Alaska Awakening: Join us in spring for the northern lights, running huskies, and glaciers

The two most common attractions for visitors to Alaska are the Aurora Borealis (northern lights) and seeing the midnight sun. It’s hard to decide between these incredible bits of nature. I am here to help you with your Alaska travel decision.

First, you need to to travel to Alaska twice if you want it all (or move here).  Second, if northern lights viewing in Alaska is on your bucket list, come now or very soon! Atmospheric scientists report that the highest auroral activity over the next decade or longer will be highest in 2013-2014. That’s important if you want to increase your odds of seeing the lights. As ExploreDreamDiscover Tours guide, David Shaw pointed out recently, aurora photographers and viewers have been disappointed in recent years by low solar activity thus low auroral displays.  In other words, it’s the best time to see the Aurora Boeralis/Northern lights.

Alaska Awakening brings you to Alaska in March when our days are getting longer, weather is mild, and our skies are often painted with the Northern Lights. Our people are invigorated and there are a ton of activities. This trip is also comfortable and easy for families with children of all ages.

Your tour starts in the Alaska range, the southern boundary of Interior Alaska.  Looking out at Black Rapids Glacier and the Alaska Range will leave you awestruck. We will head slightly north in the afternoon were we will take a short hike into a glacier. That’s correct, hiking into a glacier…Our evenings will be spent relaxing or looking out for the northern lights.  Of course, workshops on how to best photograph the Aurora will be offered. Look at little Wyatt below inside the Castner Glacier!

The options for your Alaska spring break are many. After some time in the Alaska Range we can either head north to the Brooks range where you get to travel across the vast, beautiful Interior of Alaska, crossing the Yukon River, and potentially seeing wildlife all along the way. In Wiseman, we take a day trek up to visit Gates of the Arctic National Park. This is where pristine nature sleeps with modern industry. We follow the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System all the way up passing the Ice Road Truckers regularly. Alternatively (or if the road is closed), we stick around Fairbanks, look for more northern lights while sitting in natural hot springs, and go dog mushing. These casual days are great for getting out cross-country skiing, dog mush, learning about adaptations to the cold, or even snowmobiling touring in Alaska. Either way there is no shortage of activities as or day length approaches 12 hours!

            Towards the end of the trip we will get some world-wide celebrated culture right here in Fairbanks (Ranked #2 travel destination by Lonely Planet for 2013). The World Ice Art Carving Championships and the Open North American sprint dog races. Ice carvers (many with incredible resumes outside of carving) come from all over the world to carve massive blocks is crystal clear ice into unimaginable forms. This event has one of the highest “wow” to other words ratios on the planet. It’s a treat. Then if timing is right we will catch a sprint dog mushing race and get some local Fairbanks culture. Dog enthusiasts from all over the world come to see and participate in the Open North American.

Why travel with us in Alaska? We live here and we love it.  Each of our guides are experts in their field. The sum of our Alaska experiences is immense and we offer that up to you.  Your trip is not just about the visuals but what you will learn from your guides about our history, wildlife, and how people and animals adapt to our harsh environment. We are also a small company with low overhead which is passed on to our customers.

We are booking tours now for March 2014 with trips departing on Mondays and returning on the following Sunday throughout March 2014. Starting prices are at $3099 based on double occupancy, however, each tour is custom-made so prices vary above and below this rate.  Discounted rates for groups of 8, but sorry, that is our maximum group size for this tour.

Can’t make these dates?  Want to come sooner?  We can arrange trips during other months that are also good viewing months for the northern lights. Know someone who might be interested? Please share this with them or anyone to get the word out.  Cheers!

Please contact info@exploredreamdiscovertours.com for more details and share this with your Alaska dreaming friends!

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover …”

-Mark Twain