As if a visit north of the Arctic Circle wasn’t enough for one day we then visited Chena Hot Springs about 90 minutes outside Fairbanks. Don’t ask me how they do it, but, they use the heat from geothermal hot spring water to keep the Ice Museum at 25 deg F ( minus 7 deg C) all year round. As you enter they issue you with one size fits all attractive jackets – was tough to give them back at the end.
The team of ice carvers create some magnificent sculptures; check out the globes below
The Leopards eyes glow from the camera flash;
P being mauled by a bear (guess with all the ice it must be a polar bear);
They harvest ice in spring from one of the local ponds and then store it in the museum to create carvings like this peacock;
You wouldn’t want to find one of these in you bed;
Life sized jousting knights;
In winter it’s possible to stay in one of the 3 ice rooms in the museum – they can’t call it an ‘ice hotel’ as it doesn’t meet building code for a hotel as it’s not fitted with a sprinkler system to stop fires (do rules get any dumber?!). J checking out one of the beds.
They even have a bar (made from ice) serving Apple Martini’s in hand carved ice glasses;
J in the Aurora Ice Bar with her martini chatting to the bar staff;
J finishing the martini outside (or her tongue was stuck to it). Beer for breakfast and martini for lunch – another excellent day on holiday.
Although the ‘glass’ melts if you drink from the same side all the time;
She wanted to take the glass home with her – even after being told it wasn’t going to last…
Think we’ve still got it somewhere.
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