UAF's Nicole Bozek had 28 points in a loss to West Liberty. Photo courtesy UAF.

Congratulations to all the teams that competed in the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational last weekend, especially tournament champions, the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears from North Carolina.

Many of the visiting teams chose to stay at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge for its comfort and proximity to the University of Alaska’s Fairbanks campus. The same reasons make it a great place to stay on your next trip, whether it’s to check out a university sporting event or just enjoy the Golden Heart City.

For the past 10 years, the UAF women’s basketball team has hosted a four team, three-day tournament over the Thanksgiving weekend. This year, the UAF Nanooks faced the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears, the West Liberty Hilltoppers and the Western Colorado State Mountaineers at the UAF Patty Center.

Throughout the weekend, the Nanooks furiously battled it out on their home court. Despite their efforts and home court advantage, they ended the tournament with a second place win for the second year in a row. Head coach Cody Burgess commented in an article on the UAF athletics website that there were some easily avoidable errors, but that she was satisfied overall with her team’s performance in the tournament.

“I don’t think anything in this tournament was easy but we don’t expect it to be easy,” Burgess said in the interview. “Our kids have a lot of passion and a lot of fire. They really want to play hard and win in front of their home crowd and I’m proud of them for that.”

The UAF Nanooks women’s basketball team will be back at it at the Patty Center, Saturday night Dec. 3, going up against in-state rival, the University of Alaska Anchorage Seawolves.

A child plays with an ice sculpture in Fairbanks. Photo courtesy of State of Alaska Tourism / Robin Hood.

What better way to celebrate the magic of the holiday season than to visit the home of Santa Claus himself. Every year the city of North Pole, a 15-minute drive south from Fairbanks, hosts two festivals to celebrate the holiday season. Christmas In Ice and Winter Fest both kick off Saturday Dec. 3 and staying in modern comfort at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge is the best way to experience the events.

Christmas in Ice begins with an ice art competition at the ice park, next to the Santa Claus house. The park displays dozens of Christmas-themed ice sculptures by local and international carvers. Stroll through a wonderland of glistening wreaths and larger-than-life gingerbread men and other themed sculptures. The kids’ park features four large ice slides, a life size ice maze – and for the littlest of the bunch – a couple small ice slides.  Throughout the month of December, the Christmas in Ice festival hosts several family friendly events and culminates with the New Year’s Eve Snowflake Drop.

Winterfest, a two-day celebration, begins with a holiday bazaar at the North Pole Plaza. Shoppers browse more than 35 holiday craft booths. In the evening enjoy a fireworks display at the North Plaza Mall, described as “one of the best fireworks show in town.”

The second day of events begins at 2 p.m. with a candle lighting at the North Pole High School auditorium. The celebration includes community awards and the crowning of the new North Pole king and queen. Festival attendees enjoy live entertainment, music and refreshments. The festivities wrap up in the evening with a Christmas tree lighting at 6 p.m. in the Santa Land RV Park.

From the Princess family to yours, we wish you a happy holiday season.

Friends enjoy nordic skiing on the Jim Whisenhant Cross Country Ski Trail system at Birch Hill Recreation Area in Fairbanks. Photo courtesy State of Alaska Tourism / Matt Hage.

Fairbanks offers great wintertime fun and outdoor recreation. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite outdoor activities  for you to spend a day in the elements. Whether you go out to ski, snowboard or snowmobile, the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge is the perfect spot to relax with a hot drink and put your feet up at the end of the day.

Snowmobiling
Fairbanks has miles of maintained trails for you to pull out your sled and shred some serious powder. The Fairbanks Snow Travelers snowmobile club offers group rides throughout the winter season and their website provides information about riding in the area, snow and weather conditions, as well as riding tips. The White Mountains National Recreation Area has more than 200 miles of maintained trails and the Chena River Recreation Area provides snowmobile access to back country trails and cabins.

Alpine Skiing
Mount Aurora Skiland is a ski and snowboard park with terrain for all skill levels. In celebration of its 50^th season, the ski resort is offering the same ticket prices as the previous year. Ski and snowboard rentals are available as well as one and multiple day passes. Pack up the family and head to the hills for some downhill skiing and snowboard fun.

Moose Mountain is an intermediate and advanced alpine park for skiers and snowboarders looking for more technical terrain and1,300 feet of vertical drop. Fairbanks is known for being cold in winter, but Moose Mountain is an ideal place to spend the day on the slopes, with weather usually 20 to 30 degrees warmer than in town.

Nordic Skiing
The Nordic Ski club of Fairbanks supports and maintains more than 30 kilometers of skate, classical and lighted loop trails at the Birch Hill Recreation Area. The area is fee free and open to the public. The club offers race events, programs and classes during the winter season for beginner and advanced Nordic skiers.

Running and Snowshoeing
It seems that running and snowshoeing might not go hand in hand, but the Fairbanks Running Club North, offers competitive racing events year-round, some that require shoes and others snowshoes. If you’re looking to keep your racing edge in the winter months, check out upcoming races like the Heart of Darkness Snowshoe Race, Solstice Snowshoe Shuffle, Turkey Trot and the 25^th George Bloom Memorial Midday Sun Fun Run.

Hiking
Despite all the snow, there is great hiking in Fairbanks for those willing to brave the elements. The Chena River Recreation Area offers miles of maintained trails with panoramic views for leisurely walks or brisk winter runs. The White Mountains National Recreation Area, a one million acre park, has more than 200 miles of groomed trails and 10 public use cabins for winter adventures. Go for a couple hours or spend a couple of days, but be sure to pack warm gear, be prepared for changing weather conditions and let someone know your plan before leaving home.

Last year brought fierce competition from restaurants like Lavelle’s Bistro, Bobby’s, the Co-Op Diner and Gambardella’s. In the end,  Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge’s own, chef Steve Frazer won the golden ladle. This year’s competition will feature 11 different soups, from crab bisque to mushroom barley to vegan offerings.

The event will also feature a wine tasting, courtesy of K&L Distributors, a coffee tasting provided by Diving Duck Coffee and live music. Participants can bid on delicious desserts and items including dining, services and gift certificates, fuel, oil, a quilt, Fairbanks Concert Association tickets, a week in a Baja casita that sleeps four, French cooking lessons and artwork.

The Stone Soup Café is located in the downstairs of the former Eagles Hall. It serves a hot breakfast and passes out sack lunches Monday through Friday to help feed the hungry in Fairbanks.

Soup Off
When: Saturday, Oct. 29
Where: Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Tickets: $35, available at If Only, Take 5, Team Cutters, Image Optical, Grassroots Guitar or by calling 907-374-9981. Must be 21 or older.

Fort Wainwright Holly Days Bazaar
Hosted by the Community Spouses Club this annual event features local artisans handcrafted goods. Get a head start on holiday shopping and stop by to find unique gifts of jewelry, art, photography, Alaska souvenirs and more.
Date: Oct. 14-15
Location: Physical Fitness Center
Time: 4 -5 p.m.
Cost:  Adults $3 Kids 12 and under free
Event http://www.wainwrightcsc.org/1915.html

City Sampler: A Taste of Fairbanks
Come enjoy an evening sampling the best of Fairbanks’ fine dining, caterers, and local food and wine distributors while enjoying live jazz music. Enter to win two roundtrip tickets for a European getaway in Germany as well as many more exciting door prizes. This event benefits the Fairbanks Resource Agency’s Senior Service Programs.
Date: Oct. 20
Location: Westmark Hotel Gold Room
Time: 6:30 – 8 p.m.
Cost: $40/person

Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater:
Shakespeare’s classic play “Macbeth,” a tale of a hysterical and murderous king is brought to life by Fairbanks Shakespeare Theater. The play runs for three weekends and has a special Halloween showing if you dare. Purchase tickets at the theater’s website.
Dates: Oct. 14 – 31
Location: Empress Theater
Time: 7:30 p.m., Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays
2 p.m. Sundays, 8 p.m. Halloween
Cost: $22
fstalaska.org

Fairbanks Drama Association: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?”
Celebrate Fairbanks Drama Association’s 49^th year by attending the Tony Award winning play “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” as a part of their fall theater lineup.
Date: Oct. 21 – Nov. 6
Location: River Front Theater
Time: 8:00 p.m.
Cost: $20 general, $18 seniors (65+), military, and university students, $14 for teens
website

Music at One
A free weekly one-hour concert series showcasing the talents of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ music students in the Davis Hall of the UAF campus. This is an excellent opportunity to introduce young children to music in a concert hall setting without the stress of a dressed up black tie evening.

Dates: Thursday Sept. 22 – Thursday Nov. 17
Location: Davis Hall, University of Alaska Fairbanks campus
Time: 1-2 p.m.
Cost: Free

First Friday Events
First Friday events continue into the fall season with featured artists on display at local businesses and art galleries in downtown Fairbanks. Visit Fairbanks’ Downtown Association website for details of times and locations of galleries on exhibit.
Dates: First Friday of the month, Oct. 7 – March 2, 2011
Location: Various Fairbanks locations
Time: Starts at 7 p.m.
Cost: Free
downtownfairbanks.com

Go Winter! Expo
Just in time for the Permanent Fund Dividend, this expo at the Carlson Center is packed with vendors to help you avoid cabin fever and get out this winter. Shop till you drop and take advantage of all the great PFD sales.
Dates: Oct. 8-9
Location: Carlson Center
Time: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Cost: $4 adults, children 12 and under free, free all day Sunday to military and their families (ID required)
fairbanksevents.com

Fairbanks Holiday Marketplace
With the holidays coming up, get your shopping done early at a one-stop shop fair featuring 170 artists and craftsman. The North Pole High School Choir will be providing onsite day care for $4 an hour.
Dates: Nov. 11-12
Location: Carlson Center
Time: Friday, Nov. 11, noon – 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 12 10 a.m. -7 p.m.
Cost: $4 adults, children 12 and under free
fairbanksevents.com

The aurora borealis in the winter, Fairbanks, Alaska. Photo courtesy State of Alaska Tourism / Chris McLennan

The aurora borealis, or northern lights, is one of Alaska’s most spectacular natural winter displays. Every year more than 250,000 people visit the state between October and April in hopes to catch a glimpse of the colorful light show. The savvy ones will stay at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge which is open year-round.

The awe-inspiring lights are caused by energetically charged atoms colliding into each other about 60 to 70 miles above the earth’s surface. How far up the atoms are in the earth’s atmosphere determines the vibrant colors of yellow, green, blue, purple or red that viewers are treated to. The most common colors displayed are shimmering yellow and green ribbon-like strands that seem to dance across the night sky. On rare occasions, lucky observers are treated to bold, red-colored lights.

Ideal conditions for viewing the aurora are on days or nights that have clear moonless skies. The most active times are around the autumn and spring equinoxes in September/October and March/April. Most often the best viewing for the aurora is late at night or in the early morning. Many Alaska hotels offer a “northern lights wake-up call” to alert their guests when the lights are out.

The aurora borealis is a truly dazzling display and inspires seasoned Alaskans and those visiting the state. The University of Alaska Fairbanks has an online forecast website with the best viewing times of the northern lights. View photos of the northern lights submitted to the Anchorage Daily News here.

The Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge / Photo courtesy Princess Lodges

Established in 1902 during the gold rush, Fairbanks is located in the Tanana Valley of Alaska’s Interior. The second largest city in the state, the “Gold Heart City” is known for its historical and modern gold industries. The Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge is the town’s most refined and ideally situated hotel, located on the on the banks of the Chena River. In the summer, Fairbanks experiences nearly 24 hours of light, creating some great opportunities for outdoor activities. Here are some of the town’s top attractions.

Arctic Circle Air Adventure
See the Arctic Circle by air with an once-in-a-lifetime adventure. The flight will go over the Yukon River Valley, traverse gold mining fields and a portion of the 800-mile-long trans-Alaska Pipeline. Pass over the Brooks Mountain Range, which is the northernmost section of the Rocky Mountains and the highest mountain range in the Arctic Circle, and visit a wilderness community on the Middle Fork Koyukuk River.

Chena Hot Springs and Ice Museum Tour
Looking for a romantic one-day getaway? Look no further than Alaska’s icy-hot Chena Hot Springs Resort. This resort is home to the Aurora Ice Museum, created from over 1,000 tons of ice and snow. After touring the ice museum, relax at the Ice Bar and enjoy an appletini in an ice-carved martini glass while warming up next to the ice fireplace. Then, indulge in a fabulous dinner of prime rib, halibut or salmon. Finish up your day at Chena Hot Springs by taking a dip in the natural hot springs outdoor rock lake.

El Dorado Gold Mine Tour
Take a train ride on the Tanana Valley Railroad and hear stories about the thousands of prospectors who arrived during the gold rush. Travel through a permafrost tunnel, see amazing rock formations and learn about underground mining methods used during the gold rush days. Upon arrival at the El Dorado Gold Mine, learn how to pan for real gold and take a walking tour of the mining camp. Then hop aboard the train and return to the station.

An Evening in North Pole
Visit the town of North Pole and Santa Claus House, where Christmas is celebrated year-round with a gift shop full of holiday decor, ornaments, apparel and collectibles. Have a picture taken with Prancer and members of Santa’s team of reindeer, Santa’s sleigh and a life-size nativity scene. Dinner is at the Pagoda, a Chinese restaurant featured on the Food Network program “Diners Drive-ins and Dives.” The trip finishes up with a driving tour of the town and the story behind its holiday theme.

Museum of the North
Enjoy a self-guided tour of the University of Alaska Museum of the North. The museum features nearly 1.4 million artifacts and specimens representing millions of years of biological diversity and thousands of years of cultural tradition. Highlights of the tour include fist-sized gold nuggets, a 36,000-year-old bison mummy, whale skulls and mammoth tusks.

For more information on these activities, visit the Fairbanks excursions page or call 1-800-426-0500.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Georgeson Botanical Garden / Photo courtesy State of Alaska Tourism / Kristen Kemmerling

To get a better idea of what activities are popular from the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, we spoke with administrative assistant Codie Villalobos.

Villalobos said she recommends the University of Alaska Fairbanks Georgeson Botanical Garden to many of the lodge’s guests.

The northernmost public garden in North America, the Georgeson garden is a nonprofit dedicated to research in subarctic horticulture. The garden is open through September and has excellent walking paths with benches and bird baths along the way.

“The botanical gardens are beautiful – all the local produce and flowers. It’s at its best right now being August and with all the sunshine,” Villalobos said.

Another attraction for visitors at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge is Pioneer Park.

The 44-acre Park was originally built for the Alaska 1967 Centennial Exposition and named Alaskaland until 2001. The park is billed as “Alaska’s Only Historic Theme Park” and features several museums, restaurants, shops and other attractions.

“You can make it as exciting or laid back as you want. Spend and an hour or a couple hours – I’ve never had a complaint,” Villalobos said.

Sandhill crane / Photo courtesy International Crane Foundation

Every year in August, thousands of Sandhill Cranes make their way through Alaska on their migratory trips.

Fairbanks is one of the best places to view the spectacular birds and you can stay in exceptional comfort at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge while you join locals and visitors for the Annual Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival.

Sandhill cranes / Photo courtesy International Crane Foundation

Visitors and locals flock to the festival’s talks, nature walks, kids events and workshops. Of course, there are plenty of chances to observe Sandhill Cranes, with daily tallies regularly topping 1,000 birds.

Annual Tanana Valley Sandhill Crane Festival
Where: Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, Fairbanks, Alaska.
When: Aug. 26-28
More info: http://www.arcticaudubon.org/crane.html

Photo courtesy State of Alaska Tourism / Kristen Kemmerling

The world famous Kenai River king salmon fishery closed July 31, but there are still plenty of fish runs around the state that don’t even start getting hot until August. Here’s a roundup of great fishing excursions near some of Princess’ lodges.

Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge

With six different major fisheries less than an hour and a half drive from the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge, bank fishing excursions are the perfect getaway. The Kenai River, known for its King (or Chinook) salmon and early Sockeye salmon run, is flooded with silver (coho) salmon during the month of August.

A late sockeye salmon run during the first three weeks in August attracts anglers to the Kenai River. The Russian, Kasilof, Deep Creek, Ninilchik and Anchor Rivers are also known for great fishing during the late summer months.

Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge

If you’re looking for a less well-known, but equally exhilarating fishing experience, check out the Copper and Klutina Rivers near the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge. As the Sockeye run comes to an end midway through August, fishermen will begin to see runs of Coho salmon that will last through the end of September in both rivers.

Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge

The Tanana River, a tributary of the Yukon River, passes directly through the city of Fairbanks. Larger tributaries, the Nenana and the Kantishna Rivers, are within driving distance as well. During August and September the rivers are great places to fish for Coho and Pink (Chum) salmon. The Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge‘s location on the banks of the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks provides easy access to the area’s fishing hot spots.