In September 2022, daughter Jill and I traveled north to Alaska – a 12-day adventure from Seward to Fairbanks. Click HERE to read a short introduction to our epic trip.
This story is the seventh in a series about the sights we saw and the experiences we had as we traveled through The Last Frontier.
This story is the seventh in a series about the sights we saw and the experiences we had as we traveled through The Last Frontier.
Fairbanks, Alaska (September 12, 2022) When we planned our trip to Alaska, Jill asked, “What are your bucket list goals?”
“That’s easy,” I replied. “I’d like to see the Milky Way, tour Denali National Park, gaze on the northern lights, and visit the Arctic Circle.”
“The Arctic Circle? Why?”
“Fair question,” I replied, and then I ticked off a few reasons. “I can follow in the footsteps of great polar explorers I’ve read about. It’s probably the most remote place on earth I will ever visit. And I’d love to see a polar bear in the wild.”
Then I added, “In my minds-eye, the Arctic Circle, which is so near the top of the world, is awe-inspiring!”
“Okay – I get it,” Jill said with an incredulous smile. “I’m sure you looked at tours. Which one do you like best?”
“I looked at several, but the one I’d like to book is the drive adventure with Northern Alaskan Tour Company. We’ll see the Trans Alaska Pipeline, drive the famous – or maybe it’s infamous – Dalton Highway, and cross the Yukon River BEFORE we get to the Arctic Circle.”
“How long is the tour?” Jill asked.
“It’s short in miles but long in duration,” I replied, and then I shared the tale of the tape. Jill gasped! But, in the end, I persuaded her to join me.
“You didn’t ask, but for the record, my goals are to see orca, moose and the northern lights.” And with a wink, Jill said, “No Herculean effort required.”
So how did we do?
Jill batted three for three – she saw orca when we cruised the Kenai Fjords, moose when we toured the tundra wilderness in Denali National Park, and the northern lights when we overnighted at Borealis Basecamp.
I went three for four – my only ‘swing and a miss’ was the Milky Way. One day I’ll see it…but not on this trip.
For the record, I traveled solo to the Arctic Circle, as Jill still nursed a nasty cold that kept her room-bound at the River’s Edge Resort in Fairbanks.
“That’s easy,” I replied. “I’d like to see the Milky Way, tour Denali National Park, gaze on the northern lights, and visit the Arctic Circle.”
“The Arctic Circle? Why?”
“Fair question,” I replied, and then I ticked off a few reasons. “I can follow in the footsteps of great polar explorers I’ve read about. It’s probably the most remote place on earth I will ever visit. And I’d love to see a polar bear in the wild.”
Then I added, “In my minds-eye, the Arctic Circle, which is so near the top of the world, is awe-inspiring!”
“Okay – I get it,” Jill said with an incredulous smile. “I’m sure you looked at tours. Which one do you like best?”
“I looked at several, but the one I’d like to book is the drive adventure with Northern Alaskan Tour Company. We’ll see the Trans Alaska Pipeline, drive the famous – or maybe it’s infamous – Dalton Highway, and cross the Yukon River BEFORE we get to the Arctic Circle.”
“How long is the tour?” Jill asked.
“It’s short in miles but long in duration,” I replied, and then I shared the tale of the tape. Jill gasped! But, in the end, I persuaded her to join me.
“You didn’t ask, but for the record, my goals are to see orca, moose and the northern lights.” And with a wink, Jill said, “No Herculean effort required.”
So how did we do?
Jill batted three for three – she saw orca when we cruised the Kenai Fjords, moose when we toured the tundra wilderness in Denali National Park, and the northern lights when we overnighted at Borealis Basecamp.
I went three for four – my only ‘swing and a miss’ was the Milky Way. One day I’ll see it…but not on this trip.
For the record, I traveled solo to the Arctic Circle, as Jill still nursed a nasty cold that kept her room-bound at the River’s Edge Resort in Fairbanks.
Arctic Circle Drive Adventure
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The wild Alaskan landscapes and snow-covered plains of the Arctic Circle lie 200 miles north of Fairbanks. On this tour, set out on an epic road trip along the famous Dalton Highway and follow the route of the early pioneers. Along the way, visit the Arctic Circle Trading Post, admire the views from the Yukon River Bridge, and pose for photos by the Arctic Circle Monument Sign.
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~ Northern Alaska Tour Company
So, you might wonder why Jill gasped when I shared the tour schedule with her. Well…
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This tour was 17 hours from start to finish. Our bus departed Fairbanks at seven a.m. and returned just before midnight. It was a full day of travel and more – a Herculean effort – and not for the faint of heart!
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The truth was, this tour…
Kicked. My. Ass!
But as the saying goes, no pain, no gain.
Before I tell you about my tour, let me answer this burning question: What is the Arctic Circle?
To a layman, like me, it’s an imaginary ring that marked the southern boundary of the Arctic, a region (not a country or a continent, mind you) of land and water that was the northernmost part of Earth. In this map, the Arctic Circle is represented by the dotted blue circle, and everything within that circle is the Arctic region. By the way, despite its smallish appearance on the map, the Arctic region is HUGE. How huge? About 5.5 million square miles – larger than the United States, China, and Canada!
Before I tell you about my tour, let me answer this burning question: What is the Arctic Circle?
To a layman, like me, it’s an imaginary ring that marked the southern boundary of the Arctic, a region (not a country or a continent, mind you) of land and water that was the northernmost part of Earth. In this map, the Arctic Circle is represented by the dotted blue circle, and everything within that circle is the Arctic region. By the way, despite its smallish appearance on the map, the Arctic region is HUGE. How huge? About 5.5 million square miles – larger than the United States, China, and Canada!
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When we crossed the Arctic Circle, there was no physical demarcation – the sudden appearance of snow, for example, or an iceberg or glacier. Nothing, nada, zilch. There was only a simple wooden monument – the one you saw at the top of my story – with a pictorial view of Earth, the North Pole in its center.
Still, the Arctic Circle was a real thing. This was what I learned when I ‘followed the science’... |
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The Arctic Circle is “a line of latitude about 66.33 degrees north of the Equator, which marked the southern limit of the area where the sun does not rise on the winter solstice nor set on the summer solstice.’”
Well, there you have it. Laymen or scientist, choose your definition.
Two things struck me when I looked at this map:
My mind raced as I considered the second point…
We’re gonna need more gas, warmer clothes, and better transportation…or we’re not going to see Santa on this trip!
This was the road map for our trip, which showed the waypoints – the places we stopped – as we traveled north-northwest from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle:
Well, there you have it. Laymen or scientist, choose your definition.
Two things struck me when I looked at this map:
- First, eight countries abutted or had land within the Arctic Circle: Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and the United States.
- Second, the North Pole, which is the geographic center of the Arctic region, was still a far distance from the Arctic Circle – more than 1,600 miles away.
My mind raced as I considered the second point…
We’re gonna need more gas, warmer clothes, and better transportation…or we’re not going to see Santa on this trip!
This was the road map for our trip, which showed the waypoints – the places we stopped – as we traveled north-northwest from Fairbanks to the Arctic Circle:
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Legend:
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For the first 85 miles, the roads we drove along – mostly, it was Alaska Route 2 – were paved. The posted speed limit was 65 mph, and if I had to hazard a guess – based on the number of times we were passed by cars and trucks –, I would say that Rick, our driver and tour guide, drove at a more leisurely pace – perhaps closer to 55 mph.
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I’ve mentioned this a few times in my stories on Alaska, but it’s worth saying again: The two weeks that Jill and I traveled through Alaska were the peak time to see the green foliage change to vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. We never grew tired of the rolling landscape of colorful trees that stretched to distant mountains.
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We stopped at Wildwood General Store, located about 65 miles north of Fairbanks. Also known as the Arctic Circle Trading Post, it boasted “the best selection of Arctic Circle gifts available.” Perhaps it did, but I would never know if this were true or merely tourist hype, as it was closed for the season. That was the bad news.
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The good news was that the bathrooms – unheated outhouses – were opened for business. (Yes, pun intended!). Thirty happy people – my fellow passengers and me – waited patiently in line for their turn.
Rick was in line behind me. Might as well make small talk, I thought. I pointed to the rickety-looking building to our right and said, “That’s a strange place for a lemonade stand.” |
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Rick answered, “This lemonade stand is famous – well, at least it was famous with the truckers who drove up and down the Dalton Highway, which opened in the early 80s. The children of the family that owned the general store started selling lemonade from a simple stand at first, and eventually from this shed. What was different about their stand – some said unique – was that they stored the lemonade in cylinders in the ground to keep it ice cold.”
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Fascinating, I thought, as the line moved forward. I wonder if those enterprising children opened businesses when they became adults. And then it was my turn.
Soon enough, everyone took their seat on the bus. Rick counted noses to be certain that no one was left behind. Satisfied that everyone was on board, he put the bus in gear and onward we drove towards the Arctic Circle.
Twenty miles or so further north, where Alaska Route 2 veered to the west, we picked up Alaska Route 11. We would follow AK-11, better known as the Dalton Highway, north for 135 miles to our destination.
As we approached this fork, Rick announced, “We’ll reach the Dalton Highway shortly, and I have some facts to share with you before we do.”
Here was the gist of what he said:
What did I get myself into? I wondered.
The posted speed limit was 50 mph. With all the ruts we encountered, though, we never approached that speed, and our journey to the Arctic Circle sloooowed…to…a…craaaawl. And it was a good thing we did, because we – the passengers – swayed from side to side and bumped up and down as we traveled the Dalton Highway. In other words, we were jostled – roughly at time – almost the entire drive!
Soon enough, everyone took their seat on the bus. Rick counted noses to be certain that no one was left behind. Satisfied that everyone was on board, he put the bus in gear and onward we drove towards the Arctic Circle.
Twenty miles or so further north, where Alaska Route 2 veered to the west, we picked up Alaska Route 11. We would follow AK-11, better known as the Dalton Highway, north for 135 miles to our destination.
As we approached this fork, Rick announced, “We’ll reach the Dalton Highway shortly, and I have some facts to share with you before we do.”
Here was the gist of what he said:
- Antigua Pass, the highest in Alaska with an elevation of 4,800 feet, was on the Dalton Highway north of the Arctic Circle.
- The Dalton Highway – the only highway to cross the Yukon River – was featured in the reality show Ice Road Truckers.
- Known as “The Loneliest Road in America,” this rugged and rutted two-lane gravel road was one of the most dangerous roads in Alaska. It was steep and slick in some places and muddy in others, and the temperature could plunge to minus 80 degrees in the winter.
What did I get myself into? I wondered.
The posted speed limit was 50 mph. With all the ruts we encountered, though, we never approached that speed, and our journey to the Arctic Circle sloooowed…to…a…craaaawl. And it was a good thing we did, because we – the passengers – swayed from side to side and bumped up and down as we traveled the Dalton Highway. In other words, we were jostled – roughly at time – almost the entire drive!
Our second stop was at the Dalton Highway sign – a photo op if ever there was one.
From a nearby storyboard, I learned that this highway, which was built to facilitate construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in the 1970s, was named in honor of James W. Dalton, a petroleum and mining engineer.
Further up the road, we pulled to have a look-see at a section of the 800-mile pipeline, which I learned about yesterday when I toured Gold Dredge 8 in Fairbanks. This system, which included 11 pumping stations, stretched from Prudhoe Bay up north to the port city of Valdez down south. More than half the pipeline was built above ground so that the hot oil didn’t melt the permafrost. To date, the pipeline had carried nearly 19 billion barrels of oil.
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An hour later, we crossed the E.L. Patton Yukon River Bridge, which spanned the Yukon River. The bridge was named in honor of the first president of the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company, which constructed, owned, and operated the pipeline.
I snapped this photo from inside the bus as I looked towards the west. A voice came over the speaker; it was Rick, of course, who said, “You may not be able to see it from here, but there’s a small island just past the bend in the river. It’s called Sightas Island. Aside from being a local landmark, there is nothing to it, really.”
A piece of arcane trivia, I chuckled to myself. Maybe I will use it some day to win a beer in a bar.
Rick continued, “The Yukon River, which is fed by a glacier, flows west from British Columbia though the Yukon Territory and across Alaska before it empties into the Bering Sea. That’s a distance of almost 2,000 miles.” And then he added, “It’s name came from an Alaska Native word that means white water river, as the glacial runoff is a pale color.”
Cha-ching! Another piece of trivia to wager another beer on.
Not more than one hundred yards past the bridge, we turned left on a dirt and gravel drive (similar in composition to the Dalton Highway) that ended in the parking lot for the Yukon River Camp Café. I checked my watch. It was just past eleven. I was ready for lunch, but first…
Rick led us on a short walk to the river, where we had a terrific view of the Yukon River Bridge – every one of its 2,295 feet supported by a series of steel box girders. Apart from the junk along the shoreline, I thought this scene was picturesque.
A piece of arcane trivia, I chuckled to myself. Maybe I will use it some day to win a beer in a bar.
Rick continued, “The Yukon River, which is fed by a glacier, flows west from British Columbia though the Yukon Territory and across Alaska before it empties into the Bering Sea. That’s a distance of almost 2,000 miles.” And then he added, “It’s name came from an Alaska Native word that means white water river, as the glacial runoff is a pale color.”
Cha-ching! Another piece of trivia to wager another beer on.
Not more than one hundred yards past the bridge, we turned left on a dirt and gravel drive (similar in composition to the Dalton Highway) that ended in the parking lot for the Yukon River Camp Café. I checked my watch. It was just past eleven. I was ready for lunch, but first…
Rick led us on a short walk to the river, where we had a terrific view of the Yukon River Bridge – every one of its 2,295 feet supported by a series of steel box girders. Apart from the junk along the shoreline, I thought this scene was picturesque.
As we walked from the river to the café, I noodled through a ‘math problem.’
Let’s see. We’ve covered 148 miles since we left Fairbanks four hours ago…but I have to deduct one hour for our three stops. So, we drove 148 miles in three hours. One hundred forty divided by three equals 49. Well, not quite, but close enough.
That was our average speed from Fairbanks to the café – 49 mph.
Fifty-five miles per hour on the paved highway, I thought, and considerably slower on the Dalton Highway. Makes sense.
(Nerdy stuff, I know, but I could not help myself because...well...the mind's a terrible thing to waste!)
Let’s see. We’ve covered 148 miles since we left Fairbanks four hours ago…but I have to deduct one hour for our three stops. So, we drove 148 miles in three hours. One hundred forty divided by three equals 49. Well, not quite, but close enough.
That was our average speed from Fairbanks to the café – 49 mph.
Fifty-five miles per hour on the paved highway, I thought, and considerably slower on the Dalton Highway. Makes sense.
(Nerdy stuff, I know, but I could not help myself because...well...the mind's a terrible thing to waste!)
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The café has the atmosphere of a truck stop where road-weary travelers can
enjoy a cup of coffee and a bite to eat. ~Yukon River Camp Cafe |
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I perused the menu as I stood in line to order, and when I reached the counter, I answered the question “What’ll it be?” with “A bowl of salmon chowder and the Mighty Yukon River Burger cooked medium well, please.”
Fifteen minutes later, a runner from the kitchen brought my food. I spooned a taste of soup into my mouth, and then took a bite of my burger. Guess what? Both were…surprisingly good!
As I ate, I chatted with a few of my fellow passengers. Mostly, we compared notes on the places we’ve visited and those we have yet to see. Someone asked about Talkeetna, a historic village south of Denali National Park.
“My daughter and I spent the better part of two days in Talkeetna a week ago,” I said. “On our first day, we wandered through the historic district, which had many early 19th century buildings, as well as restaurants and boutiques. And on the second day, we went on a cruise along the Susitna River. We had a great time!”
Fifteen minutes later, a runner from the kitchen brought my food. I spooned a taste of soup into my mouth, and then took a bite of my burger. Guess what? Both were…surprisingly good!
As I ate, I chatted with a few of my fellow passengers. Mostly, we compared notes on the places we’ve visited and those we have yet to see. Someone asked about Talkeetna, a historic village south of Denali National Park.
“My daughter and I spent the better part of two days in Talkeetna a week ago,” I said. “On our first day, we wandered through the historic district, which had many early 19th century buildings, as well as restaurants and boutiques. And on the second day, we went on a cruise along the Susitna River. We had a great time!”
I nosed around the gift shop after lunch, as this would be my only opportunity to buy a souvenir of my Arctic Circle adventure. I found just the right item: a denim shirt with ‘ARCTIC CIRCLE Alaska’ stitched above the pocket.
I checked my watch. It was half past noon. Time to reboard the bus. Again, Rick counted noses; all accounted for, so off we went. It was a little over 50 miles to the Arctic Circle, a straight drive with no more stops. I passed the time gazing out the window at the spectacular scenery – you know, the fall colors and mountains – that surrounded us.
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Rick turned right from the Dalton Highway onto an unpaved drive that was lined with quaking aspen, juniper, and birch. A few hundred feet in – it could not have been more – I spotted a sign that told me I had reached my bucket-list destination: the Arctic Circle!
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I donned a pair of lined leather gloves and zipped up my down-filled jacket before I left the bus. After all, I was about to step into the Arctic region.
Guess what? It was warmer than I expected – not quite mild, but warm enough to lose the gloves and unzip my jacket.
Like my fellow passengers, I wandered through the immediate area. Quite frankly, there wasn’t much to see apart from the sign. Still, I stayed ‘in the moment’ until I heard Rick say, “Please gather around me.” I turned towards his voice.
Rick stood atop a small red carpet that he had placed on the ground in front of the sign. He had a manilla envelope and a short stack of papers in hand.
“I have a ceremony to perform – a commemoration of your journey to the Arctic Circle, and each of you will be a participant. But first, I have to start the music.”
And that was when I noticed a portable wireless speaker near the base of the sign. With a couple taps on the screen of his cell phone, I heard the opening notes of We Are the Champions by Queen.
Rick called a name and a young lady stepped forward and onto the red carpet alongside him. As the music played in the background (we are the champions, my friends…you’ve brought me fame and fortune…but it’s been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise…no time for losers…’cause we are the champions of the world…) he handed her a certificate and shook her hand. This process was ‘rinse and repeat’ with everyone on our tour.
I must say: When Rick handed the certificate to me, I…FELT…GREAT!
Guess what? It was warmer than I expected – not quite mild, but warm enough to lose the gloves and unzip my jacket.
Like my fellow passengers, I wandered through the immediate area. Quite frankly, there wasn’t much to see apart from the sign. Still, I stayed ‘in the moment’ until I heard Rick say, “Please gather around me.” I turned towards his voice.
Rick stood atop a small red carpet that he had placed on the ground in front of the sign. He had a manilla envelope and a short stack of papers in hand.
“I have a ceremony to perform – a commemoration of your journey to the Arctic Circle, and each of you will be a participant. But first, I have to start the music.”
And that was when I noticed a portable wireless speaker near the base of the sign. With a couple taps on the screen of his cell phone, I heard the opening notes of We Are the Champions by Queen.
Rick called a name and a young lady stepped forward and onto the red carpet alongside him. As the music played in the background (we are the champions, my friends…you’ve brought me fame and fortune…but it’s been no bed of roses, no pleasure cruise…no time for losers…’cause we are the champions of the world…) he handed her a certificate and shook her hand. This process was ‘rinse and repeat’ with everyone on our tour.
I must say: When Rick handed the certificate to me, I…FELT…GREAT!
My certificate read…
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This certifies that Howard Schildhouse has crossed the Arctic Circle and has survived an adventurous journey through the Alaska wilderness.
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What a great memento of this day’s adventure, I thought. I’ll frame and hang this certificate in my office at home.
And that was what I did.
All too soon – in just over an hour from when we arrived – we reboarded the bus to begin our return trip to Fairbanks. I checked my watch. It was almost four o’clock.
“Folks, I hope you enjoyed your lunch at the cafe, because its the only restaurant in this part of Alaska. We’ll stop there for dinner – the only stop we’ll make on the way back.”
Well, I mused, with only one stop, we should be back before midnight.
There was a lot of jibber-jabber as we drove towards the café – everyone was still excited about their experience at the Arctic Circle.
The drive from the café was a different story – very little conversation, as everyone, including me, was bushed…and a bit beat up from driving the ‘Loneliest Road in America.’
We reached Fairbanks before midnight, and I was fast asleep by half past twelve.
And that was what I did.
All too soon – in just over an hour from when we arrived – we reboarded the bus to begin our return trip to Fairbanks. I checked my watch. It was almost four o’clock.
“Folks, I hope you enjoyed your lunch at the cafe, because its the only restaurant in this part of Alaska. We’ll stop there for dinner – the only stop we’ll make on the way back.”
Well, I mused, with only one stop, we should be back before midnight.
There was a lot of jibber-jabber as we drove towards the café – everyone was still excited about their experience at the Arctic Circle.
The drive from the café was a different story – very little conversation, as everyone, including me, was bushed…and a bit beat up from driving the ‘Loneliest Road in America.’
We reached Fairbanks before midnight, and I was fast asleep by half past twelve.
I was well-rested when I woke. Eight solid hours of sleep – just what the doctor ordered. Jill had left a voice message on my phone: “I’ll meet you for breakfast at nine if you’re up by then.”
I quickly showered and dressed, and met her at Miner’s Hall Café, located in the main building at River’s Edge Resort.
“Cold or hot?” I asked Jill.
“Me or breakfast,” she replied with a smile. “I feel almost as bad as I did yesterday. I cannot wait to get home.”
Jill had a noon flight to Seattle, a short layover, and then a flight to Phoenix. She would be home before I left Fairbanks, as I booked a red-eye flight to give me another afternoon of sightseeing.
We opted for the hot buffet – scrambled eggs, sausage patties, country potatoes, and sourdough toast…and two cups of coffee for me.
As we ate, I told Jill about my adventure – everything I saw and learned. When I finished my tale, she asked, “Was it what you expected it to be?”
I took a moment to reflect on ‘how I felt’ rather than ‘what I experienced,’ and then I answered.
“At first – when I stepped off the bus – it felt anticlimactic because the Arctic Circle was not what I envisioned in my mind’s eye. There were no polar bears…or snow…or icebergs…or glaciers…or icy waterways...or explorers, famous or otherwise, apart from my fellow passengers.”
“But then I had an epiphany: I was standing at the southern boundary of the northernmost region on Earth. It was the most remote place I had ever visited – and perhaps will ever visit –, and it’s a place that no one I knew had every been. And…I was close to the top of the world!”
I let that sink in for a moment – as much for me as for Jill –, and then added, “I then realized the true nature of my experience – what I had accomplished, if you will –, and I couldn’t help but smile.”
“Just a smile?” Jill teased.
“Okay,” I replied, “maybe a grin – a BIG grin!”
And with that, we both laughed.
I quickly showered and dressed, and met her at Miner’s Hall Café, located in the main building at River’s Edge Resort.
“Cold or hot?” I asked Jill.
“Me or breakfast,” she replied with a smile. “I feel almost as bad as I did yesterday. I cannot wait to get home.”
Jill had a noon flight to Seattle, a short layover, and then a flight to Phoenix. She would be home before I left Fairbanks, as I booked a red-eye flight to give me another afternoon of sightseeing.
We opted for the hot buffet – scrambled eggs, sausage patties, country potatoes, and sourdough toast…and two cups of coffee for me.
As we ate, I told Jill about my adventure – everything I saw and learned. When I finished my tale, she asked, “Was it what you expected it to be?”
I took a moment to reflect on ‘how I felt’ rather than ‘what I experienced,’ and then I answered.
“At first – when I stepped off the bus – it felt anticlimactic because the Arctic Circle was not what I envisioned in my mind’s eye. There were no polar bears…or snow…or icebergs…or glaciers…or icy waterways...or explorers, famous or otherwise, apart from my fellow passengers.”
“But then I had an epiphany: I was standing at the southern boundary of the northernmost region on Earth. It was the most remote place I had ever visited – and perhaps will ever visit –, and it’s a place that no one I knew had every been. And…I was close to the top of the world!”
I let that sink in for a moment – as much for me as for Jill –, and then added, “I then realized the true nature of my experience – what I had accomplished, if you will –, and I couldn’t help but smile.”
“Just a smile?” Jill teased.
“Okay,” I replied, “maybe a grin – a BIG grin!”
And with that, we both laughed.
I reached the Arctic Circle on the penulimate day of our trip…which means one more day and one more story. Stay tuned!