The Laughing Goats - northern lights aka Aurora Borealis, Alaska — Northern Lights a.k.a Aurora Borealis

Fairbanks Alaska is a vast wilderness offering many unique experiences. See the mystical Northern Lights, race across frozen lakes on snow machines, soak in Chena Hot Springs and be dazzled by the Aurora Ice Museum. And don't miss romping with the reindeer and dog sledding. There's also Santa's Village at the North Pole. A bucket list must.

Table of Contents

Approximate Time: 8-14 days total for Fairbanks & Anchorage, AK
Experience the Unique & Extreme - fun facts
Fairbanks area
Northern Lights
Dog Sledding
Snow Machining
Romp with Reindeer
Chena Hot S[rogs
More Fun Things to Do - Fairbanks & Anchorage
Travel Tips - Fairbanks
Great add-on trip: Anchorage, Alaska.

Alaska

Alaska means "Great Land" in the Aleut Indian language.

It has the 11 tallest mountains in the USA. Denali is the highest at 20,310 feet. California's Mount Whitney comes in 12th at 14,494 feet. From Denali's base - it's peak is 1 mile higher than Everest.
Wildlife giants live in these harsh conditions: bison, moose, and caribou. Alaska also has the largest bears & whales in the world.
It's 663, 267 square miles of wild. Alaska is still bigger than a grouping of 22 states.
The coastline is 33,000 miles long which is 50% longer than the coastline around the lower 48 states.
There are over 3 million lakes & many aren't named, so it's an estimate. Wisconsin is next with 15,291.
In 1867, Russia sold Alaska to the USA for $7.2 million. Russian culture is still evident in several small villages south of Anchorage.
Lowest recorded temperature = -80 degrees F. (that's below 0). If you lived in 80 degree weather, that's a 160 degree difference. STUPID COLD. Having lived in Fairbanks for 18 years - the coldest I got to enjoy (NOT) was -64 degrees F.

Fairbanks Area

Fairbanks Alaska is appropriately named the "land of the midnight sun". June & July get almost 23 hours of daylight - not to be confused with sunlight. This is optimal for the plants that need the extra daylight hours to grow since the growing season is super short.

December & January however, barely get 4 hours of daylight, which means it's o’dark-thirty the rest of the time. It's like living in a cave - and why I really don’t like it in the winter when it’s dark by 5 pm. To make matters worse, from December thru February, you rarely see the sun because the gray ice fog is like a thick blanket hanging above your head. Not at all my cup of tea.

Fairbanks is also listed as the coldest city in the USA. The upside is there's lots of natural, rejuvenating hot springs around - see Chena Hot Springs below. Fairbanks became a town after a man named Barnette hit a sandbar in 1901 while traveling up the Chena River - and decided to stay.

What Makes the Northern Lights

The magical Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis are seen in shades of violet, blue, green, and pink.
The Northern Lights float like rolling waves across the black skies, and it's a one-of-a-kind spectacular site to see. See also photo up top.

Where Can You See the Northern Lights?

The brightest lights and the areas you can most often see the Northern lights are in Fairbanks and near the Arctic Circle. You also need to drive away from city lights. From Fairbanks, head north on the Steese Hwy, which turns into the Elliot Hwy and eventually the Dalton Hwy. Just south of Prospect Creek, AK you'll pass the Arctic Circle sign. Drive time from Fairbanks to Prospect Creek is about 5 hours.

There's several other great viewing areas away from bright city lights, including: Chena River Recreation Area, Cleary Summit, or Murphy Dome. If you plan on continuing with my next blog to the Anchorage area - drive towards Anchorage and stop at the Denali National Park - another great spot to view the Northern Lights.

If you'd like to go with a tour, there are several available. And, if you're looking for lodging with a Northern Lights view - try Northern Sky Lodge B&B or Borealis Basecamp with see-thru domes. Talk about the ultimate experience & views.

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park as the name suggests is a historical themed park. To create the super cute Gold Rush Town, they relocated several original buildings from Fairbanks' early history to the site. The Park really transports you back to the early 1900's. Hey, no worries if you're feeling sick - knock on the green cabin to see if Doc is in. You can also rent a canoe/kayak and head down the Chena river, or ride bikes up the river path. Rentals are available from Pioneer Park on the Chena River.

Fairbanks Bus 142

Fairbanks Bus 142 retired from the Transit System in 1961, re-fitted and hauled to Denali National Park by a construction crew. It sheltered a family during the summer of 1961. When the road construction project stopped, the bus was abandonned. This is where it gets tragic.

In 1992, Chris McCandless journeyed into the wilderness on a self-discovery mission and used the bus as basecamp. After 4 months, he became ill and died in Bus 142. The movie, "Into the Wild" about his journey brought instant notoriety and visitors to the bus. Fairbanks Bus 142 is now in a museum in Healy, Alaska.

Santa’s Village, North Pole

Location = Santa's Village. 101 St. Nicholas Dr., North Pole AK - about 13 miles SE of Fairbanks.

Santa Claus' House is adorable - and it's 365 Christmas. Surprise your kids & order a real "Santa Letter" that's mailed to your child. It'll totally make his/her little heart light up!

If you haven't yet, don't miss the chance to goof around with Santa Claus's reindeer. And if you're there during winter, you should definitely check out the ice sculptures. Artists come and carve 600 tons of ice into art sculptures. These sculpted statues look like they're made from crystal - so beautiful.

Dog Sledding

If you haven't tried dog sledding, you should add it to your bucket list. My Dad used to have a Malamute. He was a big boy and 90 pounds of muscle who loved to pull me thru the woods next to our house. Malemutes are an amazing breed of dog.

Snow Machining

FYI: You must have a driver's license to operate a snow machine. Most Alaskans call it a snow machine instead of a snow mobile as it's called in the lower 48 states. Gotta say - it's exhilirating to ride after a heavy snowfall which happens frequently. What’s also a trip is ditching the car and firing up your snow machine to head over to your friend’s house on the other side of the neighborhood.

Every year we headed to Summit Lake with another family of 3 boys + 1 girl. We were 3 girls + 1 boy. What are the odds? The memories of snow machining across the frozen lake and surrounding mountains still make me smile. If you hit a slushy spot - keep that throttle down and whizz thru it. Below left is the Richardson Highway, north of Summit Lake and Paxson AK. Mountain on one side, and part of the lake on the other.

The best time to go is April-May, when the weather has warmed a bit and the ice fog has broken up so you can actually enjoy the warm sunshine. Snow machine rentals are available in Fairbanks & Anchorage if you have a trailer hitch. Arctic Xtreme Adventures on mile 194.7 Richardson Hwy also has rentals - about 3 hours south of Fairbanks.

The Laughing Goats - wear sunglasses to snow machine — Snow Machining

I forgot my sunglasses once, and spent 2 days walking around the house blind and wearing eye patches - NOT fun. **FYI: Wear sunglasses - the sun reflects off the snow & can seriously burn your eyeballs.**

Romp with Reindeer

The Laughing Goats - travel to Alaska to hike with a reindeer and feed them — **Romp with Reindeer**

Location. Pleasant Acres Ranch, 464 Cory Ranch Rd, Pleasant Valley AK.
A romp with a reindeer is another unique & awesome experience. They're pretty much a happy and mellow bunch especially if they know you're going to feed them.
They don't bite, but I wouldn't go out of my way to test that theory! I always say - if you’re friendly with them…. most of the time they’ll be friendly with you.

As you walk & romp with your reindeer, you'll notice they're almost like a really big dog, but just remember - they’ve got special equipment that you don’t want to back up into: long pointy antlers. Hiking and hanging with reindeer was so much fun and we're looking forward to our next trip back to Alaska to do it again.

If you have a group of 4 or more, the $300 is worth the 3 hour tour with the whole herd with a stop for hot beverages & snacks. They also have dog sledding tours. Their modern igloos (lodging) with large windows are pretty perfect for another chance to see the dancing Northern Lights.

Chena Hot Springs

Location = Chena Hot Springs. 17600 Chena Hot Springs Rd, Mile 56.5, Fairbanks AK. Open year round. NO cell service, some Wi-Fi. Options: day tours from Fairbanks, drive yourself, or use the Resort shuttle which is expensive. Chena Hot Springs & Ice Museum are $20 each for adults.

More fun things to do at Chena Hot Springs Resort include: hike & bike, canoe, horseback ride, and ski/snowshoe. Ask the Resort about their rentals.

Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs is a naturally heated underground spring coming up at a sizzling 165 degrees F. all year round. It must be cooled for you to enjoy the restorative mineral waters. After our nice hot soak, we stepped out & walked barefoot thru the snow. Easy-peasy. Your feet will stay hot for a minute or two. It's pretty cool.... I mean hot, so give it a try. Lucky for me, my friend had a hot tub in her backyard. Even luckier - her older brother was a nice looking tub ornament!

More Fun Things to Do - Fairbanks to Anchorage

Riverboat Cruise - on the Chena River in Fairbanks.
Salmon Fishing in Valdez - super fresh & delish. Commercial fishing: halibut 6-8 feet long & enormous King Crab legs.
Scenic Hwy & Wildlife Viewing - from Anchorage go south on Seward Hwy. Stop at Beluga Point turnout to view beluga whales & Dall sheep along the mountain. We didn't spot any sheep, but the whales were magnificent.
Scenic Loop - from Anchorage drive the Seward Hwy to Seward, then hop the ferry around the southern tip to Homer. Drive up the coast on the Sterling Hwy, then back to Seward Hwy & left back to Anchorage. There are multiple small towns for fun sightseeing trips along the way. I've visited many of the small villages, and they're quaint & interesting.
Whitewater Rafting - Class 4 in Healy & Denali. Class 5 at 6 Mile Creek - Yikes. To calm it down a bit, but still have an exhilarating ride, try the Nenana. That's the one I've been on - it's an adrenaline pump, but not enough to give you a heart attack! The Nenana is a super fun Class 3-4..... but, DANG it's some chilly-brrrrr water.

The Laughing Goats - there are hiking trails, rivers, and lakes all over Alaska — **Hiking Trails**

Trails are everywhere. Once, I came across a bear while hiking thru the woods with our canoe. SCARY stuff. **See the info on Wildlife in the next section, Travel Tips.**

The Wonders of Alaska

Must try foods: Alaskan King Crab legs & the Moose burger.
The awe-inspiring & majestic landscapes with the highest mountain peaks & the beauty of glaciers.

The Northern Lights in winter & the Midnight Sun in summer.
Dog sledding and the extreme Iditarod Race of 1,000 miles. The Alaskan Malamute is powerful & bigger than a Siberian Husky.
The birch trees with white bark against a snowy background is a stunning portrait in black & white.
Ring of Fire volcanoes along the southwest peninsula & the thermal hot springs.

Anchorage AK

Travel Tips: Fairbanks AK

The Alaskan bird should be the mosquito - they can really do some damage!
Average temps high/low = Fairbanks = July 73/52 degrees F. Jan 0/ -15 with lowest at -66.
Anchorage = July 62/55 degrees F. Jan 23/14 with lowest at -38.
Weather - southern areas like Anchorage are rainforest country and are usually receive more rainfall in August & September. Fall is short, the peak time for fall's vibrant colors is mid-September. Snowfall average is 75-79 inches/year however it's known to get well above 100 inches. The area also gets strong winds, blizzards, ice storms, flooding, wild fires, and landslides.
Backpack essentials - cell phone, extra water, bug spray, bear spray & bear horn, tube whistle is louder, flashlight, flares, pocket knife, rope, sunscreen, rain jacket.
Winter Essentials - thermal blanket, waterproof boots, dry socks, extra warm clothing.
Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery even in summer. Snow covered areas can be deceiving with ice underneath. Be very cautious on mountain slopes & glaciers as there could be a crevasse under the snow.
Vehicle safety – Keep a spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, wool socks, flashlight, lighter, and snacks in the car. Winter roads can have be icy under the snow. Beware of black ice - a layer of ice over the road that's difficult to see. Use “winter” tires or all weather tires in lighter snow. If you only have "all season" tires - take snow chains.
Rivers/lakes – wear insulated rubber boots with traction. Even in warm summer months, the water in river/lakes will be very cold and currents can be deadly fast.
Poisonous plants - every region has it's own list of poisonous plants, so please know what you're touching.
Wild animals - Polar, black, and brown bears, moose, bison, and wolves are dangerous. Make sure all food is triple bagged & kept cold to keep the smell down. Bears are more aggressive in April after hibernating and mom's with her cubs. Air horns - use it every mile or so, it's best to alert them rather than startle them. If a bear charges - do not run, slowly back away facing the bear, don't stare, use the air horn & wave your arms. Use bear spray if they get close…. and pray.
Male moose are territorial & aggressive from late August to early October during rutting season. More people have been hurt by moose than bears. If a moose charges - run fast, get behind a heavy, solid object like a tree.
Wolves are rarely seen, but remember they travel in packs.
Trash - Pack out what you pack in.
Wilderness safety - because the Alaskan wilderness is more remote with less visitors, it's better to travel in groups of 3 or 4. Also, give a friend back home your itinerary.
Wilderness resources - for current info & alerts on federal land, check = Wilderness Connect, which includes info from all 4 national agencies: Forest Service, Parks, Fish & Wildlife, and BLM. State = google state website with current wilderness info. Local = google "ranger stations near ___".

Fairbanks AK: Northern Lights and Dog Sledding