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Let's say you win an all expense paid trip that you MUST take in July?
Would you choose a package that takes you to Barrow, Alaska for a 3 days (you'd fly to Anchorage, stay there one night and then fly to Barrow and stay there for 3 nights in a four star hotel. On your way back you would just fly directly from Barrow to Anchorage and just change planes (no getting out of Anchorage airport this time) for a flight back to an airport near your hometown- you would NOT have the option of exploring the rest of Alaska. Chances are it would be pretty chilly there- overnight lows around freezing and daytime highs only about 45 F. It could snow or it could be as warm as room temperature if they have a "heat wave" (like right now). You'd get to see the unique landscape, 24 hours of daylight, and maybe encounter a polar bear or two if you venture far from town. Not to much to do beyond visit a few museums, dare set your toe in the Arctic ocean, and explore the tundra but you will have bragging rights that you visited the northernmost part of the North American continent and it would be a "very different" than your standard vacation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrow,_Alaska
Or would you choose a package that takes you to Honolulu, Hawaii? Summer there is only slightly warmer than winter and unlike going there in January, it's not like you get to escape your hometown's winter. You'd get to hang out on the warm tropical beaches, snorkel, swim in the warm ocean, hike in the warm rainforest, do whatever you want. It would be a direct flight from the airport near your hometown to Honolulu and 5 days and four nights at a four star hotel. It's pretty much your standard American vacation and nothing unique that provides bragging rights? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honolulu,_hi
Which would you choose? Don't just pick based on "cold" vs. "hot" but based on which vacation experience you'd rather have.
I would pick Barrow just because of it's uniqueness. I would definitely be able to handle their summer temperatures if dressed warm (would not visit in winter though). It's truly a once in a lifetime experience and I would want to see the tundra landscape, the midnight sun, and the Arctic ocean. Hawaii is too normal- been there done that and I'm sure I'll have opportunities to go there again. It's also more expensive to visit Barrow, so I'll be getting more bang for my buck as well.
Last edited by AdriannaSmiling; 06-20-2013 at 11:53 PM..
Honolulu ... but to be fair this isn't really a climate issue. I'd be bored stiff in Barrow because it's an overgrown village, not because it's cold! Honolulu has lots of restaurants, beaches, excursions around the Island etc.
Interest wise, though, I'd probably take St. Petersburg in April ( similar to Barrow in July ) over Honolulu. For me, the best part of good climates is that they allow you to go out and explore, but Hawaii just isn't that interesting to me bar perhaps the big Island with all its volcanism.
Well considering I'm actually going to Honolulu next month for real.. I'd take Barrow for the 3 days. If it's only a few days, I could find plenty of things to do and I could the handle the 45F weather as long as I pack my spacesuit
Well considering I'm actually going to Honolulu next month for real.. I'd take Barrow for the 3 days. If it's only a few days, I could find plenty of things to do and I could the handle the 45F weather as long as I pack my spacesuit
I am SHOCKED considering how much you HATE cold .. I though you wouldn't even visit Alaska in summer even if some PAID you.. Let alone pick it over the tropics..
I am SHOCKED considering how much you HATE cold .. I though you wouldn't even visit Alaska in summer even if some PAID you.. Let alone pick it over the tropics..
well I actually hate snow more than cold... if it's 45F.. it probably wouldn't be snowing.. although I know it's possible in Barrow in July. If it's only 3 days and I packed my winter clothes, I'd be alright.
And try going to the Alaska forum and saying there aren't any good restaurants. They'll tell you all about Sam and Lee's! There is also Pepe's North of the Border. Authentic Mexican Cuisine! There are also beaches there, you just might not want to walk in that cold Arctic Ocean surf lol. And the tundra to explore.
One other thing I forgot to mention but a small technical detail is that Barrow is not the northernmost town on the North American continent... that honour goes to Grise Fiord, Nunavut, population 130
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