Lodge at Black Rapids (Winter)

Touch down in Fairbanks in America’s “Last Frontier” today and meet your private driver/guide. Get a taste of this northern city, known as “the Gateway to the Arctic” and a highlight to any winter visit to Alaska as your guide provides you with a private tour of Fairbanks. Tonight, try one of the local brewpubs or warm up with a hearty dinner at one of Fairbanks’ many tasty restaurants.

Overnight along the shores of the Chena River in Fairbanks.

Your host at the Lodge at Black Rapids will greet you in your hotel lobby this morning and will escort you by private vehicle to Delta Junction as they regale you with amusing stories about the historical significance of this region in Alaska’s north. You’ll make several interesting stops along the Richardson Highway on your way to the lodge – your ‘home’ for the next few nights. And tonight, if you wish, your hosts will give you a wake-up call if the northern lights decide to make an appearance.

Overnight at the Lodge at Black Rapids, your resting spot for the next four nights.

The Eastern Alaskan Range offers guests a spectacular and vast wilderness little explored by many visitors to Alaska. Today, this playground is yours as you choose the winter outdoor adventures you most love from the many available to you at the Lodge.

Take off on a dog sled and travel through glacier carved valleys to an ice cave. Duck inside and see ice formations created thousands of years ago. Then, settle into a warm tent outside the cave and enjoy a gourmet lunch prepared just for you.  Looking for more excitement? Jump on a snow machine to experience the thrill of ripping across the tundra.

This evening, join your lodge hosts on the banks of Black Rapids Lake for ice skating by torch light, complete with a crackling bonfire and s’mores.

While the Lodge at Black Rapids boasts an extensive array of winter outdoor activities from which to choose from, you are never without all the luxurious amenities associated with a deluxe lodge. Relax after each day’s adventures with a massage provided by the lodge masseuse followed by a delicious glass of champagne. Or choose to warm up after one of your frosty excursions with a warm dip in the lodge’s wood-fired hot tub or relax in the timber-framed sauna. Tonight, settle into your bed and rest contentedly, knowing your hosts will wake you the moment the northern lights pop out.

The Chef at the Lodge at Black Rapids welcomes visitors from all over the world and the dining room is often the favorite meeting spot of many guests at the lodge. Over unique, freshly-prepared meals, you can share stories with your travel companions about the day’s adventures. Created by lifelong Alaskan, Chef Helen McLean, also known as “Martha of the Arctic”, each delicious meal at the Lodge reflects the winter season and highlights local Alaskan favorites. Join Helen in the kitchen and learn the tricks to making beautiful salads and, if you’re lucky, she might even share her infamous blueberry cheesecake recipe!

Your winter adventure in Alaska’s north continues today as you bid goodbye to the Lodge staff and make your way back to Fairbanks. As you travel by private vehicle back to town, the area of Delta Junction showcases landscapes filled with fertile farm lands as your host takes you on a backroads “behind the scenes” tour. You’ll make fun stops at a buffalo ranch, visit the Meat and Sausage Factory or the local flour company on a true “insider’s” experience sharing with you authentic Alaska. In Fairbanks, you’ll still have a bit of time to explore the interesting displays at the Museum of the North before your flight home.