TR 2-23 thru 3-1

Question

First off, thanks to all who provided input on my questions. This may be a little long, but hopefully it will be of use to some.

Day 1

This is the first time we have flown Alaska Airlines, and was fairly concerned after reading about how often they have delays, and after they moved our flight twice, from 8:30pm arrival to an 11:30pm arrival. However, things couldn't have gone smoother. Very impressed with AA. Flew from Omaha to Seattle, then Seattle to Fairbanks. Everything went on time and smooth.

Arrived, picked up car from Enterprise, and were on our way by midnight to Aurora Borealis Lodge. What an awesome place. I can't say enough positive things about the Lodge and it's owner Mok. Exceptional location for viewing the NL, and an exceptional host. He sets up a group text each day with the lodgers to alert for NL sightings. Upon pulling into the Lodge, we were greeted with the NL. What a way to enter Alaska. We stayed up until 2am watching and taking pictures. The NL were pretty impressive tonight.

Day 2

Alaska Pipeline viewing pullout.

Morris-Thompson visitor center. Very helpful people.

Frontier Outfitters. Looked around and bought tickets for the Nenana Ice Classic. Made our choices and put them in the bucket.

Arctic Travelers Gift shop.

Cookie Jar for lunch. Very good food and service.

Alaska Feed store. Picked up some local items.

Walmart for groceries, then back to lodge.

Snowed on and off throughout the day. No NL visible tonight.

Day 3

North Pole Coffee roasters. Picked up some coffee beans.

University of Alaska bookstore. Bought a couple of shirts.

Lunch at Oasis Lounge. Decent food, great service.

Sirius Dog Sledding and Rescue. This was one of the highlights of the trip. Nita really runs a great operation here. This is not your typically "touristy" dog sledding. It is a non-profit that rescues dogs, and offers limited tours. She has such passion and love for those dogs, and it shows. The beauty of her tour is that you ride/drive the trail sled, along with driving the lead sled. No riding along in the seat.

Great Alaskan Bowl Company. Picked up a "2nds" bowl and piece of moose antler for our dog.

East Ramp Pizza. Very good pizza and a cool view watching the planes take off and land.

Back to lodge. Saw NL tonight but only moderately.

Day 4

Drove to Castner Ice Cave. Saw 2 moose on the way, near the road eating what I would assume were willows. Such large animals. Reached parking lot at noon, and were only car there. Hiked to cave. Very cool cave. I went back in 100' or so and ran into running water. That was far enough for me, as I didn't want to fall through the ice. Got back to parking lot around 2:30 and it was full (15 cars).

Tonight was one of the best nights for the NL. Extremely vibrant and active. It was so cool.

Day 5

I snowshoed around the lodge property for awhile in the morning. We had to leave for our other lodging between the Farmers Loop and Goldstream area. Mok only had 4 nts. available, hence our move.

Went to the World Ice Carving Championships. This was amazing. The size and detail of the pieces was incredible. We also went back at night, when they were lit up. Personally, we preferred the daytime, to the nighttime.

Back to the new lodging. NL appeared, but not as vibrant.

Day 6

Went to the Ice Dogs junior hockey office to pick up some shirts.

Went to the Knotty Shop in Salcha. Cool little store with some unique items.

Went to the Santa Claus house in North Pole. Huge place with so many things.

Lunch at D's Burger Shack. Food truck that had amazing burgers. Very good food.

Went and watched the curlers at the Fairbanks Curling Club. Pretty cool to watch.

Back to new lodging. NL appeared and were fairly active and vibrant.

Day 7

Kind of bummed around today since we had a late night/early morning flight home.

Lunch at Fenders. Decent food, but service was very slow.

Went back to lodge and waited for our 1:45am flight home. Around 11pm I noticed the NL were very active so watched them for awhile and got some more good pics.

All in all, this was an amazing trip and couldn't have gone any better. As mentioned, I highly recommend Aurora Borealis Lodge if your main priority is the NL. Something else Mok did for me was to leave me on the NL group text alert, even when we had moved lodging. Very impressive. We did get a big chip in our rental windshield but fortunately I bought the insurance so no cost to us. I normally don't buy rental car insurance but due to all the gravel, and amount of driving we were going to do, I opted for it.

Sorry this was long but wanted to relay all we had done. Any questions/comments, feel free to ask.

Answer

This detailed 7-day Fairbanks trip offers a fantastic mix of Northern Lights viewing, local culture, wildlife spotting, and winter activities. Your itinerary provides an excellent balance between adventure and relaxation, and it seems especially well-suited for those wanting to experience Alaska in winter without overexertion.

Day 1 – Arrival & Northern Lights:

Flying into Fairbanks via Alaska Airlines worked out smoothly despite initial concerns about delays. Picking up a rental car and heading straight to Aurora Borealis Lodge is ideal for maximizing your first night of NL viewing. Mok, the lodge host, enhances the experience by sending NL alerts via group text. The first night of NL viewing was impressive, setting a high note for the trip.

Day 2 – Fairbanks Local Exploration:

Alaska Pipeline viewing pullout – a good short stop to stretch legs and enjoy scenic views.
Morris Thompson Visitor Center – highly recommended for informational exhibits about Alaska.
Frontier Outfitters – fun local shopping and participation in the Nenana Ice Classic.
Arctic Travelers Gift Shop – unique local items.
Cookie Jar for lunch – excellent food and service.
Alaska Feed Store – picked up local items.

Snowed on and off; no Northern Lights that night, highlighting the need for multiple nights of NL viewing.

Day 3 – North Pole & Dog Sledding:

North Pole Coffee Roasters – pick up local coffee beans.
University of Alaska bookstore – souvenirs and shirts.
Lunch at Oasis Lounge – good food and service.
Sirius Dog Sledding and Rescue – hands-on dog sled experience; a non-profit operation emphasizing rescued dogs, allowing guests to drive the sleds themselves.
Great Alaskan Bowl Company – purchased second-quality bowl and moose antler for pets.
East Ramp Pizza – very good pizza with a view of the airport.

Returned to lodge, Northern Lights visible moderately.

Day 4 – Castner Ice Cave & Northern Lights:

Drove to Castner Ice Cave – saw two moose along the way.
Hiked to the ice cave – caution advised near running water inside.
Returned around 2:30pm; parking lot later filled with visitors.

Nighttime Northern Lights were extremely vibrant and active – one of the best viewing experiences of the trip.

Day 5 – Relocation & Ice Carving:

Snowshoed around lodge in the morning.
Moved to new lodging between Farmers Loop and Goldstream area.
Visited World Ice Carving Championships – impressive sculptures, preferred daytime viewing.

Nighttime NL were less vibrant but still enjoyable.

Day 6 – Local Shops & Curling:

Ice Dogs junior hockey office – souvenirs.
Knotty Shop in Salcha – unique items.
Santa Claus House in North Pole – huge selection of gifts.
Lunch at D’s Burger Shack – excellent burgers from a food truck.
Fairbanks Curling Club – watched curling matches, a unique local experience.

Back at lodging, Northern Lights visible and vibrant.

Day 7 – Departure:

Relaxed day due to late night/early morning flight.
Lunch at Fenders – decent food but slow service.
Returned to lodge, caught last active Northern Lights before heading to airport at 1:45am.

Key Takeaways & Tips:

Aurora Borealis Lodge is highly recommended for NL viewing; host Mok provides excellent support and real-time alerts.
Multiple nights in Fairbanks increase the chances of witnessing active Northern Lights.
Hands-on dog sledding at Sirius is a unique experience not overly touristy.
Winter activities like ice caves, snowshoeing, and ice carving championships are family-friendly and accessible.
Consider rental car insurance when driving on gravel roads; it can prevent unexpected costs.

Overall, this itinerary balances scenic exploration, cultural experiences, and active outdoor adventures, making it a well-rounded winter Fairbanks trip with memorable Northern Lights sightings.

TR 2-23 thru 3-1

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