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Overview
Alaska is quite possibly the most beautiful place I have ever been, and there are some strong contenders. Beaches to the south, mountains to the north, and wildlife everywhere you look, Alaska is one of those places that you have to see to believe the majesty.
When to Go
Are you dying to see the Northern Lights? Would you rather hike to your heart's content and experience the Midnight Sun? Find out when the best time is to experience all Alaska has to offer.
Where to Stay
Cruises to Juaneu, flights to Anchorage, road trips to Fairbanks. You'll find out which part of Alaska you should go to, and where you should stay.
Where to Eat
From the Moose's Tooth in Anchorage, to The Cookie Jar in Fairbanks, there's a wide variety of diners, pubs, and breweries that Alaska has to offer.
What to Do
No matter how long your stay in Alaska, there never seems to be enough time to do it all. Learn how to maximize your time and which activities are must-do's.
When to Go
Alaska is an incredibly vast state, the largest in the U.S. It’s nearly impossible to see all Alaska has to offer in one trip, and in one place.
For this reason, it's important to prioritize what you want out of your Alaska trip in order to decide when to go. June is the peak month for travel. The weather is warm, the days are long, the midnight sun is out. Denali park is open, as well as almost all tourist attractions. It is busy during this time, and the Aurora isn’t visible, but it is still regularly considered the best time to visit Alaska.
If you want to visit in the shoulder season, when there are less tourists (though less businesses are open) aim for the months of September, October, or May. These are milder months, when temperatures are not incredibly cold. Still, plan on bringing a winter coat because Alaska can be unpredictable. In Septemeber and October, fall colors are out and the Aurora comes to play.
May is also cheaper time to travel because it is before peak season. The weather is mild, if not warm, and Denali National Park is open. In fact, you can drive past mile 15 on Denali Park Road, which is not possible in the summer months. Beginning in June, you must take a bus into the park. May offers more hiking and boat tours than are available in early spring.
Ultimately, we chose March for the Aurora. It is the best month to see the Northern Lights. Additionally, March is a great time to participate in all the winter sports and activities without temperatures below zero. Most days, the temperature was in the thirties or forties, dropping into the teens at night. We were able to see the Alaskan winter, snowy boreal forests, and enjoy a dip into the hotsprings amid winter temperatures. Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing are all into play during this time of year.
Where to Stay
I chose to stay in both Anchorage and Fairbanks while in Alaska. Anchorage is a larger city, and many boat tours are available near Anchorage. This airport also offers a wider variety of flights, for a much better price, than the Fairbanks International Airport.
It is true you could fly into Anchorage and take a quick flight up to Fairbanks, but if you did, you’d miss the majesty of Denali and the scenic drive to Fairbanks. The drive took around seven hours with stops. (And we stopped many times to take pictures.) The stretch of mountain ranges and icy tundra are blinding and breathtaking along this drive.
There are certain areas where service is spotty and gas stations are hard to come by, so make sure to keep your tank filled and preload GPS directions.
If you take a trip to Alaska, I’d recommend staying in both of these cities. Fairbanks is the best city to see the Northern Lights. The Denali park is accessible along the way. Anchorage is the key port to the fjords and boat tours.
We spent two days in Anchorage and stayed in the La Quinta both nights we were there. The hotel was updated, clean, and offered free breakfast. There is also a shuttle to and from the airport if you choose not to get a rental car (Though, you will be severely limited if you do not. Uber service is sparse in Alaska) or if it is not ready when you need. Staying in a hotel was an affordable option for our first two nights in Alaska.
Once we drove to Fairbanks, we stayed in one of the best VRBOs I’ve ever stayed in. The VRBO was a great location. It was about twenty minutes from downtown Fairbanks, removed from the city lights, which made it prime for Aurora viewing with a beautiful view. This VRBO was also a thirty minute drive to Murphy Dome and just a forty minute drive to Cleary Summit, which are also popular Aurora viewing spots.
The owners, Tim and Stacy, were quick to respond to any inquiry and provided an easy stay. We were welcomed by a card, fresh strawberry jam, and eggs from their chickens. Firewood was provided for the outdoor firepit.
While Tim and Stacy lived above the guest suite, we never heard anything from upstairs. There is a private driveway and entrance, so the trip felt secluded while we still had accessibility to the hosts if a problem arose. I’ll be the first to say that I do not usually like staying at a place where the hosts are on site, but this VRBO has changed my tune. We had the utmost privacy, while staying in a beautiful, affordable VRBO with competent and helpful hosts. If you stay at the Birchwood Suite, you’ll see why it has 5 star reviews.
Where to Eat
1. The Cookie Jar
Fairbanks, Alaska
The Cookie Jar boasts breakfast, lunch, and amazing cookies, all at an affordable price. Seriously, the cookies were less than $1 each. I wish I had bought more when I went. They were moist, decadent, and delicious. The peanut butter and white chocolate chip were my favorites. Their portions are also huge, so be prepared to eat if you grab a meal here. Their sandwiches come with homemade bread and their soups are made in house daily. If you're not up for a full meal, be sure to stop at the counter just to purchase some cookies!
2. The Crepery
Fairbanks, Alaska
The Crepery is nestled in downtown Fairbanks, near souvenir shops and restaurants. If you go, be sure to walk around the street to the local art galleries, native shops, and stores. The Crepery is a quick bite place offering both sweet and savory crepes. I had the Nutella and berries crepe, and it was delicious.
What to Do
Running Reindeer Ranch
Fairbanks
When I saw the advertisement for Running Reindeer Ranch, I knew we had to go. Traveling to Alaska in the winter with snow covered mountains and thick pine trees, it was the perfect setting to walk and take pictures with reindeer. The staff was both friendly and knowledgeable of the reindeer, talking with us about safety measures and the personalities of the reindeer as they grazed on lichen around us.
We then walked with them through the forest, some of them staying with us, others trekking ahead as our human legs were not quick enough for them. Sometimes the younger reindeer would come from behind and gently nudge us with their budding antlers.
As of March 2022, masks were still required on the reindeer walks. This wasn’t really an issue considering the temperatures were in the thirties at the time. The owner, Jane, did allow us to remove our masks as we posed with Toby, the largest reindeer on site.
Fun fact: Both female and male reindeer have antlers. Before the winter time, however, male reindeer shed their antlers. This means that female reindeer are the only ones to have antlers at Christmas, so all Santa’s reindeer are female. Guess we know why they’re so efficient.
This was a once in a lifetime experience. I don’t know that I’ll ever have the chance to walk with reindeer again. It’s suitable for both children and adults, though there is a bit of walking involved. If you need snow cleats to gain traction on the ice, the ranch has them available for use.
If you visit in summer months, you can take a yoga class with the reindeer. But beware, the reindeer might displace you so they can plop down on their favorite mat.
Prices range between $85-$100 for adults and $50-70 for kids. March is peak season, so expect to pay $100 per person during that time. The tour lasts around two hours, ending with hot cocoa and cookies.
Of all the things we did in Alaska, this was the most unique experience. For more information, visit Running Reindeer Ranch.
Chena Hotsprings
There are mixed reviews of Chena Hot Springs on trip advisor and Google Reviews. While my friend and I did not stay there, our day trip to Chena was one of the highlights of our trip. I think some of the dissent comes from the fact that some reviewers were comparing Chena to resorts in Iceland (which are apparently nicer).
But I’ve never been to Iceland and didn’t have many expectations coming to Chena, and I was pleasantly surprised! (Keep in mind, I did not stay in any of the Chena rooms, so I cannot attest to those).
Dog Sledding
Chena offers a wide variety of activities, so we planned to spend our day there. We started our day with a Dog Sled tour, which was a thrilling new experience for me. (Note: If there are less than 4 people in your party, they will likely pair you with another group on the same sled. If this will bother you, consider purchasing the full sled.)
The ride took us through the boreal forest, huskies yelping and barking to one another along the way. The musher guided them with a series of commands, completely forgoing the use of reins. The dogs and musher worked symbiotically, moving together as one complete unit instead of individually.
The ride was short. Less than fifteen minutes for $30 per person. If you’ve never dog-sledded before, especially in the snow, I’d recommend booking the tour. It was a fast-paced thrill and a winter must-do.
If you’ve had this experience before, consider if it is worth the money to you. It is $30 per person and the ride is very short.
Hot Springs
Next on our Chena agenda was the hot springs themselves. The water is a toasty 115 degrees and offers a respite from the Alaskan winter. I actually got hot while in the springs, so don’t worry about being too cold. There is a ramp leading into the springs, making it accessible to those with mobility issues and for those who don’t want to go all the way into the water.
The depths vary, but at 5’4, I could touch the pebbled bottom at all times. The springs were a nice way to relax for a few hours; I perched on the rocks staring at the snowy forests surrounding me. Even with other people, it really was peaceful.
The locker rooms themselves are a different story, chaotic, humid, and wet. The male and female locker rooms are separate, offering entrances into the springs through them. I highly recommend bringing a pair of flip flops because boots or other shoes are not allowed into the locker room. We purchased lockers for .75 each, so have some quarters on hand. The lockers are single-use however, so once you close the locker don’t open it again until you’re ready to leave.
There are showers and hair dryers available for use in the locker rooms. The bathrooms are small, so I’d recommend getting in and out as quickly as possible. Towels are also rentable for $5 each. This is certainly the easiest option, as you don’t have to carry back a wet towel with you afterwards.
Children cannot enter the hot springs themselves, but are allowed into the indoor pool and hot tub area.
Day passes for the springs are $15 each, which gives you access to both the springs and indoor pools. You can go in and out of the springs as many times as you wish during the day, making the pass one of the most economical excursions available at Chena.
If you’re lucky, the Aurora may pop out before the springs close at 11:00PM, so you may get the view of a lifetime from the comfort of the steaming water.
Dining
After a trip to the springs, we ate dinner at the resort restaurant. Though we ate an early dinner, we only waited for around half an hour. Wait times are upwards of two hours at peak dinner time. The food was regularly priced for hotel dining. I enjoyed my meal, a seafood pasta mix with a creamy butter sauce. It was delicious and the food was out quickly. Pro Tip: Buy a drink at the restaurant instead of drinking the complimentary water. Sounds strange, especially because I am the type of person to always order water at restaurants, but the water here was sulfur water. The taste was strong and repugnant. Seriously, it was the worst water I’d ever tasted. Order a Coke or a tea instead. They also offer a full wine menu if that peaks your interest.
Aurora Ice Museum
Finally, we went to the Aurora Ice Museum, which was probably my favorite part of Chena. The tour itself was relaxed but informative, as we explored the various igloos and rentable rooms (bring a coat!) inside. We watched as a sculptor worked on new works of ice, preserving flowers inside a snowy block. You can even get married inside, and they’ll freeze your wedding bouquet complementarily.
The Ice Museum has a royal theme, with its ice turrets and shield bearing knights guarding the tour. There is even a royal menagerie with an icy leopard who has glowing eyes.
After you get your fix looking at the ice sculptures, take a seat at the ice bar and enjoy an Appletini beverage. Be sure to pre-purchase the beverage when you book your tour because you cannot buy it at the bar.
After drinking the green out of your ice glass, it’s tradition to make a wish and break your glass outside of the museum.
Aurora Viewing
Chena Hot Springs does offer Aurora viewing tours. My friend and I originally booked one of these tours. They depart at 9:30 and 10:30 respectively and last five hours. They transport you to the top of the mountain, to Charlie’s Dome, in a military style vehicle. Aurora viewing is not guaranteed, but the best chance is at higher ground away from the lights of the city. The tour lasts a full five hours and you cannot leave before it ends. This means it will end at 2:30 or 3:30 depending on what time the tour begins. If you’re staying at Chena, this may be feasible for you. The tour is also only $75 per person, which compares well to other companies.
We ultimately decided not to do the Aurora Viewing tour simply because of the time it ended and we had a two hour drive back to Fairbanks. Fairbanks is not two hours away in mileage, but the roads to Chena are completely covered in snow and ice, even in March. There likely won’t be a time you’ll make it over forty miles an hour the entire trip.
If you’re careful, and take it slow, the drive to Chena is beautiful. This is also where we saw the only moose of our trip. But beware, moose often dot the roads and can prove to be very dangerous when they come into contact with cars.
If you travel to Alaska in March, you’ll need to rent an SUV. We drove in Anchorage, Seward, Fairbanks, and many miles in between. We would not have even made it up the driveway of our VRBO without an SUV. We rented a Jeep Cherokee through Budget car rentals and it worked well for our trip.
When driving in Alaska, drive slowly, forty to fifty miles an hour is optimal for the highways. On smaller roads, be prepared to drive twenty miles an hour on average. Be vigilant. You do not want to collide with the wildlife in the area. Traveling in March, our main concern was moose, but in the summer months beware of bears as well.
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