Photo courtesy State of Alaska Tourism / Frank Flavin

The tallest peak in North America, Mt. McKinley stands a towering 20,320 feet tall. It’s located inside Denali National Park and Preserve, an area of more than 6 million acres – slightly larger than the state of Massachusetts – often ranked as one of Alaska’s top attractions.

It’s more than just McKinley that make the park a special place. It’s home to 37 species of mammals, everything from moose, caribou, wolves and brown bears.

The roads inside the park are closed to most vehicles, but buses still give guests one of the best wildlife viewing experiences in Alaska. Additionally, day hikers can get off the bus anywhere along the Park Road and then just flag down a bus for a ride back to the park’s entrance when they’re done.

Photo courtesy State of Alaska Tourism / Matt Hage

Denali National Park and Preserve might be rugged, but that doesn’t mean visitors have to rough it. There are two Princess wilderness lodges located near the park to help travelers unwind in luxury and comfort after a day of exploring.

Located just one mile from the park’s entrance, the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge has comfortably appointed rooms and an expansive deck with outdoor hot tubs overlooking the park and the Nenana River.

The Mt. McKinley Princess Wilderness Lodge is located south of the national park on the banks of the Chulitna River. The great room at this lodge features enormous floor-to-ceiling windows that look out on Mt. McKinley and the Alaska Range.

Head to the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge and go on a half-day tour to the Husky Homestead, run by Jeff King, four-time champion of the Iditarod. Like a lot of Alaskans, Jeff moved here in search of adventure. Dog mushing and Alaskan huskies piqued his interest, and in 1992 he went from spare time to full time, winning his first Iditarod the following season. He took the mushing world by storm and has become recognized as the “winningest musher in the world.” You might know about the Iditarod, but come see what it takes to create a professional Iditarod racing team. Meet Jeff and more than 75 friendly, energetic huskies ready to share their enthusiasm for the sport. The adventure can be booked at the tour desk at the Denali Princess Wilderness Lodge.

If you are going to be on the Kenai Peninsula this summer, meet dog musher Lorraine Temple. She is a strong advocate of Alaska’s official state sport. She’ll share tales of the trail, introduce you to her sled dogs and tell you what it takes to make it through the Iditarod. Get hands-on experience by harnessing the dogs and hooking them into the team. Her tour also includes a video and slideshow that features glaciers, wildlife, activities, wildflowers, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and of course, adorable puppies!

Wrangell-St Elias National Park is considered one of the most spectacular destinations in Alaska and is the largest national park. At the Copper River Princess Wilderness Lodge, learn about mushing the best way possible, by actually riding in a sled. See how mushers use wheeled carts to keep their dogs fit for winter races and everyday transportation. Head out to the lodge’s main entrance and instead of hailing a cab, hail a ride with a local musher and his team.

If you’ll be in Fairbanks this summer soaking up the midnight sun, stop by the home and kennels the late Susan Butcher with The Riverboat Discovery Cruise. She was the second woman to win the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in 1986, the second four-time winner in 1990, and the first to win four out of five sequential years. She is commemorated in Alaska every year on Susan Butcher Day, March 1. Susan’s husband Dave Monson, a champion of the Yukon Quest, shares stories of life in the dog yard and on the trails. Book this expedition from the tour desk at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge.

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.

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Start out at the Fairbanks Holiday Marketplace held Nov. 12-14 at the Carlson Center, featuring 175 specialty shops with literally thousands of holiday gift ideas including jewelry, furs, original artwork, birch bowls, fleece, pottery, etched glassware and more.

For the chef who has everything, The Great Alaskan Bowl Company in Fairbanks creates solid, one-piece wooden bowls crafted out of sustainably harvested Alaska Birch. The wooden bowls range from functional kitchen bowls, gift bowls filled with Alaska-made items or decorative bowls with unique carvings. The perfect pairing for this gift is an ulu knife. If you haven’t discovered the glory of cutting with an ulu knife yet, the rounded blade is great for chopping, slicing or trimming the crusts of kids’ sandwiches, and the handle is made of a variety of natural materials, such as jade, ivory, bone or hardwood.

Also based in the Fairbanks area, Moosetard specializes in unique gourmet mustards and syrups made with Alaska berries, wildflowers, spruce syrup and even Alaska-brewed beer. For instance, the Fairbanks Lager-Smoked mustard is made with Fairbanks Lager from Silver Gulch brewing company and naturally smoked with whole brown and yellow mustard seeds in an Alaska smoke house. It pairs perfectly with turkey, ham, salmon or other holiday staples, but I recommend spooning it directly out of the jar.

The Santa Claus House in North Pole allows you to send a personalized letter from Santa (available in eight languages) mailed directly from Santa Claus House and features a genuine North Pole postmark and Santa’s Official Mail seal. Letters also include a keepsake photo of Santa and Mrs. Claus and an official “Santa’s Good List” sticker (pending approval, of course). The Santa Claus House is open 12 months a year and has an endless supply of classic collectibles, North Pole apparel, “Made in Alaska” treats and more. For added flair, have your gift shipped directly from Santa himself (or from you) for Christmas, birthdays or any time of year.

When shopping for that perfect Alaska gift, be sure it’s authentic and help support the local economy by looking for the “Made in Alaska” symbol certifying that a resident artist, craftsperson or manufacturer made the article in Alaska. Likewise, the Silver Hand emblem guarantees the article was handcrafted by Alaska Natives. Wherever possible, art or craft items bearing this emblem have been made with Alaska materials.

We hope you’ll join us at the Fairbanks Princess Lodge for a pre, pre-holiday shopping weekend in Fairbanks. And if you can’t find the perfect Alaska-made gift for someone on your list, why not just invite them up for a holiday fairytale of their own—white Christmas, reindeer, ice sculptures and northern lights included.

If you aren’t from Alaska’s Interior or Arctic regions and — cough — have never seen the northern lights, or if you just want to rekindle your appreciation for the cosmic phenomena, it’s the perfect time of year to visit. And we’re here to make sure you don’t go home disappointed. When you check in at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge, let the front desk know you’d like an aurora wake-up call. If we see the lights out, we’ll give your room a call so you can grab your coat and camera and head out by the river for a great view of the sky.

Pick the best nights to visit and see the northern lights by checking the online Aurora Forecast updated each day by 3 p.m. Alaska time at http://www.gedds.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast/

Even if you’re not part of the official conference, it’s an exciting weekend to be in Fairbanks, and there are lots of ways to participate in the AFN convention. The public is welcome to attend a traditional Athabascan Potlatch hosted by the Fairbanks community on Oct. 20 or stop by the Native Arts and Crafts Exhibit Fair, showcasing the work of over 100 artisans from all over Alaska.

Traditional dance is an important part of Alaska Native culture, passed down from generation to generation, ensuring that the many distinct Native cultures across Alaska remain connected. Each year during the AFN’s annual convention, delegates take part in Quyana Alaska, designed to restore traditional dances and ensure they’re passed to the future generations. Quyana ticket sales will be available to the public for purchase beginning Oct. 18.

The Fairbanks Convention and Visitors Bureau is also actively recruiting volunteers for the upcoming AFN convention and the Elders and Youth Conference to meet delegates arriving at the airport and to offer assistance and information during the many events. For more information, visit http://www.afn2010.com/volunteer-opportunities.

Book your hotel reservations in Fairbanks for the AFN annual convention at the Fairbanks Princess Hotel.

“Activity of the Week” is a weekly blog series that profiles adventures, destinations and tour operators from across Alaska.

Even if your friends and family will only brave the summers, don’t pass up the opportunity to show them once and for all what Alaska’s most extreme winter conditions are like — even for just a minute — at Denali’s own Alaska at 40 below simulator, Arctic Blast.  Guide your parka-wrapped guests (they supply the parkas) into the chamber that’s kept at 40 degrees below zero. (If they need a buffer, you can get acclimated at 20 degrees before plunging into 40 below.) While there, find out what happens to antifreeze and whether soap bubbles survive at sub-zero temperatures. Even without the excuse of showing off the conditions we affectionately refer to as extreme, the experience is worth a step back (or forward) into the winter season we hold close to our thermal-protected hearts.

“Activity of the Week” is a weekly blog series that profiles adventures, destinations and tour operators from across Alaska.