Alaska — Beautiful as an Unreal Dream 🌌

I’ve always wanted to see the aurora and glaciers, and when my friend ✨ moved to Alaska, it sealed the deal. This Thanksgiving, I went on a spontaneous trip! Dates: 12/15–12/20｜Anchorage＋Fairbanks 📍 Anchorage 🌙 Landed at 8 PM to total darkness. First stop: Moose’s Tooth — a wildly popular local pizza joint🍕 known as a top 3 pizza in the US. Huge portions, bold presentation. 🌟🌟🌟 🏔️ Booked the Matanuska Glacier Hike (reserved via phone, residents get discounts — thanks Apple🙏). The glacier left me speechless❄️ — walking through blue ice caves frozen for centuries felt like stepping into another world. Our guide led us through ice cracks and caves for about 3 hours — an unforgettable experience! 🦀 Dinner at Glacier Brewhouse: Crab Stuffed Halibut＋seafood tower — fresh and delicious～ 🌟🌟🌟🌟 🌍 Woke up to a magnitude 6 earthquake — Alaska really is hardcore! My first quake ever⏰. Hiked 3 miles on Albert Loop Trail — peaceful forest and river views. Evening at Beluga Point — rained out, so no photos🌧️. Thanksgiving meant most places closed; dinner at Jimmy’s Asian Food Restaurant was solid. 🌟🌟🌟🌟 📍 Fairbanks 🦌 On the way to Fairbanks, caught a clear view of Denali — definitely coming back to hike in summer! 🏛️ Visited the Museum of the North — exhibits on northern ecology and wildlife. 🍽️ Dinner at the famous The Pump House: king crab fresh and sweet, elk sausage juicy and flavorful～ 🌟🌟🌟 Planned a cabin aurora hunt, but heavy snow forced us to cancel❄️. ♨️ Next day: Chena Hot Springs (bring your swimsuit! $40 on-site; lockers need two quarters). Soothing waters, and a friendly duck photobombed us🦆. 🌠 That night, aurora hunting at Chena Lake. Thick clouds at first, but suddenly they parted — stars blanketed the sky and the northern lights danced✨ — a life goal checked off! 🛣️ Drove the Dalton Highway across the Arctic Circle — vast, majestic landscapes, past the Yukon base and bridge. Even had a steaming bowl of Sichuan-style braised beef noodles for lunch — emotional🍜. Finally reached the Arctic Circle sign — massive sense of accomplishment🏆! ❄️ Travel Tips 1️⃣ Winter driving: pack snow tires and emergency gear 2️⃣ Check aurora forecast apps and be patient — surprises happen! 3️⃣ Glacier hikes require professional guides — safety first #Alaska #AlaskaTravel #Aurora #Glacier #GlacierHiking #ArcticCircle #DaltonHighway #AlaskaGuide #OffTheBeatenPath #Nature #TravelDiary #USTravel