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FAIRBANKS & BEYOND

09.15.10

By Joanne Tucker

Fairbanks is the gateway to a vast untamed wilderness. Yes, Fairbanks is Alaska’s super central locale where visitors can easily access Gates of the Arctic National Park, Denali National Park and Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve by car, air, train and even guided ecotours.

After a flight on Alaska Airlines from OC’s John Wayne Airport to Seattle and then straight into Fairbanks, we made this fair city our base camp for exploring the enchanting land of the midnight sun during our exciting trek through our country’s 49th state.

Shaped by its early 1900s pioneer spirit and a diverse economy of oil and gas, gold mining and tourism, Fairbanks has grown into a flourishing 21st century metropolis, which offers visitors first-class accommodations and amenities with easy access to rural villages, mighty rivers, majestic mountain ranges and abundance wildlife.


We stayed at River’s Edge Resort. Nestled along the banks of the Chena River and located just minutes from the Fairbanks airport, this resort offers 86 cottages and eight lodge suites. We opted for a cozy cottage overlooking the slow-moving Chena River. Our quiet retreat had two comfy queen beds, full bath, cable TV, internet access and a patio to view those mysterious Northern Lights.

At the resort’s lodge, the friendly staff specializes in Alaska interior and Arctic tours, major attractions and city tours. Before a tour, visit the lodge’s main dining room for a buffet breakfast or a hearty lunch. The staff also arranges free shuttle service to and from the airport. 

After an early evening stroll along the beautiful Chena River Walk, we were more than ready to taste super fresh seafood at the resort’s Chena’s Alaskan Grill.  For starters, platters of crab cakes and coconut-crusted shrimp arrived at our table, followed by our entrées of mouth-watering wild Alaskan salmon drizzled with a tangy wild blueberry glaze, fresh garden vegetables, and for dessert, a sweet blueberry tart.

We were wowed by the restaurant’s succulent salmon and surprised by the luscious wild blueberry sauce. Little did we know this meal was the beginning of an Alaskan salmon-tasting adventure that ended with the best salmon in the world from Alaska’s Copper River. SO YUMMY!!

Fairbanks boasts more than 20 hours of the midnight sun from May through July with unlimited outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, kayaking, fishing, camping and backpacking.

Plus, the city of Fairbanks offers many sightseeing options. Start the morning with Fairbanks Paddle + Pedal tour. Paddle down the Chena River for a relaxing and easy float, stop for lunch at the popular Pikes Landing, and then ride a bike downtown with a stop at Pioneer Park for shopping, museums and ice cream.

Or, pick a sternwheeler cruise along the Chena or Tanana Rivers. The sternwheeler stops to visit the home and kennels of the late four-time Iditarod winner Susan Butcher and guides take visitors on a walking tour of a Chena Indian village. Lunch is served on the deck at a riverside restaurant (included in the cruise).

Fairbanks is steeped in a rich history of early pioneers, gold prospectors and native cultures, which can be seen in museums and cultural centers. We visited the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center and viewed interpretive displays and dioramas depicting people, landscapes and seasons of Alaska’s interior.

Other museums deserving a visit are the University of Alaska Museum of the North, one of the state’s top ten attractions that houses extensive exhibits on native culture. The Ice Museum features displays of larger than life ice sculptures and the Pioneer Air Museum has an array of early bush planes.

This thriving city may be a hub into Alaska’s vast interior, but Fairbank’s sophisticated arts and culture highlight many world-renowned performers in premier concerts and theatre performances. The city also boasts numerous upscale art galleries that feature indigenous and contemporary art from notable Alaskan artists, sculptors, potters and photographers.

We discovered Calypso Farm and Ecology Center is more than worth the trip. Co-founder Tom Zimmer guided us on a tour of the farm which grows over 400 organic vegetable varieties in well-tended fields and hothouses. We viewed his composting site, walked a path leading to chicken coops, past the goat and sheep barns and up to Tom’s front yard, where a farm table was laden with fresh vegetables and dough for making pizza. Tom served us a salad of freshly picked greens and slices of a savory tomato-and-basil wood-fired pizza, which was liberally sprinkled with homemade goat cheese. Yummy!

Ever wanted to cross the Arctic Circle? We did!

We boarded a twin-engine Piper Navajo Chieftan, operated by the Northern Alaska Tour Company, for a five-hour flightseeing adventure over Alaska’s vast interior with three hours on the ground for a tour of Wiseman, a small community which is located deep within Alaska’s interior.

In the air, our pilot pointed out the trans-Alaskan pipeline, which snakes across the tundra. When the pilot announced we had crossed over the imaginary line called the Arctic Circle, an electrifying cheer went up from six happy passengers.

After an hour of breathtaking scenery, the pilot skillfully landed the plane on a gravel airstrip near Coldfoot, a truck stop on the Dalton Highway that’s often used to film the TV show “Ice Road Truckers.” A shuttle then drove us about twenty five miles up the Dalton Highway to Wiseman for a guided tour by a local resident. Here, we learned how fifteen residents live year round in this remote and harsh land.

Our plane returned to Fairbanks Airport around midnight, and we stepped off the plane giddy with excitement from our first flightseeing trip. Needless to say, we were hooked on small aircraft tours. 

Inside the Northern Alaska Tour Company’s office, a staff member ceremoniously awarded us our official document that certifies a successful Arctic Circle crossing. The next morning after a night’s stay at the River’s Edge Resort, we boarded a shuttle for a ride to Denali National Park and then rode the Alaska Railroad back to Fairbanks.

Fairbanks is definitely a place that calls the adventurous to experience Alaska’s wild and wondrous interior while enjoying the venues and attractions that makes this “Golden Heart” city a reason to visit.

Joanne Tucker is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif.

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Experience Fashion at St. Regis Mexico City

09.15.10

By Greer Wylder

Wow! Put this down under “Things we want to do”: You can experience an ultimate day of fashion and luxury available exclusively at the new luxury landmark hotel, The St. Regis Mexico City at historic Paseo De La Reforma. The Masaryk Experience includes a personal chauffer service to Mexico City’s famed Masaryk Avenue (said to be on par with New York’s 5th Avenue, or Beverly Hill’s Rodeo Drive) for private style sessions at five of the city’s top designer showrooms, and a private dinner in the elegant Decanter room.

When guests book this package they can select five boutiques of their choice, including Corneliani, Dogma, Tiffany & Co, MaxMara, Hérmes, Hugo Boss, Puma, Frette, Frattina, Pal Zileri, Ferragamo, and Omega.

To complete the day of luxury, you can enjoy a St. Regis signature cocktail, Champagne ritual followed by a private dinner hosted by the general manager at The St. Regis Mexico City’s Decanter Room. The Masaryk Experience Aficionado package, which includes overnight accommodations in a deluxe room at The St. Regis Mexico City, is available through Dec. 31, and starts at $549, plus taxes and fees for a single room, and $699 plus taxes and fees for a double room. For Aficionado reservations, contact the Jose Juan Castellanos at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). The St. Regis Mexico City, Paseo De La Reforma 439, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City 06500, Mexico. (51) (55) 5228 1818, www.stregis.com/mexicocity.

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