-45β Alaska βοΈπ₯Ά Trip Dates
-45β Alaska βοΈπ₯Ά Trip Dates: Jan 1β7 Considering winter driving difficulties, we finally decided to join a tour. Day 1: East Coast US βοΈ Anchorage Arrived at the first stop β the gateway to Alaska is now open! βοΈπΊοΈ Day 2: Matanuska Glacier Hike Temperature: -20β, 2-hour outdoor hike. The tour provided crampons β no need to bring your own. βοΈπ₯Ύ The glacier views were stunning, but the ground was slippery β you might βslide into surprisesβ while walking π . I didnβt cover my face and ended up with a red, swollen bump after returning to the visitor center π« . Highly recommend covering up completely! Day 3: Anchorage βοΈ Fairbanks Originally booked the Aurora Winter Train π, but it was canceled due to temperatures below -40β, so we flew instead. Our hotel check-in wasnβt until 3 PM, but we arrived at noon and waited in the lobby foreverβ¦ π΄π At 10 PM, our private guide took us to a cabin to wait for the aurora β cozy with plenty of heat and hot water π₯β. The weather was supposedly great that night, but we waited until 2 AM without a single trace of the lights, so we headed back ππ«. Day 4: Wilderness Aurora Chase Originally planned dog sledding and ice fishing, but with temps still below -40β, all outdoor activities were canceled βππ£. Spent the afternoon wandering downtown ποΈ. That evening, our guide noticed the aurora was going to erupt early, so at 8:30 PM we rushed to a mountaintop for viewing π β°οΈ! We hit the jackpot β the aurora danced wildly all night, starting green and later shifting to vivid red-green swirls visible to the naked eye. Absolutely breathtaking ππ. Major regret not bringing my DJI drone to capture it πΉπ, but standing still to shoot in -45β was brutally coldβ¦ my hands got frostbitten π₯Άβ. Day 5: Santa Claus House & Chena Hot Springs β¨οΈ Santa Claus House is in the town of North Pole (a self-governing community) β purchases are taxed ππ°. Itβs essentially a gift shop, but beautifully decorated ππ·. Across the way, you can see locally raised reindeer β super cute π«β€οΈ! In the afternoon, we visited Chena Hot Springs. It was surprisingly uncrowded that day β a great experience π, nothing like the βdirty and packedβ rumors online. Around -30β, the hot spring was incredibly comfortable and very photogenic πΈβ¨! But the walk from the changing room to the pool was absolutely freezingβ¦ π± Another aurora chase that night, but no luck. Day 6: Arctic Circle Exploration Booked a tour through Google, but this activity was a bit boring β mostly sitting in the van ππ€. Bad weather + constantly frosted windows meant not much to see βοΈπ. Day 7: Dog Sledding Texted to book dog sledding with Firewalker Alaska Malamute Kennel πΎπ·. Their dogs are especially cute and full of energy β highly recommended! Caught an 8 PM flight back to North Carolina β and even saw the aurora from the plane! βοΈπ PS: My partner scored a half-price Canada Goose Expedition jacket in Fairbanks β what a steal! π¦’π° #Alaska#Anchorage#FairbanksGuide#GlacierBlue#Aurora#WinterTravel#SnowlandMemories
