Fairbanks has a charm that reminds visitors of the gold rush era, a time long since gone. The downtown area has a lot of shops and businesses that seem to barely stay afloat. During the winter, it seems to be a relatively slow paced city, with the streets rolled up and quiet by 6:00pm. As you get outside of the downtown area, however, you will find much of what you are probably used to seeing in your own community: Wal-Mart, McDonalds and convenience stores. While sprawled out in a large geographic area, Fairbanks is not densely populated.
The downtown area is where the start/finish line is for the GCI Open North American Championship sprint dog races. They actually run down Second Avenue while competing which provides spectators an exciting vantage point for watching the dog teams run. I spent two days as a spectator, fan and photographer. The first was at the start/finish line on Second Avenue. On Sunday, the longest and last day of the three day race, I staked a spot where the teams head out onto the course via the ramp from Second Avenue down onto the Frozen Chena River . . . and subsequently return about 80 minutes later coming uphill to head towards the finish line about a mile away. It was a very exciting vantage point to watch and photograph these four legged athletes!
Other outdoor sporting activities can be found at Birch Recreational Area, as well as one of several ski areas near town. They enjoy downhill skiing as well as the cross country version. If you've never seen people skiing with dogs pulling them along, then you may be thrilled to see skijoring. It is a pretty remarkable thing watching the skier being pulled along the course by a dog (or two).
Very near the downtown area is Ice Park, where the International Ice Art Championships are held. This year was unseasonably warm at the very beginning of March so many of the ice sculptures were damaged or completely destroyed by the 40 degree weather. Additionally, we were in Fairbanks near the end of the public exhibition period so the viewing (and photographing) was less than optimal. It was still a great way to spend an evening, as there were probably 15 or 20 sculptures still in decent condition.
If you are looking for a unique gift that is made in Alaska, look no further than the Great Bowl Company located just off Airport Way. All bowls are made on the premises from native white birch trees. There is a viewing glass where you can observe how the bowls are made. If you would like to have something personalized into your bowl, they have the capability to do that including inscriptions and photo-etching. They can prepare special gift baskets that include locally made jams and other food items. Worried about how much you buy and getting it all home? No worries as they will ship your items home for you!
There were a couple of late evenings (after 7:00pm) when we found ourselves hungry and needing to find something for dinner. For a very good burger, I would recommend Boston's Pizza which is near the intersection of the Old Steese Hwy. and Johansen Expressway by Wal-Mart . . . or Brewster's which is facing Airport Way about a block from University Ave. Both had more items on their menu if you're looking for a more full service dining experience. For us, however, both were very good for a late night burger!
While driving around within the general Fairbanks city limits, there is a good chance you'll see moose. In fact, the only wild moose we saw during our trip was out on Farmers Loop Road in a small neighborhood on the hillside. It was a momma and her yearling calf, which totally excited Jon . . . who had been on high moose alert since our arrival the week before. Thankfully, he did not have to return to Wisconsin without seeing a moose live and up close!
I mentioned the Museum of the North at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks in my overview for this journal. It is a wonderful little museum that tells of the history and culture of the native Alaskans. I would highly recommend planning two to four hours some morning or afternoon exploring this local treasure.
If you plan a vacation to Fairbanks in the summer, you will have additional options for tours and activities in and around the city. Take a look at their visitors' and convention center web site (www.explorefairbanks.com) for information including local attractions, tour operators and activities.