Winter tourism expands: visitors captivated with Interior offerings.

• Author: Stricker, Julie
• Position: SPECIAL SECTION: Natural Resources

Ronn and Marketa Murray spend Interior Alaska's winter months savoring the long, dark nights.

"Were basically vampires half the year," Ronn Murray says. It's a lifestyle they've chosen and that Drought them many rewards. They sleep all day so they can take clients out after dark in search of the aurora borealis.

"What we do is take people out and teach them how to photograph the northern lights, first and foremost," Ronn Murray says. He also takes portraits of people with the lights dancing in the background and talks about the science behind the lights "to give them a dice, broad education on what they're seeing."

Their business, The Aurora Chasers, is a recent addition to Fairbanks' winter tourism offerings. Although the Murrays have been photographing the aurora since 2008, the pieces have all come together in just the past couple of years, a period that has seen phenomenal growth in winter tourism as a whole in Fairbanks.

Changed Perception

For decades, the general perception of winter in Alaska is of bitter cold, long dark nights, and cabin fever. Gradually, however, winter also began to conjure images of the northern lights, dog sled adventures, and ice sculptures, images that are being spread far and wide by social media and the efforts of tourism organizations such as Explore Fairbanks.

"The perception of winter in Fairbanks has changed dramatically," says Amy Geiger with Explore Fairbanks. "Aurora viewing got a bit of a boost when Lonely Planet named us No. 2 as an aurora viewing destination. We really are sort of becoming synonymous with the aurora."

Now, visitors can choose from a variety of aurora watching lodges and destinations such as Chena Hot Springs Resort. Businesses, such as the Murrays' Aurora Chasers, focus on expert photography and a deep knowledge of the subject. Technology helps, too.

"It's easier to [photograph the aurora] with a digital camera than it was to grab an image with film, and with social media you can share it immediately," Murray says. "I think the world just became awake and aware of the northern lights."

Some businesses also offer visitors a chance to view the aurora from the back of a dogsled. Kennels that offer sled dog rides ranging from a couple of hours to a couple of days are proliferating. Visitors also can learn to carve ice, go ice fishing, ski, or take a guided trip to the Arctic Circle.

Aurora Season

Deb Hickok, president and CEO of Explore Fairbanks, says the organization began to focus...