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.
North of Fairbanks, Alaska (September 9, 2022) When Jill and I planned our trip to Alaska, I had four bucket-list goals: Tour Denali National Park and Preserve, visit the Arctic Circle, view the Milky Way, and gaze upon the aurora borealis, aka the ‘northern lights.’ Everything else we did or saw would be icing on the cake.
In his classic love ballad, Meat Loaf sang Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad. Well, three out of four ain’t bad, either!
Jill and I spent the better part of two days in Denali, where we learned about the park’s history and its wildlife, got ‘up close and personal’ with Alaskan huskies, and – this was my dream come true – toured the tundra wilderness. In a word, Denali was spectacular – everything I had hope it would be and more!
Two days hence, we’ll take a day trip to the Arctic Circle. Stay tuned, as I’ll share our experience in an upcoming story.
We’ve not seen the Milky Way, and, sad to say, we likely will not.
And the aurora borealis? It had eluded us from Seward to Talkeetna. But tonight…well, tonight we saw the northern lights as they danced across the sky!!!
In his classic love ballad, Meat Loaf sang Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad. Well, three out of four ain’t bad, either!
Jill and I spent the better part of two days in Denali, where we learned about the park’s history and its wildlife, got ‘up close and personal’ with Alaskan huskies, and – this was my dream come true – toured the tundra wilderness. In a word, Denali was spectacular – everything I had hope it would be and more!
Two days hence, we’ll take a day trip to the Arctic Circle. Stay tuned, as I’ll share our experience in an upcoming story.
We’ve not seen the Milky Way, and, sad to say, we likely will not.
And the aurora borealis? It had eluded us from Seward to Talkeetna. But tonight…well, tonight we saw the northern lights as they danced across the sky!!!
My phone rang a month or so ago…
“Dad, I just received the itinerary for Fairbanks. You’ll never guess where we’ll spend our first night.”
Jill was clearly excited, so this had to be big or unusual. Or maybe it was big AND unusual.
“Chances are I’d be wrong even if I guessed 100 times,” I replied with a chuckle. “So, where will we spend our first night?”
“In an igloo!” she roared. (Well, it sounded like a roar to me.)
“Really? Like the Eskimos?”
“Yes and no. Same shape, different material. This igloo, which is similar to those used on polar expeditions, is built of fiberglass. And get this – a large part of the dome is glass, which means we can explore the Arctic sky from the comfort of our beds! I think this will be our best opportunity to see the northern lights.”
Now I was as excited as Jill.
“Dad, I just received the itinerary for Fairbanks. You’ll never guess where we’ll spend our first night.”
Jill was clearly excited, so this had to be big or unusual. Or maybe it was big AND unusual.
“Chances are I’d be wrong even if I guessed 100 times,” I replied with a chuckle. “So, where will we spend our first night?”
“In an igloo!” she roared. (Well, it sounded like a roar to me.)
“Really? Like the Eskimos?”
“Yes and no. Same shape, different material. This igloo, which is similar to those used on polar expeditions, is built of fiberglass. And get this – a large part of the dome is glass, which means we can explore the Arctic sky from the comfort of our beds! I think this will be our best opportunity to see the northern lights.”
Now I was as excited as Jill.
Borealis Basecamp began with a passionate Alaskan
wanting to share unforgettable scenery, people, and adventures
with the rest of the world. Inspired by a goal of providing the best
immersive experience in North America, this dream became reality.
wanting to share unforgettable scenery, people, and adventures
with the rest of the world. Inspired by a goal of providing the best
immersive experience in North America, this dream became reality.
~ Borealis Basecamp
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This Alaskan resort, which opened in 2017, was located 25 miles north of Fairbanks. The property – about 100 acres – sat on a dark and quiet ridgeline surrounded by a boreal forest of pine and spruce – an ideal setting, with no pollution from city lights, to view the aurora borealis.
When we arrived mid-afternoon, the temperature was about 50 degrees – on par with what we’ve experienced so far on our trip. There were few clouds overhead, but within an hour, they blanketed the sky. |
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“Tut, tut,” said Winnie the Pooh, “it looks like rain.”
I silently prayed for clear skies tonight.
After we checked in, a house attendant (I didn’t catch his name, so I’ll call him ‘Andy’) led us to our private igloo – one of 20. We were glad he did, as each one looked like the next.
When we stepped inside, Andy said, “There are a couple of things I’d like to point out.”
Jill and I were all ears.
“The toilet is a dry flush. Every time you flush, a liner in the bowl collapses and twists to seal the waste, and then is compressed into a container. We installed a new cartridge today, so you’re good for 15 flushes.”
Fifteen flushes, I thought. We’ll be here less than 24 hours. Yep, it ought to be enough.
As if Andy had read my mind, he added, “Call the desk if you need a new cartridge.”
“Every igloo is equipped with a plug-in aurora alarm,” Andy said as he pointed to the outlet between the twin beds. “It will chirp to alert you of any aurora activity.”
Nice!
So, would you like to see our digs? Of course, you would!
This was the outside…
After we checked in, a house attendant (I didn’t catch his name, so I’ll call him ‘Andy’) led us to our private igloo – one of 20. We were glad he did, as each one looked like the next.
When we stepped inside, Andy said, “There are a couple of things I’d like to point out.”
Jill and I were all ears.
“The toilet is a dry flush. Every time you flush, a liner in the bowl collapses and twists to seal the waste, and then is compressed into a container. We installed a new cartridge today, so you’re good for 15 flushes.”
Fifteen flushes, I thought. We’ll be here less than 24 hours. Yep, it ought to be enough.
As if Andy had read my mind, he added, “Call the desk if you need a new cartridge.”
“Every igloo is equipped with a plug-in aurora alarm,” Andy said as he pointed to the outlet between the twin beds. “It will chirp to alert you of any aurora activity.”
Nice!
So, would you like to see our digs? Of course, you would!
This was the outside…
…and here was the inside.
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It was basic but cozy.
The curved window, which faced northeast (the better to see the northern lights from the inside out), stretched 16 feet across the front – roughly the diameter of the igloo. Let’s see, I thought. The square footage of a circle is pi times the diameter. I opened the calculator on my phone and entered the numbers, using 3.14 to approximate pi. Nerdy stuff, right?!
“Jill, the area of this igloo is a little over 200 square feet – a bit bigger than a standard-size cabin on a cruise ship.”
No reply – just a look and a smile that I knew meant, “Whatever, dad.”
I pressed on.
“There are no drapes.”
“Well of course not,” she replied. “Remember, a big part of the experience here is to immerse ourselves in the night sky, and we wouldn’t be able to do this if we shut out the moon, stars, and northern lights.”
“No, I guess not...but I hope the moon doesn’t keep us up all night!” I said with a wink.
(It didn’t.)
The curved window, which faced northeast (the better to see the northern lights from the inside out), stretched 16 feet across the front – roughly the diameter of the igloo. Let’s see, I thought. The square footage of a circle is pi times the diameter. I opened the calculator on my phone and entered the numbers, using 3.14 to approximate pi. Nerdy stuff, right?!
“Jill, the area of this igloo is a little over 200 square feet – a bit bigger than a standard-size cabin on a cruise ship.”
No reply – just a look and a smile that I knew meant, “Whatever, dad.”
I pressed on.
“There are no drapes.”
“Well of course not,” she replied. “Remember, a big part of the experience here is to immerse ourselves in the night sky, and we wouldn’t be able to do this if we shut out the moon, stars, and northern lights.”
“No, I guess not...but I hope the moon doesn’t keep us up all night!” I said with a wink.
(It didn’t.)
Jill felt a cold coming on, so we relaxed until it was time for dinner. Since the wi-fi was spotty at best, I read from a book that I had downloaded to my Kindle. Soon I heard a rhythmic tapping.
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Oh-oh, I thought, is that rain?
I looked up, and sure enough it was. The rain – more of a drizzle – tapped pitter patter against the window. Again, I said a silent prayer. |
“Dad, it’s six. I’m ready for dinner if you are.”
Thirty minutes later, we were seated at a window table in Latitude 65, the only restaurant on site (and only restaurant for miles around). We perused the menu, which included several appetizers, a few salads, and a handful of entrees.
“Jill, do you know what you want?”
She nodded and signaled the waitress.
“Would you like to order appetizers?” our waitress asked. (I’ll call her Sara.)
“I’ll start with the seared scallops,” Jill said, “and my dad will have a bowl of soup.”
Thirty minutes later, we were seated at a window table in Latitude 65, the only restaurant on site (and only restaurant for miles around). We perused the menu, which included several appetizers, a few salads, and a handful of entrees.
“Jill, do you know what you want?”
She nodded and signaled the waitress.
“Would you like to order appetizers?” our waitress asked. (I’ll call her Sara.)
“I’ll start with the seared scallops,” Jill said, “and my dad will have a bowl of soup.”
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“And for your entrees?”
“Both of us will have the sockeye salmon,” I replied. “And I’d like a glass of the Alaska 8 Star Lager.” “Excellent choices,” Sara said. As it turned out, Sara was mostly right…but I’ll get to this in a moment. |
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It was still drizzling when we left our igloo – enough to warrant umbrellas, which now sat in small puddles on the floor next to us. After Sara took our order, I glanced out the window.
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“Jill, take a look,” I said. “It stopped raining, and the clouds are breaking up.”
Maybe Mother Nature heard my prayer, I mused. |
“I’m feeling better about our chances of seeing the northern lights,” said Jill. “Fingers crossed.”
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Sara brought our appetizers.
While Jill took a bite of her scallops, I tasted the first spoonful of my soup. “This is delicious,” I said. “Rich and creamy!” |
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“I wish I could say the same for my scallops. They’re undercooked – nearly raw.”
There would be hell to pay in this kitchen, I thought, if Chef Ramsay were here!
I flagged Sara. Jill explained the problem. Sara apologized profusely, and asked Jill if she would like a new order.
“Hmm…no thank you,” Jill said.
There would be hell to pay in this kitchen, I thought, if Chef Ramsay were here!
I flagged Sara. Jill explained the problem. Sara apologized profusely, and asked Jill if she would like a new order.
“Hmm…no thank you,” Jill said.
Both of us enjoyed the salmon, which was served over sweet potato hash, vanilla bean soubise, and vegetables.
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For dessert, we shared a warm fudge brownie with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream topped with nuts.
Our meals were good (ex the scallops, of course), but not the best on our trip.
I checked my watch. It was eight o’clock. The sky was a palette of pastel colors, a sure sign that the sun was setting.
Our meals were good (ex the scallops, of course), but not the best on our trip.
I checked my watch. It was eight o’clock. The sky was a palette of pastel colors, a sure sign that the sun was setting.
“Jill,” I said, “the sun will dip below the horizon in 45 minutes. Let’s head back to the igloo while it’s still light.”
Here was our view – from inside looking out – as the sun sank further and further towards the horizon.
Here was our view – from inside looking out – as the sun sank further and further towards the horizon.
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And then it was dark. Well, almost dark, because a full moon, as it rose, lit up the sky.
“Darn it,” I said. (Okay, I might have said, “Damn it!”) “The moon will wash out the stars.”
And it did, which dashed my hopes of seeing the Milky Way.
I checked my watch. Nine o’clock. No northern lights. Nine-thirty? Nope. Ten o’clock? Uh-uh.
“Jill, I’m going to close my eyes. If I fall asleep, wake me if you see the northern lights.”
“Darn it,” I said. (Okay, I might have said, “Damn it!”) “The moon will wash out the stars.”
And it did, which dashed my hopes of seeing the Milky Way.
I checked my watch. Nine o’clock. No northern lights. Nine-thirty? Nope. Ten o’clock? Uh-uh.
“Jill, I’m going to close my eyes. If I fall asleep, wake me if you see the northern lights.”
The Aurora Borealis or northern light
With its scintillations so strangely bright,
Shifting and dancing along the sky –
A picture of beauty to please the eye.
~ From Aurora Borealis by Canadian poet S. Moore
With its scintillations so strangely bright,
Shifting and dancing along the sky –
A picture of beauty to please the eye.
~ From Aurora Borealis by Canadian poet S. Moore
But Jill didn’t have to wake me, because the ‘aurora alarm’ chirped. I checked my watch. It was 10:25.
“Dad, are you up?”
“I am. Can you see the northern lights?”
“Yes! Let’s go outside.”
For nearly an hour, we gazed up awestruck by a dazzling and ever-changing display of light!
“Dad, are you up?”
“I am. Can you see the northern lights?”
“Yes! Let’s go outside.”
For nearly an hour, we gazed up awestruck by a dazzling and ever-changing display of light!
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Jill, with her iPhone 11 Pro, was our cameraman because the camera on my phone, an Android, did not ‘see’ the northern lights. (Oh, was I bummed!) While not as sharp as photos taken with a DSLR camera, the pics in this story will give you a good idea of what the northern lights looked like, and how they are ever changing.
What Are Northern Lights?
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The bright dancing lights of the aurora are collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as 'Aurora borealis' in the north and 'Aurora australis' in the south.
Auroral displays appear in many colors, based on the type of particles that collide, although pale green and pink are the most common. The lights appear in many forms from patches or scattered clouds of light to streamers, arcs, rippling curtains or shooting rays that light up the sky with an eerie glow.
~ Northern Lights Space and Science Centre
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The lights we saw were shades of green, which meant that they were produced by oxygen molecules that collided 60 miles or more above the surface of the earth.
“Dad, did you know that Aurora was the Roman goddess of the dawn?” |
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“I did, but if the northern lights occur at night and Aurora is the goddess of dawn, why are the northern lights called Aurora borealis – literally, dawn of the north?”
Jill was stumped (as was I), so I did a quick search on the internet to find the answer.
“According to this webpage,” I said, “the Romans associated the northern lights with a new day, believing them to be Aurora as she raced across the sky in her multi-colored chariot to alert her siblings, Helios and Seline, of another new beginning.”
Jill was stumped (as was I), so I did a quick search on the internet to find the answer.
“According to this webpage,” I said, “the Romans associated the northern lights with a new day, believing them to be Aurora as she raced across the sky in her multi-colored chariot to alert her siblings, Helios and Seline, of another new beginning.”
I thought of the "Golden City,"
Where the wondrous lights unfurl;
Of its sea of clearest crystal,
Of its gates--each one a pearl;
Thought, till the glowing splendor
Had questly passed us by,
And the track of Aurora's chariot
Bleached out from the northern sky!
~ From Aurora Borealis by May Riley Smith
Where the wondrous lights unfurl;
Of its sea of clearest crystal,
Of its gates--each one a pearl;
Thought, till the glowing splendor
Had questly passed us by,
And the track of Aurora's chariot
Bleached out from the northern sky!
~ From Aurora Borealis by May Riley Smith
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We watched the northern lights as they danced and morphed in the night sky, and then danced and morphed again. And as they did, Jill and I ‘oohed’ and ‘aahed.’ It was a spectacular show.
As the full moon rose higher in the night sky, the northern lights began to fade from our view, and soon the show we hoped would never end was over. |
“Dad, this was a surreal experience,” Jill exclaimed.
I chuckled and said, “That’s a great word to describe what we saw. A mix of fact and fantasy – the melding of science and myth.”
Yep, I thought, Mother Nature heard AND answered my prayer, blessed us with this magical experience, and gave us memories that will last a lifetime.
Tomorrow, we start the last leg of our Alaskan adventure – a few days in Fairbanks. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you.
I chuckled and said, “That’s a great word to describe what we saw. A mix of fact and fantasy – the melding of science and myth.”
Yep, I thought, Mother Nature heard AND answered my prayer, blessed us with this magical experience, and gave us memories that will last a lifetime.
Tomorrow, we start the last leg of our Alaskan adventure – a few days in Fairbanks. I look forward to sharing our experiences with you.