What to do in November?
 

A buddy and I bought tickets to Anchorage on a whim for Veteran's Day weekend (Nov 8-11). I knew this was after tourist season, but it seems like it's a weird time between summer and winter where there's nothing open. All the summer guided tours are closed, obviously, but Alyeska and most of the snowmobile tour companies are not yet open either. We're pretty adventurous, up for just about anything. Definitely hope to get some hiking in at the least, probably try to see the aurora at night. Willing to drive anywhere between Seward and Denali, and perhaps even use Avios to fly to Fairbanks. Any thoughts on what we could do, given that we only have a few days?

When do you arrive on Nov 8 and when do you depart on Nov 11?

I would rent a car. Maybe keep an eye on the Denali NP website to see how far the road is open. Right now the road is only open to mile 3 due to snow. If it were me, I would definitely not go to Denali if the road is not open at least to Mile 15. But even then I am not sure it is worth the drive there just for that.

I might go to Talkeetna and spend a night or two. You might be able to find a company that will give you a flightseeing tour from there, which is interesting. Nice places to eat there too. There is also a Denali NP ranger station in Talkeetna that you can visit, talk with rangers, see the Heartbeats of Denali film and more.

There are several sleddog kennels between Anchorage and Talkeetna, many of which are in training mode for the Iditarod. Martin Buser's kennel is a popular one, but there are quite a few others. The Iditarod headquarters in Wasilla has some interesting displays and a film.

You could drive south of Anchorage along Turnagain Arm. Snow might be there by then, but you could make multiple stops - Potter Marsh to look for wildlife, Girdwood for a meal, the Wildlife Conservation Center and the scenic pullouts along the road.

Anchorage has quite a bit to offer too, depending on your interests. Museums, perhaps hiking in Glen Alps if not snowy, the Public Lands Information Center and more.

A quick response as my flight is departing in 20 minutes--

If you really want to see the northern lights, go with your Fairbanks idea. Also, I think there's probably more to see there in the winter than in Anchorage. They have things like the UAF museum, the ice museum at Chena Hot Springs, and other attractions that are open year-round.

Whatever you end up doing, have fun! If you do stay in ANC and can't find anything better to do, click the link in my signature and meet up with the local ANC crowd. They'll show you a good time. :)

A few ideas
 

The weather in Anchorage is out of the ordinary warm right now. Still no snow on the ground in Anchorage. With such a short amount of time, not sure if flying to Fairbanks will be the best use of your time. As already recommended, Talkeetna is a great place to visit. You may also see the Aurora from there as you are far enough away from Anchorage's light pollution.

Another idea is to go see the Matanuska Glacier. It is about 1 1/2 hours drive from ANC. The Glacier is accessible enough that you can walk out onto the glacier a ways.

Anchorage has a decent museum. There are also several micro brewerys in town that make great beer if you are into that.

Thanks for all the suggestions. We'll probably base ourselves in Anchorage. We put together a list of possible activities and will decide exactly what we're doing based on conditions on the ground.