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jawnbcWhen we last our intrepid voyageurs they were about to board a flight to Fairbanks. And board they did, and the flight did take off fully 90 minutes late (for a 38 minute flight), so we arrived 10 minutes late for our shuttle bus...though they waited for us. Pretty soon we were rolling down to Chena Hot Springs Resort: the 65 mile journey took about 1h15.
Overall impression of Chena Hot Springs: good fun, rustic and funky and probably 3 nights is the maximum you'd want to stay (we stayed 2). The main lodge/resto/reception is an old natural wood building--exactly what you'd hope for in a place so far off the beaten track. Our accommodation was a double-double in a building that holds 8 units in total (4 up 4 down). Nice room, basic amenities (stall shower in water closet; sink behind front door), but absolutely fine. There a bit of satellite TV in the rooms, but there was only so much of the Saddam/Ford/Brown death-a-thon on CNN that one could take. But again, what kind of eejit comes all this way, only to stay in their room watching CNN?
The resort is self-contained: what they have on offer is what's on offer. There's wee café, but it was out of:
1. hot water
2. most cakes
3. cookies
4. most candies
And the espresso machine was broken. The paradox of a hot springs resorts not having hot water made us laugh. However the snarky nearly monolingual Japanese woman working the café/activities desk was annoying; just as well there was nothing but coffee. The main dining room was where all proper meals are taken. It's a challenge running any sort of interesting restaurant when your climate is so adverse to growing food. Most of the meals were fine, a couple less so. The steak was perfect though. Everything operated on Bula time: expect to wait for things, or you'll go a bit bonkers.
Among the activities on offer were dog sled riding, snoe shoeing, nordic skiing, the Ice Museum, and sunset or aurora-viewing (23h-03h) excursions. The ski trails weren't groomed, so I wasn't about to subject![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
querrelle to a first-time experience without tracks. Neither of us were keen on the dog or snow shoe thangs, but we did take in the Ice Museum. Turns out some of the world's best ice carvers spend some time the resort honing their craft. We got a demo (how to make ice martini glasses), and then could wander the various displays. The photos don't do it justice really: bedrooms in the "ice hotel" (US$579/night. To sleep on ice), bears, gladiators, chess sets...all so very beautiful.
With the weather so changeable, we didn't do the aurora trip. We did, however, walk up to a viewpoint to see if it was visible our first night. It was--very faintly. After an hour we went home instead. But we saw our aurora! And there was hawtness in them there hills:
What was the best part of Chena? The hot springs. Day trippers pay US$10 for pool priviledges, but hotel guests get in free. We took probably 3 soaks each day, at various times of day. When you first come out of the changing rooms there are 2 spas and one swimming pool indoors--skip 'em: they're all chlorinated and overrun with kids. Instead take a deep breath, push open the back door and waddle down to the Rock Pool. Unlike many host springs resorts Chena has an outdoor, untreated, huge quasi-naturalistic hot spring for swimming. That kids arent' allowed makes it even better! The waters were warm, with some bits postively hot. But with the temperature outside being between -20 and -10C, everything is enveloped in a mist caused by the hot water meeting the cold air. Around you are huge rocks half covered in snow and hoar's frost. It was truly magical. One of the best hot springs I've ever visited!
Today we shuttled back to Fairbanks, where we're spending the night before heading to Anchorage for New Year's. Fairbanks is like a lot of small American towns: the downtown is pretty dead, due in large part to the big box stores on the outskirts. Still we had a great--and huge--Thai lunch and a nice brisk walk in the wintery air. Clouds again tonight, so no auroras. But it's nice to be back in (demi) civilization.
For all of the photos from the trip so far cliquez icitte
Overall impression of Chena Hot Springs: good fun, rustic and funky and probably 3 nights is the maximum you'd want to stay (we stayed 2). The main lodge/resto/reception is an old natural wood building--exactly what you'd hope for in a place so far off the beaten track. Our accommodation was a double-double in a building that holds 8 units in total (4 up 4 down). Nice room, basic amenities (stall shower in water closet; sink behind front door), but absolutely fine. There a bit of satellite TV in the rooms, but there was only so much of the Saddam/Ford/Brown death-a-thon on CNN that one could take. But again, what kind of eejit comes all this way, only to stay in their room watching CNN?
The resort is self-contained: what they have on offer is what's on offer. There's wee café, but it was out of:
1. hot water
2. most cakes
3. cookies
4. most candies
And the espresso machine was broken. The paradox of a hot springs resorts not having hot water made us laugh. However the snarky nearly monolingual Japanese woman working the café/activities desk was annoying; just as well there was nothing but coffee. The main dining room was where all proper meals are taken. It's a challenge running any sort of interesting restaurant when your climate is so adverse to growing food. Most of the meals were fine, a couple less so. The steak was perfect though. Everything operated on Bula time: expect to wait for things, or you'll go a bit bonkers.
Among the activities on offer were dog sled riding, snoe shoeing, nordic skiing, the Ice Museum, and sunset or aurora-viewing (23h-03h) excursions. The ski trails weren't groomed, so I wasn't about to subject
querrelle to a first-time experience without tracks. Neither of us were keen on the dog or snow shoe thangs, but we did take in the Ice Museum. Turns out some of the world's best ice carvers spend some time the resort honing their craft. We got a demo (how to make ice martini glasses), and then could wander the various displays. The photos don't do it justice really: bedrooms in the "ice hotel" (US$579/night. To sleep on ice), bears, gladiators, chess sets...all so very beautiful. With the weather so changeable, we didn't do the aurora trip. We did, however, walk up to a viewpoint to see if it was visible our first night. It was--very faintly. After an hour we went home instead. But we saw our aurora! And there was hawtness in them there hills:
What was the best part of Chena? The hot springs. Day trippers pay US$10 for pool priviledges, but hotel guests get in free. We took probably 3 soaks each day, at various times of day. When you first come out of the changing rooms there are 2 spas and one swimming pool indoors--skip 'em: they're all chlorinated and overrun with kids. Instead take a deep breath, push open the back door and waddle down to the Rock Pool. Unlike many host springs resorts Chena has an outdoor, untreated, huge quasi-naturalistic hot spring for swimming. That kids arent' allowed makes it even better! The waters were warm, with some bits postively hot. But with the temperature outside being between -20 and -10C, everything is enveloped in a mist caused by the hot water meeting the cold air. Around you are huge rocks half covered in snow and hoar's frost. It was truly magical. One of the best hot springs I've ever visited!
Today we shuttled back to Fairbanks, where we're spending the night before heading to Anchorage for New Year's. Fairbanks is like a lot of small American towns: the downtown is pretty dead, due in large part to the big box stores on the outskirts. Still we had a great--and huge--Thai lunch and a nice brisk walk in the wintery air. Clouds again tonight, so no auroras. But it's nice to be back in (demi) civilization.
For all of the photos from the trip so far cliquez icitte
