Revising a plan to travel from Anchorage to Fairbanks end of February. Will probably spend most of the week around Anchorage. 2 seniors, 2 kids 4 %26amp; 18 mos and 2 parents. If weather permits, still hope to get to Fairbanks to see ';Northern Lights';.
Am trying to travel light. Dumb question... do I need waterproof boots or warm (suede)boots and/or shoes? Think we will be indoors/car most of time.
Any events week of 2/21-25?
Anchorage in February
Hi, you definitely need winter boots as it is still witner up here and there will be snow on the ground - you will need them just walking to and from the car or at least shoes with a sturdy sole. There aren%26#39;t many events during the time you%26#39;re planning as our big winter festival (Fur Rendezvous) starts the next week. For a list of events, go to the Anchorage website
www.muni.org
I hope you are aware that there is never a guarantee that you will see the lights anywhere in Alaska. They come and go on their own schedule and may not appear for days (or should I say nights?) on end. I just don%26#39;t want you to go to Fairbanks and be disappointed.
Hope this helps you to get started.
Anchorage in February
Thanks for info. Trip was a surprise gift from our son. We would have preferred visiting in spring/summer but are trying to make best of it. Not sure he did enough research about trip at that time of year. At least we%26#39;ll get to visit grandkids since we are a coast apart. Again, really appreciate your thoughts.
Personally, I prefer Alaska in the Winter- I feel that it%26#39;s most impressive covered in snow.
It is too bad that you aren%26#39;t coming the week after. Fur Rondy has lots of fun events to watch and enjoy.
I think the best thing to do would be to enjoy some winter activities. You could drive out to Wasilla to the Dream a Dream Kennels and take a dog sled ride and let the kids pet the dogs.
You could take a sleigh ride through Anchorage which would cost you $160 for the whole family (assuming the kids can sit on laps) and it%26#39;s only an hour long, so not too long for the kids (more info here- http://www.alaskatours.com/winter/alaska_winter_tours.htm).
There are also events listed on the AnchorageDaily News web site by date. Some don%26#39;t show up until closer to the date, but if you go to http://www.adn.com and click on Entertainment, there will be a calendar on the left-hand side that you can use to search by date or by event type.
You could buy a couple of cheap sleds at Freddy%26#39;s and take the kids sledding, rent some ice skates from Play It Again Sports and go skating out on Westchester Lagoon or the Town Square.
As long as you dress in layers, you%26#39;ll be fine to be out and about doing things. Winter boots are one of the things I would recommend bringing (my Aunt is coming the week after you and she%26#39;s just going to wear them rather than pack them), but keep in mind that, on average, Anchorage in the winter isn%26#39;t much colder than Boston and Chicago because of all the cloud cover we get. If you%26#39;re from New York state, you should be able to handle it. I%26#39;d pick some things that the whole family could enjoy and just do a couple of short events each day. Then, you can sit around a fire with hot cocoa and chat the rest of the day.
Also, here%26#39;s a link to some things around town that you could take the kids to:
http://www.anchorage.net/633.cfm
Ahhh - here are some ideas - the zoo is open year round and the 4 year old will love it if s/he likes animals. Many of the animals are rescued from the wild. It%26#39;s a small zoo but you can easily spend an afternoon there. There is a small snack shop with sandwiches etc. if you want to go for lunch.
Bring boots so you can take a walk along the Coastal Trail - it starts downtown and goes for some miles but you can, of course, just walk along part of it. If you drive out to Earthquake Park (by the airport), you can walk on the trail and see some lovely mountain views across the inlet.
Take a drive to Alyeska. That%26#39;s our largest ski resort and it%26#39;s about 40 miles from town. The drive is a listed highway as one of the most beautiful in the world. At Alyeska, the kids can sled if they like (you can pick up a very cheap sled at any store here in town that will do just fine for a day or two) and there%26#39;s a tram you can ride to the top for a gorgeous view of the inlet and mountains. Many spots for lunch there. I would suggest you do this mid-week to avoid all the skiing traffic.
Take an overnight trip up to Talkeetna - a charming and quirky town about 2 1/2 hours north of Anchorage. There are several places to stay there and it%26#39;s not very expensive in the winter.
Make Fairbanks a two day drive in at least one direction and stay overnight in one of our lodges along the highway. Pick up a copy of the Milepost to get some ideas - most libraries also have the Milepost.
For indoor activities - the Imaginarium is fun for kids of all ages. The museum probably won%26#39;t fascinate the little ones but is terrific for the adults. We have an indoor water park but it%26#39;s likely that only the 4 year old would have much fun there to be honest.
Hope this gives you some ideas and you can get more by reading back through posts here as well as the tourist information website of the city and the state (state.ak.us and look for the visitor information link).
We be in Anchorage / Wasilla in February as well. Thank you for the info!
I%26#39;ll be there this week as well. We are doing most of the things on your list, which ';lodge'; along the way to Fairbanks would you recommend? Thanks!
Hi, I would suggest you post this on the Denali Park forum as that area is a good half way point - those folks will know which of the lodges is open this winter.
My sister and I are planning on taking all of our kids up to see the Fur Rondy this year. We have plenty of cold weather clothing/coats, I was just wondering about footwear....what would ya%26#39;ll recommend for keeping the tootsies warm while we%26#39;re out and about? All the kids have snowboots with the wool bootie type inserts, but what about the adults? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
TIA
Hi, right now you need anything and everything you can get onto your body - it%26#39;s 15 below fahrenheit for daytime highs here in Anchorage! By Fur Rondy, however, it should be in the 20%26#39;s and maybe warmer. I love my Crocs boots - good traction on snow and ice and really warm with one pair of socks - light to pack, too. However, not everyone likes Crocs. I also like the Weatherfield shoes by Lands End - they are warm and waterproof but low cut so not so good for tramping through snow. My grandson wears regular kids boots you get at places like Walmart, sneakers or winter crocs. For the kids you want waterproof so that the melting snow when you go inside doesn%26#39;t soak their feet - adults remember to stomp off the snow! Streets, parking lots, etc. will be plowed to almost bare pavement but the main street downtown where the dog sled races take place will have piles of snow along the sides. We have plenty of general stores like WalMart where you can get inexpensive boots if you decide you need them.
I%26#39;d bring layers as the days will feel warmer than 25 in Gallup would feel - I%26#39;ve been to Rondy in jeans, a turtleneck and warm sweater. If there%26#39;s wind, you will need a jacket that is windproof as the downtown area is bitter when the wind blows off the water.
Hope this helps.
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