boxo

I'll be in FAI for 1.5 nights the first weekend of Feb. Wish me luck. My chances of seeing Japanese tourists are by far better than the Aurora.

I'm MRing and don't want to pack a lot. There's just plain no room for a parka, boots and fur hat! (sigh)

oldpenny16

You don't pack your parka. You carry it on! Wear your boots. Wear your hat!

The secret is layers. Dress in layers. A silk turtleneck will help you a great deal.

You have to have gloves!

Good luck!

boxo

Arrrgh! I'm doing a 34k+ MR... I don't want to have to pack more than a couple spare pairs of underwear! I'm making slight joke about this, but it is going to be a dilemma.

jackal

You will regret FAI without all of the things oldpenny16 mentioned. One cannot understand how cold even a few seconds (even to literally dash from the airport to the taxi and the taxi to the hotel front door) at -50 is.

But if you want to experience the frozen wasteland that is Interior Alaska (hah! now up to three disparagings of FAI on FT!) as, er, naturally as possible, go ahead...just be sure to post your discoveries back here!

FCYTravis

Come check out the University of Alaska Museum of the North while you're here.

Also, there's University of Alaska Nanooks hockey against Western Michigan University - 7:05 p.m. puck-drop on Friday and Saturday nights at the Carlson Center. It's only a couple miles by taxi from the airport.

Dress warm - highs this weekend are slated to be anywhere from 5 above to 10 below.

lazarus89

I've got metric buttload of miles on continental that I'd like to redeem, and I've been considering flying up to Alaska in February.

So far, all I know is that the trip will be between 2/11 and 2/16, and that I'd like to go to Fairbanks. Annoyingly, the Nanooks are out of town that weekend, so I'll have to find something else to do with my time.

One idea I've been toying around with is taking pictures of the northern lights. Would anyone happen to know if mid-Feb is a good time to see them?

Also, what other attractions are there in Fairbanks? I'm on the youngish side (21), so renting a car and driving around may be a little problematic -- are there any guided/managed tours to interesting locations?

Finally, does anyone know what kind of cellphone coverage AT&T has up there?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

jackal

Mid-February is a decent time to see the Northern Lights. Try the Chena Hot Springs idea listed upthread--best place to stay warm and see the show above. When planning, though, use the Aurora Forecast at http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/.

Most companies (all except Hertz?) will rent you a car at 21--just be prepared to pay $10-15 extra per day as an underage driver surcharge. Also, you'll need real credit card: some companies won't accept debit cards, or if they do, there are extra restrictions or sizable deposits. Getting around Fairbanks--especially out far enough away from city lights to get good pictures (or just good views) of the Northern Lights--is going to be very difficult without a car.

AT&T currently has GSM/EDGE service in Fairbanks, but they are working on upgrading their platform to 3G/UMTS. It's supposed to go live sometime between now and "early 2009," and it's also supposed to be statewide--a very high AT&T Alascom executive told me that wherever you get an AT&T signal in Alaska, it will be 3G.

Other stuff to do in Fairbanks is, I think, pretty much covered in the rest of the thread above and also this recent thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alask...nksgiving.html, which asks questions similar to yours. It's the off-season, so be prepared for most of the activities to be closed or have reduced hours.

Have a great trip and feel free to ask as many questions here as you can!

oldpenny16

For Heaven's sake, take proper clothes. We never heard back from the guy who posted above/mileage run etc.

I've seen the Northern Lights many times, but the best times were when I had no plans to do so and it just happened. There's a lot of luck in this.

Have a great time and do let us know how it goes.

Happy New Year!

lazarus89

Thanks for the tips, guys.

Boss approved leave this morning, and I went out and bought me a parka and several pairs of long johns. Unpacked my hiking boots as well... I figure if they kept my feet warm in the Himalayas, they'll do a solid job in Alaska.

I also stumbled upon these guys:

http://www.northernalaska.com/acauroradrive.cfm

Sounds pretty sweet... can anyone see any downsides to doing this? This will keep me occupied for at least one day, and I can head up to Chena for another.

I'm not terribly sure what to do about lodgings... I'm not big on chain (h|m)otels, so I always try and stay in B&Bs when they are available. Has anyone had any experience with them in Fairbanks?

boxo

Guilty as charged.

I did a two-night mileage run to ANC, took the train to FAI and flew back to ANC first weekend in Feb 2008. Seat 2A helped immensely by doing some local research for me. I can't recall the important details, but I contacted someone who runs his own business from home, catering mostly to Japanese tourists. The van picked a few of us up at the Westmark Hotel and drove us out to the house/lodge. It had a big picture window to watch from in warmth and a big, open deck to run out to when the lights became most vivid. I wanna say I paid $60 for four hours, incl the transportation.

jackal

I used to work with the guy who (with his wife) owns the Minnie Street B&B. It looked very nice, although it's a bit on the spendy side (at least in the summer season). It seemed to be well regarded among Fairbanks B&Bs, too.

The SpringHill Suites downtown is very central, but it is a chain hotel. However, it does have one of Fairbanks' best restaurants inside (LaVelle's Bistro).

oldpenny16

It's nice to know that you didn't freeze.

As far as taking along several pairs of long johns: I only take one complete set with extra wool socks.

lazarus89

A standard room at Minnie's with shared facilities is about $79 per night in February. That's really not too bad. I suppose I could go cheaper still, but that would mean a hostel. Haven't ever stayed in one of those before... perhaps it could be a new experience.

Man, I can't wait for this trip -- it'll be good to get away from work for a while.

boxo

Oh yeah, Seat 2A made arrangements for me to borrow a parka from the Aurora outfit for the Lights viewing. I otherwise wore a wool blazer around the rest of my ~48 hrs up there. Dodging between heated buildings/cars, it worked out just fine.

lazarus89, I Pricelined a decent room in ANC for ~$40 all in and booked the Westmark in Fairbanks on hotels.com (with a $10 off coupon?) for $50 all in. I really don't think you'll have problems finding deals for February.

adkkev

try this list for B&Bs in Fairbanks.

We prefer staying in B&Bs while in Alaska ... far more interesting than staying in a hotel/motel.

While in F'banks, visit the UAF museum, Musk Ox farm, Creamer's Field (rent some snowshoes or x-country skis at Beaver Sports), etc. There's more to do there in the winter than one might think.

Also remember that most hotels/motels are down in the valley and that's where the very cold air settles (along with the ice fog) ... several of the B&Bs are in the warmer hillside areas.