Alaskan M(oo)sings: Fairbanks: Northern Lights, Ice Sculptures and MISC (03-07/08-2023)

Synopsis:
Pike's Waterfront Lodge
Northern Lights
Antler Arch
Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center
2023 World Ice Art Championships

We, along with several other passengers from the train, stay the night at Pike's Waterfront Lodge. How did we pick this hotel? It offers free airport and Alaska Railroad Depot shuttle pick up and drop off and a free pie! Besides getting two room keys at check in we get a 6 inch peach pie. Not the biggest pie for 4 people; however, peach is not my favorite so I give up my share. The others seem to enjoy it.

We learn two things at check in. We can put our names on the list to call if the Northern Lights decide to appear; which we do. Ice cream is available in the Lobby for another 15 minutes. We rush to our room, drop our luggage, take turns in the bathroom and hurry back down to get our ice cream. We thought the ice cream was complimentary. It wasn't. But we thought it was a good deal at $1.00 a scoop.

Yes, we like ice cream.

The phone rings at 1:30am. Northern Lights (NL) wake up call! We know how quickly NLs can disappear, so we rush to get our outside clothes on over our pajamas. We check out our window and see faint NLs; however, we hope for more. Jack, BB and I head out the door. As we enter the hall the door next to ours opens. The mother and older daughter from the family seated behind us on the train are heading out, too. We share the elevator down to the lobby and head outside. We see nothing. Start wandering around. I notice the mother and daughter give up and go back inside. We head to the back of the hotel ..... Eureka! NLs are out and stronger than what we saw from the room.

Jack and the Northern Lights.

NLs are faint, but still there.

We are so glad we got to see them! I wish the family from the train hadn't gone back inside.

The hotel provides breakfast. While eating breakfast we discuss our plans for the day. The couple at the table next to us hears us mention the World Ice Art Championships. They traveled to Fairbanks from Toronto to volunteer at the event. They man the ticket booth for 6 hours in the evenings for 12 out of 14 days. In return for volunteering the event provides accommodation, transportation between the hotel and the event, and on site meals. The rest of the time they are enjoying Fairbanks. They recommend viewing the sculptures in the evening when they are lighted. When we say we have to go in the afternoon they say that is a good time to go, too.

The public rooms of the hotel have a rustic, lodge feel. The decorations reveal a lot of Alaskan history. After breakfast I spend some time looking at the artwork, artifacts and plaques on the walls. This painting caught my attention, since I recently participated in the Fur Rondy Blanket Toss:

BB and I take the free airport shuttle to pick up our rental car. Then we head off to explore Fairbanks.

First stop is the Antler Arch located near the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center. This is The World’s “Farthest North Antler Arch.” The arch is made up of more than 100 moose and caribou antlers collected from all over interior Alaska.

From the Antler Arch it is a short walk to the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center. The Center has exhibits on how the indigenous people live on and with the land and on early Alaskan territorial history.

We make a quick stop at Speedway Express for snacks. We meet an interesting man and his dog there. (I really like dog).

Can you read the gas prices?

Big Gulp!

Next stop is the ice sculptures at the 2023 World Ice Art Championships. This is the largest sculpting competition in the world. Collectively over the past years, the World Ice Art Championships has attracted100’s of professional Ice Artists, from over 45 different countries and even more local artists from the different states throughout the US.