FAIRBANKS , 358 miles north of Anchorage, is at the end of the Alaska Highway from Canada and definitely at the end of the road for most tourists. Though flat and somewhat bland, its central location makes a great base for exploring a hinterland of gold mines and hot springs, and a staging point for both the tiny villages scattered around the surrounding wilderness, and for journeys along the Dalton Highway (aka the "Haul Road") to the Arctic Ocean oil community of Prudhoe Bay .

Alaska's second most populous town was founded accidentally, in 1901, when a steamship carrying E.T. Barnette, a merchant with all his wares on board, ran aground in the shallows of the Chena River. Unable to transport the supplies he was carrying, Barnette set up shop in the wilderness and catered to the few trappers and prospectors trying their luck in the area. The following year, with the beginnings of the Gold Rush , a tent city sprang up on the site, and Barnette made a mint. In 1908, at the height of the gold stampede, Fairbanks had a population of 18,500, but by 1920 the population had dwindled to only 1100. To thwart possible Japanese attacks during World War II, several huge military bases were built and the population rebounded, getting a further boost in the mid-1970s when it became the transportation center for the trans-Alaska oil pipeline project: construction and other oil-related activities brought a rush of workers seeking wages of up to $1500 per week and the popu lation reached an all-time high.

The spectacular aurora borealis is a major winter attraction, as is the Ice Festival in mid-March, with its ice sculpting competition and open sled dog race on the frozen downtown streets. Summer visitors should try to catch the three-day World Eskimo-Indian Olympics in mid-July when contestants from around the state compete in the standard dance, art and sports competitions, as well as some unusual ones like ear-pulling, knuckle hop, high kick and the blanket toss, where age and wisdom often defeat youth and strength.

Fairbanks suffers remarkable extremes of climate, with winter temperatures dropping to -70°F and summer highs topping 90°F. Proximity to the Arctic Circle means over 21 hours of sunlight in midsummer, when midnight baseball games take place under natural light, and 2am bar evacuees are confronted by bright sunshine