Fairbanks: Chena Hot Springs

Chena Hot Springs was discovered on August 5, 1905 by brothers Robert and Thomas Swan, gold miners who had heard that a U.S. Geological Survey had seen steam rising from a valley somewhere on the upper Chena River the year before.

It’s like a big campground resort, with the hot springs, a pool house with Jacuzzis, a pool, showers and lockers. There is a massage cabin, an ice bar, dogsledding, snowmobiles, and a weird military vehicle that takes you a mile up into the mountains for better aurora viewing. So many taxidermized animals all over Alaska.

We stayed in one of the Fox Cabins, which has three 2-bed, 3/4 bath private rooms and a housekeeping closet. I didn’t take a picture before we unpacked and Anne crashed.

I had reserved a room with a fridge, and called two days before to make sure we had one. There wasn’t one and even though I called several times, we never did get one. Anne improvised and opened a window, then pulled the shade down for an improvised icebox. It must have looked funny from outside. Is a rotisserie chicken a distress signal?

The water in the hot springs was about 4 1/2 feet deep with a sandy bottom. The heat varied. Which was nice because you weren’t stuck in scalding water like at some hot springs. You could just slowly wander in the springs, finding hotter and cooler spots. There was a kind of rain shower and one hard jet of water coming down off of some high rocks that felt sooo good on your back.

We had met a few friends. This is our stoner buddy.

So, my wife and I saw you across the room, and we really dig your vibe…no, this was a very nice couple. I wanted to photograph him with his frozen facial hair.

Beware Anne when she has a stalactite.

Our hair was freezing, and we had fun making ice hairdos. One guy had an awesome mohawk, but he was getting out of the water, and the 20 feet from the hot springs to the pool house is freezing and that is no time to ask someone to pose.

I was going for Cindy Lou Who

It was sometimes so steamy you couldn’t see anything in front of you.

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