Watch Video:

Table of Contents

• 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 southern villages.

• 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.

Pioneer Park

Location = Pioneer Park. 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks AK. The physical location is off Airport Way Frontage Rd. Open 365, but the businesses are closed in winter. Pioneer Park really comes to life from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Pioneer Park as the name suggests, is a historical themed park. To create the super cute Gold Rush Town, they relocated 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 the 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 142 Bus

Fairbanks Bus 42 retired from the Transit System in 1961 and was re-fitted and hauled to Denali National Park by a construction crew. It was used by one man's family as shelter during the summer of 1961. After the road project was halted and the bus was left behind....

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 142 Bus now sits at a museum in Healy, Alaska.

Photo courtesy of Alaska.org.

Santa's Village

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 make a believer out of him/her! If you haven't yet, don't miss the chance to goof around with Santa Claus' 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.

Fairbanks, Alaska is appropriately named the "land of the midnight sun". In June & July there is 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. FYI: Best time to visit for summer weather is July & August.

December & January however, barely get 4 hours of daylight, which means it's DARK the rest of the time. It's like living in a cave - and it's why I have a strong dislike to the time change in the lower 48 states when it gets dark at 5 pm. To make matters worse - from December thru February, you rarely see any sunshine because the gray ice fog is like a thick blanket hanging above your head. Not my cup of tea.

Fairbanks is also listed as the coldest city in the USA - like brutally cold. 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 then decided to stay.

The magical Northern Lights, are also known as the Aurora Borealis, and come in shades of violet, blue, and green. The Northern Lights float about like rolling waves thru the night sky and it's a spectacular site to see. See also photo up top.

The lights appear when a solar storm on the face of the sun sends out electrically charged particles. When these particles travel thru a magnetic field and then combine with gases - the Northern Lights are formed.

FYI: To experience this amazing phenomenon - visit between late September to end of March.

Norther Lights a.k.a. Aurora Borealis

Where are the Northern Lights?

The brightest lights and the areas you can most often see the Northern lights are near the Arctic Circle. 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.

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.

Dog Sledding

If you haven't tried dog sledding, you should add it to your bucket list. My Dad used to have a Malamute and that 90 pound muscle machine loved to pull me thru the woods next to our house. These dogs are such a special breed.

Thanks to some genius, you can also dog sled in the summer. My favorite is the winter scenery - and has a peaceful beauty about it. My last sledding trip was so quiet, except for the soft crunch of paws in the snow. And lucky me, it was a gorgeous sunny day after a night of freshly fallen snow. Amazing.

There's so many outfits that offer dog sledding adventures, you can even drive your own team. Or, just be a passenger and choose from 1 hour to half day trips. It's a blast.

Snow Skiing

Snow skiing is another super fun sport, and my favorite spot was Birch Hill. It's great for beginner/intermediate skiers. If you like extreme snow skiing, try Moose Mountain skiing.

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 pretty awesome the day after heavy snowfall which happens quite a bit in Alaska. Talk about fun - forget your car, hop on top of a snow machine and ride around the neighborhood.

Every year we headed to Summit Lake. Snow machining across the frozen lake and surrounding snowy mountains is a BLAST. If you hit a slushy spot - they key is to keep the throttle down and whizz thru it. Below left is the Richardson Highway, just 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.

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.

Location = Romp with Reindeer. 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 bunch, especially since they know you're also going to feed them. They don't bite, but I wouldn't go out of my way to test that theory!

As you walk & romp with your reindeer, you'll notice they're sort of like a really big dog.... just don't back up into their long pointy antlers. It was so much fun, 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 and modern igloos with large windows for lodging. Plus, it's another good viewing spot to see the Northern Lights.

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 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!

Aurora Ice Museum

The Aurora Ice Museum at the Chena Hot Springs Resort is spectacular. It's created from 1,000 tons of ice. It's another magical display with a kaleidoscope of lights that bring the glassy ice to life. The Museum is nowhere near the size of the ice hotels in Finland & Norway - but still pretty impressive.

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.

• 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.

• 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 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.

Travel Tips - Fairbanks

• 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.

• Rain/Wind - southern areas are rainforest and therefore the wettest, even in summer months with higher rains during fall. Fall is short, but so gorgeous as the mountains come alive with vibrant colors.

• 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, warm clothing.

• Hiking conditions - trails can be wet & slippery even in summer. Snow covered areas can be deceiving with ice underneath.

• Vehicle safety – Keep a spare blanket, boots, jacket, gloves, and snacks in the car. Winter roads can have both ice & snow. Use “winter” tires. If you only have "all season" tires - take snow chains.

• Wildlife - Don't run, back away slowly. Travel in groups of 4 or more. Make sure food is triple bagged & not heated to keep the smell down. Give a friend your itinerary with estimated time of return.

  Bears are more aggressive in April after hibernating and mamma's with her cubs. Air horns will alert them you're nearby. If they charge, use bear spray.

  Male moose are territorial & aggressive starting September during rutting season. More people have been hurt by moose than bears.

  Wolves are rarely seen, but remember they travel in packs.

• Trash - Pack out what you pack in.

• Rivers/lakes – even summer water temps are like super cold.

Next Blog...