Known as The Last Frontier, Alaska was the 49th state to join the USA. It’s also a place most people would go in the summer. But if you like a the cold, winter is magical. Alaska is a scene out of the movie, Frozen.
Winter Necessities: Long underwear, balaclava with neoprene (half or full), wool socks, heated socks, hand warmers
Fairbanks
Fairbanks is located in an area referred to as the interior. While Alaska has a lot of tourism, not many people actually get to Fairbanks. I really wanted my children to see the aurora without listening to them complain about the cold. My husband and I discovered a place called Borealis Basecamp, located about 45 minutes out of the city that was perfect.
From the Airport
We were picked up at the airport for a private transfer to basecamp. The free shuttle is only at 2 specific times and our arrival time did not coincide. It is important to note that there is a taxi stand at the airport if that is your preference. The good thing about the private transfer was that the driver made a few complimentary stops for us since we wouldn’t have much time to sightsee. We were amused to see what was once a “gas” station is now a “grass” station.
It is also an easy stop to view the Alaska Pipeline. The pipeline was built to transport oil from Prudhoe Bay in the North slope to the northernmost ice free port of Valdez, ultimately making its way to the lower 48. It accounts for 13% of the nation’s domestic oil production. There are both pros and cons to this pipeline. First, if you live in Alaska year round, you receive a variable dividend check every year. For that reason alone, I can understand why Alaskans would be supportive. Also, after learning more about the pipeline, I do think efforts were made to protect the environment. It was built above ground to try to keep the heat away from the permafrost below. Was this done to protect the permafrost or was it done to protect the pipeline from being on uneven ground when the permafrost melts? They also built it high enough for wildlife (specifically moose) to easily pass underneath. Unfortunately no matter how hard you try, things spring leaks. Imagine what happens when part of this pipe springs a leak. The leaks are detrimental to the environment.
Borealis Basecamp
There are both cubes and igloos at Basecamp. We chose igloos, which have plexiglass window that goes from mid wall to mid ceiling. If the lights came out, we would be able to lay in our warm beds and watch the show.
Basecamp Activities
Included
Breakfast
Snow Machines (aka snowmobiles) were fun but more difficult than I expected. If you go too slow, they are much harder to steer. Fun fact: These handlebars were heated! I was not wearing my heated socks for this, which I regretted.
Dog Sledding was an amazing experience. You can hold the puppies and interact with the big dogs before you go mushing. The dog owners explain the process of training and caring for their dogs. They actually use the time at basecamp to practice with their dogs, so there are often different mushers running this excursion. Of the two guides we had, one owns 9 dogs and tends to race in shorter distances and the other owns 17 dogs and training for longer races, such as the Iditarod. Fun fact: The mushers do not call out “mush” to make the dogs run.
Extra Cost
Lunch and Dinner: This really should be included since you are pretty isolated and can eat nowhere else unless you go into town for the day at extra cost.
Helicopter Ride: It was fun to watch the helicopter take off and land but we chose to pass.
6-hour snowmobile trip: I’ve heard this was great, but it was not doable with children.
Walk with Reindeer: We chose not to do this. The reindeer regularly come to the adventure center so we were able to see them briefly.
Lights
The sun rose for us at about 10am. 9:00am still felt like the middle of the night.
Daylight is beautiful during winter in Fairbanks. If you look one way, the sky is orange and the sun looks like it is rising. If you look opposite, you see the moon and a beautiful pink like sunset.
Aurora Borealis (aka The Northern Lights)
We were lucky to see the lights both nights we stayed at Basecamp. The first was early at about 9pm. The second we received at call at about 1:30am. Unfortunately it was a full moon. It would have been more spectacular if it wasn’t so bright outside.
Night 1
Night 2
Around Fairbanks
We chose to spend our last full day ice fishing at Chena Lake. On our way, we made a few stops, courtesy of the car service I used, Airlink.
North Pole, Alaska
Rod’s Alaskan Guide Service
-22 outside and not many fish biting, but still quite fun. The reindeer sausage were a nice way to warm up, along with the well heated cabins. But the only fish I caught was outside. I should have worn my electric socks but normally I save them for skiing. Regardless, this was definitely a highlight of the trip.
It’s a short flight from Fairbanks to Anchorage. We were warned that flights in and out of Anchorage are often delayed, which was a good warning. Our flight was actually cancelled and we ended up in Fairbanks an extra 40 hours, staying at the La Quinta Inn, courtesy of Alaska Airlines. With the extra time, we were able to try two Fairbanks restaurants. Pike’s Landing was a free shuttle ride to and from the hotel and ended up being one of the better meals we had in Fairbanks, but the location was pretty isolated on the Chena River. At least we were able to see the Love Alaska sign!
Staying a second night meant we were able to try the Pump House Restaurant, rated as one of the best in Fairbanks. Since they were fully booked, our only option was to arrive when the bar opens at 4pm since eating in the bar is 1st come, 1st served. And, if you order after 5pm, you can order off the regular menu. By 4:15pm the bar was packed with a line of people waiting for a table. Unfortunately I was underwhelmed by the food. But the service was great and the taxidermy was cool.
After a 5:30am flight, we finally made it to Anchorage. Unfortunately we only had one night (and two full days), as opposed to our planned 3 nights.
Girdwood
In the winter, Girdwood is where you go to ski at the only ski resort in Alaska: Alyeska Ski Resort. The resort hotel was wonderful. First, they cancelled the first two nights of my reservation at no charge, since it wasn’t my fault. They also cancelled my reservation at the Nordic Spa (which everyone said was amazing). They let us check in early (for $50) to the only available room, but while we skied they moved us to the room type we had reserved. Since we had a late flight the next day, they also let us check out at 2pm (for an additional $50). Considering the circumstances, the service was fantastic.
Skiing
The skiing at Alyeska was great and was never crowded. There are a few green runs (not many but sufficient if you are a beginner) and many blue and black runs. The lifts could be updated a little, but they were fine. There was very little ice and tons of powder. It was also “warm” at about 30 degrees. I would highly recommend this resort. And the views are fantastic.
I had heard that Moose sightings were common in Alaska in the winter. Unfortunately we were only able to see a stuffed one on this trip. We were told you haven’t actually seen Alaska if you haven’t visited in both the summer AND winter. I guess we have to go back!
