We kicked off our day a little later than usual—but with good reason. Today was the start of the legendary Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, and we were lucky enough to witness it from Fairbanks. Due to an unseasonably warm spell, the traditional starting point in Anchorage was too dry and lacked snow, prompting officials to move the ceremonial start to Fairbanks for only the second time in history. Serendipity!

Good thing we had already booked our hotel—room prices surged as spectators poured in.

The Iditarod is often dubbed “The Last Great Race on Earth”, and for good reason. Spanning roughly 1,000 miles from Anchorage to Nome, it retraces a historic trail once used for mail and medicine delivery. Its roots stretch back to the 1925 serum run to Nome, where mushers and their dogs rushed diphtheria antitoxin across Alaska to save a town in crisis. But the modern race, founded in 1973 by Joe Redington Sr. and Dorothy Page, honors the broader legacy of Alaskan mushing and its vital role in connecting remote communities.

Eitan couldn’t wait to get all cold for a good ground-level photo.

We found a great spot near the starting line and watched as each of the ~30 mushers and their teams launched off every two minutes—tail-wagging huskies, barking with excitement, racing into the frozen wilderness. It was pure magic.

After the last sled took off, we walked across the top of a frozen river (a first for us!) and then headed straight to another must-see event: the World Ice Art Championships.

Fairbanks hosts this icy spectacle every year, and it’s a big deal—over 100 artists from more than 30 countries carve mind-blowing creations from pristine blocks of local ice, nicknamed “Arctic Diamond” for its clarity. Since 1991, the event has been growing into one of the largest ice sculpting competitions on the planet.

They had everything from towering dragons to swirling abstract pieces, all glowing with colored lights at night. One of our favorite parts? The Interactive Ice Playground, complete with ice slides, mazes, and structures you could actually play on. We had to rent a sled and go down the slide a few times—it was a blast.

There were also live carving demos, where we got to watch artists chainsaw and chisel frozen blocks into fine art. (Fun fact: some sculptures weigh over 15,000 pounds and take 132 hours to complete in the Multi-Block Classic!)

On our way to grab lunch and some beer, we finally gave in to curiosity and stopped at the mysterious “bowl shop” we’d seen every time we left the hotel. Turns out, it’s a gigantic souvenir megastore… that also happens to sell handcrafted wooden bowls. Tourist trap? Maybe. Worth it? Definitely.

Dinner was at a recommended (by someone from Thailand) and very well reviewed Thai restaurant. We were hungry and very excited. Unfortunately this meal turned out to be the only negative thing of this trip, the food was pretty bad, but maybe our expectations were unrealistic for Fairbanks. But then we went to Voodoo Brewery, where the vibe felt right out of San Diego—laid-back, full of families, hipsters, and travelers alike. Great beer, even better atmosphere. Since it was warm out for the locals many drank outside, we opted for the inside table.

Back at the hotel, we wrapped up the evening with a little birthday celebration for Tania. We ordered a Baked Alaska—a nostalgic dessert of ice cream, cake, and torched meringue—but let’s just say the idea was better than the taste.

With an hour to spare before our aurora tour, we visited the hotel’s reindeer pen. You can usually feed them, but we arrived too late. Still, adorable.

Then came the finale: we were picked up and driven an hour out to a remote Aurora Observation Lodge, a cozy cabin set deep in the Alaskan wilderness. They served hot tea and coffee as we waited—and hoped.

Sure enough, after a couple hours, the aurora borealis made its fourth appearance in four nights. That’s an incredible streak—locals told us it’s extremely rare to get that kind of luck.

The display wasn’t quite as intense as the night before, but still breathtaking. Eitan and Nadeem braved the cold with beers in hand, soaking up every shimmering wave of light, while Tania and Sarah made brief visits outside, but stayed warm inside enjoying all the snacks we brought.

We ended our last night in awe and grateful for this wild and wonderful place.

Tomorrow, we head home—can’t wait to see Ariela again after four nights away. But we’ll never forget what we saw up here.

Bonus Pic of the Day:

Here’s how those ice sculptures begin: a single giant block of crystal-clear ice, like this one!