Designed as a seasonal companion to the year-round Official Fairbanks Visitors Guide, the Winter Guide highlights the unique winter experiences that make Fairbanks an outstanding destination. It showcases key attractions such as the awe-inspiring aurora borealis, thrilling dog mushing adventures, and intricate ice sculptures.
Ice Art Joust Sculpted by Craig Cheledinas, Kevin Roscoe and Steve Brice (Photo by Craig Cheledinas)
The guide offers expert tips for experiencing the northern lights and provides comprehensive information on a wide range of winter activities and events, including skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, fat tire biking, hiking, curling and ice hockey.
In addition to outdoor adventures, the guide addresses the diverse interests of visitors by featuring numerous indoor attractions including museums, art galleries, shops specializing in Alaskan-made products, and inviting cafes, breweries, and distilleries.
For a free copy of the Fairbanks Winter Guide, contact Explore Fairbanks at 1-800-327-5774 or (907) 456-5774. You can also order the guide or view it interactively online at www.explorefairbanks.com/guide.
The 2024 Official Fairbanks Visitors Guide is now available for free from Explore Fairbanks. Completely redesigned for this year, the 72-page, full-color booklet provides helpful information for planning a trip to Fairbanks, Alaska, throughout the year.
Prominently depicted in the vibrant guide are Fairbanks’ three seasons – Midnight Sun, Aurora and Winter – that pave the way for year-round visitation. The annual publication illustrates features and attractions specific to life in the region as well as ways to journey to Denali National Park and Preserve, the Arctic and Interior Alaska. Additionally, the guide focuses on Fairbanks’ delightful downtown, the contemporary arts and food scene, and local outdoor hotspots.
The guide highlights activities available throughout the year in the frontier community including fishing, wildlife viewing, birdwatching, hiking, visiting museums and activities on the Chena River. Other pursuits take place during the winter months, including dog mushing, mingling with reindeer, ice sculpting, snowmobiling and skiing. The guide also features exhibitions, attractions and performances focused on inspirational Alaska Native peoples, spirited pioneers and nature-inspired artists.
This year’s redesigned guide features a new cover design, an updated interior layout that allows more space for photos as well as refreshed text throughout. Accommodations business information has also been streamlined by merging the narrative listings and the “At-A-Glance” grid details into one easy-to-use resource.
For a free copy of the 2024 Fairbanks Visitors Guide and the companion piece, the 2023-24 Fairbanks Winter Guide, contact Explore Fairbanks at 1-800-327-5774 or (907) 456-5774. The guide can also be ordered or viewed interactively at www.explorefairbanks.com/guide.
About Explore Fairbanks
Explore Fairbanks is a non-profit marketing and management organization whose mission is to be an economic driver in the Fairbanks region by marketing to potential visitors, optimizing the visitor experience, and advocating for a thriving year-round visitor industry. Explore Fairbanks markets Fairbanks as a year-round destination by promoting local events, attractions and activities to independent travelers, group tour operators, travel agents, meeting planners and the media as well as by developing public policy and infrastructure to achieve marketing objectives. Find out more at explorefairbanks.com.
Japanese traditional New Year’s Foods Photo courtesy of Just One Cookbook
Tokyo really knows how to end the year in style. December in Japan’s capital is a magical time full of good food, family gatherings, and mesmerizing display of lights. It’s the time of serious shopping and But that’s just the beginning of everything that the city can offer you during this time.
Photo courtesy of Time Out Japan
Although we often associate December with winter, in Japan, the month still lingers with a cool and dry autumn. Christmas isn’t actually a public holiday in Japan, and instead is more like a second Valentine’s Day. It’s easy to see why: in December, Tokyo’s public spaces brilliantly illuminated by thousands of LED lights, turning the city into a fairy tale version of romantic dreamland.
Still Tokyo also has a Christmas-like spirit/festive mood/holiday spirit around this time with ice skating and holiday temple events as well as oshogatsu period (starting December 28 and lasting to around January 5) a time to visit family. Foodies will love osechi ryori, the traditional Japanese New Year foods that date back to the eighth century. These dishes include an assortment such as black soybeans, fish cake, red sea bream, and other delicacies. December in Tokyo is a time that you won’t forget easily.
Shibuya Blue Grotto. Thousands of blue LED lights turn the streets from Yoyogi Park to Koen Dori into a 800-meter cave. The event runs til December 31 Photo by Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO
Ozoni : A Traditional Soup to Eat On New Year’s Day
4 dried shiitake
mushrooms
4 cups
chicken stock
2 boneless,
skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1″ pieces
4 oz. daikon
radish, peeled and sliced 1/4″ thick on the bias
1 carrot,
sliced 1/4″ thick on the bias
4 oz.
kamaboko (Japanese fish cake), sliced 1/4″ thick
1 cup
spinach, stems trimmed
1 tbsp. sake
1 tsp. soy
sauce
Kosher salt,
to taste
4 kiri mochi
(glutinous rice cakes), 1″ x 2″, about 1/2″ thick
Mitsuba or
parsley sprigs, for garnish
Place shiitakes in a bowl. Bring 1 cup stock to a boil in a
4-qt. saucepan and pour over shiitakes; let sit until softened, 4-6 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer shiitakes to another bowl and discard stems.
Pour stock back into pan, discarding any dirt or sediment.
Add remaining stock and the chicken to pan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium; add daikon and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally,
until chicken is cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Add reserved shiitakes, the
sliced fish cake, spinach, sake, soy sauce, and salt; cook until spinach is
wilted, about 2 minutes. Keep soup warm.
Heat oven to 425°. Place glutinous rice cakes directly on an oven rack; bake, turning as needed, until browned in spots and puffed, 6-8 minutes. Divide rice cakes between 4 bowls and ladle soup over top; garnish with mitsuba sprigs. Serve hot.
Tokyo Half-Day Guided Walking Tours website Tokyo Tourism website
