AURORA VIEWING TOUR#27: TO ALASKA
ANOTHER SMALL GROUP TOUR FROM RING OF FIRE EXPEDITIONS
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SEPTEMBER 10-14, 2024
$3095. PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY (STANDARD ROOM).
$3395. PER PERSON FOR A SUITE
INCLUDES ALL MEALS, ACCOMMODATIONS, TRANSFERS and the following tours: 1) Private Fairbanks City Tour, 2) Chena Hot Springs tour, and 3) Walk with the Reindeer tour
OPTIONAL COST LOCAL ACTIVITY: You can choose to walk do to a nearby dog mushing outfit where, for a fee, you can learn to drive your own dog team. Paws for Adventure is a great place to get familiar with sled dogs up close and get a real thrill out of being in control of a team of amazing canines. Reservations should be made ahead of time but sometimes it is possible to book the same day. You can also take a short ride, one hour tour or the mushing school option (all extra cost activities). Last year’s ride costs were between $85 (30 minutes) and $150 (1 hour). THIS IS AN ACTIVITY THAT EACH PERSON NEEDS TO ARRANGE ON THEIR OWN BY CONTACTING PAWSFORADVENTURE.COM. IT CAN BE DONE ANY DAY PROVIDED THERE IS AN OPENING.
Northern Lights Arctic Circle Tour
If you are lucky, you may be able to see sights like this! From our October 2018 trip. Paul D. Maley photo.
Join Paul D. Maley of the NASA Johnson Space Center Astronomical Society for his next aurora viewing tour, this time to one of our favorite spots near Fairbanks, Alaska where we will spend four nights at the aurora viewing lodge with all meals included.
This trip is a continuation of public outreach expeditions on land, sea, and air to watch the Northern Lights. So far, every time we have ventured to Alaska we have seen aurora on at least one of the four nights! This adventure will be another small group tour limited to a maximum of 12 to 16 participants. We have attempted to make the basic tour as affordable as possible by inserting optional cost tours that you might wish to book separately. Everyone has thoroughly enjoyed staying at the lodge in the past and we trust you will find this a great spot for sky viewing. During September 13-7 there is a high phase Moon present in the sky but this should not deter being able to see or photograph the Northern Lights. September is also one of two periods with statistically more auroras than any other during the year; in addition, during weeks around equinoxes, the interplanetary magnetic field connects to the Earth’s magnetic field prying open cracks where the solar wind can penetrate and thus create auroras.
How amazing is it? From this recent description, here is why we stay at a fixed location.
LEARN HOW TO TAKE AURORA PHOTOS! We will work with you to help you plan and capture good Northern Lights images. Contact me for assistance prior to the trip and also consult our AURORA INFORMATION page which has extensive information that I have accumulated over the last years.
Why Alaska? Weather systems generally blow in and out fairly quickly. Even though temperatures are cold and generally with remarkably low winds, the area offers a great deal of visual beauty. Properly dressed in winter garb you will find yourself well protected and able to walk about, photograph or just sit and view. A yurt is now on the property and serves as a refuge from the cold with chairs that can be used outside as well and access to a/c power. We have always had great response from people on our winter Alaska trips indicating that they enjoy it very much!
An example of aurora seen on our October 2017 Alaska land expedition. It is a huge Northern Lights band stretching 180 degrees across the sky from east to west. Constellations such as Orion, Gemini, Cassiopeia and Taurus are captured here. A brilliant Iridium satellite flare is also seen as the linear streak. Paul D. Maley photo.
Seeing the Northern Lights up close and personal is a bucket list objective of many people who are interested in the world’s most mind-blowing experiences. Over the past few years we have ventured northward to attempt to capture these phenomena from air, sea and land as they light up the night sky. It has been relatively easy to capture aurora if you are patient, are willing to brave cold temperatures and have the proper equipment. As an alternative, the easiest way to enjoy the experience is to simply sit and watch! Unlike a solar eclipse which only lasts on average a minute or two, auroras come and go and can last for hours depending on the level of solar activity and influx of high energy particles into the Earth’s magnetic field.
Aurora activity prediction model snapshot enables us to get a good idea of the likelihood and timing of aurora on a particular night and region. Credit: NOAA
One can also watch the aurora cam shown online from your room on your smart phone operated by the University of Alaska Geophysical Institute that gives you a near real-time view of what is happening in the sky. The minute you start to see the green glow on the north horizon as seen from Poker Flats, Alaska you can likely expect to see aurora at our lodge.
Aurora from a planned airborne viewing trip as seen out the window of a Boeing 787 from Shanghai to Chicago after a trip to North Korea in 2015. The constellation of Ophiuchus is visible in this image. Paul D. Maley photo.
Aurora viewing at sea from the deck of a ship off the coast of Norway in 2015. During the middle of the night with a full Moon, nobody else was on deck I was able to see a great deal of action all the way up until sunrise. The constellations of Cassiopeia and Perseus are recognizable. Paul D. Maley photo.
ITINERARY AS OF March 16, 2023
Times of meals will be arranged as necessary and optional tour dates may be moved around as required. Photographers are advised to read the aurora information web page provided in advance of the trip. Photos below may contain snow; the first snow in Fairbanks does not usually begin until late October.
-SMOKING: NEVER PERMITTED INSIDE THE LODGE, INSIDE TOUR BUSES OR AT THE AURORA VIEWING AREA OUTSIDE THE LODGE. SMOKE CARRIES IN THE WIND AND WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO IMPACT OTHER GUESTS.
–ALL TOURS ARE OPTIONAL COST UNLESS STATED BELOW AND MUST BE ARRANGED BY EACH PERSON PREFERABLY 3-4 MONTHS AHEAD OF TRAVEL DUE TO LIMITED AVAILABILITY. IN WINTER [not for this tour] WE RECOMMEND HIRING A TAXI WHERE REQUIRED (ROADS ARE TREACHEROUS FOR RENT CARS); IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PARTICIPANTS CONSIDER SHARING TRANSPORTATION COSTS TO/FROM ANY VENUE.
-DO NOT PURCHASE AIR TICKETS UNTIL YOU ARE ADVISED!
SEPTEMBER 10 (Tuesday): DAY 1 – Arrive Fairbanks
A private transfer will be provided from the airport to our group lodge (one transfer for the group), about a 40 minute drive from the Fairbanks airport. The van transfer departs generally in the late afternoon from the baggage claim area but the time will be announced within a few months of the trip. You will need to coordinate your flight to arrive prior to the group transfer unless you wish to take your own independent taxi (optional cost) to the lodge from the airport. Once at the lodge, dinner will be at the provided. The lodge has excellent reviews; there is a guest refrigerator and freezer in the main area and linens are changed daily except on Sunday. Sometimes you can sight a moose from the dining room windows wandering the grounds. From each of the 6 ground floor rooms you can step out and check the sky for aurora. Rooms feature floor heating, adequate lighting, a/c outlets, carpet, phone, adequate drawer space and bathroom amenities. There is no safe in the room. Some cold weather gear can be rented there. The two suites are located on the main floor and you can walk out the front door and then down to the aurora viewing area.
AURORA BRIEFING 1: After arrival we will have a briefing by Paul Maley prior to the initial night’s Northern Lights viewing.
After dinner this will be your first opportunity (weather permitting) to look for aurora from the lodge grounds. It will be cold at night during most winter trips and you should be prepared for temperatures ranging from +50 (daytime) to +20 deg F (but higher and much lower temperatures can occur!) with little wind. In winter [but not this tour] snow up to 2 feet is likely so prepare clothing accordingly. Bring a tripod, camera and shutter release or just sit in one of the lodge chairs and watch with the unaided eye. If you have night vision binoculars, you will be amazed at what they can reveal.
Meals are really good here! They are taken in a common dining area. NOTE THE BLINDS. THESE ARE ROLLED DOWN EACH NIGHT TO PREVENT LIGHT FROM SPILLING OUT AND RUINING AURORA PHOTOS.
Shrimp scampi is just one of the dinner choices. Lynn Palmer photo.
Overnight Fairbanks: (D)
Brilliant aurora curtains seen during our March 2017 Alaska trip. The Big Dipper is visible behind the aurora as is the North Star upper left. Jeff Pohlman photo.
The Fairbanks city tour (see below) often visits the antique car museum. Sharon Wysocki photo.
SEPTEMBER 11 (Wednesday): DAY 2– Fairbanks
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be included for you at the lodge today.
1000am Private Winter Fairbanks City Tour
A private tour of Fairbanks has been arranged during your visit. Your city tour may include a visit to Golden Heart Park at the center of the city. The park is the site of the 18-foot bronze monument titled “Unknown First Family.” The park and the statue were dedicated in July 1986 as a tribute to the history and heritage of Fairbanks. your tour may include a stop to view the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, a feat of civil engineering that still carries crude oil from Prudhoe Bay to Valdez. Another popular destination is the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, a place for gathering, discovery, education, and celebration. The Center features world-class exhibits, and offers insight into Alaskan cultures and life in Interior and Arctic Alaska. Your driver/guide will discuss your interests and help plan your Fairbanks city tour, keeping in mind any other attractions or activities you may have scheduled for the day
Fall: It is too early for dog mushing but dog carting is popular. Sharon Wysocki photo.
Standard room interior view.
One of the quirky lodge rooms with door access to the outside for night viewing. There are 6 standard rooms and 2 suites. All standard rooms have walk-out access. If you are in a suite you need to walk out the main front door and down the side of the main building. NOTE THE DRAPES. ALL GUESTS MUST CLOSE BOTH THE DRAPES AND SHADES WHEN IT GETS DARK IN ORDER NOT TO RUIN AURORA PHOTOS! Lynn Palmer photo.
One of two “suites”. The suites are really one very large room, one with 2 queen beds, the other with three.
Entrance to Morris-Thompson Cultural and Visitor Center.
University of Alaska Fairbanks Museum of the North and an ‘almost’ traffic accident on snowy roads. Paul D. Maley photo.
The Morris-Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center contains a 9,000-square-foot exhibit hall which features outstanding displays and dioramas showcasing interior Alaska’s people, wildlife, landscapes and seasons. Enjoy free films and programs on Alaska’s natural and cultural history.
300pm Ice Alaska – General Admission
Enjoy the day admiring amazing works of ice art at the World Ice Art Championships. The event has grown from a one-week, 8-team competition in 1990, to a month-long attraction involving over 70 teams from all over the world. The competitions, and the accompanying outdoor winter activities, attract more than 100 ice artists and approximately 45,000 visitors from Alaska and all over the world. Gatherings like this one date back to the thirties, when residents emerged from the long winter in search for some fun. Enjoy the sculptures during the daylight, after dark or both to gain multiple perspective of the art.
Tonight after dinner will be our second attempt to view aurora. Note that viewing typically takes place beginning after 1030pm and it pays to stay up most of the night or to set your alarm for a specific time that would work for you. If you want to sleep and be called if aurora are spotted, we can do that also. However, we normally assign times throughout the night for each person to wake up, check the sky, and then alert the group if aurora are sighted to make it easier. The key to capturing an aurora if you don’t know when it is going to appear is to remain outside all night and/or programming your camera to automatically take exposures with an intervalometer over a long period of time.
Overnight Fairbanks: (B, L, D)
Group stop near the Arctic Circle for awesome aurora viewing during our November 2013 Alaska aurora trip. The optional cost Arctic Circle tour can often give the darkest sky views of the Northern Lights since they drive far from a big city. Paul D. Maley photo.
AURORA VIEWING LOCATIONS AT THE LODGE
In 2019 a new system was initiated to minimize having to stay out in the cold all night. Wireless devices were installed with a trigger in the yurt that allows anyone to send a signal to all the lodge rooms. The photo below shows the plugged in alarm that will go off when someone outside sees Northern Lights activity
The aurora alarm in each lodge room. Paul D. Maley photo.
Fall colors in September.
FALL: Though this and the photo that follows were taken in the fall, all the standard rooms at the lodge allow you to walk out your door onto the driveway. If you have mobility issues you can watch from here with easy access to your room even when there is snow on the ground. There it is possible to see aurora, though the area with less blockage (from trees and the main building) requires you to walk down the slope in the following image.
Flowers are all over the lodge property in fall.
FALL: This is a view of the slope leading to the aurora viewing area with chairs and a yurt about 50 yards down from the main building.
FALL: Cabin with deck and chairs for aurora viewing.
WINTER: After you walk down the slope, the lodge is in the background and the cabin is now where the yurt (on right) is shown. In fall there is no need for snow boots prior to October.
SEPTEMBER 12 (Thursday): DAY 3 – Fairbanks
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be included for you at the lodge today.
10:00am Walk with the Reindeer
Embark on an immersive reindeer walk today. With a handful of your new best friends explore the magical birch forest. Life long Alaskan, Jane, will join you during your one hour walk. Learn about the adaptations that make reindeer ideal for arctic living. You may even catch some reindeer games! After your walk head inside to learn more about these interesting creatures while
enjoying homemade cookies and drinks. There you will learn about the natural history of the forest as well as the reindeer themselves. Enjoy the frolicking and leaping reindeer as they run free through the woods. Each walk is a unique experience depending on season, trail conditions and the mood of the reindeer. After the walk, depending upon the season, you can tour their organically grown perennial and vegetable gardens and enjoy light refreshments and carry on the conversation. This nature walk has uneven terrain so good walking shoes and weather appropriate clothing are required. The reindeer are tame but not trained so sometimes they decide to take a route not planned for. Bring your cameras and expect the unexpected!
Tour Duration: 2.5 Hours
Tour Includes:
Guided Reindeer Walk
Knowledge guide to accompany you
Fresh baked cookies and drinks
Fall: normally halos, caused by ice crystals, are seen in winter but also can be spotted in the fall. Paul Maley photo.
The Alaska Pipeline typical view as seen on the local city tour and the optional Arctic Circle tour. Joan Steiner photo.
130pm Chena Hot Springs Day/Night Trip Admission
Chena Hot Springs became famous in the early 1900’s for curing crippled prospectors of their aches and pains. The resort offers a variety of activities including hot springs, an ice museum, and geothermal tours. Each pass includes access to the adults only rock-lined outdoor hot springs, indoor heated pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and use of the locker area and shower facilities. As the sun sets, you may choose to head up to the Aurorium for potential northern lights viewing. At the conclusion of your services at Chena Hot Springs, return by private vehicle to Fairbanks.
Tonight after dinner will be our third aurora viewing attempt.
Overnight Fairbanks: (B, L, D)
Aurora during our February 2014 Alaska tour. Paul Lobert photo.
Aurora seen in February 2020. Peggy Bechtell photo.
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Flying from Seattle to Fairbanks you can look down and see detailed river flows. Lynn Palmer photo.
SEPTEMBER 13 (Friday) DAY 4– Fairbanks
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be included for you at the lodge today. You will have the day free to participate in optional activities at the lodge (not included).
BRIEFING 4: Paul Maley will describe his plans for future expeditions he will lead for solar eclipses, Northern Lights and other astronomical phenomena through 2031.
Aurora Ice Museum at Chena Lodge
This evening will be our fourth and final opportunity for aurora viewing and photography. Overnight Fairbanks: (B, L, D)
Aurora during our November 2014 Alaska tour. Lynn Palmer photo.
SEPTEMBER 14 (Saturday)DAY 5–Fairbanks Departure
Breakfast will be served early at the lodge. In late morning our van will then transport you and your luggage to the airport where you can catch your return flight home (one group transfer only). Van transfer usually occurs after 10am. If your flight departs earlier than this, you will need to make your own transfer arrangements at extra cost.
Aurora viewing during our January 2015 Alaska tour can allow times for portraits. Paul D. Maley photo.
Aurora on our February 2017 expedition. Jeff Pohlman photo.
COST OF THE TOUR
TO JOIN THE TOUR, SUBMIT 1) REGISTRATION FORM AND 2) DEPOSIT AT THE SAME TIME for each person.
STANDARD ROOMS (6)
$3095. PER PERSON DOUBLE OCCUPANCY (STANDARD ROOM).
$3895. FOR A SINGLE ROOM (IF ONE IS AVAILABLE)
SUITES (2)
$3395. PER PERSON FOR A SUITE (2 PERSONS MINIMUM). 2 ROOMS MAX. No singles permitted.
Package includes:
• 4 Nights’ Accommodations as listed or similar
• Private roundtrip transportation from Fairbanks airport to our lodge as specified above with an English-speaking driver. All participants must travel together. If you arrive/depart before or after the majority of the group arrives you will need an independent transfer at extra cost.
• Meals: Daily breakfast, 3 lunches, 4 dinners
• Round trip viewing excursion from the lodge to Fairbanks for the city tour
• Round trip excursion to the Ice Alaska exhibition
• Round trip excursion to Chena Lodge
• Round trip excursion to Reindeer Ranch
• All applicable taxes and fees
Package does not include:
• Driver gratuities (recommend: $3 – $5 per person/transfer EXCEPT FOR THE AIRPORT-LODGE TRANSFERS WERE TIPS ARE INCLUDED)
• Meals, unless specified above
• Drinks (alcoholic, non-alcoholic such as soda); however, meals do include table water; breakfast also includes tea, coffee, juice
• Excursions and admissions (UNLESS INDICATED)
• Airfare of any kind
• Trip cancellation/interruption insurance
• Anything else of a personal nature not mentioned in the “Package includes” section
• Porterage
• Optional tours
• Transfer between airport and lodge or lodge and airport ONLY if you are unable to make the single group transfer. Some air schedules make this impossible.
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ALASKA AURORA VIEWING tour ONLINE REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT
To sign up for the trip, follow these steps.
1. Read and understand the deposit schedule and significant cancellation penalties.
2. Click on the Terms & Conditions tab. Review prior to starting your registration.
3. CLICK HERE to complete the registration form AND submit payment as required. If you have trouble seeing the form, refresh your page or use a different internet browser. Some versions may not support this form!
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Direct Travel only accepts the following forms of payment: credit card or debit.
IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES you may pay by one of these methods: 1) credit cards 2) wire transfer. A USD$50 fee is charged if a wire transfer is used. No checks or money orders can be accepted! Please contact spolley@dt.com to make arrangements.
PAYMENT SCHEDULE
- BEFORE April 1, 2024…………………………..USD$525. DEPOSIT per person double
- April 1, 2024…………………………………………..Balance due
CANCELLATION FEES (per person)
- BEFORE April 1, 2024…………………………..USD$250. + any service fees (if applicable) up to that point
- April 1, 2024………………………………………100% OF THE TOTAL TOUR COST
OTHER KEY DATES
The last day to make a name change to avoid change fees is 46-days prior to arrival.
The last day to sign up for optional tours is 61-days.
The last day to join this tour is typically 61-days before departure but may be cut off earlier.
Clients should be aware that we cannot guarantee the weather for this astronomical event or any other.