Q: I’ve been told that the northern lights in Alaska are the best. It sounds like I need to go to Fairbanks to see the best, either in February or at the end of September. I have been looking for some sort of cruise that makes a stop close to Fairbanks and see these lights—and to propose to my girlfriend. How I can accomplish that? Thanks—George

A: Congratulations in advance! Aurora viewing is very strong here for the next few months, and your best bet is indeed out of Fairbanks. Not in Fairbanks itself, but Coldfoot, a few hours north. If you want a memorable proposal, take the poor girl up to Coldfoot in the dead of winter and propose there. I have some friends who run The Northern Alaska Tour Company, a great program up there, including transportation from Fairbanks, lodging, and guides. They could probably help you set up something clever for your proposal.

I’m afraid you’re not going to reliably pull this off on a cruise. Cruises run from late April until late September, and the chances of seeing any decent aurora display during that timeframe are slim compared to the winter. Plus, since Fairbanks is not a cruise port, you’d need to add on a land package that stops in Fairbanks.

I asked Kathy from the Northern Alaska Tour Company for any more advice and she made a great point: Plan on a staying 2 or 3 nights in Fairbanks, since weather could foil you for seeing the auroras in just one night. And plan on some late nights. “Northern lights is a lot like fishing,” she told me. “A true fisherman wouldn’t put their line in the water once and say, ‘there are no fish—I am going home.’ The same is true for the northern lights. They are most active between 10pm– 2am, so you need to plan on staying up until 2 to give yourself the best odds to see the lights.” Evening tours out of Fairbanks—like NATC’s trip including Coldfoot—tend to happen at just that time.

Good luck!