After our Iditarod experience, we flew to Fairbanks on a commercial Alaska Airlines jet. We checked into Pikes Waterfront Lodge. Neat place and great restaurant. The first afternoon we went to the World Championship Ice Carving exhibition. Really great sculptures by artists from across the world.

The next day we flew to Bettles, Alaska, on a small airline. Bettles is located 180 airline miles north of Fairbanks in the Artic Circle and in the middle of the Aurora zone. If you are going to the Artic Circle, the only time to do it is in the winter. In March, you have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. And cold, cold, cold. We spent extended periods of time in temperatures -25 to -35 degrees Fahrenheit. Windchills to -46.

The key to having a good time in these conditions is your clothing. Make sure everything is good to at least -40F. Even in these temperatures, we were quite comfortable when we were outdoors for many hours at a time. The first evening we built a bonfire around 10:30pm when the Aurora began to appear. There had not been any Aurora viewed in many days due to snow and cloudy conditions. We were fortunate that when we arrived, the sky cleared up. We watched several Aurora bands form and move across the sky as we enjoyed making chocolate smoors over the campfire.