We visited Fairbanks two weeks ago for the solstice. The good news is that while we were there the temperatures soared to between five and ten degrees above zero---a winter heat wave for that town. The bad news is that the temperatures were relatively warm which meant it snowed a lot, which meant it was cloudy, which meant we did not get to see an aurora.
So how do people cope with temperatures that defy the reason and imagination of most of the rest of the world? Well, there is school-----no matter what. Now think about this. When those kids are waiting for the bus or walking, it is pitch black outside and far, far below a comfortable temperature for humans. Usually it is not windy or snowing, but there would most likely be snow on the ground. The air is very dry and the snow flakes are tiny crystals---noticeably different from the quality of snow farther south. As the traffic goes by, snow clouds waft up all around so that visibility is poor. Every inch of skin needs to be covered. The kids walking to school look like well-padded zombies with only their eyes showing. If they fell down, one has to wonder if they would be able to get back up. They go to school in the dark and get home in the dark.
A unique feature of all motels and many stores and homes is a port stationed outside to plug in your car. This is to prevent your battery from dying because of the cold. It's just standard operating procedure to plug in your car like may happen if electric cars become the norm in the future. The people in central Alaska are already well trained in this concept.
At noon the sun is only about one degree above the horizon. It rises about 11AM and sets about 2:30PM. This messes with the mind of a visitor. It's impossible to estimate the time. It's forever sunrise or sunset in your mind. It feels like you should be eating breakfast at every meal. If you want to see anything outside, there's a very short window to do so. Sleeping longer is easy.
Yet the people of Fairbanks and other interior villages in Alaska don't just survive. They thrive. Every little village has a museum. We went to two that were excellent. The University of Alaska has a particularly interesting one where you can see everything from mummified mammoths to gold nuggets. Alaskans love art, coffee and believe it or not, ice cream. There are opportunities for all of these on every block. In the winter the art includes amazing ice sculptures in front of many public buildings. There's even an "Ice Museum" in Fairbanks. But it's only open in the summer. Of course!
1. Getting to Anchorage so we could fly to Fairbanks.
2. Noon in Fairbanks
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