THANK YOU to Angela and Kimmo

Aurora!!!!!!!   Those lights downstairs are where we stayed.  Taken by Yosuke Samo.

 This is a thank you letter to Angela and Kimmo for the Christmas gift of this trip to Fairbanks.  I have yearned for years to spend time seeing the Northern Lights.  This seemed like a good year for the visit - solar activity, the 11-12 year cycle, etc.  My research led to this trip to Alaska for the winter.  However, the surprising weather (record amounts of snow so far) and increased costs for everything made it seem I would never see them, nor my wild polar bear in Barrow, nor Nome, nor Dillingham, when along came my daughter's idea of a gift trip to Fairbanks!!!  So, I flew there for 4 nights at a remote location owned by friends of friends, and here are some pictures!  The auroras move and dance, we could see the Big Dipper through it, the color is spectacular, and one doesn't feel the cold (41 below zero) when experiencing this beauty!  Only one night did we actually see auroras like this, but there were other things, including Denali in the sunset from the plane, which made the trip so special, too.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

Denali from the plane...surrounded by clouds....sunset  :)

Keith and Velma Koontz, Proprietors.  Now they are my friends, too.  

Polar Bear at Fairbanks airport - he's BIG!

Snowing outside instead of auroras - hah!

One gorgeous animal!!!

Ice on inside - temps were about 45 below zero just outside

Wouldn't want one mad at me!!!!

Fox dog!  Name in Yu'pik means fox.

Sun in the daytime was gorgeous, too!!!