Chena Hot Springs (March 8 to March 10, 2023)

Synopsis:
   Soak in Hot Springs
   Aurora Ice Museum Tour and Appletini 
   Geothermal and Green House Tour
   Chena Kennel Tour

For reference, our fall trip to Chena Hot Springs (CHS) is documented in 'Our Trip to Chena Hot Springs' posted 11-05-2022.  BB and I enjoyed our visit to CHS last fall and hope this visit with Jack and Ann will be just as enjoyable. 

The temperature is in the mid-20s with light snow when we arrive at Chena Hot Springs (CHS) Wednesday afternoon.  It sets the tone for the rest of our stay.  It is overcast with light snow every day we are at the resort.  Friday, the day we leave, is the coldest with temps in the teens.

We check in and are assigned a room in the Moose Lodge. Perfect!  As we unpack the car I notice the mother and 2 daughters that sat behind us on the train and had the room next to us at Pike's Waterfront Lodge walking in the parking lot.

We open the main door to the Moose Lodge and see this!

And other moose decorations.

We settle in to our room and decide to check out the Activity Center and plan tomorrow's activities.  We sign up for three activities:

   11:00  -  Aurora Ice Museum Tour and Appletini 
   01:00  -  Geothermal and Green House Tour
   04:00  -  Chena Kennel Tour

We leave the Activity Center and head for the restaurant located in the Main Building.  We decide on an early dinner to beat the dinner crowd and allow time for a soak in the hot springs.  We pass the front desk on the way to dinner and put in a request for extra towels (we had 2 instead of 4 sets) and check that we are on the call list if the Northern Lights (NL) appear.

We definitely beat the dinner crowd by eating early.  We enjoyed our hamburgers, chicken BLT sandwich, and soup and Chena Tomato Rose.  We return to our room in the Moose Lodge to rest and digest before going for a soak in the hot springs.

A knock at the door is housekeeping bringing extra towels.   We ask about a lamp that isn't working.  Turns out we need 3 new lightbulbs, which housekeeping promptly obtains and installs.  The new bulbs certainly brighten the room!

Ann has a plan to streamline getting ready for bed.  We will wear our swim suits and pajamas to the hot springs.  When we leave the hot springs we will shower in the locker room, put our PJs and coats on and walk back to our room.  All that will be left to do is brush our teeth!

There are lots of people in the springs, more than when BB and I were here last fall.  Still, there is room for 4 more!  We enjoy soaking in the hot water and watching the snow fall.  We move around the pool looking for the hottest spots in the water.  We look at the overcast sky and give up hope for NLs.

Our plan for a streamlined bedtime process is foiled.  No hot water in the bathhouse!  An  additional irritant is that I can't get my locker open.  I go to the lobby and inform the attendant.  She follows me back and successfully opens it using her master key.  We dry off, put our PJs and coats on and go back to the room to shower and get ready for bed.  

We have a relaxing Thursday morning waiting until it is time to go on the Aurora Ice Museum Tour.  I go to the restaurant to pick up coffee for BB and me. I come back to Jack and BB singing this song to the tune of Goober Peas:

     Sitting in a hot springs on a winter's day
     The water's not as warm as what the people say.
     Waiting for the Lights but the clouds are in the way!
     Getting bored waiting for the Lights to display.

Time to start our tours!

The ice sculptures at the Ice Museum haven't changed since November.  What is different this visit is that we can watch a person carving Appletini glasses.

Carving Appletini glasses.

It starts with an ice block.

The blocks become Appletini glasses.

At the Ice Bar enjoying our Appletinis.

Jack and BB prepare to smash their glasses for good luck.

Ann takes hers back to the room!

Jack and Ann in the Ice Chapel.

The Geothermal tour is crowded.  Just like last fall, we visit the greenhouse first.  On the way to the geothermal power plant we pass the Activity Center and our guide says she would like to split the group and asks for volunteers to wait at the Activity Center.  We volunteer to wait. And we wait. And wait some more. We see her come back; however, instead of gathering us up for the tour of the power plant she is gathering people for an Aurora Ice Museum Tour.  She says she came back to get those who waited.  We never heard or saw her.  We wonder how all four of us managed to missed her.

In the greenhouse.

In the Activity Center waiting for the Geothermal Plant tour.

The Chena Kennels are a short walk from the Resort's main gate. Our guide gives a history of the Iditarod race and a description of the Alaskan Husky.  Then she takes us to the dog yard...SO WE CAN PET THE DOGS!!!

The different dog breeds that combined to become the Alaskan Huskey.

The dog yard.

Us with the dogs!!!

And doggie kisses!

Ann lost a glove sometime early afternoon.  She retraces her steps and finds it at the Activity Center's Lost and Found.  A nice person turned it in. Thank you nice person!

Another early dinner and then early to bed.  

We leave early Friday morning.  The return trip to Fairbanks is cold with some snow showers.

This visit didn't live up to the expectations we had based on last November's visit.  Part of it is due to Mother Nature.  We really wanted to see a spectacular Northern Lights.  Mother Nature decreed snow showers and cloudy skies, so that put an end to any expectation of seeing the NLs.  The housekeeping issues (towels, burned out lightbulbs) certainly were not a deal breaker and were quickly remedied.  The bath house issues (no hot water, locker problem) added to the housekeeping issues, made me wonder if there was a larger problem.  Being forgotten by the tour guide still has me puzzled.  She knew we volunteered to stay for the second tour through the power plant.  I don't understand why she didn't see us waiting.  And I don't understand how none of us heard her announce she was leaving for the second tour to the plant.

It was still nice to be with family.  And the scenery is beautiful.

Sal