Lance Mackey: Alaska Dog Mushing Legend

February 24, 2010 | Tags: , , , , ,

When I saw this video and story posted on the KTUU.com today, I couldn’t help but watch. Even after monitoring the sport closely during every Mackey win in the Yukon Quest and Iditarod, I am still amazed. Apparently the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame is as well. Here is a terrific retrospective on the Fairbanks musher that has made – and continues to make – dog mushing history.

Tell us what you think about this story and make your 2010 Iditarod predictions in the comments section. Can Lance win his fourth in a row?

Photo Contest Entries: Video Remix

January 8, 2010 | Tags: , , , ,

In an effort to inspire you to cast your Photo Contest vote, we have assembled a video (with the help of Animoto) to showcase the entries.

Be sure to vote in the current contest. Your input determines the winners!

Great Fairbanks Northern Lights Video

November 19, 2009 | Tags: , ,

This video is made from a series of over 350 northern lights photos taken in Fairbanks. This method seems to capture the movement of the aurora a little better than the much more common time-lapse videos.

Thanks to Carol Falcetta for capturing these images and producing this video.

Quick Immersive Gallery Demo

November 12, 2009 | Tags: , , ,

We have been trying to explain some of the new features of ExploreFairbanks.com recently, beginning with the Immersive Photo Gallery. This video does a pretty good job showing you how it works:

Thanks to Louder Design for producing the video. Be sure you check it out now on ExploreFairbanks.com.

ExploreFairbanks.com Immersive Gallery Follow-Up

November 5, 2009 | Tags: , , , ,

Shot of our Immersive Gallery in action!

Yesterday’s post regarding the Immersive Gallery feature on our new website prompted a comment from Jay Baldemor of Louder Design. He offered a few additional user tips:

  1. While zoomed in to any photo or video, you can click on the center “visit this page” link to launch a new window where that photo or video is found, whether it’s a gallery page, article, business listing or event!
  2. Change your wall background color or image with a single mouse click!
  3. Don’t forget to check the other galleries by clicking the other checkboxes — The Immersive Gallery opens with only the Photos & Videos displayed by default.

The best way to get acquainted with our Immersive Gallery is to experience it for yourself. We will be doing some work on adding photos over the next few days, so we hope you’ll check back later too!

Favorites on the New ExploreFairbanks.com – Part 1

November 4, 2009 | Tags: , , ,

Not all “new” websites are created equal. Some believe putting new paint on an old barn automatically makes it remarkable. We do not subscribe to that notion. Instead, we set out to re-think many of the key elements of our site, developing better ideas for presenting information about Fairbanks, Denali, Interior and Arctic Alaska. Louder Design did all of the heavy-lifting, with bothersome, consistent guidance from our team. In this series, we’d like to show you some of our favorite aspects of the all new ExploreFairbanks.com.

The Immersive Gallery with Full Screen Option

ExploreFairbanks.com Immersive Gallery

If you came to look at pictures or videos, we want you to see them without distraction. The Immersive Gallery gives you that opportunity. First, click the Immersive Gallery button (shown below) – then if you like, enlarge your view with the full-screen icon near the bottom right and see a wall of images from the category of your choosing. Click and drag to effortlessly cycle through the collection  – then select a specific photo or video for larger viewing.

Immersive Gallery Button

Every photo added to our albums in the future will appear in this immersive gallery that will eventually number in the hundreds. Magnificent mountain and wildlife shots, panoramic landscapes, event and attraction images  and more. There are also some off-the-cuff video segments that were originally posted here on Inside Alaska and a few other surprises along the way.

As always, if there is anything else we can do to make this feature better, easier to use or even more impressive, let us know. We are very serious about making your experience the best it can be.

Video: Morris Thompson Center Exhibits

August 4, 2009 | Tags: , , ,

The world-class exhibits scheduled to open later this month at the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center will become a must-see on any visit to Fairbanks. We were able to take a first walk-through last week. While dodging construction materials and overlooking some of the unfinished portions, we were still able to imagine the wonder and excitement of an Interior Alaska experience.

Just before starting the tour I was able to grab the video camera and catch a quick, rough-cut video that gives you nothing more than a taste of the upcoming final product. So…forgive the darkness and shaky camera work and think about how cool it would be to see all of this up-close!

The Morris Thompson Center Exhibits from insidealaska on Vimeo.

If you’d like to learn more about the mission and vision of the Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, take a look at their website.

WEIO 2009 Two Foot High Kick Video

July 21, 2009 | Tags: , , ,

Imagine a ball suspended over seven feet in the air. Imagine yourself jumping and kicking it with both feet simultaneously, only to land, feet together, without stumbling. Tough to even picture in your mind, right? Well…the participants in the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics do just that and more. Here is a taste of the action from the two foot high kick preliminary at WEIO 2009 in Fairbanks.

WEIO 2009 Two Foot High Kick from insidealaska on Vimeo.

The WEIO homepage is a great place to find more video and lots of information on the games. Also check out  our previous posts on WEIO. Is this cool stuff or what?

New LIVESTRONG Lance Mackey Video

June 29, 2009 | Tags: , , ,

A story came to us this morning via Twitter that we thought was worth sharing. Fairbanks musher Lance Mackey sent along a link to one of the latest videos from LIVESTRONG.org. In it he tells the story of how he faced cancer, the end of his mushing career and came back to be a three-time Iditarod champion.

Lance is also a four-time Yukon Quest champ. Dubbed the “toughest sled dog race in the world” it runs from Fairbanks to Whitehorse Yukon. Two of Mackey’s Iditarod wins came just days after winning the Quest. People said that couldn’t be done…so Lance did it twice to prove them wrong.

New TV Ad: Fairbanks in the Summer

June 3, 2009 | Tags: ,

We recently put together a television ad featuring many of the best things to do, see and experience around Fairbanks in the summer. We usually have the best weather in the state from June to August, with warm temperatures and sunny skies. This gives visitors great opportunities for a first class experience at our attractions and activities. Our goal was to convey that light, energy and warmth, and to let people know about the great travel deals we often feature.

Leave a comment and tell us what you think of the spot and if there’s anything we can do to help you plan your Fairbanks summer adventure, just let us know!

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