Fairbanks to Deadhorse return - Alaska and Points North: Tips and Tales from the Road - page 162

There is a big mess hall that consists of 5 or 6 containers opening onto each other. Eating
here is on the honour system. Go in and help yourself. They assume that if you are eating,
you are entitled to. The dinner buffet was worth every one of the $20 we paid: prime rib
and salmon, fresh asparagus, baked potatoes, homemade tomato soup, rice, salads - and
that is just what I can remember. There was anything you could think of to drink and a big
cooler full of desserts of every description. I get hungry just thinking about that meal.
The next morning I asked if I could buy a couple fresh muffins for the road. The conces-
sionaire said he had no way to charge me for two muffins but if I would buy a “bag lunch”
for $10 I could take as many as I wanted. Seemed okay. The “lunch bag” he gave me was
a big brown grocery bag He directed me into a room that was full of fridges and cupboards
of food. When I put just a few items into the bag he took over. “ Do you like ham sand-
wiches?” he asked, stuffing a couple of man-sized kaisers in the bag. “What else do you
like?” I won't let you leave till you've really filled that bag.”
So fill it I did with sandwiches and muffins and danishes; fresh fruit and chopped veget-
ables and juice boxes and milk and chips and chunks of cheese and crackers. What a lunch!
We ate out of that bag for the next week.