Blogs from Fairbanks, Alaska, United States, North America - page 4

Well how do you possibly top spending a day with bears who walk by you within an arms-reach, watching imposing glaciers that makes you feel insignificant and being surrounded by snow-covered mountains and volcanoes? Well you don't unless you came to Alaska for... keep reading and you'll find out. We were back in ANCHORAGE about to start the second leg of our trip. We started making our way out east (only after buying bear spray and being informed by the local expert that bear spray is the best defense against burglars - who knew). The bear spray is a long story. Nikkie refused to hike to a glacier in our previous blog because what if we see a bear (she is the one with the common sense). So she refused to really walk/ hike anywhere in ... read more

My trip to Alaska was one of the best trips ever. It is one of the very few places in the world where you can find true wilderness and still accessible by road. This place comprises vast breathtaking mountains and tundra planes, diverse wildlife, dense forests, valleys, rivers, frozen lakes, glaciers and many more. There is something for everybody. Thanks to all those people who shared a lots of information about this place on internet which changed our point of view from a life threatening place to an adventurous and beautiful place. It was a budget trip in last week of May, 2014. We were group of five and the trip was focused on Dalton highway. We started from Fairbanks in evening for Coldfoot. Before we started we took bear canister from Fairbanks visitor center. They ... read more

Wake up knowing we are allowed to check out at 1200 -so guess what - just make the 1200 checkout. Never mind.... Leave bags at hotel and explore Fairbanks. Downtown is hard to find as there really isn't much of downtown... Get a coffee house that looks ok and order soup and coffee for Chris. Soup good, coffee gets a pass mark. Bit of a drizzly day but not too bad to walk the streets. Ask about where to go in downtown and we had obviously got that right befor the coffee shop. Do a few more shops the tot the visitor centre where we spend the best part of 2 or 3 hours - very inter steins especially after our northern adventure. Walk back to the hotel, order a cab and off to our next ... read more

Left home at 0730 for the airport. Got through all the bags, customs, etc. without a hassle and then boarded the plane. On board and the pilot tells us we are leaving 15 mins late on purpose as they were going to make up 1 hr on flight. Not what you want to hear when you already have a 6 hour layover in LA. Still made up best part of 1 hr anyway. No dramas with bags etc. landed LAX early 0730. Bags finally come out. Cleared customs and transferred bags for next legs of flights and on the footpath at 0845. Now we have a 7 hour layover. Still decide it is easier and safer to stay on the airport. Walk to terminal 6 to see next flight area. Decide to go in but security ... read more

Left the hotel at 8 this morning heading over to the “Riverboat Discovery”. Turns out that’s both the name of the tour and the boat. Huge 4 deck sternwheel steamer boat. It goes up the Chena River to where it meets the Tanana River. On a clear day, it’s probably quite beautiful, but today was grey and foggy and a bit depressing. Some really incredible houses along the riverside. As the boat goes along the river, it stops for a bit near the home of Susan Butcher and her husband, who were/are dog racers. Susan is one of the few women to win the Iditarod. Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago, so her husband runs the kennel now and does some runs to raise money for charity. You also see a fishwheel and get ... read more