Coldfoot bills itself as 'the most northern resort in North America'

Gradually the Arctic Tundra gave way to the majestic Brooks Range. We stopped to photograph a moose by the side of the road and Dall sheep on the mountainside. Off in a distance, we spied several caribou, part of the largest herd in North America.

We crossed the Continental Divide at Atigun Pass and rolled into Coldfoot just in time for dinner, our stalwart coach distinguished under a thick mantle of dust.

Coldfoot bills itself as "the most northern resort in North America." They've taken some liberty with the word "resort," but, hey, this is the truck stop to end all truck stops. Name it and Coldfoot has it, from restaurant, gift shop and RV park with hook-ups, to a total of 200 beds in three motels, to the northernmost saloon.

A nightly show at the Visitor's Cabin features slides and a nature talk. Or we could just stroll into the parking lot and shoo the moose away for fun.

On our final day, we crossed the Arctic Circle complete with celebratory refreshments and signed certificates. By this time, strangers had become friends, and our driver knew us each by name. We were certainly not the same group that had flown into Deadhorse two short days earlier with a shared curiosity about the frozen north.

As our bus approached Fairbanks and the bright lights of civilization, we just kept wondering about that moose in the parking lot. But the leaves had turned yellow, and winter was setting in.