Courtesy of the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Riverboat Discovery takes visitors along the Chena River from downtown Fairbanks. The river, and riverboats, have played a key role in the Interior's history.
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Embrace the light
Sun-drenched days make Fairbanks ideal for outdoor fun
Published: April 22nd, 2008
Last Modified: April 24th, 2008 at 09:29 AM
• If Alaska is a land of extremes, then Fairbanks is the extreme of the extremes.
In the summer, Fairbanks basks in nearly endless daylight and temperatures that can reach 90 degrees. In the winter, darkness reigns -- perfect for the northern lights -- and the temperature plunges. Last winter, minus 45 was not uncommon.
"For all Alaskans, weather is such a key part of life," said Karen Lundquist, vice president of marketing for the Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau. "In Fairbanks, the weather broadcast is a big deal -- how many hours of daylight, how cold it was in 1936, things like that. Living through the weather is like a badge of honor here; people thrive on the differences.
"One thing about the summer is the midnight sun. It's such an extreme condition. With it comes unmatched light, energy, warmth."
Obviously all that sunlight leads people -- both locals and visitors -- outdoors.
Consider these ways to celebrate the sun:
• Chena River: The river runs through the heart of Fairbanks, and locals celebrate the water in a variety of ways. Restaurants have decks overlooking the Chena; riverboats take visitors up and down the river; there is a walkway along the waterway, including a footbridge from one bank to the other; Golden Heart Park sits along the river and is a gathering place for many activities; and canoes can be rented for a trip on the river.
"I think one of the best things to do is take a float trip down the Chena," Lundquist said. "The Chena River is a lifeline in terms of history and how the community developed. For summer recreation, there is boating and fishing.
"There are restaurants with decks right on the river. There's a nice river walk along downtown. Rivers kind of define us here."
• Midnight Sun Festival: Get together with a bunch of folks from Fairbanks -- maybe 40,000 or more -- to celebrate the longest day of the year. The June 21 festival features the usual festival lineup -- live music, performing arts, dancing, food, crafts, a classic car show -- but it goes on and on, starting at noon and continuing until midnight. The festival basically takes over downtown Fairbanks for the day. (www.downtownfairbanks.com, 452-8671)
• Midnight Sun Baseball Classic: See something you've likely never seen before, a baseball game with the first pitch at 10:30 p.m. The Goldpanners play in the Alaska Baseball League, a league for college-age players. On June 21, the Alaska Goldpanners will host the 103rd Midnight Sun game with the California Running Birds. The game starts at 10:30 p.m. and is stopped at midnight for singing of the "Alaska Flag Song," then picks back up, usually ending around 1:30 a.m. (www.goldpanners.com, 451-0095)
• Alaska Bird Observatory: The nature center on the grounds of Wedgewood Resort provides plenty of things for the birders, including guided walks. There also is easy access to Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge. The observatory is at 418 Wedgewood Drive and is open Mondays to Saturdays. (www.alaskabird.org, 451-7159)
• Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge: The 2,000-acre refuge is also a birders' paradise, with a wide variety of migratory and resident birds, including Canada geese, sandhill cranes, pintails, golden plovers, shovelers, ravens, owls and mallards. There are about five miles of nature trails for visitors to enjoy. The refuge is at 1300 College Road and is open daily. (www.creamersfield.org, 459-7307)
"Folks tend to think of other locations in the state for birding, but Creamer's Field is less than 10 minutes from downtown and you can see a lot of wildlife in addition to birds," Lundquist said.
• Fairbanks Shakespeare Theatre: Enjoy Shakespeare's finest works under the midnight sun. "Twelfth Night" is June 20-22 and "The Taming of the Shrew" is Thursdays to Sundays, July 2-20; ticket prices are from $10 to $18. Performances are at Jack Townsend Point on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. (www.fairbanks-shakespeare.org, 457-7638)
• Georgeson Botanical Garden: What's better on a endless-sun day than a trip to a garden to look at beautiful flowers and giant vegetables? On display are annuals, perennials and herbs. Take your kids to the Babula Children's Garden or have a picnic. The garden is at 117 W. Tanana Drive and is open daily. (www.uaf.edu/snras/gbg, 474-1944)
• Golden Days Festival: The Gold Rush was crucial to Fairbanks' development, and the Golden Days Festival celebrates the role that gold played in the community's history. The festival includes a parade, pancake breakfasts, historic re-enactments, a river regatta, music and the Rubber Duckie Race. It takes place July 16-20 downtown. (www.fairbankschamber.org, 452-1105)
• Chena River State Recreation Area: The recreation area is the perfect destination for a summer day or longer. With 397 square miles of forests, rivers and alpine tundra, the possibilities are almost endless. The park follows the Chena River, so kayaking, canoeing or fishing are wonderful. But it also has some excellent hiking trails, especially the Granite Tors Trail and the Angel Rocks Trail. There are several campgrounds and public-use cabins that can be rented. The recreation area can be reached from Chena Hot Springs Road. (www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/units/chena/index.htm)
"If people want to camp or fish, Chena Recreation Area is the place," Lundquist said. "You can put in a canoe or go hiking. There are exceptional hiking trails. We also have the White Mountain Recreation Area."
• Chena Hot Springs: This is place to go in the winter, when the wonderful hot springs are surrounded by a blanket of snow and the northern lights shimmer above. But summer isn't a bad time to visit either. The hot springs are still there, especially on a cool day, but there are also area flightseeing, tours of the dog sled kennels, trips on ATVs, mountain biking and horseback riding. If the sun is too much, visit the Aurora Ice Museum, an indoor ice facility that stays at 20 degrees year-round. Inside the museum are a variety of ice sculptures and an ice bar where you can have a drink. (www.chenahotsprings.com, 451-8104)
"For all of us, we tend to play hard in the summer," Lundquist said. "It's something special to be able to go out and play some midnight sun golf and tee off at 10. Or maybe bring the canoe in at midnight after a long evening of canoeing.
"We typically stay up later in the summer. It's just fun under the midnight sun."
Of course, it's possible there could be a rainy day or two on your trip to Fairbanks, or maybe you just want a break from all that sunshine. If that's the case, there are plenty of indoor activities to keep you busy too.
Probably at the top of the list is the University of Alaska Museum of the North on the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus. The museum is the perfect combination of history and art -- with a collection of 1.4 million items, from dinosaur fossils to contemporary art.
"This is more than just a Fairbanks museum, this is a system museum; we represent all of Alaska, from Barrow to Ketchikan," said Kerynn Fisher, the museum's communications coordinator. "If you start out your visit to Alaska in Fairbanks, this is a great way to get an overview of the entire state.
"Go into the Gallery of Alaska, you'll find information on the people, wildlife, geology, history of all of Alaska. Go into the new art gallery, it gives an overview of the art in the state from 2,000-year-old ivory carving to contemporary art, Native and non-Native."
The museum is at 907 Yukon Drive and is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily during the summer months. Admission is $10 adults, $9 seniors and $5 youths. (www.uaf.edu/museum, 474-7505)
Make a trip to North Pole -- the community, not the spot at the top of the globe -- and plop yourself in the middle of Christmas, no matter what day of the year. The Santa Claus House is a gift shop that features a crazy array of Christmas gifts, collectibles, apparel and local crafts. (www.santaclaushouse. com, 488-2200)
If you have only a day or two in Fairbanks, you'll be sorry and wish you had more.
Special sections editor Steve Edwards can be reached at sedwards@ adn.com. Visit his Alaska travel blog at www.alaska.com/alaskology.
Editor's picks
• Enjoy the sun: There is lots of it during midsummer. Get outside and enjoy it. If you're in town around solstice, enjoy the Midnight Sun Festival or the annual Midnight Sun baseball game.
• Get educated: The University of Alaska Museum of the North is worth a good portion of your day. It is the perfect combination of art and history, and the architecture is stunning.
• See some ice: A pair of ice museums -- one in town and one at Chena Hot Springs Resort -- let you see part of Fairbanks' winter appeal in the middle of summer.
What locals say
"In the art gallery I've heard people say, 'This person could have a show in New York.' They're a bit surprised to see that Alaska has artists of that quality."
-- Kerynn Fisher, University of Alaska Museum of the North communications coordinator
