There's nothing like a fresh coat of snow to remind you that winter comes earlier in Fairbanks. It's not exactly a surprise, although there is still a learning curve in terms of stopping and going on icy streets.
But Fairbanksans behave a bit differently in the winter weather. In fact, they've started inviting guests from around the world to see the sights of Alaska's far north: the ice, the snow and the northern lights.
This week, Fairbanks hosted the annual convention for the Alaska Travel Industry Association. Aside from being an end-of-season get-together, the convention offers a glimpse into what's new for travelers who want to see more of the area.
If you want to come to Fairbanks from Anchorage during the winter, consider riding the rails. The Alaska Railroad has always offered weekly service northbound on Saturdays between Anchorage and Fairbanks. The trip is about 12 hours. The return trip is on Sunday. For most travelers, that means flying back on Alaska Airlines or Ravn Alaska. But during February and March (Feb. 24-Mar. 18), the railroad is adding some mid-week departures northbound on Tuesdays and southbound on Wednesdays. That means you could travel north on Saturday and return on Wednesday.
This week, all eyes were on the heavens for the incredible "blood moon." But even in September, the northern lights were ablaze in and around Fairbanks. In fact, the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute maintains an "Aurora Watch" page so you can see how likely it is for the lights to be out on any given evening. It is possible to see the lights in town, but consider heading 60 miles out of town to Chena Hot Springs for a winter holiday including northern lights, hot springs and ice carving.
Chena Hot Springs is situated far away from the lights of Fairbanks, so the northern lights are more easily visible. Also, the lodge has track vehicles to take you up to the top of a hill for better views. In fact, they have set up a yurt so you can warm up between viewing sessions!
Of course, a big part of a visit to Chena Hot Springs is to actually soak in the hot springs. They have both indoor and outdoor pools. I like the outdoor pools, where your hair can freeze while the rest of your body cooks!
Another fun attraction at Chena Hot Springs is the ice museum. Local carvers Steve and Heather Brice have made some incredible ice creations inside the hotel, including a bar made completely of ice. The Brices developed a custom lathe to make martini glasses to serve Chena's signature "appletini" cocktail in the ice glasses.
The combination of the ice carvings and the colored LED lights makes for an otherworldly experience. There also are several bedrooms, complete with beds made of ice, covered with animal hides. Originally, the structure was designed as an ice hotel, but now they just call it an ice museum.
If you like the ice carvings at Chena Hot Springs, mark your calendar for the BP World Ice Art Championships between Feb. 23 and Mar. 29. Carving teams from around the world will descend on Fairbanks to carve the legendary "black diamond" ice. There are single-block competitions, multi-block competitions and a kids park, where slides, a maze and a playhouse are made completely from ice. It's fun to see the park at Ice Alaska during the day, but the real action is at night, when the carvings are lit up with colored lights.
If you cannot wait until February, there's a special "Christmas in Ice" carving exhibition in North Pole between Nov. 29 and Jan. 4.
In Anchorage, we love the Iditarod Sled Dog Race. But in Fairbanks, they're all about the Yukon Quest International Sled Dog Race. This year's race starts in Whitehorse on Feb. 7 and ends in Fairbanks.
If the dogs don't make enough noise for you, stick around for the Iron Dog Snowmachine Race. It starts on Feb. 22 in Anchorage and ends Feb. 28 in Fairbanks.
If you want to get up close and personal with some sled dogs during your winter adventure, Chena Hot Springs offers some mushing tours. There also are operators such as Sirius Sled Dog Tours, located about 43 miles from the Fairbanks Airport.
Or, consider heading north of the Arctic Circle to Coldfoot Camp on the Dalton Highway. It's 254 miles north of Fairbanks. It's even north of the Arctic Circle. The camp is not much to look at on the outside. It's essentially a collection of ATCO trailers, a former pipeline construction camp. But in the winter, folks come north to go mush with some sled dogs, grab a burger at the world's northernmost truck stop and watch for the northern lights.
Co-owner Brett Carlson says Coldfoot is the perfect place to watch for northern lights. "You're right under the oval of the northern lights," he said. "So when it's clear outside and there are northern lights, you will see them in Coldfoot." Actually, there's a small village just north of Coldfoot called Wiseman. It's much darker there -- and local host Jack Reakoff offers travelers some insight on life in the far north: hunting, phone and Internet service, heat sources, the price of gas and the gold mining history of the region.
You may not want to drive your own car on the same road as the real-life ice road truckers that pull supplies up to Prudhoe Bay from Fairbanks. Northern Alaska Tour Company offers a fly-drive package where you can drive north from Fairbanks, across the Yukon River. The drive includes stops to see the trans-Alaska pipeline and a photo-op at the actual Arctic Circle crossing. If you want to go farther north than Coldfoot, you can book a road trip with Coldfoot Camp up to Atigun Pass. On a clear day, the views are incredible.
For the return trip, fly back from the Coldfoot Airport to Fairbanks. The itinerary is available in reverse, too.
Of course, there are plenty of other wintertime options in Alaska's far north. But these are a few ideas so you'll understand that wintertime really is the high season in Fairbanks!