Chasing the Northern Lights
Like many of you we've been wanting to go see the northern lights for the longest of times. With all current travel restrictions in place we decided our best option was going to be Alaska. We did quite a bit of research and found that Fairbanks was the best option in Alaska. Now we just had to find the perfect place to see the lights! Enter Borealis Basecamp!
Located just a few miles north of Fairbanks, Borealis is an oasis in a frozen desert. Our drive from Fairbanks took us over an hour since it had snowed heavily the week before making road conditions quite slick. Luckily we had a SUV with all wheel drive - a must in the winter in Alaska.
The camp was unlike anything we had ever seen before. Two rows of glass roofed dome like structures fully equipped with modern amenities greet us as we pull into the parking lot. We checked in at the reception where we got a full list of instructions about our room. The standout on the list was how to use the flush-less toilet... We had to rush to our room to see what that was all about! The room itself was quite nice but some quirks to talk about other than the toilet - the room was heated by an old Japanese portable heater which was surprisingly strong. We also had an aurora alarm that rang at any point there was a chance to see the aurora. Back to the flush-less toilet - let's just say there are normal toilets to use at the front office!
Since we got there during the day we took a dog sled ride which was by far our highlight of this trip. The dogs were super friendly and the ride was a joy. As we zipped through the snow covered woods we learned about each of the dogs from the trainer and how they train for races.
Make sure you make reservations for dinner at the restaurant at Borealis since there aren't any other food options close by. We of course had some seafood which was overpriced and accompanied by indifferent service but the views made up for that.
As darkness set in we got quite excited about the lights since the prediction was quite good to see the lights that night. We waited for the lights ... and waited.. Finally around midnight the aurora alarm rang and we jumped out of bed to go outside. Quite a few of our neighbors were outside too waiting to catch a glimpse. We saw brightness in the sky which got us even more excited and eagerly waited for the cloud cover to disappear. Seconds seemed like minutes and minutes seemed like hours as we waited in the bitter cold. Sadly the lights didn't come out that night and we will just have to wait for another time.
Disappointment quickly dissipated as we got consumed in planning for the next trip to catch the aurora. Iceland - here we come!
Check-ins:
MOM'S Kitchen - Fairbanks - Thai food served in a corner of a bar. That's all there is to say...
No-shows:
Chena Hot Springs - It's probably one of the most popular tourist attractions in (near) Fairbanks. That's just what it is - all tourists and overpriced activities. The ice museum however is a saving grace.
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