Inside Alaska - Fairbanks, Denali, Interior and Arctic Alaska » Photos

Tweeting in the Last Seven Days: Owl, WEIO, McKinley

FCVB — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:00:26 +0000

There has been a high level of activity on the Fairbanks Twitter account over the past week. An owl closeup has been clicked a record number of times, while photos from this year’s World Eskimo-Indian Olympics are not far behind. We also saw great traffic flowing to North Pole and Denali photography…as usual.

Terrific owl photo taken in Fairbanks: http://ow.ly/2hQbb
Mt. MicKinley from the air, shrouded in clouds: http://ow.ly/2hjmQ
Just published: our set of Two-Foot High Kick and Ear-Pull pictures from the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics: http://ow.ly/2hw4C
Stunning photography from the Brooks Range thanks to @alaskaphoto – http://ow.ly/2eFwC
Great Fairbanks/North Pole area sunset photo: http://ow.ly/2fKxn
Stunning photos taken in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by @alaskaphoto – http://ow.ly/2gIBD
Great post/photo from @alaskaphoto on ‘Denali and Wonder Lake’ – http://ow.ly/2hXbG

Top clicking tweets from the past can be found in our archives.

WEIO 2010: Two Foot High Kick, Ear Pull

FCVB — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:29:20 +0000

We were able to spend some time at the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics or WEIO again this year. We took pictures at two of the favorite (and most photogenic) events: the two-foot high kick and the ear-pull.

Here are descriptions of the events you see above from the WEIO website:

Ear Pull

In this event, there are two people sitting down facing each other with twine looped around each other’s ear – right ear to right ear, left to left. The two begin a “tug-of-war” to see who the winner is. Best two out of three wins the match. There are times when the loop will slip off one opponent’s ear – that person is the loser of that round. Each participant alternate each round using alternate ears. A game of stamina to pain, the victor demonstrates he/she can withstand pain, a trait sometimes needed to survive the harsh realities of the North.

Two-foot High Kick

This event is similar to the one-foot high kick with the difference being the athlete jumps off the floor using both feet, hits the suspended target with both feet together, and maintains balance upon reaching the floor. When landing both feet must touch the floor at the same time.

Years ago, in the coastal whaling villages, in order for the village to know that a whale has been taken, a runner would run back to the village and when within sight of the village, the messenger would jump and kick both feet into the air while running. In that manner, the people of the village would know a what was caught and prepare themselves to help in “beaching” the whale.

WEIO has a great website. Be sure to check it out for more. Also check the Inside Alaska archives for more photos and videos of WEIO from previous years.

Brooks Range Flyover, Denali and Fairbanks on a Bike

FCVB — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:01:06 +0000

Terrific aerial photos from the Brooks Range top this week’s Twitter-clicks-list. People were also interested in a family making their way to Fairbanks on a bicycle built for five and wanted to check out the new Morris Thompson Center website.

Stunning photography from the Brooks Range thanks to @alaskaphoto – http://ow.ly/2eFwC
Strange story of the day: family makes its way to Denali, then Fairbanks on a bicycle built for five – http://ow.ly/2eMPm
The Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center has launched a new website: http://ow.ly/2cvLs
A bunch of new photo contest entries have been added this week: http://ow.ly/2eG5c
On Facebook…people like us. You should too: http://ow.ly/2cb3b
Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival attracts participants from around the world – http://ow.ly/2dul0
From an Anchorage blogger: ‘You have to love Fairbanks!’ – http://ow.ly/2e1v6

These are our seven most-clicked links on Twitter for the past week. See our top-tweets from the past in the Inside Alaska archive.

The Moose Family Saga Continues

FCVB — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 17:37:00 +0000

I looked out my living room window last evening and saw the moose cow and twin calves I had referenced previously here and here. This time I was equipped with a 200mm lens! I observed the mother and her young ones for fifteen minutes or so from across the street and was able to capture these images.

The calves have really grown since we first saw them. It has been neat to see them growing up before our eyes. Just another day in Fairbanks!

Baby Moose Twins Return for a Visit

FCVB — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:17:40 +0000

We wrote an earlier post on a moose cow and two calves that have been hanging around my house this summer. Sunday night they were back. The twin calves were curious, and ready to come very close to the guy standing in the driveway (me). In the photos below you can see how they progress from the trail across the street, to the open area in the bushes, then across the street and into the yard. At that point Mom had to step in and call them back. Before leaving, they took a moment to nurse and then headed back into the woods.

This was a pretty rare wildlife encounter. Just so you know, my wife and I were always cautious and never came between the cow and her calves. The last two pictures were taken from inside the house, as the moose were only about 20 feet away. It is important to use caution whenever interacting wildlife.

Clicking on Twitter: Midnight Sun, Cuteness, Solstice

FCVB — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 17:06:47 +0000

These are the seven most clicked links posted on our Twitter account over the past week. A great midnight sun photo tops the list with cute moose calves not far behind, followed up by a downtown shot from one of our recent 80 degree days. Our new Summer Solstice page was also trending and our Alaska Mileage plan auction saw some good traffic too.

Cool: Fairbanks midnight sun photo – http://ow.ly/1Sytu
Experienced cute-overload last night. Observed a cow moose and two young calves…took pictures – http://ow.ly/1Tcq9
Went to get a cup of coffee on my lunch break and took this photo on my phone: http://ow.ly/1Rp1c (Nearly 80 degrees and sunny out there!)
Great stuff: ‘Enjoy Summer Solstice in Fairbanks June 18-21, 2010′ – http://ow.ly/1SJ2e
Just heard the @alaskaair mileage plan auction of a great Fairbanks trip closed at 300,000 miles: http://ow.ly/1RoX4
Picture yourself in Denali National Park this summer: http://ow.ly/1RhZ4
Nice recent photo of the Chena River: http://ow.ly/1Fhnf Looking a lot like summer!

You can follow us on Twitter or see many of our latest links on Facebook too. We feature lots of photography, video and stories with occasional mention of Fairbanks events and travel deals.

Cow Moose and Two Young Calves

FCVB — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 18:40:12 +0000

Spend much time in a typical Fairbanks yard and you will likely end up with a decent view of the abundant local wildlife. I had a rare look at a cow moose and two very young calves last night from my driveway. They stayed conveniently out of sight in the grass, bushes and other vegetation for most of the 20 minutes I watched, but these are the photos I caught when they stepped out. Not great…I didn’t exactly have a zoom lens handy for the occasion, but I thought you may get a kick out of them anyway.

If you have wildlife photos you would like to share from your Fairbanks-area experience, you can always enter them in our Photo Contest. Shots with adorable young cubs or calves inevitably do well. People love to vote for “cute.” You may also pass along your wildlife-encounter stories in the comments below.

Photographing in Denali National Park

FCVB — Thu, 27 May 2010 00:13:24 +0000

We came across a nice video we wanted to pass along about the wonderful encounters with nature many photographers have when spending time in Denali National Park and Preserve. Tom Mangelson shares one particular story of his wildlife interaction while in the park a couple of years ago:

If you have stories of a similar kind from your Fairbanks, Denali or Interior Alaska adventures, let us know by leaving a comment. We would love to share them with folks planning a future trip.

Things to Do and Summer: Tops on Twitter

FCVB — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:08:05 +0000

Our 101 Things to Do in Fairbanks got a lot of traffic on Twitter and on this blog over the past week. Among the most clicked items were summer photos, a new summer in Fairbanks TV spot and the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan auction. Click your favorites in our top seven for the past seven days:

101 things to do this summer in Fairbanks: http://ow.ly/1NdDu
Really cool image showing the progression from brown to green in Fairbanks: ’2010 Green Up’ – http://ow.ly/1OglX
Our new ‘Experience Summer in Fairbanks’ TV spot is pretty cool: http://ow.ly/1Oj0i
Very interesting photo of a cloud formation taken at Fort Wainwright here in Fairbanks: http://ow.ly/1NOUm
Interesting photo from @alaskaphoto ‘Segway riders in Fairbanks’ – http://ow.ly/1NclY
Great panoramic view of Denali National Park: http://ow.ly/1NOQZ
Really cool: you can bid on a Fairbanks travel package using Alaska Airlines miles: http://ow.ly/1Okxa

You can become a Twitter follower or “like” us on Facebook any time. Also subscribe to this blog via e-mail for future updates.

101 Things to Do This Summer in Fairbanks

FCVB — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:09:08 +0000

We recently partnered with local radio station Magic 101.1, to compile a list of potential activities for your summer trip to Fairbanks. Take a look at the options here and let us know which you like best.

1. Picnic in a park
2. Find and go down every slide in town
3. See what grows in a botanical garden under the midnight sun
4. See what’s been collected at a museum
5. Rent a canoe or kayak
6. Ride on a historic sternwheeler
7. Explore downtown by foot
8. Pedal around Farmer’s Loop
9. Pass off your list to Santa
10. See giant burl animals on the Rich
11. Life jacket up and go boating
12. Watch for wildlife at Creamer’s Field
13. Jam with the bands at concerts in the park
14. See ice sculpting in action
15. Grow your own grub
16. Read a good book from the library
17. Play a round of mini golf
18. Share your travels in the explorefairbanks.com photo contest
19. Make MTCVC your first stop for trip planning

20. Explore a national or state park
21. Wet a line for an arctic Grayling
22. Take a balloon ride over Fairbanks
23. Catch a summer league baseball game
24. Learn to play tennis
25. Hit the beach at Chena Lakes
26. Bring those binocs and go bird watching
27. Soak in a natural mineral hot springs
28. Pitch that tent in a local campground
29. Take a flight seeing tour to the Arctic
30. Sign up for a run or walk for charity
31. Hike nearby trails
32. Take a rail vacation to Denali
33. Ride a historic narrow gauge train
34. Pick that favorite horse and ride a carousel
35. Enjoy an old-time melodrama
36. Catch a concert or performance
37. See who’s fastest at the drags
38. Tee off at midnight
39. Pet those sled dogs

40. Visit Alaska’s Arctic University
41. Observe musk ox and reindeer on tour
42. See free films daily at the MTCVC
43. Walk the shores of the Arctic Ocean
44. Take the family out berry picking
45. Visit the pipeline
46. Take a driving tour of Fairbanks
47. Rent a public use cabin in the woods
48. Bowl a few frames
49. Get a season pass for the state fair
50. Camp for the night in a state park
51. Shop for local produce at the market
52. Search for treasure at a garage sale
53. See antique cars
54. Soak up the sun on a waterfront deck
55. Hit the town on rollerblades
56. Stay up all night celebrating summer solstice
57. Peruse the exhibits at the MTCVC
58. Set up a net and spike your way to victory
59. Rent an RV and create your own adventure

60. Learn how to play congas, harp or sing gospel
61. See the largest parade in Alaska
62. Visit local monuments and statues
63. Try your hand at gold panning
64. Celebrate America’s birthday
65. Go on the search for Alaska wildlife
66. Enter Fido in a dog show
67. Dine on fresh Alaskan seafood
68. See if your rubber ducky wins the race
69. Make vacation plans on a seasonal air carrier
70. Get started on your holiday shopping
71. Have a BBQ with friends and neighbors
72. Get your hands dirty fixing up your yard
73. Go jet skiing on a lake or river
74. Take a drive north to cross the Arctic Circle
75. Take a class in ballroom or square dancing
76. Let your dog run free at a park made just for him
77. Make a raft out of duct tape
78. Sample locally-brewed beverages
79. View art of all kinds at monthly First Friday events

80. Learn what the knuckle hop is
81. Sample fresh spring water
82. Watch a grizzly take to the turf
83. Try a different kind of golf…with a disc
84. Paddle your own raft on a whitewater excursion
85. Get new sunglasses
86. Clean out your closet and donate items to charity
87. Learn something new at Summer Sessions
88. Enroll your kids in a summer camp
89. Take a CPR or First Aid course
90. Create your own art in a craft class
91. Visit a local art gallery
92. Learn about Alaska’s aviation history
93. Get a tan
94. Take a swing at a softball field
95. Bask in the sunlight as you swing in a hammock
96. Learn how a wood bowl is carved
97. Rent a rig and head up the Dalton
98. Relive winter by going ice skating
99. Catch the action on the soccer fields
100. Donate your time by volunteering
101. Arrange for an overnight getaway at a hotel or B&B

Our main site will give you all the detailed information you need for making plans to do these things and many others. Be sure to check out our online Visitors Guide as well or request a paper copy by mail.