Accommodation & Alaskan Wilderness, Top Sights in Fairbanks, and Coffee Huts

Welcome to Fairbanks, Alaska! A land where wilderness stretches as far as the eye can see, local sights dazzle with their natural beauty, and local food reflects the rich cultural history of the Last Frontier. Nestled amidst the stunning landscapes of interior Alaska, Fairbanks offers a unique blend of outdoor adventure, fascinating attractions, and culinary delights that capture the essence of this northern paradise.

Join me on a journey through Fairbanks and the surrounding communities, as we explore the untamed wilderness that surrounds the city, uncover hidden gems among its local sights, and experience the local coffee huts. Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a history buff, or seeking new culinary experiences, Fairbanks promises an unforgettable adventure that celebrates the spirit of Alaska in all its rugged beauty and charm. So, lace up your boots, pack your sense of wonder, and let's embark on an exploration of Fairbanks, where every corner reveals a piece of Alaska's unique allure.

Accommodation & Into the Alaskan Wilderness

During my time in Alaska with family we stayed in North Pole a town just outside of downtown Fairbanks in a house along a beautiful local river thanks to AirBnb. I recommend booking an AirBnb near the woods or by a river when traveling to Alaska, this will allow you to soak in the beautiful Alaskan wilderness at all times during your trip. The house provided us with the ability to go and take a cold plunge in the river, cook & enjoy local food, and get a peek behind the curtain of what life in Alaska is like for those who live there. For locals, the process of getting fresh drinking water supplied into the house is different than most of us in the western world are used to. I was sitting in the kitchen one morning making a coffee while looking out into the woods, preparing myself for a hike through Denali National Park. Then a water truck appeared from the woods and came down the driveway. It backed up against the house and started pumping water into the connection on the side of the house. This caught me off guard as I am used to having established water pipes below the house that tap into the local water source. This was not the case in Fairbanks, due to the insanely cold winter and year round permafrost they cannot have pipes below ground as they will permanently freeze.

Then it was time to head to Denali National Park which is about a two hour drive south from Fairbanks. The drive going down from Fairbanks offered inspiring landscapes including scenery from open grassy fields, to roaring rivers, and jagged mountain tops. On the way into Denali National Park an adventurous and fun excursion awaits you, this is the local four wheeling tour of the area surrounding Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. It was a guided tour with about 15 other four wheelers in our party. We went through the woods, down into the valleys where we checked out the river banks, and headed up into the mountains for an aerial view of the central Alaskan mountain range. The tour took us to multiple stops along the way to explain certain historical landmarks in the area. If you have no experience on a four wheeler do not worry there is a brief instructional session that is offered before going out into the mountains which will help to prepare you for the journey. For those of you looking for more of an adrenaline hit than what hiking can offer, four wheeling through the Alaskan mountains should be added to your must-see list during your time in Fairbanks and its surrounding areas.

After four wheeling, as we continued our drive into the park we stopped in the Denali Park just outside of the official park entrance this is the go to place for souvenir shopping, RV camping, and local eating. We stopped here to grab some souvenirs and do a few "touristy" things before we continued up the road and into the National Park. We ended up driving to the middle of the park and found a parking lot to leave the car in. We grabbed our cameras, hiking shoes, and then headed up to the top of a mountain ridge. At the top of the ridge there was a great view of the valleys below offering a sense of calm and serenity. There is a unique smell in the air as well, it is the smell of fresh air in the open vast wilderness of Alaska. It smells crisp, clean, and fresh which was quite energizing!. This was also quite unique to me as I have never experienced that sense of openness and the smell that comes along with it. Also, the park was filled with wildlife we saw multiple elk and numerous species of birds, watching the elk feed on the grass was a highlight for many. If you are planning on going to this park make sure to go to in the summer as the park closes for the winter, I highly recommend checking this out when looking for great landscapes and wildlife sightings to experience the vast Alaskan Wilderness!

Top Sights in Fairbanks

One of our first sight seeing journey's outside of Fairbanks city limits was a trip just North of Fairbanks to Chatanika to visit an abandoned gold dredge. Alaska has a long history of mining for gold so I wanted to checkout the gold dredge to get a pulse of the land I had just journeyed into. The abandoned dredge was intimidating at first and as we walked closer and closer towards it the features started to become more and more evident. There was something beautiful about how it was aging, you can feel the Alaskan wilderness starting to overtake the abandoned dredge. We then hopped onto the gold dredge and looked around, even though it has been abandoned for years the feeling as if the workers were just there was in the air and gave me goosebumps. The dredge is not the only thing to see here, there are also small cabins surrounding the dredge. One can only imagine what it would have been like to live in these cabins and work on the dredge back in the day. There is beauty in the abandonment of the Chatanika gold dredge. I recommend to anyone looking for a peek into Alaska's storied history and into those pioneers who have settled into the last great frontier!

As the week went on hopping into a warm thermal spring was sounding more and more inviting. With this realization, we packed our bags and headed to the Chena Hot Springs Resort for a day trip to have some fun at the ice bar, soak in the thermal bath, & learn about the history of snow dogs in Alaska. Upon arriving into Chena Hot Springs we were greeted with rushing rivers where locals were fishing and were greeted by other visitors wanting to take in the scenery. First we went on the ice bar tour, where we headed into a large igloo structure. This igloo hosts artists workstations, a group tour to the bar, & available hotel rooms. Upon entering the igloo we were first able to view the workstations of the artists where the new ice sculptures were being worked on. This was just the beginning as we continued to the back of the igloo we found ourselves at the ice bar surrounded by the completed ice sculptures. The drink served during the tour was a green apple cinnamon martini (Appletini), which was an oddly satisfying cold summer drink. The Appletini was served in a glass made completely of ice. After finishing the drink, we went outside to smash the glass on the ground as we made a good luck wish. I have to admit it was colder than I was expecting inside the ice bar so were eager to jump into the hot springs. We paid our admission fee of $18/person and got access to the thermal spring pool. If you can, you will want to bring a towel as they cost an additional $5 at the springs. Some areas within the hot springs pool were very hot while other areas had just lukewarm water, offering a temperature range suitable for all visitors which I found to be appealing. After we dried off from jumping into the hot springs we decided to wrap up our day trip at the snow dog park. I have always heard about the "Alaskan Sled Dogs" but have never seen them in person. Seeing the dogs in person gave me a new appreciation for these powerful animals and their owners. We witnessed them getting selected to pull the sled, this is where the dogs truly came alive! They could sense the musher was getting ready to embark on a journey, this is when they started to howl and show off in hopes they would be one of the lucky dogs who get selected to pull the sled. This experience just screamed Alaska and one I will never forget.

We ended the last day of the trip by checking out downtown Fairbanks to see what this city has to offer away from the wilderness. My family and I started off in the Golden Heart Plaza, where we were greeted by a statue paying tribute to the native tribes who call this land their home. The plaza is located along the 100-mile-long Chena River that runs through the middle of downtown Fairbanks. We then proceeded to walk through the streets of downtown, which had an old western winterized style to them. I can say I have never been to a city quite like Fairbanks; it is quiet and quaint even in the busiest parts of downtown.

We checked out a few restaurants in the downtown area, and my favorite was Salty's on 2nd, which offered large and delicious breakfast portions along with mimosas. The chandelier inside, made from moose and elk antlers, gave it that Alaskan feel which was warm and inviting. After eating, we headed over the Chena River and across the Veteran's Memorial Bridge. The bridge offered great views of the Fairbanks city skyline, which is great for photo opportunities—just be careful of the cars on the bridge. Downtown Fairbanks is good for a one-day trip to see all of the sights. I would not spend more than a day exploring downtown as everything is close together, so it does not take long to explore this beautiful northern city.

Alaskan Coffee Huts

I personally love coffee, when researching for this trip to Fairbanks I was super excited to read that Alaska has around 120 coffee huts, located in towns, villages, parking lots, and on street corners around the state. This is roughly one kiosk for every 6,100 Alaskans! Within the Fairbanks city limits you will find multiple coffee huts that traditionally offer drinks such coffees, teas, and cold drinks like a Redbull Kicker which is a local energy drink favorite. These shacks are drive-thru only as they are meant for a quick coffee stop to keep locals warm during the brutally cold winters. We ultimately decided to check out Mocha Moose which was right across from the Fort Wainright army base, and right down the street from our AirBnb. At Mocha Moose, food is offered in addition to drinks. We went in the morning to grab a special coffee and picked up a breakfast burrito which was amazing. For a small coffee hut I did not expect the food to be memorable, I could not have been more wrong. The burrito was tasty and filling, it was as if it came out of a four star restaurant which was truly remarkable. Definitely check out one of the numerous coffee shacks throughout the city of Fairbanks for a local bite and local experience.

-Christian Fernandez

cferTravels