Everyone told us to SKIP Fairbanks, Alaska. They said it wasn’t worth visiting. They said there was nothing to do.
After spending 7 days here, we’re here to tell you… THEY WERE WRONG!
Watch as our grand RV adventure through Alaska continues as we make our way toward Fairbanks, traveling through Delta Junction and the official end of the Alaska Highway. And Fairbanks quickly turned into one of the biggest surprises of our entire Alaska trip.
We start with a day trip to Chena Hot Springs, where we soak in the warm mineral waters and explore the incredible Ice Museum. But getting there was just as exciting—along the way we encounter some of the best moose sightings of our entire Alaska adventure! 🫎
Then we climb aboard an amazing paddle wheel riverboat tour. This wasn’t your typical sightseeing cruise. We watched a float plane demonstration, visited a Native fish camp, saw an Iditarod championship sled dog demonstration, and experienced so much more. It turned out to be one of our favorite tours of the entire trip. And then Alaska really turned up the cold. 40 DEGREES BELOW ZERO! 🥶 We experienced what an Alaska winter feels like at 40° below zero and discovered just how extreme life in Interior Alaska can be.
We also toured historic Gold Dredge 8, learned about Alaska’s gold-mining history and the Alaska Pipeline, and tried our hand at gold panning. And yes… WE STRUCK GOLD! 💰 Okay, it was only about $36 worth of gold, but we’re calling that a win! 😂
We made a stop in North Pole, Alaska, where we met Santa and sent letters back home to our grandchildren. North Pole itself was a little disappointing, but the Santa stop made the visit worthwhile.
One of our favorite unexpected discoveries was Hoarfrost Distilling, a locally owned Fairbanks distillery run by young entrepreneurs Logan and Alexess. Great cocktails, a unique local experience, and two wonderful hosts. If you’re visiting Fairbanks, this is one we think you shouldn’t miss! Here’s a link to Hoarfrost Distilling: https://www.hoarfrostdistilling.com/ Say Hi to Alexess and Logan for us!
Then we celebrated America’s 250th birthday right in Fairbanks at the Pioneer Park celebrations before heading to a Goldpanners collegiate summer baseball game. We had an absolute blast!
And, of course, the Alaska Cinnamon Roll Challenge continues! 🍥 This time we’re checking out Marlo’s Bakery and their cinnamon rolls and pastries. Let’s just say… they did not disappoint!
After seven days in Fairbanks, we’ve reached a very different conclusion than the people who told us to skip it: DON’T SKIP FAIRBANKS! If you’re planning an Alaska RV trip, Alaska road trip, or vacation, put Fairbanks on your itinerary. We found far more to do here than we ever expected—and some of our favorite memories from Alaska happened right here.
You can watch it all HERE in our latest video episode.
Thanks for traveling with us!
