We flew to Fairbanks on Sept. 6th with the hopes of viewing the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis. We had contacted Ben Boyd, Northern Lights touring company, in order to arrange for a pickup at our hotel at 10:30 p.m. Upon arriving at the hotel (Best Western Chena River Lodge-excellent choice) we encountered a young woman who said that just the night before, she had been given a wake-up call from the front desk at midnight to view the Aurora. Even with the lights from a shopping center across the street, the brilliant blue and greens could be seen clearly in the sky above the hotel. Ben true to his word, picked us up in his van.
On the way out to Chandalay Ranch, a prime viewing chalet about 20 miles away from the Fairbank city lights, we could actually see the formation of the Aurora from the van window. But could not witness their colors as it was not yet dark enough. By the time we got to the ranch, clouds had moved in and we never got to see the Aurora again. But Ben himself is quite a character, and performed an Indian (He's part Navaho) hoop dance to our delight. So the evening was a bit of a disappointment, but not a total loss.
Sept. 7th, we opted for the Riverboat Discovery ride down the Chena River. This was a great tour and very informative. We pulled near the bank, but didn't disembark, when we reached the home site and kennels of Susan Buchart, the only woman to win the 1,000 mile Iditarod sled race 3 times. Susan died from cancer several years ago, and now her husband runs the kennels. He was hooked up by both mic & camera to our riverboat, and explained the raising of these remarkable pups. Not Huskys like one would expect, but a mix breed for stamina. He hooked up a team and demonstrated how they pull by running them in front of a wheeled tractor. They then brought the pups down to the river to the enjoyment of all. We also visited a re-created Athabascan indian village where we did disembark and enjoyed several demonstrations. Sept. 8th, we went to the Great Alaskan Salmon Bake, where the food ranged from excellent to very ordinary!
Our cabin was mid-ship port side on the forward part of the bumpout. We had a curved glass balcony with almost 360 degree views. Whereas it appears a little smaller than the standard balcony (because of the curved glass) it was completely adequate for 2 or even 3 people. It was covered, which was a blessing. You see down on the balconies to our right. The cabin itself, a mini-suite, was well worth the extra price, as it allowed for quite a bit additional room, and a bathtub to boot! (no clingy shower curtains or water on the floor) and a sofa is always a welcomed addition.
There was plenty of drawer space, shelf space and hangars in the spacious closet. I love the fact that the hair dryer was located on the wall next to the vanity and well lighted makeup mirror, and not awkwardly in a drawer as we've found on other cruiselines. We were right around the corner from our elevators, which was very convenient. However, in order to access the Lido buffet we opted to walk the length from mid-ship down the corrider to the forward elevator. This way we avoided walking through the swimming pool area outside to get to the buffet. It was quite chilly and windy in the mornings, and there was almost always water sloushing out of the pool onto the deck, making it quite slippery.