| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 5/9/2008 6:37:17 AM | Well I have decided to goto Alaska and I am thinking March. I hear March is one of the best times to see the northern lights. I have found a few places but they Look $$$
Bettles Lodge - 100 miles north of Fairbanks in the Artic circle
Or do ihave a good shot of seeing them from Fairbanks
Does anyone know of tour companies that do side trips north to see the lights.
Does anyone wish to join me, I was thinking a few nights up seeing the lights and then Denali park with a few side tours in to see the glaciers. Unless there are a must see while I am there? Need help | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 5/11/2008 9:46:14 AM | | You definately have a shot to see them from Fairbanks. I live in the middle of the Canadian prairies and am amazed and in awe everytime I see them! Which is often! | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 5/12/2008 12:50:55 PM | | Wow I take it is is a great sight to see. Do you live above the circle? | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/16/2008 4:25:28 AM | | Wondering how you went with your research. I am planning to be in Alaska next March to see the lights. Have found some reasonable hostels in fairbanks if interested. | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/17/2008 8:42:07 PM | | Have you ordered your free Alaskan travel guide from the state tourism board? | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/19/2008 10:17:04 PM | Hey Sharkey, I just returned from a 10 day Alaska cruise in mid May. What our group was told is that the best time to see the lights is in December or January. Reason being, there needs to be darkness to really experience the full beauty and right now as far up as Fairbanks, real darkness didn't set in til around 11:30 Pm or Midnight. There was light 19 1/2 hours out of 24.
I must say though that I still enjoyed my trip. Saw some beautiful sights that I will always remember. Well worth the money in my opinion. This was my first cruise ever and I totaly enjoyed it .
Sweetlady01 | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/19/2008 10:23:53 PM | Oops. Gorgot to add, Denali park is very pretty. We stayed 2 nights at the Princess lodge in Denali, and took a 3 hour bus tour of the park.
Everyone would get so excited when we spotted wildlife. " LOOK! LOOK ! there is a moose! "
" Everybody check out 3/4 of the way to the top of those mountains, Dall Sheep ! "
" Did anyone see the bear ? "
When the clouds aren't hanging in too low, you can catch some good views of Mt McKinley from Denali Park. The Alaskan Indians in the area ( Athabaskan ) call the mountain Denali also. | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/19/2008 10:26:05 PM | | Should have said " forgot " not gorgot. My one good typing finger went crazy. :-) | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/20/2008 12:40:12 PM | I don't think you can get around price when going anywhere in the North, I'm afraid.
If the US dollar gets better, you might want to consider the exchange rate, and visiting Churchill, Manitoba.
My advise to you is that you can't really predict cloud cover, and you should probably plan for something ELSE to see/do in the event you don't ever see the Lights, otherwise, you will feel like you wasted money going up there. So your plan to see glaciers is a great one (keep it flexible). For Churchill, I'm not sure about wildlife spotting in March, but look at the tourism packages there, because I know they have thousands of beluga whales that show up in the spring (you can snorkel with them). The tour group I used was awesome (www.tundrabuggy.com)
I went in October for the polar bear migration - very cool (pun intended).. although, I went specifically to see bears with the thought that if I see the lights, fantastic. October tends to be overcast, so the odds are lower... but fortune smiled and I am still in absolute awe with the display I witnessed. Truly unbelievable and well worth the price of admission.
Good luck with your trip! | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/26/2008 5:19:23 AM | Ahh I know what you mean about the weather and cloud cover. The only reason I considered it was beacause the air was free. I signed up for the Alaskian Airlines credit card and they gave me 20,000 miles. I only need that many for a free round trip to Alaska during the off season. NY to Fairbanks or Anchorage But I havent looked into hotels yet. Well I did a few but they were very pricey for the artic circle
Right now my next trip is to:
Ixtapa, Mexico Oct 11-18
Costa rica Feb 4-14
Caba San Lucas April 22-May 2 | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/28/2008 4:20:21 PM |
When the clouds aren't hanging in too low, you can catch some good views of Mt McKinley from Denali Park. The Alaskan Indians in the area ( Athabaskan ) call the mountain Denali also.
Not one Alaskan calls Denali "Mt. McKinley." That name was forced on the mountain, not chosen by us. We all call it Denali. | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/28/2008 4:45:55 PM | | Sharky--I only seen the northern lights once , that was passing through Manatoba. Its something that is truly amazing to see, so I hope you have the chance to witness them. I also see that your planning on a trip to Ixtapa , Mexico. I was there 3 times and ended up getting my own apartment in Zihuatanejo which is about a 15 minute drive from Ixtapa. If you havent booked the accomadations yet and are more interested in perhaps staying in a small village , then msg me and I can get you hooked up....enjoy your holidays | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/28/2008 6:50:13 PM | | I would love to see Alaska as well. The hotels in Fairbanks should be more reasonable in March there high season is usually May (although I have dealt more with Anchorage then Fairbanks). The lights are awesome enough in Northern Sask they would be breathtaking in Fairbanks. | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/29/2008 6:22:49 AM | | The lights are one of those trips I am planning to squeeze in. I hit 25 years on the job on MArch 12 2009 and was going to celibrate by going to Alaska. Since the flight is free. I am now looking at places to stay. To go above the artic circle is about $700 for a few days which is pricey. So that is the only thing holding me back as I have to divide the $ over too many trip already booked | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/29/2008 6:24:18 AM | | HI kaz what type of places have you looked at for March? I tried to message you but the age thingy blocked it | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/30/2008 6:25:47 PM | | Man you gotta go in the spring or sumer. Sure the northern lights will be great to see, but when there during the long days you will be able to see so much more. Ride the bus all the way to Kantishna in Denali NP, the thousands of waterfalls on the drive to Valdez, grizzly's and caribou every where you look and a visit to my favorite small town it the entire world....................Homer. | |
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| Alaska Northern Lights
Posted: 6/30/2008 6:28:18 PM | I lived in Homer when I first moved to Alaska in 1975. Back then, it WAS a 'small town.' Only one paved road that led into town and went out onto the Spit. And there were many, many fewer buildings on it than now. In fact, if you wanted to live "on a road," you had to build the road, which I did.
It was great back then. Not so great now. It's too big and busy. | |
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