Index
Day 1 - Northern Lights
Day 2 - Chena Hot Springs
Day 3 - Castner Glacier
Day 4 - Downtown Fairbanks
Day 5 - Return
Alaska
Flights up to Seattle (SEA) and then to Fairbanks (FAI) weren't bad at all, squeezed a bunch of work on the ground and in-between, then off to the first of many decidedly overrated meals in Alaska (to be fair, this is Fairbanks-- gotta be reasonable in your expectations).
Highlight of the night was definitely Murphy Dome for the northern lights. At 2,800 feet elevation they gave a great view, and it was not only clear skies but relatively low humidity. Record cold weather for Alaska probably helped as well, although by 2:30am it was definitely pushing how long I'd want to spend freezing outside. The patience was well rewarded. While it's definitely not as magnificient as some nights-- where the aurora borealis swirls directly overhead in intense colors-- this was by far the best display I've personally witnessed in all of my trips. The last ten minutes or so were well worth the extra time spent freezing, too, as the sky added purple to its existing green!
Earlier in the day, decided non-highlights were the overly salty corned beef hash at The Cookie Jar for a late lunch, and the terrible Thai food at Moms Kitchen. To be fair, the latter was actually a surprise, as they're not really a restaurant per se, but the kitchen for a local biker bar/country bar (!).