Unless you purchase a pricey excursion to the Arctic Circle, Fairbanks is as far north as you’ll travel on most cruisetours in Alaska.
Visiting Fairbanks gave me a whole new appreciation of how cold their winters are. Example: Our busdriver-guide pointed out the grocery store parking lots’ charging stations that keep folks’ car engines warm while they shop.
Otherwise, I found the city itself to be unremarkable (and admittedly, we saw little, so feel free to comment with your Fairbanks favorites).
Instead, the highlight was the value-added free excursion provided by the cruiseline.
Valued-Adding Excursion
I went into our Fairbanks excursion day with low expectations.
A boat ride and gold dredge? Hmmm. I was thinking, “Well, it’s free. How good can this really be?” Since it was bundled in our cruisetour price, I expected it to be too low-key or hokey.
I assumed that maybe it was aimed primarily at low-mobility senior citizens (with retired folks not having to worry about vacation days and therefore being more able to take these longer cruisetour trips).
As a Pittsburgh native, I’d had enough trips along our three rivers on our Gateway Clipper Fleet to expect the boat ride to have some commentary and mildly interesting views but not much else.
As for the gold dredge, I was picturing caricatured actors in suspenders, gripping their floppy hats and shreiking, “It’s gold! Gold, I say! Woo-wee!.”
(And, yes, I may have been slightly cranky and tired since this was our last day of a 10+ day trip.)
I sure was happy to be wrong on this one.
The day provided plenty of walking opportunities, engaging presentations, and activities that would appeal to cruisers of all ages. It ended up being one of our most photographed days of the cruisetour.
And obviously before I left home I hadn’t bothered to check TripAdvisor, where plenty of positive reviews abound of the riverboat Discovery and Gold Dredge 8.
You can see more details about the excursions:
riverboatdiscovery.com
golddredge8.com
(You’ll note that tickets prices are listed. That’s because folks who aren’t cruisetour guests can book these excursions independently. But that would require a rental car, taxi, or hotel shuttle from Fairbanks to reach the locations. The beauty of the cruisetour is that transportation to/from is included.)
Lots to see on this Fairbanks Excursion
Stern-wheeler Discovery II, Fairbanks, Alaska
The family of late Iditarod champion Susan Butcher gave a presentation from their kennel along the riverbank.
The sled dogs were ecstatic to show off their skills while we watched from the boat.
After their run, the dogs celebrated by cavorting in the stream.
A native Alaskan taught us about salmon camps that had lined the rivers.
The riverboat excursion offered variety. We viewed speakers from the boat and also enjoyed time ashore for up-close learning.
Native Alaskans who were college students on summer break shared their culture with us at the “Chena Indian Village”.
Historic handiwork – beautiful and functional
Native outerwear to get through a cold Fairbanks winter
The visit to the Athabascan village included traditional housing.
Temporary housing along the riverbank for salmon season made use of natural materials.
After the Athabascan village, we learned from other mushers and got to see how their dogs are housed.
Caribou on view for summer tourists – or reindeer on a break from the North Pole?
I learned about the Iditarod and met sled dog puppies every chance I could get.
We panned for gold but were too busy concentrating on the flecks to get photos of that. This excursion wrapped up our first cruisetour to Alaska.
We had started our first cruisetour with the mindset that it was a “once in a lifetime” trip. Little did we know that we’d love it so much that we have gone back two other times and are planning a fourth visit.
