Trip to Yellowknife, NWT
When I tell people that I went to Yellowknife for a vacation, people generally think that it is hard to get to and very expensive. Yellowknife is only a two and a half hour flight away from Calgary, Canada by direct flight and it is not that expensive. We spent less than $1,000 CDN per person including round trip ticket, car rental, accommodation and food. This is definitely once in a lifetime experience. Even though I’ve lived in Alberta for most of my life, I have never experienced anything so cold in my entire life.
Of course, the point of the trip was to see the northern lights. We started off our trip by joining an aurora chasing tour the first night to maximize our chances. The second night, we drove to Prelude Lake Territorial Park on Ingraham Trail. For third and final night, we stayed right on the houseboat to watch the aurora. If you don’t drive, I would recommend joining the aurora chasing tour. The tour bus tours are not my cup of tea as you really want to enjoy the aurora in quiet darkness away from crowds and cellphone lights. The one that I joined was www.seannorman.com, Sean only allows a maximum of seven guests on each tour which makes it more intimate. He also provided warm drinks and homemade cookies which were a nice touch. Based on the weather forecasts and cloud coverage, he took us to different spot to chase the Auroras and to increase the likelihood, although it could be quite a long drive.
Don’t forget to stop by the City Hall. Inside Yellowknife City Hall, there is a Visitor’s Center where you can get your Artic Circle certificate for crossing the 60th parallel with a pin. They also provide recommendations and maps for attractions that you might want to visit. If you have a rental car, they will also give you a 3-day visitor parking pass, so you don’t have to pay at the meters. The lady also gave us tips about some excellent spots for aurora watching on the Ingraham Trail. So the second night, we drove to Prelude Lake Territorial Park which was about a 45 minute drive from city center. The lake was frozen, and it was so dark which makes it is a perfect spot to see aurora. The aurora there that night was truly amazing as it was intense and kept changing all night without a cloud in the sky.
We stayed at the houseboat http://moshouseboatbnb.com to watch the aurora on the third night. It is located at the Greater Slave lake and is an off-grid, anchored floating home. I’ve wanted to visit ever since I saw this special accommodation on the internet. I thought it would be a really cool and unique Northern experience to live on a houseboat on a frozen lake while watching the Northern Lights. Living in a city, we always take it for granted for everything we have. I love to take a long shower when I am home. However, the houseboat is off-grid and relies on solar and generator powered battery banks, so we have to limit our time when taking a shower. Even though the houseboat is off-grid, it is very comfortable and cozy. Sleeping on a lake and hearing the ice shifting is truly a wonderful experience. With little light pollution, I am able to see the northern lights inside my room and sun rise in the morning when outside temperature is -38°C. I can simply walk out and have a 360 view for northern lights. We went during the wintertime so we can drive directly onto the lake and park next to our houseboat. In the summertime, you will need to canoe back and forth to land. What a great adventure!
Things you might want to check out:
Dettah Ice Road
I was able to drive on the Ice Road in January. The road usually open in late December or early January. It connects Yellowknife and Dettah in the winter with a length of 6.5km. You can also pull onto the shoulder to take pictures. Looking through the cracks, it gives you an idea how thick the ice is.
Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre
If you would like to explore more unique stories about Northwest Territories, you should go to Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre. The exhibits range from police to animals to Inuit culture and history and more.