Category: Alaska

For my final full day in Fairbanks, I took the bus (seniors over age 60 are free!) to the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska.  Afterward, the bus returned me to downtown where I wandered around capturing some final photos. 

Yesterday, I bought trekking poles to help me walk without falling.  At Chena Hot Springs Resort, the snow wasn’t as packed as it is in Fairbanks, so I felt safer walking without poles.  In Fairbanks, the streets and sidewalks are slicker; poles give me a sense of security and, in fact, helped me avoid falling.  They were quite useful to me as I meandered around town.

I have loved my time in Alaska!  Although I’ve only seen a tiny part of this state, with the primary goal of seeing the Aurora Borealis, my interest in returning – especially when I can hike in the summer and not deal with the cold weather – increases each day I’m here.  The Alaskan people – natives, locals, and transplants – are rugged, competent, and friendly.  The scenery is awe-inspiring!  I can’t wait to experience more of this fabulous state!

Museum of the North

How about this outhouse?!  It’s a touchable sculpture!

 

Next to the outhouse is a Roomba!  🙂

 

Raven: In the Pink (1984) [Carved wood panel, paint by James Schoppert]

 

Bowhead Whale, harvested on September 26, 1963

 

Flipper of the Bowhead Whale

 

View of the sun through the museum’s window

 

Murals of Fairbanks

 

 

 

 

From the airplane…

Just after takeoff over Fairbanks, Alaska

 

Before landing over Morro Bay, California

A few questions and answers…

1) Where is Chena Hot Springs Resort? It’s about 60 miles northeast of Fairbanks.  It’s at the end of a long desolate road with little traffic except to and from the resort.

2) Why am I at Chena Hot Springs Resort?  Quick answer: because it’s here!  Here as in a great location to see the Aurora Borealis, here as in my 50th state to visit, and here as in a friend stayed at the resort last year and highly recommended it.  🙂

3) Why am I here for five days?  When I was in Iceland for a week, I didn’t see the lights.  This time, I wanted to give myself the best opportunity to see the lights.  The recommendation is three nights and I initially thought about seven nights, so I compromised on five nights.  Little did I know that I would see the Aurora on nights #1 and #2!  The next two nights were too cloudy.  On my fifth night, I thought for sure I wouldn’t see them.  The day had been very cloudy with low predictions of Aurora sightings for that evening.  I sat in the Activity Center, which has relatively good WiFi, to work on my blog.  While sitting there, someone ran in and told me the lights were visible.  I grabbed my camera and tripod and snapped away!  The photo at the top of this post is from night #5.

4) How have I spent my days?  In addition to trying to learn Spanish on DuoLingo, reading The Candy House by Jennifer Egan, and chatting with lots of amazing and diverse people, I’ve enjoyed many of the activities at the resort.  These include the hot springs pool (AT LEAST ONCE EVERY DAY!), a magnificent massage, the Ice House with appletini in an ice glass, dogsled ride, and snowshoeing.  Yes, ten months after snowshoeing in Bulgaria, I strapped on shoes and once again trudged through snow!

 
Hot Springs Pool

Those who felt comfortable bringing their phones into the pool would take photos of others and text the pictures to their new “friends.”

 

Strands of frozen hair.

 

Looking into the pool.

 
Ice House

Appletini in an ice glass.

 

The tradition is to break one’s ice glass while making a wish! (Click on the photo for an eight second video.)

 

Ice sculpture.

 
Dog Kennel

Petting the dogs after the dogsled ride.

 

Snowshoeing

Wearing army surplus gloves from the resort – they worked well at keeping my fingers warm!

 

Moose tracks on the trail.

 

Caribou tracks.

 

Monument Creek.

 

A tunnel of snow-covered trees.

 

Mottled sky!

My 63rd birthday started at midnight watching the Aurora Borealis!

While photographing the lights, a fellow traveler took a picture of me taking photos and sent it to me.  🙂

 
At breakfast, I finished my delicious omelet and my server brought me a slice of cheesecake!  It was sent over by a lovely couple I had met the day before at the hot springs pool.  They were here celebrating their 40th anniversary, and I mentioned that my birthday was the following day.  Seeing me at breakfast, they surprised me with cake!

 
Following breakfast, I wandered around the resort, snapping pics of whatever caught my attention.

 

 

 

 
Next up was dog sledding! Although it was a short ride – about 10 minutes on a 1.5 mile trail – it was fun sitting in the sled and having the musher guide the eight dogs on the trail.  No photos of the actual sledding since my camera was tucked away!

 

After the sled ride, I enjoyed meeting and petting some of the resort’s 80 dogs.

 

To top off the day, three friends (whom I met at the yurt on the previous night’s Aurora Tour) and I had a few drinks and long conversations about a variety of topics including travel, languages, and spirituality.  What a nice way to end a terrific day!

I am so excited! 

Five years ago in Iceland, we tried to see the Aurora Borealis – and never saw them.  One of the BIG reasons for coming to Alaska – especially this part of Alaska for this number of days at this time of year – was to see the Aurora – and I did!  Tonight!

Not only did I see them, I captured them on my camera.  I started off with a rookie mistake:  I left my lens cap on!  Ugh!  A few other people were taking great photos with their iPhones, and I was getting NOTHING! 

Then I took my lens cap off and VOILA!  Amazing photos!

 

 

 

 

My second night at Chena Hot Springs Resort, I joined an Aurora Tour.  About 40 of us rode in Humvees up the hill to see the lights.  To keep us warm and comfortable, we hung out in a yurt – by a heater and drinking hot beverages.  The tour started at 9:30pm and ended at 2:30am.  The best part?  Hanging out and chatting with some wonderful people!

At first it was clear…

 

 

 

…then the clouds moved in.

 

 

 

Surprisingly, the lights were out on my fifth night!  I thought for sure I wouldn’t see them due to the clouds!  While sitting in the Activity Center, using the relatively good WiFi, someone ran in and told me the Aurora was visible.  I grabbed my camera and tripod to snap these photos!

 

 

Yes, I’m now in my 50th state! 

After completing my big road trip, I realized I had traveled to 49 of the 50 states.  With one remaining, it was time to visit Alaska.  Add to that: 1) I would love to see and, if possible, photograph the Aurora Borealis – which I missed when I was in Iceland a few years ago; and 2) my birthday is in a few days, so I thought I’d treat myself to a birthday trip.

So, here I am!  Is it cold?  YES!!!!!  Game changers:  Karen’s long down coat (thank you!), hand warmers, and a balaclava!

By cold, I mean…it was -4° in Fairbanks last night when it was 45° in San Luis Obispo…

I spent the morning relaxing and getting up the resolve to face the cold.  Well, and I’m having fun “learning” Spanish on DuoLingo, so I did quite a bit of that while delaying going outside into the cold air!

My first stop was a terrific coffee shop, McCafferty’s!  I have a feeling I’ll see quite a bit of Alaska through windows like these…

 
I walked around a bit and enjoyed the views of Golden Heart Plaza.

 
In addition to visiting the Cultural and Visitors Center, I wandered over to the Ice Museum.  The ice sculptures demonstrate amazing creativity!

Now, to stay inside and warm…unless I decide to venture out for the lights!

I went out for a little bit to try my camera at night.  No success with the Aurora, since downtown Fairbanks has too much light pollution. 

Here’s a photo I took of trees beyond a snow berm.