We have arrived! Our great Alaskan adventure has got off to a rocking start. The first thing we all noticed in Alaska is the never-ending daylight. Honestly, it is remarkable people get any sleep here at all in the summer. Luckily, we have had such full days, filled with activities and excursions, we have been exhausted by the end of the day and need time to recharge at night. Before we head to Denali via the Alaska Railroad, we thought we would share some of the highlights from Fairbanks.

1. Our group is incredible at solving logic puzzles and riddles. Whether it is a play on words or a simple challenge question, any one of us will deduce the answer in no time at all. We have been able to share some old ones, discover new ones, and laugh when someone finally discovers the obvious answer staring them in the face.

2. Farming in Alaska is tough, but pretty amazing. Tom and Susie of Calypso Farm have created a thriving, educational organic farm outside of Fairbanks over the last 15 years. They have built everything on the farm, from the garden beds to the house to the pastures. They shared wood-fired pizza with us and took us around the campus, introducing us to new farming styles in Alaska, letting us hold lambs, teaching us some skills as novice blacksmiths, and more. The magical evening was topped with ice cream and homemade rhubarb compote from Mary and Tim, who are longtime friends of Putney Student Travel.

3. The Aurora borealis—although not able to be seen during the summer months—have a mirror pattern in Antarctica. Due to the magnetic poles of the Earth, the solar wind that refracts off of the atmosphere is reciprocated in both the north and the south poles. We were fortunate to watch a short documentary about the aurora at the Museum of the North.

4. Farmers’ markets are pretty similar in Alaska as in the Lower 48, although they also boast massive vegetables and reindeer sausage. Our group was able to eat so much food at the local farmers’ market, some of the stands begged us to stay in Fairbanks until next weekend. Some of us bought postcards, painted rocks, and even honed our birch bark peeling skills.

We have connected on so many levels in Fairbanks and are sad to leave, but we look forward to the next step of our trip. We know it will bring more excitement and hopefully some unique wildlife photo opportunities we can share with you all!

Until next time,

Mac & Anna

We visited the Large Animal Research Station at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and learned about the thriving musk ox, reindeer, and caribou populations in interior Alaska.

The group enjoyed a scavenger hunt at the Museum of the North.

Our first intro to the history and wildlife of Alaska was at the Morris Thompson Cultural Visitor’s Center, where we took our first group photo under an arch of moose, reindeer, and caribou antlers.

The group with Tom and Susie, the co-directors of Calypso Farm, and our friends through the Putney family, Mary and Tim.

Enjoying ice cream and homemade rhubarb compote at the farm, compliments of Mary and Tim.

Ryan learned to make an S hook in Tom’s blacksmith workshop!

Tom taught us to identify the difference between birch and aspen trees as we explored the farm’s campus.

Alyssa holds a lamb in the livestock center!

The farm is home to a thriving hive.

A few of us joined the musk ox herd!