Head to Fairbanks to See the Aurora Borealis Now

Fairbanks is one of the best places on earth to experience the magic and beauty of the Northern Lights. Fairbanks’ renowned aurora viewing lures people from all over the world during the Aurora Season from August 21 to April 21. The community’s location is ideal for northern lights viewing because it is directly under the “Auroral Oval”—a ring-shaped zone over the far north where aurora activity is concentrated. Additionally, low precipitation in Fairbanks contributes to consistently clear nights. All combined these variables make the Fairbanks region an outstanding destination for possible aurora viewing.

 

The Aurora Tracker

Due to the fact that Fairbanks is an obvious choice for northern lights viewing, Explore Fairbanks has built the Aurora Tracker for the website to assist visiting chasers. The Aurora Tracker correlates three individual streams of data in order to predict northern lights viewing opportunities for six locations in the Fairbanks region. Data streams include aurora forecast data from the Geophysical Institute, weather forecast data for specific northern lights viewing locations, and the number of daylight hours. The aurora will be visible in Fairbanks an average of four out of five nights when the sky is clear and dark enough. Visitors who stay a minimum of three nights and are actively out during the late evening hours increase their chance of seeing the aurora by more than 90 percent.

The solar wind occurs daily and is the wellspring of most aurora activity. Additionally, there are occasional solar storms, correlated with sunspots and the 11-year solar cycle, that also create auroras. Because of our far north position under the “Auroral Oval,” Fairbanks is not impacted by the 11-year solar cycle that affects aurora viewing in other parts of the world. “Since any auroral activity, even at the lowest level, is visible from Fairbanks, observing is not affected by the solar cycle,” said Don Hampton, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.

Seeing the Aurora Borealis

There are many intriguing ways for visitors to chase the aurora in Fairbanks. They can drive to a nearby vantage point and wait for them to appear, view them from a heated “aurorium” cabin or lodge away from the city, see them on a dog sled adventure, or even on a tour farther north above the Arctic Circle. Many lodging properties in Fairbanks offer a wake-up call to alert guests when the lights are out. Once visitors have witnessed the aurora, they can stop by the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center in downtown Fairbanks for a free, personalized aurora certificate from Explore Fairbanks. There are no guarantees, but the longer visitors are here, the better their chances of seeing a great light show.

Information and photo courtesy: Explore Fairbanks

Summer Solstice Events in Fairbanks, Alaska

Summer Solstice, on June 21^st, is Fairbanks, Alaska’s most celebrated summer holiday. Because Fairbanks is located at 65 degrees north latitude, the sky never gets dark for up to 24 hours per day during Midnight Sun Season, April 22 through August 20. Summer Solstice is the apex of the Midnight Sun Season. Three long-standing events that capitalize on the everlasting sunshine include the epic Midnight Sun Festival, the Midnight Sun Baseball Game and the Midnight Sun Run. 

I've never had the pleasure of exploring Fairbanks, but wouldn't this be an extra fun time to travel to Alaska?

Held annually from noon to midnight on the Sunday closest to Solstice, the Midnight Sun Festival is Alaska’s largest single-day event drawing up to 30,000 sun-worshippers. Downtown Fairbanks’ 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rdand 4^th avenues become pedestrian only and turn into a huge street fair offering food, drink, merchandise, information and activities. The cornerstones of the festival are four large stages that present 45 live performances including folk, rap, ballet, rock and more. The free festival is in its 37^th year but history proves that downtown Fairbanks has been celebrating Summer Solstice in a variety of ways for at least a century.

Midnight Sun Festival in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. 
Photo by Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks

The Midnight Sun Baseball game has been held on Solstice for the past 113 of years and has attracted national attention in outlets such as ESPN, Conde Nast and The New York Times. The game begins at 10 p.m. and continues on until 1 a.m. famously without the use of artificial lights. During the course of the baseball game people can watch the sun set and begin to rise without the sky ever getting dark.

The 36^th annual Midnight Sun Run is a quirky Alaskan event that attracts more than 3,500 participants some wearing costumes. Super heroes, bumblebees, swashbucklers and more don running shoes and hit the route at 10 p.m. cruising into and beyond the midnight hour. Not your typical 10K, the Midnight Sun Run winds through neighborhoods where locals host outdoor house parties to cheer on participants.

The Midnight Sun Run in Fairbanks, Alaska—an annual 10K run under the late night summer solstice sun. Photo by Sherman Hogue/Explore Fairbanks

 The Arctic Circle just 140 miles north of Fairbanks is defined by the fact that on Summer Solstice, June 21 (occasionally falling on June 20), the sun never dips below the horizon for 24 hours. The midnight sun is fundamental to summer time in Fairbanks and people worldwide come to bask in the sun and participate in these sunshine-inspired, middle-of-the-night events.

Find out more at explorefairbanks.com

Information Courtesy: Explore Fairbanks

President Obama Signs NATIVE Act - A Boost to Tribal Tourism

President Barack Obama signed S. 1579, the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act Friday.  The Act requires the Departments of Commerce, the Interior, and other Federal agencies with recreational travel or tourism functions to update their management plans and tourism initiatives to include Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.

Sherry L. Rupert, American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) Board President, said "this is an incredibly important day for Indian Country tourism, the beginning of an important collaboration between the federal, tribal and nonprofit sectors to strengthen and grow cultural heritage tourism in the U.S.  We thank the President for signing the bill, and Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i) and John Thune (R-South Dakota) and Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma) for shepherding the legislation through Congress."

Tourism in the United States and in Indian Country is one of the largest and fastest growing sectors of U.S. economic development and job creation.  International tourism to Indian Country grew 181% from 2007 to 2015, resulting in $8.6 billion in direct spending, according to U.S. Department of Commerce figures.

"This law will empower native communities to tell their own stories and build their own economic opportunities, said Senator Brian Schatz. "Visitors are increasingly seeking out a more authentic and historically rich travel experience, and there is nothing more authentic and unique than the cultural tourism experience our native communities provide."

"This is a good, common-sense bill that will have a real impact in tribal communities throughout the country, including the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota nations in South Dakota," said Senator John Thune.

The NATIVE Act will require federal agencies with tourism assets and responsibilities to include tribes and native organizations in national tourism efforts and strategic planning. It will also provide American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian communities with access to resources and technical assistance needed to build sustainable recreational and cultural travel and tourism infrastructure and capacity in order to spur economic development and create good jobs.

Joining the originators of the bill, Senator Schatz, and Senator Thune, the bipartisan co-sponsors of the NATIVE Act in the Senate were Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Al Franken (D-Minn.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), and Gary Peters (D-Mich.).  The bill passed the Senate in June. 

Joining Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla) in House co-sponsorship were Dina Titus (D-NV), Don Young (R-Alaska), Kristi Noem (R-S.D.), Tom Cole (R-Okla.), Betty McCullum (D-Minn.), Mark Amodei (R-Nev), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), and Jared Huffman (D-Cal.).  The bill passed the House last week. 

"The NATIVE Act is a strong piece of legislation that will drive economic growth not only in Native lands and cultural attractions, but also for communities in every corner of the country," said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. "We are pleased to see our government prioritize a measure to expand travel and tourism promotion and attract more international visitors, whose trips often have a tremendous positive ripple effect on the surrounding local economy."

Supporters of the legislation included U.S. Travel Association, American Indian and Alaska Native Tourism Association, Southeast Tourism Society, Western States Tourism Policy Council, National Congress of American Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives, and the Native Enterprise Initiative of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Support also came from tribes and tribal coalitions around the U.S, including the Intertribal Council of the Five Civilized Tribes. Bill Anoutubby, Governor of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, said he wished to thank the legislative sponsors, especially Congressman Markwayne Mullin, for the opportunity to work more closely with federal agencies on tourism.  "The NATIVE Act will help Oklahoma and the Chickasaw Nation continue to strengthen its robust tourism efforts, and for many other tribes across Indian Country, it will create essential relationships with our federal partners and links to audiences across the U.S. and the globe."   

Source: AIANTA Press Release

Travel Writer Raves for 2010 - Best Travel Experiences

Looking back on my travels during 2010, I have to admit I tired of commercial air travel yet gathered some impressive memories. Here are my raves for 2010

Alaska - Alaska and Denali National Park should be on everyone's bucket list. I enjoyed a first class train trip in to Denali and then a full day wilderness tour with a real outdoorswoman, author and musher. Later I got to visit the sled dogs at Denali at their "summer retreat." In Anchorage we shopped for Native art, did a little restaurant and pub hopping and felt, for 10 days, that we were in another land all together.

Sarah Palin... why would you ever want to leave Alaska?

Oregon Coast - The Oregon Coast has always been a favorite of mine. I love seeing the mist in the fir and spruce-filled mountains of the Coastal Range and walking the miles of beach at Rockaway and Cannon beaches. And the sunsets at the end of the day... spectacular! The Oregon Coast remains unspoiled.... a true treasure.

Santa Fe Indian Market - This year I spent an entire week in Santa Fe for Indian Market. Indian Market is not just about Saturday and Sunday and walking the seemingly endless rows of booths. It is about gallery openings, visits with the artists, auctions and shows in the hotels. The opportunities for the art enthusiast are endless. One night we went to the New Mexico History Museum for music and a bit of shopping. Another night we visited with artists in their studios. There is always something going on in Santa Fe during Indian Market week. Make it a week... not just a weekend!

These are the trips that stand out in my mind... trips that anyone can plan. Consider adding these travel experiences to your planner for 2011!