If you ever visit Alaska, go in the winter. I’m serious. There is nothing like spending a week in negative 30-degree weather. I remember looking at the forecast for Los Angeles – in the mid-eighties. Swipe to Fairbanks, Alaska, where I’d be starting off my trip, negative 30 degrees Fahrenheit. This trip sounded like a great idea two months ago before winter fatigue caught up with me. Now it was February, I was tired of being cold, and maybe being cold for a week and a half wasn’t the best idea for a vacation. I hate being wrong, but let me tell you… I was very much mistaken and to date, it’s become one of my favorite trips ever.

Day 1: Flight from LAX to Fairbanks, Alaska

Alaska hits you right when you land. The airport was a mini wildlife and history museum. A massive polar bear reared on its hind legs was mounted in a glass case, seemingly ready to attack whichever luggage-toting traveler it sets its glass eyes on. Welcome to Alaska!

I left the warm baggage claim area to check if the hotel shuttle had arrived. The second I stepped outside, the Alaskan cold sucked everything out of me. I felt like I could barely breathe. It’s probably what being attacked by a dementor would feel like. I tried to run back inside but the ground was packed with ice. Running would end with my ass on the pavement. I shuffled back inside the airport.

When I had packed, I laid out all the cute outfits I would wear: matching headbands, coordinating snow boots, adorable beanies, the works. I also packed extra clothes that I could layer on just in case. That was my backup plan for the cold. Now 10 minutes after landing, I was pulling my backup plan out of my suitcase and layering it all on. Imagine the Jamaican bobsled team from “Cool Runnings” leaving the airport when they first get to the Olympics.

My shuttle driver tried not to laugh at me when she pulled up. I appreciated that. Breathing was harder up here because the air is so cold and dry, she explained. It was normal and happened to everyone. I would get used to it, she assured me.

Once at the hotel I regrouped and relayered. So the important thing about cold weather (that possibly everyone reading this knows because they don’t live in California) is to dress with three layers in mind: base, middle and outer.

The base is moisture-wicking items like thermals. The middle layer should be wool, fleece, or down. Then water-repellent materials on top to keep the snow out, like nylon or polyester.

I knew this could get pricey so I did some thrift shopping. I got a bunch of Patagonia base layers from Goodwill for $40. REI was having a sale and I picked up some fleece sweaters at 50% off. Big 5 sells those snow pants with overalls (don’t laugh, they work) for $35. Plus I borrowed an extra pair of snow boots from a friend from New York and another friend lent me her heavy-duty snow jacket that she took to Antarctica.

The fashionista that I was, I also brought lipstick to match the pink pouf on my beanie. However, my fashionable wardrobe plans went out the window of the hotel shuttle as it passed by mountains of snow. No one saw that I was NOT wearing lipstick because I had my scarf firmly wrapped around half my face most of the time. I didn’t look cute, but I was warm, and honestly, after getting hit with how vital proper clothing can be, I was never cold again.

First Stop: World Ice Art Championships

The town of Fairbanks, Alaska hosts the World Ice Art Championships. I watched experts chisel, carve and chainsaw masterpieces out of massive hunks of ice. The beauty of it wasn’t just the finished work but each team’s dedication to the arduous process. The event space was amongst trees and while it wasn’t a thick forest, it was enough of a backdrop to bring the ice art to life. Imagine the crunch of the snow under your feet as you walk from sculpture to sculpture between trees and falling snow. I went during the day and at night. In the dark, the chainsaws were off and the artists were gone while the pieces were lit up by multicolored lights.

There are also interactive pieces to play with, all out of ice. A ping pong table, an ice hockey table, a seat you could spin yourself in. There were ice slides and a skating rink. It was as if I finally got to witness the winter wonderland all those Hollywood movies had been talking about.

When you go anywhere in Alaska, also have a plan to get there and get back. Uber and Lyft aren’t as readily available, so I ended up getting stranded at the event during the day until a group of women shared their Lyft with me. When I returned in the evening, I had pre-scheduled an Uber pickup and told the hotel where I would be if I got stuck again and needed someone to rescue me.

That’s another thing. Everyone in Alaska is extremely nice. Especially if you tell them you are visiting from California. The follow-up question is always some variation of, how am I surviving the cold. Once I was heading back to my hotel from a Thai restaurant (the food is really big here because of a military base nearby and it’s absolutely delicious so it’s a must-try) which was only a 2-mile walk and I had to hitchhike back. I walked into another Thai restaurant to warm up and I asked a man leaving if he was going my way. He ended up being stationed at the military base there and said he remembered his first winter as he dropped me off. Amazingly nice people.

Second Stop: Bar Crawl (After Thai Food)

Alaska also has lots of bars that don’t close until 3 am because apparently, people like to drink. I went to several bars the first night and each one was great. Dive bars, upscale bars, bar rooms that included a bar fight. It was a cacophony of sights, sounds, and flavors all around. My takeaway: wherever you go, you can’t go wrong with the Alaskan amber beer

Day 2 & 3: Borealis Basecamp

This lodging is the reason I booked this trip. You get to sleep under a dome that looks like an igloo and the roof is see-through. When the Aurora Borealis appears at night, you can watch the lights from your room. The hotel even has an alarm that gently wakes you so you can see the lights. There are only 15 domes which are all spread far out from each other so you have lots of privacy. Fair warning, you don’t have a regular toilet. It’s a space toilet that doesn’t use water so that was weird. Also, you have to walk 10 minutes in the snow to get to the lobby and the dining room to eat. It’s not a problem during the day but at night it’s pitch black so I had to use my camera light to keep from tripping into snowbanks.

This place also allows you to borrow sleds, bikes (yes you can bike on snow), snowshoes to go on a walk through the wilderness, and jackets. You can also go mushing on a dog-pulled sled and go snow machining; that’s what they call a snowmobile. I tried to drive one and ended up crashing into snow twice in the first 10 minutes.

To get to the basecamp, you have to take a 45-minute shuttle up a mountain and there is nothing along the way. The only food option is at the hotel and I must emphasize that the food there is outstanding. Breakfast included savory peppered reindeer sausage links while lunch warmed me up from the inside out with hearty vegetable soups and toasted paninis. Dinner was the crowning experience with braised elk with sage one night and the most perfectly steamed crab legs the next; probably two of my favorite meals ever.

Day 4: Chena Hot Springs & Aurora Ice Museum

You have to drive or take a shuttle here. The ice museum is right next to the hot springs and looks like a church. Inside, were all types of ice sculptures and even an ice bar where you could get a drink for $15. I passed but if I hadn’t just come from the World Ice Art Championship, maybe I would have been more into the whole thing.

The hot springs consisted of several pools. Two were outside in the snow which meant you had to quickly walk from the warm inside to the freezing outside and quickly hop into the steaming water. Ice formed on my eyelashes as I pinned up my hair and sat in the hot springs wandered from the pool to pool making friends.

I ended up spending the night at the Pikehouse Waterfront Lodge back in Fairbanks. However, there was no water since it had completely frozen over. The hotel had hosted the start of the Iditarod (dog sled race) a decade or so ago and their lobby looked like a museum which was impressive and unknowingly prepared me for what was to come.

Day 5 & 6: AK Sled Dog Tour in Talkeetna, Alaska

After an early checkout, I headed to the train station where I was traveling from Fairbanks to a tiny little spot called Talkeetna. Everyone knew each other and about two hours after arriving, everyone knew a new visitor had arrived. I stayed at the Talkeetna Roadhouse which is similar to a bed and breakfast except that the living area was covered with memorabilia of teams that had stayed there to climb Denali (the highest mountain peak in North America). I spent hours looking at all the notes from people who decided climbing a freezing mountain would be fun. There were memorial posts to those who never made it down and it was a sobering reminder of the dangers of the Alaskan wilderness.

This town was also famous for being the training site of one of the best dog mushers in the world, Dallas Seavey. I had booked a tour of the facility and a ride with some of the dogs who had competed in the Iditarod or were in training. Driving a dog sled team was way easier than snow machining. This was way more fun for me and I got to play with all the dogs and new puppies after.

Day 6 to 8: Fur Rondy Iditarod Festival in Anchorage, Alaska

When I returned, I hopped back on the train to head down to Anchorage. While you could choose to drive if you have experience with snow, the train ride was remarkable. It went through stunningly majestic mountain ranges which allowed you to drink in the true beauty of the frontier. There were backpackers on the train, so you got to hear their stories and why they planned to head to Denali National Park (a train stop on the route) in the first place. The train conductor called out when they spotted elk or moose or mountain goats. The ride was filled with lots of joyful yelling and talking to strangers as people sipped spiked hot chocolate from their mugs.

When my train finally got to Anchorage, it was eight degrees outside and it was too hot for me. There happened to be an ice sculpture competition across the street from my hotel. This was for businesses and schools and I was starting to realize ice sculpting was just a popular hobby in Alaska.

Breweries were also popular and even tiny Talkeetna had a brewery. So when I got to Anchorage I wasn’t surprised to see dozens more. I ended up visiting Moose’s Tooth which has the best custom pizzas and delicious beers on tap. Even random strangers agreed this was the place to go.

Here is also where I met a native Alaskan after messaging him on the Couchsurfing app. He drove me around, told me about what it meant to be Native American, and childhood stories of hunting and fishing with family. The next day we met up after the ceremonial start to the Iditarod which ran through downtown. This turns into an all-day drinking fest for tourists, however, my host suggested we head to the Alaska museum. Instead of slamming back beers, I learned about the tribes that populated the area, how each hunted, and apparently, my host’s grandfather even donated some of his family’s ceremonial dress and hunting gear that was put on display. The museum was beautifully curated and even included a gallery that featured artwork by Native Americans.

Day 9: Willow, Alaska

By chance, I found out that I could see the actual Iditarod race underway at a checkpoint in Willow, Alaska. It was taking place the day I was flying out but I wasn’t about to miss my opportunity. I left my bags at the Anchorage hotel’s front desk and headed out. The shuttle bus was packed with race organizers and I ended up sitting across the aisle from an aged white gentleman. He was by far the oldest out of all the volunteers and had a gruff weather-beaten face. He turned to look at me for a while before he asked me if I spoke Spanish. I’m not going to lie, I was nervous. Alaska is filled with lots of white people everywhere. Everyone was super nice but also it’s a tourist industry so that’s expected. Everywhere I had gone, I was the only Latina and on the last day of my trip, someone had finally called attention to that. I said yes and held my breath awaiting his reaction.

In his perfect Spanish, he starts to tell me how he used to date a woman who spoke Spanish, and he in fact used to live in Spain for a while. Turns out this man was a pretty famous former Iditarod competitor and throughout our lengthy discussion (all in Spanish) people kept interrupting to shake his hand. The trend continued: people in Alaska are extremely friendly.

The bus pulled up to the event and I realized it was a food truck festival as well. It was snowing pretty hard but that didn’t keep me from downing hot cider and chomping on a turkey leg while I watched the racers take off about five minutes apart, screaming like crazy when they announced the dog team I met in Talkeetna. Like a typical festival, businesses were handing out freebies including… Takis! Apparently, the snack wasn’t really big in Alaska so they were trying to create a market. No one was taking any of the bags, while I showed up and asked for three. This surprised everyone at the booth until I told them where I was from. Some people came up behind me asking if they were good. I turned around and wouldn’t stop talking about the snack. Eventually, a group formed to start taking samples, and the booth loaded me up with bags of different flavors as a thank you.

I made it back to the city in time to catch my flight home to Los Angeles and as I waited for the plane to take off, I already started to peel off layers of clothing as I opened up a bag of Takis, my final unexpected gift from the state. Alaska is the best.