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.

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 Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge / Photo courtesy Princess Lodges

To get a better idea of what activities are popular from the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge we spoke with General Manager, Tracy Smith.

The Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge is situated on 200 acres at the junction of the Klutina and Copper Rivers, right by Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, the largest national park in the United States. Fittingly, Smith said one of the area’s most popular attractions is the park’s visitor center.

“There are presentations through out the day and Ranger-lead walks and talks,” Smith said.

Another nearby attraction is the George Ashby Memorial Museum. The museum is housed in two rustic log cabins and offers a glimpse into Alaska’s past with photographs and artifacts

“They learn about the gold rush history of the area. It’s really neat,” Smith said.

Visitors looking to learn more about Alaska and its indigenous populations also enjoy the Ahtna Heritage Foundation Cultural Center.

The center has displays of traditional Native crafts, including moosehide and birchbark items and beaded objects. There is also a large fish wheel that was a collaborative project with Princess Lodges.

For more ideas about activities at the Copper River Princess Lodge, check out this blog post about lodge excursions and also read about nearby Kennecott Mine.

Guided drift boats and rafts fish the Kenai River near Cooper Landing, Alaska. Fishing for chinook, sockeye and coho salmon brings travelers from around the world to the area. Photo courtesy: State of Alaska Tourism / Matt Hage

Located in Cooper Landing on the Kenai Peninsula, the Kenai Princess Wilderness Lodge is near the juncture of the Russian and Kenai Rivers, the site of the most fantastic salmon fishing in Alaska. There’s plenty to do, whether you want to enjoy some river sportfishing, float the Kenai River, go horseback riding or explore Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park. Here are a few activities offered at the Kenai Princess Lodge:

Kenai Upper River Sportfishing
Enjoy a full or half day of fishing on the upper Kenai River for sockeye and coho salmon, Dolly Varden and rainbow trout. The 17-mile stretch of the Kenai River through the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge features sections for beginners and experienced fisherman. Fishing licenses are also available at the Kenai Princess Lodge.

Cooper Landing Trail Ride
Take an explorative horseback trail ride through the breathtaking landscape of the historic gold mining area of Cooper Landing and meander through the Kenai Peninsula’s forests, meadows, rock ridges, river shores and along the base of Langille Mountain in the Chugach National Forest. Lunch is provided at one of the many scenic lookout points.

Kenai Alaska Husky Spirit
Meet dog musher Lorraine Temple and her sled dogs and find out what it takes for canine athletes to make it onto a team for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. Learn hands-on how to harness and hook the dogs on the gangline. Also, watch a video that brings the mystique of Alaska dog mushing to life with colorful images of wildlife dogsledding and adorable puppies.

Kenai Fjords National Park Cruise
Take a drive to Seward and explore the pristine wonders of the Kenai Fjords National Park. From Resurrection Bay, cruise out on the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska around the Aialik Peninsula to the face of the Aialik Glacier. The sound of glaciers calving giant blocks of ancient ice can be heard across the harbor. Remember to look for marine animals such as orcas, humpback whales, seabirds, sea lions and otters.

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

One of the McKinley lodge’s annual traditions is a Christmas in August celebration. The lodge is decorated and guests are treated to Christmas cookies, a live reindeer and an appearance from Santa Claus. The event was inspired by a snowstorm closure of Yellowstone National Park and was adopted by the McKinley lodge about seven years ago. This year’s festivities are Aug. 24 and 25. Read more about them here.

Princess employee Ian Von Feldt is dressed as Santa and Mt. McKinley Hotel Services Manager Rick Peterson is an elf / Photo courtesy Princess Lodges

The McKinley lodge is also welcoming painter Don Kolstad. While Kolstad paints nature scenes in the great room, guests can interact with him and ask him questions. He will be painting from 5-7 p.m. Aug. 25 and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Aug. 26.

Peterson said guests have been enjoying a recent Fireweed Mocha special at the espresso bar. The drink features espresso mixed with chocolate, French vanilla, cherry, cinnamon and milk and is especially popular because the lodge property has several large areas featuring beautiful fireweed plants. Peterson said guests are sometimes surprised to learn that the plant earned its name because it is often the first plant that starts to grow in areas that have experienced forest fires.

Ghost the snowy owl / Photo courtesy Bird Treatment Learning Center

The Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge recently hosted three free presentations about rescued birds by the Bird Treatment and Learning Center. The center brought a bald eagle named Hal who was rescued during the Exxon Valdez oil spill clean up efforts and a peregrine falcon named Maverick. Nearly 500 lodge guests were able to see the birds, take pictures with them and learn about the work that the center does for injured birds.

Staff from the center have plans to return with another round of interactive presentations about Alaska’s birds and a snowy owl named Ghost.

Mt. McKinley Princess Lodge guests have already donated $461 to the Bird Treatment and Learning Center, just from the weekend presentation. Lodge staff hope to continue to help raise funds for the donation-based center.

This year, the Fairbanks Curling Club will host the 2011 Junior Nationals, a competition for youth teams. If you’ve never heard of curling or know nothing about it, you aren’t alone. People usually associate curling as something you do to your hair or in the weight room. However, curling has been around for quite a while and has gained increasing popularity in the last decade or so. If the zany uniforms and calculated sweeping techniques didn’t hook you during the last winter Olympics, there is plenty of opportunity to become a fan—or a contender—during your next trip to Fairbanks.

Like most sports, curling is edge-of-your-seat excitement once you figure out the rules, whether you’re on the sidelines or on the ice. The best way to explain curling is like “shuffle board on ice.” The foundation of the game is two teams of four players each sending stones over an ice rink toward a target circle in an attempt to place as many stones as close to the center of the concentric rings on the opposite side of the ice as possible. Clear as day? This photo might help:

The game focuses on strategy, accuracy and teamwork instead of force and strength. Each player throws two stones an “end” (similar to an inning in baseball) while members of his/her team furiously sweep the surface of the ice in the path of the 42-pound granite stone to control its speed and direction. Teams can also knock  their opponents stone out of contention.

Any curling fan will tell you, once you know the rules you’ll be hooked. It isn’t a contact sport but it’s plenty competitive. This is your chance to enjoy the live atmosphere while watching teams grunt, holler and yell their ‘rock into the house’ to win the title of Junior National Champion.

The 2011 Junior Nationals kick off Jan. 29 in Fairbanks. For more information go to: http://www.2011juniornationals.com/

Or if you can’t make it for the championships and want to try your hand against the local competition, drop by the Fairbanks Curling Club next time you’re in town. www.curlfairbanks.org.

Known for excellence in canine care and fostering the traditions of dog sled racing, the Yukon Quest was named to commemorate the Yukon River, and follows the historic Gold Rush and Mail Delivery dog sled routes from the turn of the 20^th Century. While the Iditarod is the more well-known dog sled race in Alaska, the Yukon Quest is often referred to as the more challenging race. On the trail of the Yukon Quest, mushers only have ten checkpoints to the Iditarod’s 28 so they spend a lot more time in no-man’s land, out in the cold with their dogs and facing distances of more than 200 miles between checkpoints.

This year, half of the registered mushers are running the 1,000-mile race for the first time, but they have their work cut out for them, as a rookie rarely wins this race; it’s a course that favors the veteran. So keep your eye out for 2009 champion Sebastian Schnuelle and Hans Gatt, the 2010 champion, who crossed the Whitehorse finish line in record time of nine days and 59 minutes.

To be more than just a spectator, sign up to volunteer at: http://www.yukonquest.com/site/signup-to-volunteer.

If you are in Fairbanks early, help support the annual race at the Crab Feed Fundraiser that will take place on Sunday, Jan. 16, from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pioneer Park. Tickets are available in advance at the Yukon Quest Store or by calling 907-452-7954.

Or come to Fairbanks in time for the first ever Yukon Quest “Purse Party” on Saturday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m. at the Dog Mushers Hall to help raise money to contribute to the race purse. Drinks will be provided by the Alaskan Brewing Co. Entrance is $20 and includes a limited edition 2011 Yukon Quest/Alaskan Brewing Co. glass. All proceeds will go directly to the purse.

The Yukon Quest race starts on schedule rain or shine from Whitehorse on Feb. 5, and lasts anywhere from 10 to 16 days until the final dog team arrives at the finish line. Teams are expected to arrive at the finish line between Monday, Feb. 14 and Sat Feb. 19 at the finish line located on the Chena River in downtown Fairbanks. Be sure and stick around for the Finish and Awards Banquet on Friday, Feb. 18 (tickets cost $60 and include dinner, entertainment, and awards ceremony).

Special winter rates are available online for the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge or by calling (800) 426-0500. For further details about the Yukon Quest go to http://www.yukonquest.com/

It’s easy to take a trip to Talkeetna from Fairbanks or Anchorage (located 115 miles north of Anchorage and 278 miles south of Fairbanks) and easy to explore once you get there, on foot along the dirt streets you’ll share with mountaineers, travelers, locals and more than a few friendly local dogs who roam free in the streets. Travel back in time and have breakfast at the Talkeetna Roadhouse, which was built between 1914 and 1917 to host railroad workers when President Woodrow Wilson authorized Talkeetna as the divisional headquarters for the Seward to Fairbanks government railroad route. Better bring your appetite, because it’ll be hard to choose just one course from the giant cinnamon rolls, colossal sourdough hotcakes, eggs and home fries or homemade rhubarb pie (because who says you can’t have pie for breakfast?).

Today mountaineers from all over the world flock to Talkeetna to climb Mount McKinley or nearby Mount Foraker, the Moose’s Tooth and scores of other challenging peaks, adding an international flavor to the town. You’ll likely encounter climbers (as well as bush pilots and airplane mechanics) lounging around at the new Denali Brewing Company or Mountain High Pizza Pie awaiting flight shuttles up to the glacier base camp. Even better is hopping on one of those planes yourself for a scenic fightseeing tour around Mount McKinley. If you’ve never done it, put it at the top of your list.

To work off the calories from breakfast, bring along cross-country skis or snowshoes and explore the miles of scenic trails in Talkeetna. There are also dog mushing tours as well as snowmobiling (snowmachining)  just a short drive in nearby Trapper Creek. In the evenings, take a walk down the street and watch smoke slowly billow out of the chimneys of log homes, watch the northern lights or just relax by the fire. If you’d prefer a more lively evening, check out the schedule of events at the Sheldon Community Arts Hangar for a play, concert, circus, art show or even a masquerade ball.

It’s not too late to vote Talkeetna number one so be sure and cast your vote online here.

If you visit Talkeetna in the summer, stay with us at Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge, or swing into Talkeenta for the day on your way up to Fairbanks Princess Hotel.

Fairbanks Princess Christmas Tree

If you’re in Fairbanks, stop by to warm yourself up and enjoy some of our holiday spirit.