Fairbanks,+AK


 * Travel Tips for Fairbanks:**
 * Fairbanks Wikitravel Website:** []
 * Denali National Park Wikitravel Website:** []
 * Denali National Park Wikitravel Website:** []

-- Frontier flies seasonally to Fairbanks from May to September.

-- Fairbanks Airport is located about four miles southwest of downtown Fairbanks. Recently,the airport constructed a new terminal and demolished the old one. The new terminal is built around the modern TSA standards. In addition to architectural design and better security, the main terminal now has six jet-bridges (up from the former five). Frontier shares Gate 5 with United. The Fairbanks Airport Website has lots of good information: []. Here's information about ground transportation from the airport to town: []. Here's the website for the city bus system: []. The Yellow Line goes to the airport. It costs $1.50 per person (Map: [] . We rode it into town from the airport. Fairbanks while not large in population is quite spread out. Public Transportation can be inconvenient, and taxis are rare and would be expensive due to the distances. For sightseeing on our own for a day in Fairbanks, our hotel recommended Arctic Rent-A-Car. They rent cars for $38.50/day plus gas (Aug. 2010) and they picked us up at the hotel and we could leave the car there when we were finished, making it very convenient. With the car, we could travel from the UAF Museum (Website: [] ), to downtown, to Pioneer Park (Website: [] ), to our hotel, and out to dinner conveniently. I understand other rental car companies will do the same thing. Chena Hot Springs (Website: []) is about an hour and a half drive from Fairbanks. Perhaps one can arrive faster but there are always moose to be seen and it is hard not to stop to admire the views and take pictures. Our goal was to soak in the outdoor pool. The cost is $10 perperson per day - until midnight. So, we could come and go. Bring a towel or prepare to pay $5 more. The locker rooms are small --really small. A local advised us not to bring a large gym bag. The outdoor pool is not for those under age 16. Its temperature goes from about 100 - 110 Fahrenheit. The kids with us played inside in the indoor pool, and I believe they could access a hot tub. If you want to stay overnight there is camping, cabins, and a resort. Remember this is Alaska so it still has that rural Alaska feel. There is also an ice museum. I did not get to see that but will on another visit. It was nice to visit in the summer and soak some of my hiking aches and pains away. Of course Denali National Park is a must-see. Hopefully, you'll get one day where the clouds and rain will be non-existent. Websites for this park: [] and []. In Fairbanks we stayed at the Alpine Lodge Hotel in September, 2010. The off-season price is great, the facility is clean and well-maintained, and they have a very nice breakfast service (including make-your-own Belgian waffles) available from 0530 - 0930. We'll stay here the next time we're in town. The Fairbanks Alpine Lodge ( [] ) is a two-story, inside access (meaning your room door is on an inside corridor, instead of opening directly to the outside). There's a small indoor pool, jacuzzi, and exercise room. Our room had a small refrigerator and a microwave oven. The hotel is located within a block of a large Fred Meyer grocery / department store, and a Safeway grocery store is another block or so beyond that.