"Just the right latitude" Fairbanks by sswagner

Fairbanks is not often seen as a travel destination in itself, rather it acts as a gateway to the destination. I came to Fairbanks twice in the winter in search of the Northern Lights. During the first visit, the clouds blocked the view of the sky. The next visit a few months later yielded drastically different results. Fairbanks is right in the heart of the planetary zone where the aurora is most likely to show up. If it is nighttime here and it is clear, you have an excellent chance of seeing something in the sky. It is good to get away from the city lights. Cleary Summit north of the city is a good area to go.

During the daytime, there are good daytrips from Fairbanks. Chena Hot Springs is an excellent choice. One can also drive towards Denali National Park. The road is open to the headquarters area. If it is not too cold, yu can walk around there a little bit.

Fairbanks is not too large, however it serves a rather large area. If you have time, stop at the University of Alaska and visit the museum there.

• Pros:Good location for Northern Lights, plenty of accomodations
• Cons:Unpredictable weather, although likely very cold
• In a nutshell:A good place to start a visit of the Alaskan interior