Alaska — Fairbanks (Day 3 & 4) Aurora Outbreak 🌌

Alaska — Fairbanks (Day 3 & 4) Aurora Outbreak 🌌✨ So lucky to witness a massive aurora outbreak in the final hours before leaving Fairbanks! Thank you, Fairbanks, for the best farewell gift ever! 🙏💚 Denali National Park 🏔️ On day three, we joined a guided tour of Denali. Our guide shared fun facts all along the way. We even spotted a moose 🦌 beside the road on the way there—but it dashed into the forest too fast for a photo, haha! The two-hour drive from Fairbanks first took us to a small town called Nenana. The guide told us it’s famous in Alaska for the Nenana Ice Classic (an ice breakup guessing contest) and was one of the earliest key stops on the Alaska Railroad 🚞. You can see tracks stretching along the river—the whole town feels peaceful and wonderfully isolated. The weather wasn’t great that day—foggy and all white—so we didn’t get to see Denali’s peak. Scenery improved as we approached the park area though! After another 1.5 hours from Nenana, we finally reached Denali National Park 🏞️—surrounded by gorgeous snowy mountains! The weather slowly cleared up too. We watched a video about dog sledding at the visitor center, had lunch, then started a 45-minute forest hike ❄️👣. Such a cool experience! The snow was super soft and fun to walk on lol 😆. On the way back, the guide even gave us hot apple cider—overall, a pretty nice trip! Chena Hot Springs ♨️ An outdoor hot spring in the freezing snow—total “ice and fire” vibes! ❄️🔥 It was –30°C outside but 40°C in the water. Hair wet? Instantly frosted! Running from the changing room to the pool was BRUTAL 🥶, but soaking in the spring was heavenly~ Tips: Bring swimwear, slippers, quarters (25¢), a towel (can borrow), and a waterproof phone case. Aurora Viewing 🌠 Since our flight out of Fairbanks was around 5 a.m., we joined a late-night aurora tour—and it did NOT disappoint! When we first arrived at the viewing spot, there was only a faint glow barely visible to the eye. About 15 minutes later, the aurora slowly emerged and grew brighter… Then, in just ten minutes, the sky EXPLODED with dancing green lights—absolutely breathtaking! ✨💚 The intense show lasted about ten more minutes before fading calmly away. Those ten minutes held a lifetime of wonder. Tips: Dress in ALL your warmest layers! Use touchscreen gloves for photos—your hands will freeze out there! 🥶📸 Food Highlights 🍽️ Bahn Thai: Fairbanks has lots of Thai spots. Their tom yum soup was delicious! 👍 Chowder House: Highly recommend the Crab Roll and Lemon Garlic Shrimp! So good! 👍👍👍 #Aurora#Alaska#ChenaHotSprings#USATravel#DenaliWinterWonderland#NorthernLights