Grin and bear the mosquitoes and/or the cold, advises Lonely Planet, for a chance to see the northern lights and other Interior Alaska attractions. Fairbanks is No. 2 in the Lonely Planet editors' annual list of top US travel destinations. Louisville, Ky., is No. 1 this year -- it may be "the new Portland," editors say. 

The sensation of seeing Arctic skies crackle with smoky blues, greens and reds has long drawn off-season travelers way north. 2013 will be big, marking the end of a fiery 11-year-cycle, when sunspots are particularly feisty, making for a big show in the Fairbanks sky 240 nights a year. Go. 

Fairbanks North Star Borough Mayor Luke Hopkins tells KTUU his city offers plenty of attractions besides the northern lights worth traveling north for.