Anchorage is a definite for a car. I've been there enough to feel comfortable driving around. We were there over Labor Day weekend to spend some time at the Anchorage Museum and then Native Heritage Day at the State Fair. My wife and I both love being there. She's been to Denali (RR up, bus back) Seward and the Anchorage Area as well as a couple of flight seeing trips with Rust's. I've fished Halibut in Homer (7 days straight - what a haul, well over 1000 lbs cleaned and packed) and Silvers in Lake Creek also for a week where we'd limit out before breakfast and spend the rest of the day catch and release fly fishing for Steelheads and Dolly Vardon and having interesting encounters with moose & bears. Since our friends have never been and we don't know if they'll go back (as we will), we'd like them to see the Anchorage area which is 2 days minimum.

A car in Fairbanks will depend on where we stay, what we do with tours and what else we decide on doing. I'm assuming that if we were out in the country we'd have cell phone and possible ham radio contact.

I'm trying to figure if we can reschedule to the beginning of the month. My friend and I both ride in a Mardi Gras Krewe. Mardi Gras is 3/4 and we can't get flights out until the 6th. We could do Anchorage on the 7th and 8th, then fly to Fairbanks on the 9th but we'd have to be back in New Orleans by the 13th so we'd have to leave the night of the 12th and only get 3 nights in Fairbanks for possible viewing or skip Anchorage. Decisions, decisions, decisions - never easy. Sure wish I had unlimited time & $$$.

Northern Alaska does run Aurora tours to the Arctic Circle and even if we don't see them that night, we'd all want the experience. My wife & I will get north of the circle on our next trip which will include Kotzebue. Alaska is becoming an annual trip for us - so much to see and do and people to meet.

Do you have any suggestions about where to stay outside Fairbanks?