Alaska Independent Travel Guide Part 2

Alaska Independent Travel Guide Part 2: Fairbanks + Arctic Circle Edition Continued from the previous part 🏍️ Morning Snowmobiling We were given overalls/neck covers, only our eyes showing 😎❄️. You need a driver’s license to operate, but it’s simpler than driving — just twist the right handle for throttle, stop when released, left hand doesn’t need to brake. After a brief training and a few practice laps, we followed the guide for about 30 minutes ⏱️. The guide led at a moderate pace. Riding through snow-covered spruce forests at sunrise was incredibly beautiful 🌲🌄, even though we were frozen stiff 🥶. 🍽️ Lunch at Aurora Crepe Had the Peking duck wrap set and braised beef noodles — just okay 😐. 🎅 Afternoon at Santa Claus House A large souvenir shop 🛍️. Didn’t get the moose poop fridge magnet 💩🧲, but we mailed ourselves a postcard 📮. 🌌 First Aurora Chase at Night Forecast KP was 1, no clouds ☁️. Drove to Murphy Dome 🏔️ — right after parking, we saw it! Then it swirled and spread across the whole sky — incredibly lucky ✨🎇. 3️⃣ Drive from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle Landmark 📍 Almost no other cars, no signal 📵. We immersed ourselves in stunning, peaceful scenery all along the way 🛣️❤️. 🍜 Dinner at Seoul Gate Ordered grilled mackerel and budae jjigae (army stew) 🍲 — both tasty but prices were a bit steep 💰. 🦌 Morning Reindeer Walk My favorite activity 🥰! The guide shared some reindeer facts, then we walked through the forest holding the reins 🌲🦌. Apparently the female reindeer is the leader; the one I led in the middle was super impatient, constantly nudging the younger deer in front 😅. 🦀 Lunch at Chowder House Crab roll and garlic shrimp were good — the garlic sauce with soft bread was amazing! 🍞🧄 ♨️ Afternoon at the Hot Springs & Ice Museum The museum was low value except for the Appletini served in an ice cup you can smash for a wish after drinking 🍸❄️. Lots of online guides cover the hot springs, so I won’t detail it — just remember to bring your own towel, slippers, and two quarters (though the lockers were super tricky; I couldn’t get the key out so I didn’t lock it 😅). Fewer people in the evening, and it was so cold that frost formed in minutes — needed extra light for photos 📸💡. 🌠 Second Aurora Chase at Night Saw them again! Went to White Mountain — weaker than the previous night but with different shapes, still worth it 👍. 🛷 Dog Sledding Booked with Firewalker; the owners are German and super warm 🤗. They helped take lots of photos and videos 📸🐕. At noon, bought king crab legs from the supermarket — perfect with instant noodles 🦀🍜. 🎆 Third Aurora Chase on New Year’s Eve Saw another major outburst covering the whole sky — truly fulfilling 🥳🌌. 🚗 Self-drive back to Anchorage Took the Delta Junction route — caught a breathtaking sunset 🌅. The end ✅ #Alaska#Fairbanks#NorthernLights#AlaskaGuide