Fairbanks Times Two

The first time we were in Fairbanks we stayed at the Chena River campground off of Airport Road. We should have known by the street name that there might be an airport nearby and sure enough we had been treated to a bird's eye view of the sights and more importantly the sounds of airplanes and helicopters landing and taking off. As wonderful as that experience was we were not anxious to repeat it (you know, been there, done that) so on this jaunt through town we went looking for a nicer (quieter) place to lay our heads. Heading east out of town one quickly reaches the North Pole. Seriously, there is a town

called North Pole and as you might imagine the theme is very much Christmas. The town boasts a remarkable gift shop (only 180 days 'til Christmas!). The Milepost, that bastion of guidance to northland travelers hinted at a campground ahead called the Chena River State

Recreation Area.  Compared to the campground in town this place was Shangri-la. It's on a beautiful Lake with swim beaches, non-motorized boating (great kayaking/canoeing), wonderful single and double track bike trails, and pristine campgrounds. This is actually

where my wife Sophie tried out her mosquito net enclosure for the first time. Like in so many  other of these Alaska state campgrounds not many out of state plates but it was clear that this was the hidden gem locals flock to in the summer. So if your looking for a great place just outside of Fairbanks  to spend a couple of fun days swimming, boating, biking and camping this is a place we'd highly recommend!