Alaska's Interior Region

Fairbanks is located in the interior region of Alaska, approximately 350 miles north of Anchorage. By air, the trip is just under an hour and is accessible on Alaskan Airlines. Considering the general remoteness of this area, Fairbanks is quite the bustling little city. There is also a University of Alaska campus here, where some of the leading geophysical research is taking place. Due to the close proximity to the Arctic Circle, there are several observatories and research centers studying the natural phenomenon known as the northern lights. It was these same northern lights that brought me to Fairbanks in the winter!

March is a wonderful time of the year to visit Fairbanks. Not only is it one of the better months to observe and photograph the aurora borealis, it is also a time of the year when much is going on in Fairbanks! During my week I was able to view the beautiful ice sculptures that were created in competition at the Ice Art Championships earlier in the month. I also had the opportunity to take in two days of the North American Sled Dog Championship races, which started and finished right on Second Street in downtown Fairbanks.

Fairbanks has the same types of services and stores that you would expect in any city in America. There were numerous banks, grocery stores, convenience stores, specialty shops, restaurants and places of lodging. I choose to stay in a bed-and-breakfast near the University, which provided me with the perfect home base for my week. I believe there are around 20 B&B’s throughout the area, so you should be able to find one that meets your needs and travel budget.

I found that Fairbanks also provides a wonderful central location to Alaska’s interior region for those who want to explore the Alaska Pipeline, Denali National Park, and the Arctic Circle. This area is also rich in state parks, providing year-round opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors. While I was here in the winter when snow machining, sled dog mushing and cross country skiing were popular, folks can also enjoy fishing, hiking, and boating in this area.

People were most friendly and it was impossible to remain a stranger, even traveling alone! I enjoyed meeting both the locals and other travelers like myself who were interested in learning more about Alaska and her people. It was a very comfortable place to be and I would encourage those who are adventurous to give Alaska’s interior region a try!

The Northern Alaska Tour Company (www.northernalaska.com) is a full service, year-round tour operator with ground and air adventures to meet the needs of all visitors of varying interests and skills. I was very happy to find them through the Fairbanks Convention & Visitors Bureau website (www.explorefairbanks.com).

Guests meet at their office out by the airport around 6:15am for a 6:30am departure. Because of the nature of the tour, we were encouraged to bring our own snacks, lunch and beverages, since opportunities to stop in the arctic during the dead of winter were limited. With our group of nine assembled and ready to go... we were on the road by 6:30am.

Our first stop was the Alaskan Pipeline in Fox, which is just 15 minutes outside of Fairbanks. Here there is a visitor center, although it was closed for the winter. Our tour guide Alan provided us with a history and overview of the Alaskan Pipeline and Alaska’s history in oil. (See the journal entry on the Alaskan Oil Pipeline for some interesting facts and details about oil in Alaska.) This would be our first of MANY pipeline viewing opportunities. For approximately one-half of the 800 miles, the pipeline is above ground and runs along this highway to Prudhoe Bay. We would see it frequently throughout our journey.

As we continued up the Richardson Highway heading from Fox towards the Dalton Highway, we passed several gold dredging and mining areas. Fairbanks and this region of Alaska is rich with "loose" gold and today there are folks back dredging, mining and prospecting for it. We were told that when gold prices plummeted to around $300/ounce, it wasn’t profitable for people to look for gold so many areas shut down for several years. Today, with prices back up around $600/ounce, there is renewed interest and activity in getting the gold to market.

Our journey continued on the Dalton Highway, also known as the "Haul Road" because it was built to support the hauling of equipment, people and supplies while the pipeline was being build in the mid 1970s. Today, the road remains in terrible conditions, mostly unpaved and gravel. During our trip in the winter, however, the snow-pack created an rather smooth surface in most areas, although there were spots with severe pot holes and places where the asphalt was separating due to the thawing and shifting of the permafrost.

When we reached the Yukon River, there was no place to stop or get out of the vehicle, so photo ops were really random, from inside the tour van. I managed to snap a few decent photos throughout my trip but not nearly as many as I would have liked. It was amazing to see a river of the width of the Yukon completely frozen over. Many local Native Eskimos and Indian tribes use the river as their "highway" to move from place to place. Even in the winter, completely frozen over, the Yukon could be navigated by snow machines or sleds.

Up on the high valley tundra, the black birch trees were covered with wind-blown snow that created a packed snow and ice covering that in some places made them look like "snow soldiers" on the hillside. Some were so densely covered; you couldn’t even see that there was a tree under all of the white. (Please take a look at the photo attached to this review to see what I’m talking about.) After a 15-minute photo op stop here, we were off for our final destination... the Arctic Circle!

We arrived around 1:45pm, a bit more than seven hours after our departure from town. Not bad considering we had traversed some 200 miles over predominantly a snow covered primitive road! At the Arctic Circle area, there were outhouses (thank the Lord) and a photo op sign showing that you had made it. Here we all took a photo with Alan, plus any others that we wanted to remember our time at the Arctic Circle.

I should say that there were potty stops along the way, approximately every two hours or so. Not too bad! It was important, however, to monitor and watch your food and liquid intake as there were no options to just "pull-over" even for the men. Our group did fabulously, without incident. The drive back to town seemed to go a bit faster, as people didn’t seem as interested in getting out for photos, so I was largely relegated to "from inside the van" photography. Some pictures turned out OK but many were a waste. Nice to have a DSLR where there is no financial loss on such "waste." We arrived safely back at the main terminal where our trip originated at around 8pm. A full 13+ hour trip!

Some may feel that the price paid ($169 + $10 optional tip) is a bit high but for me, it was well worth it given that I got to go and see all that is so famous in Alaska’s Interior Region and I didn’t have to be burdened with the long and treacherous drive. The views of Alaska’s remote areas were spectacular. Unfortunately there was a bit of haze in the sky, so we couldn’t see great distances like to Mt. McKinley or the Brooks Range. After the tour was completed, we were given an Arctic Circle Adventure Certificate for having been to the Arctic Circle. Very cool! That along with the photo of me at the Arctic Circle sign will make a nice framed memento of my day.

During my Fairbanks adventure week, I really wanted to be able to see the oil pipeline that runs north to south, crossing over three mountain ranges in the vast wilderness that is Alaska. There are two places near Fairbanks where visitors can see and learn more about the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. The first is about eight miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway in Fox. Here there is a visitor center with guided tours available. The other is at Pump Station #9 near Delta Junction, approximately 100 miles from Fairbanks down the Richardson Hwy, where hour-long tours are provided by employees. Unfortunately, both of these locations are only open to visitors’ tours during the summer months. You need to research their hours of operation before heading out.

Because my trip was in winter, I was on my own to see and learn about the pipeline. During the Arctic Circle Winter Drive Adventure Tour, we got to stop and see the pipeline at two points, including where it crosses the Yukon River. It was amazing to see how it freely suspends over the river far below. As we drove up towards the Arctic Circle, we frequently drove right along side the exposed pipeline. I also took my own personal drive tour along the Alaska Pipeline on two separate road trips. It was very interesting to get out and see it at the Fox Visitor Center area and again south of Fairbanks where it crosses the Tanana River near Delta Junction.

The Alaska Pipeline was completed in 1977 after over three years of construction, connecting the oil source at the Arctic Ocean’s Prudhoe Bay with the port of Valdez where tankers receive the precious cargo for transport to refineries in the United States. In total, there is nearly 800 miles of pipeline, with 11 pumping stations throughout to assure the smooth flow of the crude. The pipe itself is four feet in diameter and roughly half is above ground. In some areas, the pipe had to be placed above ground due to the year-round frozen tundra (aka “permafrost”). The reason for this is that the oil is initially pumped out of the ground at 180° F and flows through the pipeline at approximately 120° F and can cause melting of the permafrost around it and create significant shifting of the ground around it. With the above-ground pipeline there are passive heat exchangers which cool down the oil to temperatures that do not pose significant risk to the environment.

The construction of the pipeline above ground created the need for innovative construction methods given the extreme temperatures, geological attributes including earthquakes and the shear expansiveness of the pipeline itself. Before construction could even begin, much of the proposed path for the pipeline had to be analyzed by archeologists and other scientists.

Chena Hot Springs is located approximately 60 miles from Fairbanks and was founded over 100 years by prospectors who came here to ease the pain of their arthritis and other ailments. At the time that the geothermal hot springs were discovered on Monument Creek in 1905, I’m sure they had no idea what would become of their little hidden discovery. By 1911 a regular little community was developing that included a stable, several cabins and a bath house. Today, Chena Hot Springs Resort has become a well known destination to Alaskans and international travelers alike, encompassing 440 acres within the Alaskan Interior wilderness. In addition to the main lodge (Moose Lodge), there are rustic cabins, primitive yurt tents, meeting facilities, a restaurant with lounge and the infamous Aurora Ice Museum. There is also an area for RV parking and camping for those who want a more primitive experience.

The Hot Springs Rock Lake maintains an average year round temperature of around 110° F and a depth of approximately four feet. The healing mineral waters are natural, with no chlorine added. The chemical composition of the waters found here are unique to any others found in the United States. The indoor pool is maintained at around 94° F and is chlorinated. There are also hot tubs for those wishing to soak away the day’s stress.

One of the most well known attributes of Chena Hot Springs Resort is their fantastic aurora borealis viewing areas. I first learned of this place on a television program on something like National Geographic, Discovery or Travel Channel. Tourists come from around the world every winter to take in the great northern lights that are synonymous with Northern Alaska. Because Chena Hot Springs is well outside of the city lights, viewing the northern lights is more vivid and spectacular. In addition to their aurora viewing lodge (called an “Aurorarium”), visitors can take the Snow Coach out to the summit for aurora viewing in the middle of the night. There are also other locations around the resort properties where you can go to observe the auroras.

Chena Hot Springs is a year-round resort with outdoor activities available for those adventurous enough to take in sled dog rides, flight-seeing tours to the Arctic Circle or perhaps a more tranquil hike or bike ride. There are many other ways to see the area, including a horse drawn sleigh, cross country skis or snow mobiles (or snow machines as they’re know here in Alaska). Nature trails and fishing spots are also located in the area for those looking for ways to experience Alaska as it has been for hundreds of years.

After a full day of activities, you can indulge in a nice massage or perhaps a martini in the sculpted ice martini glass in the Aurora Ice Museum. There is also the Trails End Lounge for a wide assortment of adult beverages and the Chena Hot Springs Restaurant for a relaxing meal in front of the large fireplace.

Because there is so much to cover, I have written a separate journal featuring Chena Hot Springs Resort and all of the great activities available on-site at this full service resort. Please be sure to check it out, including all of the fabulous photos taken during my two day/one night stay.

Before leaving Alaska’s Interior Region, I wanted to be sure to make the side trip over to North Pole, Alaska. The small village located approximately 20 minutes from Fairbanks is most known for Santa Claus House, a tribute to and celebration of Christmas year-round. What started as a holiday celebration by Con and Nellie Miller in 1950, the trading post subsequently built in 1952 formally became Santa Claus House. Since that time, holiday cheer has been shared and spread throughout the year as a family tradition. Hundreds of thousands of children have written Santa and received personalized responses post marked from the North Pole, Alaska. Since 1952, there has been over one million letters sent from Santa to children around the world.

While Santa Claus House is open year-round, their hours are limited to weekends only during the winter (January 1st – April 15th with the exception of Easter Sunday when they are closed). The rest of the year they are open daily, with the exception of Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and the two days following Christmas. SPECIAL NOTE ABOUT HOURS: Mr. & Mrs. Santa Claus go on vacation after Christmas and do not return until after Memorial Day. Be sure to check in at their website for any changes in hours of operation or the Claus’ vacation schedule: www.santaclaushouse.com.

In addition to Santa Claus House, visitors to North Pole, Alaska may also be interested in The Knotty Shop which is about 10 miles further up the Richardson Hwy in the small town of Salcha. This unique Alaskan gift shop not only features crafts made by local artisans, as they have a nice mounted wildlife exhibit with many of the animals found in Alaska displayed in a natural looking environment. When you first pull into the parking lot, the first thing you will notice are the yard animals made from wooden burls. The craftsmanship is fabulous! Inside you will find all sorts of truly Alaskan gifts, books and photographs. I bought my hubby a caribou antler back scratcher which I’m sure he’ll love. I thought about getting him the bear paw one, but thought it would take a layer of flesh off.

While shopping in the Knotty Shop, I was surprised by the number of people who stopped in for ice cream cones. One couple said that they stop in there every Sunday on their way home from church. Another truck full of guys stopped in for coffee after snow machining on Birch Lake. It was quite the bustling little store, with mostly locals from what I could tell. I would suggest making the added 10 minute drive if you are already planning to stop in North Pole.