Escapees January-February 2023

By DAVID AND CHERYL GOLDSTEIN #126793, Hangouts Directors

Hanging Out in Alaska in the Summer of 2023

Midnight Sun Hangout Fairbanks, Alaska (June 20–27) The fi rst Hangout we’ve planned is in Fairbanks, Alaska, June 20–27, hosted by Lisa and Jason Reich #118627. Fairbanks is located at 65 degrees north latitude and is home to the famed “midnight sun,” with twilight illumi nating the very brief summer night. We’ve timed this event to coincide with the summer solstice, and partici pants will get to attend the Midnight Sun Festival which includes a downtown street fair, with arts, crafts, food, live music and entertainment. There is also a Midnight Sun Baseball Game, as well as a chance to participate in the Midnight Sun Run, that starts at 10:00 p.m. The group will explore the Museum of the North, on the University of Fairbanks campus, to learn about the rich Alaskan native culture and enjoy the walking trails and botanical gardens on campus. There will be a day-trip to Chena Hot Springs, where you can soak in the warm springs and take a tour of the Aurora Ice Museum. There will also be a hike in Creamer’s Field, a migratory bird refuge, and a riverboat tour on the Chena River with several educational stops. And, since you’ll stay in the town of North Pole, you might even see some reindeer!

We’d be willing to guess that traveling to Alaska is some thing on almost every RVer’s bucket list. When we made our RV trip to Alaska in 2017, we had two major revelations: 1) You drive through a lot of Canada before you get to the Alaska border, and 2) The roads are not as bad as they are rumored to be. W e also found that the journey northward (fromWashington State) was a beautiful one that we took slowly and enjoyed. We followed The Milepost , a highly recommended guide book for all travelers going through British Columbia to Alaska, and we stopped at several interesting roadside attractions, including quaint cafés with “famous” cinna mon buns, scenic overlooks and a huge jade shop. We even saw a local herd of bison that the book alerted us to! But, once we got to a major city, we wanted to explore a little deeper. So, for the summer of 2023, we are planning Hangouts in three different locations where we think Alaska-bound travelers will want to stop and “hang out” for a week before moving on. Note that these Hangouts are being sold as a bundle and the fi nal schedule at press time is subject to change, but here is what they are planning.

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ESCAPEES Magazine January/February 2023