Trip Report: The Arctic Circle

Located on the east ramp of Fairbanks International Airport, this small building is home to Northern Alaska Tour Company. As the host company of Wednesday's "Arctic Circle Drive Adventure", they know how to put on an impressive journey!

The excursion takes over 15 hours to complete so it begins shortly after 6AM.

The trip makes numerous stops so you're never bored. This stop was along the Trans-Alaska Pipeline where you can get up close and personal. As you may know, it was constructed during the 70's and runs more than 800 miles from Prudhoe Bay on the Arctic Ocean (and where the oil wells are) all the way to Valdez on the Pacific Ocean where the oil is loaded onto tankers.

To build the pipeline, the Dalton Highway was constructed beside the pipeline route and runs from just north of Fairbanks all the way to Prudhoe Bay.

Yes, there is often wildlife to see along the highway!

Another sight along the journey is the Yukon River, America's third-longest river.

The Yukon River Camp is a lunch stop northbound and a dinner stop southbound. The restaurant is closed this year but there are snacks, drinks and souvenirs.

There are also great views of the Yukon River Bridge at this stop.

The Dawson Highway goes on and on for hundreds of miles.

Finally, our destination arrives!

The Arctic Circle!  Located slightly above 66° north latitude, this is the farther north I've ever been. (Even Iceland last month is not as far north.) Plenty of time for photos and selfies here before beginning the return back to Fairbanks. If you're ever visiting Alaska and specifically Fairbanks, I highly recommend this tour. More details here.