Winter tourism attractions

December 10, 2012

The north attracts few hardy souls in the wintertime. Here are 10 winter attractions/activities to consider.

• 1.The aurora borealis. The number one favorite for winter visitors to Alaska or northern Canada. A lot of visitors from Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China come between December and March to see the aurora borealis.
• 2.A good place to see some dog-mushing is Whitehorse, with the start of the 1,000 mile Yukon Quest dog sled race commencing on 2-Feb-2013. If you prefer, the Iditarod starts on 3-Mar-2013 in Anchorage. If you care to participate you can book at multi-day dog-sled aventure, like the one offered by Sky High Wilderness in Whitehorse, Yukon.
• 3.Ice fishing at Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley Lakes. Landlocked King salmon and silver salmon are very active under the ice and can often be readily caught.
• 4. Soak in the Chena Hot Springs Resort located an hour’s drive from Fairbanks. There are also hot springs located near Whitehorse and at Liard BC, the second largest in Canada. All three hot springs are open all year round.
• 5.Yukon’s Sourdough rendez-vous festival in Whitehorse 21-24-Feb-2013. The Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous Festival is the North’s coolest winter festival – celebrating its 49th Anniversary in 2013.  Have a look through our website and discover what has been described as “the only legal cure for the cabin fever blues.” 
• 6.Snowmobiling is a popular activity in the north, no more so than in Yellowknife. You can rent a machine and winter gear in town or at a winter lodge and take a guided trek or travel on your own. One of the most spectacular trips combines forest and lake trails with the serene beauty of the East Arm. In late March and April, super-hot snowmobile races are held at community carnivals.
• 7.Downhill Skiing. Alaska has several resorts for downhill skiing, including near Anchorage and Juneau. Whitehorse has a ski hill too.
• 8. Cross-country skiing is popular throughout the north country. Every community has great places to ski.
• 9. Snowshoeing is an inexpensive activity. Healthy too.
• 10.Visit Fairbanks, Alaska for the the BP World Ice Art Championships, that has grown to a month long attraction involving over 70 teams from all over the world. The competitions, and the accompanying kids park, attract more than 100 ice artists and approximately 45,000 visitors from Alaska and all over the world. It runs February 26 - March 31, 2013.

Commentary

There’s lots going on in the winter. The attractions grow year by year to attract a wider audience.

Sources

• a)http://newsminer.com/view/full_story/16963142/article-Alaska-a-cool-winter-tourism-destination?instance=home_news_window_left_top_3



• b)http://www.yukonquest.com/ and http://iditarod.com/race/broadcast-schedule/ and http://www.skyhighwilderness.com/html/dogsled_snowmachine_adventure.php



• c)http://www.fish4salmon.com/icefishing.htm



• d)http://www.yukonrendezvous.com/



• e)http://www.spectacularnwt.com/whattodo/outdooradventure/snowmobiling



• f)http://www.alaskaskiresorts.com/



• g)http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/liard_rv_hs/