It's no surprise that tourism is a major industry in Alaska. Fairbanks, being the second largest city in the enormous state is no exception. Many activities bring tourists to the area - some of the more well known being northern lights viewing, dog sledding, and that it's a great jumping off point for Arctic Circle tours and visiting Denali National Park. Even cruise ship excursions include visiting Santa's house in North Pole in their itineraries. These are all worthy reasons to visit Fairbanks but this post is dedicated to some of the major activities you can do that you may not know about! And so, in no particular order, here's 10 things you didn't know you could do in Fairbanks, Alaska. 1. Visit the Fountainhead Antique Car MuseumOkay, this one might actually be rated one of the top attractions in Fairbanks on TripAdvisor but we had to put it on our list because even a lot of locals haven't been to this gem. The Fountainhead Antique Auto Museum is home to 95 pre-WWII automobiles and is one of the premier vintage car museums in the world. They also have a vintage fashion collection that is considered to be the most extensive in the Pacific Northwest. Visiting this museum is literally like stepping back in time and it was so fascinating to learn about the unique challenges that were overcome with bringing automobiles to Alaska. It was truly fun for the whole family and we highly recommend a visit to this spot when visiting Fairbanks. Speaking of cars in Fairbanks, here's a completely random fun fact: Many car companies bring new car models to Fairbanks to test out how they will perform in the extreme cold weather! 2. Go Scuba DivingNot gonna lie, if this one doesn't blow your mind a little bit, then we don't know what will haha. At Test The Waters in North Pole, you can take a few different scuba diving courses including a 3-day ice diving certification course. Granted, we've never taken the course but we drive by this business frequently and it always intrigues us, so if you happen to do it, please let us know how it goes!! 3. Soak in some Hot SpringsChena Hot Springs is Alaska's most popular and accessible hot springs. It definitely is a popular tourist attraction but it's not always a well known thing to put on an itinerary for someone visiting for the first time, especially when there's so much do on the property. First off, the hot springs there are pretty decent, as far as hot springs go. They are also an incredible spot to view the northern lights if you happen to visit during aurora season! The grounds at the resort are beautiful and there are a lot of different activities to do including fat bike rentals, horse back riding, a few different sled dog tours, ATV tours, float trips, snow machine tours, ice fishing, and visiting the famous ice hotel (note that some of these are dependent on time of year). In our opinion, while we do recommend a visit here, we cannot, in good conscience, recommend an overnight stay here due to our own experience, or even a meal at their restaurant - which might make a visit a little difficult since it's about 90 miles into the middle of nowhere. But that being said, the adventure to be had there may just be worth it. 4. Take a river cruiseIn all the research we did before moving to Alaska, we didn't know you could take a river cruise along the Chena River until we arrived. And once we took the tour, we knew we had to recommend it to visitors! We actually did an entire blog post on it just by itself so you can read all about the details here. This all encompassing tour teaches all about the modern and even ancient history of the Fairbanks area. The tour starts and ends at "Steamboat Springs", modeled after a trading post but essentially a gift shop complete with Alaskan souvenirs and concessions. Even if we don't talk you into going on the cruise, this gift shop is worth a visit. Not only is it the best souvenir shop in Fairbanks because of their selection and prices, but here you can also enter the 40 below chamber and get a little taste of what Fairbanks is like during the winter. Entering the cooler set to -40 degrees is free but you can pay to get your picture taken next to the thermometer. 5. eat some thai foodThis one might seem a little strange but hear me out. With 24 Thai restaurants for the 32.000 residents, Fairbanks has been called the Thai food capital of the world. Many locals have their favorites but we recommend Thai House for indulging in this tasty cuisine. We'll take a regular delivery of the fresh spring rolls and curry, please! 6. Grab some Pickle PizzaSpeaking of food, this one is a must-eat! Made from scratch and baked in a wood fired oven, Hungry Robot is definitely the best pizza in town. While you can grab some classic favorites here, locals don't go for the "pepperoni and cheese." Specializing in unique flavor combinations, and different specials each week, this is a place you can't miss. Here you can find a "Thai pizza" referencing Fairbanks love for Thai food as stated above and even a "Gringo" complete with refried beans and ground beef. At the time of this blog post, the special this week is a "chicken and waffle" pizza but hands down, our favorite is the "Dilly Dilly" with a garlic cream sauce and LOADED with pickles. Don't knock it til you try it! It might very well become your favorite. 7. Watch a baseball game....at midnightThe Alaska Goldpanners are a collegiate baseball team that host the famous "Midnight Sun Baseball Game". Should your visit to Alaska be during the summer solstice (June 21), we recommend grabbing your sunglasses and catching the first pitch at 10pm for the Midnight Sun Baseball Game. Even though the game is played through midnight there is no need for lights because the sun never sets on this game. 8. Take a yoga class...with reindeerYou've heard of beach yoga, you've heard of goat yoga, but have you heard of Reindeer Yoga? This class is so fun, especially when taken towards the beginning of the summer season when the reindeer calves are only a few weeks old (so cute!!) While we highly recommend this activity, (and the instructor is great!) we do have to warn you that there may be more playing with reindeer and less actual yoga ;) 9. Attend the World Eskimo-Indian OlympicsOver the past 60 years, Alaskan natives have gathered in Fairbanks for the annual World Eskimo-Indian Olympics held every July. The games' purpose is to promote and preserve Alaskan Native Culture and as such, the games you watch here don't resemble what you'd see at the Summer Olympics. Many of the games stem from ancient traditions in the Alaskan Native cultures, including "The Four Man Carry" -testing for strength for hunters being able to carry the game caught while out hunting. Or the "Ear Pull" or "Ear Weight" games, designed to simulate the frostbite pain and test endurance of such an occurrence. Or my favorite, the "blanket toss" when contestants are tossed into the air by 40-50 people holding a giant seal-skin blanket and are judged by how they maintain grace and balance while being tossed high into the air. With all the ways to learn about the ancient culture of Alaska, this one has got to be the most entertaining! 10. Inspect the "Blue Babe"The "Blue Babe" is a 36,000-year-old mummified steppe bison that was perfectly preserved in the permafrost in interior Alaska from the Ice Age until it was discovered in the late 70s. It's so well preserved you can still see the claw marks and tooth punctures in the skin made by the America Lion that killed it so long ago. It must've frozen rather quickly so other animals couldn't eat it, giving us so many clues to the ancient past. The blue color of the bison comes from a mineral called vivianite that forms when minerals on the fossils react to the ground they're buried in, or maybe it was an ancestor to Paul Bunyan's beloved Ox ;) This incredible find is on display at the University of Alaska - Fairbanks (UAF) Museum of the North. Honorable Mentions
Win a rubber duckie race
Each summer, residents of Fairbanks participate in a rubber duckie race. 8,000 rubber ducks are dropped into the Chena River and race down to Cushman Street Bridge. Prizes are awarded to the first forty ducks, and the pink and yellow ticket holders associated with those duck's numbers! Pink tickets are $5 and yellow tickets are $10. You always know when the race is coming up because there are *giant* rubber ducks stationed at businesses around town that participate in selling entry tickets. We've had people ask if there is any gambling in Alaska. These are the only gambling activities that we know of and both a super fun :) We know there is so much to do and see in Alaska, and most visitors have so much to see and so little time, but Fairbanks really is in a league of it's own and we hope we put it on your bucket list! If you're interested in a one-on-one chat to help plan a custom trip to Alaska, check out our options here! Comments or questions? We'd love to hear them! Make sure to pin so you can come back to this post! Don't forget to follow us on Instagram for some of our day-to-day adventures and until next time, get out and explore where you live!
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AuthorWe're just a military family enjoying where we live, one PCS at a time. Follow us as we explore our current home, South Carolina, and beyond. The world is our backyard. Archives
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