Visited Fairbanks, Alaska for Thanksgiving ❄️
Visited Fairbanks, Alaska for Thanksgiving ❄️ This Thanksgiving, we spent four days and three nights in Alaska . It wasn’t as cold as we imagined, but walking outside for more than five minutes made our faces hurt—must bring something to cover your face 😷🧣. Layering is strongly recommended for outfits: 1️⃣ Base layer: Uniqlo Heattech to keep your core warm and avoid chills ❄️🔥 2️⃣ Second layer: Fleece jacket—the thin fuzzy kind is the warmest. We wore North Face and stayed super toasty 🧥✨ 3️⃣ Third layer: Light down jacket 4️⃣ Outer layer: Windproof and waterproof coat. We bought ours at a North Face outlet for under $200—totally worth it 💰✅ Temperatures ranged from -8°C to -15°C. I’m super sensitive to cold, but this outfit was enough ❄️👌 We rented a Subaru with snow tires for our road trip 🚙—strongly recommend snow tires, otherwise it’s really easy to slide ⚠️. Drive slowly, avoid sudden braking on turns, and stay off soft, deep snow to prevent getting stuck 😅❄️. Our Airbnb was cozy and full of cabin vibes, feeling wonderfully isolated 🏡❤️ On the first night, we took the hotel shuttle to Pikes—close to the airport, nothing fancy but it has a platform for aurora viewing. We got super lucky and saw the northern lights on the very first night! 🌌✨ The next day, we ate at KC’s Kitchen—about $20 per person, food was okay but the wait was long ⏳🍽️ We tried dog sledding at Paws for Adventure (you drive there yourself). It was freezing—must cover your face, or it feels like being sliced by ice knives 🥶🔪. The ride lasted about 30 minutes, bumpy but fun 🛷🐕🦺. Costco’s snow crab and roasted chicken are totally worth buying—generous portions and reasonable prices 🦀🍗 We also joined a TripAdvisor aurora tour for $340 for two. The guide was professional and knew the best spots to photograph the lights 📸🌠. The tour involved hopping out of the van repeatedly to take photos—freezing outside but the van was warm ❄️🔥. The guide used a pro camera to take photos, included in the price—as many as you want. Great for those who don’t want to chase the aurora alone 👍 Chena Hot Springs is also highly recommended! About a 1.5-hour drive from downtown 🚗♨️. Must bring slippers, a towel, and coins (for locker rental). The lockers are a bit grimy like pool changing rooms—wear slippers 🩴🧼. Bring your own waterproof phone pouch—the ones sold on-site are poor quality. Our phone fell into the water but thankfully we retrieved it 📱💦. Soaking in hot springs on a cold day is incredibly relaxing, though we arrived after dark—recommend starting earlier 🌙❄️ We also tried Alaska Luxury Fishing for ice fishing—lots of tourists, high-end equipment but very hard to catch fish 🎣😫. In four hours, we only caught two; many others caught none. Over $300 for two people, not great value for money. Could be boring for impatient folks—can skip 💸🙅♂️ Wishing everyone a joyful trip to Alaska! 😄❤️ #Fairbanks#Aurora#Alaska
