Weather is unpredictable. It’s a cure of the modern world; we can plan for everything except the changing winds. We try to predict whether or not the weekend will be clear and sunny, or hazy, or rainy, but the truth is that we have a very limited view on weather patterns. For instance, today started out clear, sunny, not a cloud in the sky. It was only supposed to hit 65 degrees out. The day was predicted to take a down turn around noon, when a colder front from the ocean would come in and create clouds, and a little rain. Did this happen? No, it didn’t. It’s 2 PM and there are still no clouds in the sky and it’s a balmy 70 degrees. Continue reading
Tag Archives: Fairbanks
Rainy Days
As would be expected, Alaska experiences the occasional rainy day. In the unfortunate event you are visiting Alaska, and Mother Nature decides it’s time for a little rain, here are a few ideas we have for keeping you busy.
In Anchorage, a really popular year-round rainy day activity is a visit to the Museum. Check out the local Alaskan artists, and learn about the rich cultures around the state. Sometimes the Museum has exceptional exhibits that are brought up from the Smithsonian and other larger museums in the Lower-48.
If you are in Fairbanks, you can take a short road-trip to Chena Hotsprings, where you can soak in the natural springs or take a trip to the Aurora Ice Museum. The Aurora Ice Museum is the largest indoor Ice Exhibit in the world! It’s sure to leave you with memories for a lifetime.
While in Seward on a rainy day, be sure to check out the Alaska Sealife Center. It hosts the largest array of sea mammals and other animals in the state of Alaska! Be sure to check out the puffins and the octopus! You can take lots of tours around the center, and some are just for kids.
With that information in tow, be sure to look at a rainy day in Alaska with a sense of new opportunity, not wasted time!
Alaska, to scale.
So, ever sense I last went down to the ‘Lower-48’ a few things have bugged me about the way Alaska’s size is portrayed. I was asked ‘Why is it so cold, you are so close to Hawaii!’, ‘How come Google Maps doesn’t have images for Barrow and large chunks of Anchorage?’, ‘Is there a bridge to Russia?’. The answer to these questions have led me to believe that the way Alaska is put onto maps has made most people unaware of the vast scale of the state. I will explain these questions and more, with help from a few scale comparisons. Continue reading
Lake Lucille
Wasilla, Alaska, located just 40 minutes north of Anchorage, is the last civilized stop on your way to Denali. In this town there are 3 lakes visible from the main road, the Parks Highway. The fist lake is Wasilla Lake, the second is Nancy Lake and the third is Lake Lucille. On Lake Lucille is a beautiful hotel full of luxurious accommodations and glorious views. The dock spans out making room for kayaks and float planes. The water is clear and cool, and you can see minnows swimming in the shady shallows. The grass is soft and green for the summer, and perfect for kids to tumble on. Continue reading
Spring has Sprung!
Alaska is thawing. The trees have taken on a red hue, a precursor to their eventual new-growth. Bears are awakening, moose are heading back to the hills, and people emerge from their homes. The mountains still boast a white curtain over their crests, and the forests still harbor patches of snow beneath them, but it is surely going to fade away. Even as I type this, the temperature soars. Recently the Anchorage bowl experienced temperatures in the mid-fifties. While that may not be entirely welcoming for some of our warm-blooded readers, for an Alaskan this is a wonderful sign of shorts and tee-shirts to come. Soon the bottom of our lakes will be unfrozen, the hills will be devoid of ice, and the maroon tips of trees will have turned a lush green. Continue reading