Fairbanks, AK (FAI)

Where does the sun shine at midnight? Where do mysterious yellow, green, red and purple lights brighten the night sky? Fairbanks. In fact, Fairbanks is one of the best places on earth to see the mysterious Northern Lights. Most hotels offer wake-up calls so guests can witness this eerily beautiful phenomenon. Fairbanks was also home to the 1902 Gold Rush; try your hand at panning for gold while you're visiting. The surrounding Arctic wilderness offers abundant opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, skiing, hunting, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, snowmobiling and dogsledding. When you visit Denali National Park and Preserve, be on the lookout for moose, caribou, Dall sheep and grizzly bears. At Creamer's Field, a migratory bird refuge, use your binoculars for up-close views of geese, ducks, cranes and swans.