TravelWorld International Magazine, Winter 2021 - The Magic of the Holidays

is resort was not Saint Tropez or even Mar-A-
Lago, but it did have a few amenities, like a hot
tub (adult attire only) and the famous Aurora
icehouse and bar, featuring frozen appletinis in
iced martini glasses. (No kidding—the glasses
were made fresh each day from vegetarian
farm-to-table chunks of ice, cut locally, onpremises).
I partook of both, but briefly, wanting to
get a good night's sleep and an early start the next day.
The vistas as we
headed north
were spectacular,
but it was cold!
It was chilly at the Aurora Bar. The
Appletinis were exceptional!
Traveling by
snowmobile
was
exhilarating
and quick.
Much better
than the
freeway!
There aren’t a lot of roads on the way to the North
Pole, and what there were really were not all
that passable. So fortunate I was that
Bernie had engaged Matt, my
snowmobiling guide, for the next
leg of my journey. I geared up,
which was quite a process,one
I secretly resented until I
learned that snowmobiles can
travel well over 100 miles an
hour in some cases, and it is
pretty darned cold when you
are not inside a car with the
heater going.
“…the woods are lovely dark and deep, but I have
promises to keep and miles to go, before I sleep...”
Nothing more relaxing than skinny dipping
after a walk in the snow. It is bracing!
The first leg of my trip
required me to suit up.
I was thankful for the
gator, the gloves, and
the helmet when we
got out on the trail.
Jeez, it was cold
getting to the facilities in
the middle of the night.
I thought I had booked
a two-room suite. Was
I surprised when I
found out the second
room was out back….
Anyway, before
nightfall I had
arrived at Bernie’s
suggested tworoom
suite, only
to find out that my
second room had
outdoor plumbing
and a pre-chilled
seat. I was
thinking I’d have
been better off to
book with Tom
Bodett, and have
him leave a light
on, and perhaps
the furnace, too.
I will say the scenery on the way was spectacular, fast-moving water (it knew how to avoid freezing, even if
I did not) and beautiful, silent birch trees. I assume they were silent—it’s hard to tell with a snowmobile’s
engine running right beside you. But I made that night’s stop in time for my afternoon nap, which was a
good thing because I was told outside of Fairbanks was the ideal spot for a nighttime light show. I set my
alarm for 11 pm and got up in time to see the midnight sun and the stars all at once. Really a special treat,
and just an appetizer for what was to come.
In the wee hours of the early morning, the Northern Lights were on display. It was well worth the trip.
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