Vegan in Fairbanks, Alaska
Welcome to Fairbanks
February 21, 2022
After a long day of travel, I arrived in Fairbanks at 2 a.m. But before the excitement of that moment, there was a lot of staring out airplane windows at pretty frost forming.
The white in the cracks of the country below
Saying goodbye to the Lower 48 as I left my layover in Seattle.
When I arrived to a world coated in white, to a world full of these perfect train set-style trees, I wanted to stop every few moment to take a picture.
Mailboxes cluster
These perfect trees keep photosynthesizing during the winter. The waxy coating of their thin needles help them hold onto the water they need to continue the cycle. Even their bark is made to help them survive the winter, with insulating air pockets instead of more plant cells that can freeze. All hail the conifers!
Though it was certainly cold when I arrived, the entire time of my trip was a bit of a heatwave. Reaching the 30’s and 40’s even during the day, the cold mornings were a bit more harsh between about 9-12 F or so. I really only geared up fully on the day I hiked to the glacier–and I wound up shedding it all along the way as I overheated.
I wanted to take a picture of anything that said Alaska. To be so far away, it felt like I was in a whole other country. And I liked that very much.
More things that say “Alaska.” I rented a car though I was very worried about driving conditions. I am so glad I did as I was able to do so much more. The first day with the car was devoted to acclimating myself to the roads and conditions–and it helped that fresh snow was falling helping to emphasize how important it was to brake and accelerate very slowly. The week before I had arrived brought freezing rain, so most of the roads were covered in a very thick plate of solid ice. However, most of it had been grooved for traction and the worse it did was make for a very bumpy ride. I was determined not to let the ice and snow hold me back.
Gearing up for meeting the huskies.
After that, all bets are off.
Sunrise at the Best Western.
and Sunset.
