Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Alaska
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 12-28-2008, 12:00 AM
 
22 posts, read 101,102 times
Reputation: 15

Advertisements

i live in fairbanks and want to see the hot springs and northern lights (hopefully). is there an affordable way to do it without staying at the resort?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 12-28-2008, 12:07 AM
 
Location: Bethel, Alaska
21,368 posts, read 38,106,585 times
Reputation: 13901
Drive up in the morning, hang out a while see the lights and go home!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 12-28-2008, 12:41 AM
 
Location: Not far from Fairbanks, AK
20,291 posts, read 37,153,276 times
Reputation: 16397
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawaii718 View Post
i live in fairbanks and want to see the hot springs and northern lights (hopefully). is there an affordable way to do it without staying at the resort?
You live in Fairbanks already? Just drive to the resort and spend a night or two there. But before you drive there, go the the UAF GI web page and look at the Auroras forecast. This way you can at least have an idea of what is happening that night before you get there. By the way, you should be able to see Northern Lights right from Fairbanks, North Pole, etc., but for a better view drive away from street lights and such. For example, drive to Chena Lakes, or even to the end of the road by the Flood Project dam. Again, you will have to look at the Auroras Forecast.

Are you a student at UAF? If so, go to the GI at UAF, and ask any of the staff members there. They will point you in the right direction, since you can watch Northern Lights right from UAF, which sits on high ground above the city.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-03-2009, 08:15 PM
 
Location: Interior alaska
6,381 posts, read 14,559,386 times
Reputation: 3520
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawaii718 View Post
i live in fairbanks and want to see the hot springs and northern lights (hopefully). is there an affordable way to do it without staying at the resort?
It is only an hour or so drive out, so get in the car, take some shorts and go.

You can eat dinner there and drive back home after getting out to the rock pool at night and relaxing even if the lights aren't out. If they aren't then you have a very valid reason to go back again...and again...

Week nights are less crowded except for the Japanese tourist, but they are pretty friendly, specially if you are as big as a Sumo Wrestler...

They charge ten bucks to use the pool if you aren't staying there in the Hotel and that includes a big towel.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-03-2009, 08:51 PM
 
Location: Alaska
273 posts, read 587,276 times
Reputation: 116
They have an AK resident rate, abt $100 per night. The beds aren't very comfortable, IMO, though. Go for a Saturday night when Pete's there singing (party), have dinner, watch the lights, sleep, go home. Easy.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-03-2009, 11:06 PM
 
Location: Naptowne, Alaska
15,603 posts, read 39,809,216 times
Reputation: 14890
I highly recommend the smoked salmon pasta! A very large serving and very good.

We spent the night in the minivan in the RV camping area and it was 16 above in October. You could always go camping! And you get a free pass for the hot springs the following morning if you pay for a camp site.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-03-2009, 11:18 PM
 
Location: Fort Greely, AK
58 posts, read 169,299 times
Reputation: 32
sorry RayinAK but i've found the geo website forecast isn't very accurate at all. last night they predicted minimal activity. good thing i looked out at midnight anyways- the lights were out and they were fantastic!
hawaii718- i wouldn't recommend using the geo website to help you plan our trip :/
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-03-2009, 11:32 PM
 
Location: Nome
2,397 posts, read 4,699,108 times
Reputation: 477
Quote:
Originally Posted by cblackwell View Post
sorry RayinAK but i've found the geo website forecast isn't very accurate at all. last night they predicted minimal activity. good thing i looked out at midnight anyways- the lights were out and they were fantastic!
hawaii718- i wouldn't recommend using the geo website to help you plan our trip :/

That was minimal activity. The KP index was at the peak of the auroral activity was a KP reading of 4 which is minimal activity. The site at UAF is a good site to check on aurora activity.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-05-2009, 07:56 PM
 
22 posts, read 101,102 times
Reputation: 15
Yeah, we're here in Fairbanks. I've been checking the forecast but have seen lots of 0s and 1s. My husband is in the military but we ended up with a lot of out of pocket expenses during our move. We saw the resort is a little pricey so wanted to see what the locals usually do. You guys know best! Havent seen any lights from our neighboorhood yet (but cant see much with the ice fog anyway.) What's the best time to look?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 01-05-2009, 10:24 PM
 
Location: Interior alaska
6,381 posts, read 14,559,386 times
Reputation: 3520
Quote:
Originally Posted by hawaii718 View Post
Yeah, we're here in Fairbanks. I've been checking the forecast but have seen lots of 0s and 1s. My husband is in the military but we ended up with a lot of out of pocket expenses during our move. We saw the resort is a little pricey so wanted to see what the locals usually do. You guys know best! Havent seen any lights from our neighboorhood yet (but cant see much with the ice fog anyway.)
Well you just need to go to Chena and get in the water, enjoy yourself and drive home then, will cost you twenty bucks for the two of you, and the gas to drive there. You will feel great and tired...

Quote:
What's the best time to look?
Normally the Aurora always seem to be out about two AM, but if you are in Fairbanks, the ice fog and lights will pretty much make them a non event.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Alaska
Similar Threads
View detailed profiles of:

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top