Chena Hot Springs / Fur Rendezvous
Greetings from Chena Hot Springs. I had the opportunity to work the Once in a Blue Moose Juneau store in the summer of 2009. This winter I got a job working at Chena Hot Springs, and I thought you might like to see just a glimpse of what the area offers.
Chena Hot Springs is 60 miles east of Fairbanks in the Interior. It was discovered in 1905 by Swedish gold mining brothers. It quickly became a cherished respite for miners and others to ease their ailments using the healing waters of the natural hot springs. Today, people from around the world visit the hot springs known as Rock Lake on the North Fork of the Chena River.
After a soothing soak in the hot springs, a dogsled ride is my favorite thing to do. The Chena Dog Kennel hosts 72 dogs bred and born to run. It is an exhilarating experience. After two weeks of training, I was allowed to mush my own team.
Next in line is my weekly tour of the Chena Greenhouse to check on the progress of the lettuce, tomatoes and herbs which are used by the local restaurant. The greenhouse uses hydroponic technology to insure the finest quality year around. The facility is 7,000 square feet and stays at 75º even when it is -60º outside.
Next is the tour of the Aurora Ice Musuem which stays at 20º even when it is 80º outside in the summer. The displays change monthly, thanks to resident ice carvers, Steve and Heather Br
ice. This couple, together, hold 18 World Ice Carving Championships. The ice musuem stays on ice using the hot water resources which I will tell you about next.
The on site geothermal plant, which uses the undergound hot water resources, can be used to heat and cool. While I don't profess to understand the mechanics of it all, Chena Hot Springs is self sufficient using green technology. In partnership with the University of Alaska-Fairbanks Forestry Experiment Station, Chena Hot Springs is developing geothermal and other heat source technologies for remote locations throughout Alaska.
And, to top off the day/night, the aurora borealis is spectacular.
Hope you enjoyed this little tour of Chena Hot Springs.
Fur Rendezvous
Fur Rendezvous, or Fur Rondy to locals, began in the 1930s as a winter sports tournament. It was created to bring the people of Anchorage together in what can be an often harsh and very, very long winter. The first Fur Rondy was a 3-day festival held to coincide with the time of year that the miners and trappers came into town with their winter catchings. These days, with the festival in it's 75th year, Fur Rondy brings 10 days of fun filled, often wacky events leading up to the Iditarod, Alaska's premiere sled dog race. Even in below freezing temperatures, thousands of locals and tourists alike come out to participate in the outdoor winter carnival, complete with ferris wheel and funnel cakes. For the more adventurous soul, Fur Rendezvous offers a snowshoe softball tournament, the world's largest outhouse race (just like it sounds - teams of people racing decorated outhouses!) and the Running of the Reindeer (think hundreds of people dressed in costume running alongside reindeer down Anchorage's 4th avenue).
