family have been mining this area 40 years. We toured the Goldstream 8 Dredge near Fairbanks. It operated until 1959, and in its active years produced 7.5 million ounces of gold. It's now on the National Register of HIstoric Places. We learned that panning for gold is much more difficult that it looks in the movies. Most people panning with us ended up with a few flakes. We each got about $25 worth.

Linda and I cruised Alaska in 2015. This time. with Princess Cruise Lines, we put together a tour that starts with five nights in the interior. Day 4 and it is an amazing experience. Come along with us and feel the magic of our 49th state! That's Denali in the photo at the top. At more than 20,000 feet above sea level, it's the highest peak in North America. Denali had been the traditional name for generations but in the Alaska Gold Rush days in 1896, a prospector is said to have named it Mount McKinley, to show his support for William McKinley, then a candidate for president. McKinley won and the name stuck, at least until 1975, when a state board tasked with naming places decided the old name, Denali, was better, and made it official. The Federal government kept on calling it Mount McKinley right on up until 2015, when the name was changed to match what Alaskans had been calling it all along. We're told some folks in Ohio weren't too happy about that name chang...