Traveling with the Jones

Recently, I flew to Fairbanks, Alaska, round-trip from Kansas City, Missouri. My trip was booked last minute using frequent flyer miles on Alaska Airlines.

From Kansas City, I had only one connection in Seattle to reach Fairbanks, Alaska. My return trip was a little more complicated.

My return from Fairbanks began on Alaska Airlines flight #62, which departs at 6 am. Originally I was scheduled to fly flight #62 from Fairbanks to Juneau, Alaska, with a stop in Anchorage. From Juneau, I had a four-hour layover, to then connect to a flight from Juneau to Seattle.

When I arrived in Juneau, I realized that the airport was a tiny place to spend a 4-hour layover. During a quick catch-up call with my Alaska-born husband, he said,”Why don’t you ask if you can change to stay on flight #62 to Seattle? It gets in earlier, so you’ll have more time to connect to your Kansas City flight.“

I checked with the gate agent. There was space available, so she agreed to change my ticket. I headed back onto Alaska flight #62 for a departure to Seattle, with stops in Sitka and Ketchikan.

Flight 62 is what is known as a “milk run,” or a scheduled flight with many stops.

Due to the lack of roads, many towns in Alaska are reliant on air service.

Flight 62 is one of the daily Alaska Airlines flights that hop between towns in Southeast Alaska, delivering passengers and important supplies, including milk. The flight leaves Fairbanks at 6 am each morning, with scheduled stops in Anchorage, Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan before a scheduled arrival in Seattle at 4:04 pm.

While I’ve traveled in Alaska many times, I’d never been to Sitka. It was snowing heavily as flight 62 landed on the single paved runway at Sitka Rocky Gutierrez Airport (SIT).

Alaska Airlines asks passengers who are not departing in Sitka to stay on the aircraft, to allow for a quicker turn and departure to Ketchikan.

The Sitka airport is on a causeway that juts off Japonski Island. The overhead picture (from the FAA) shows the airport on a sunnier day.

The next stop for Alaska flight 62 was at the Ketchikan International Airport (KTN.) 

Once again, I did not depart the plane, but I got a quick photo of Ketchikan International Airport terminal.

The airport is located on Gravina Island, just west of Ketchikan on the other side of the Tongass Narrows.

Since there is no road access between Ketchikan and the airport on Gravina Island, tassengers must take a seven-minute ferry ride across the water to get to the town from the airport, and vice-versa. The ferry departs Gravina Island (where the airport is located) every 30 minutes for Revillagigedo Island (where the city of Ketchikan is located.)  In 2005, a proposed bridge to link the city of Ketchikan and its airport became the object of national attention that labeled the project the “bridge to nowhere“. The bridge plan was scrapped in 2007.

From Ketchikan, Alaska Airlines flight 62 departs to Seattle, Washington. The scheduled flight time is 1 hour and 46 minutes. Once in Seattle, I was glad to stretch my legs and walk around a bit. My connecting flight to Kansas City, Missouri was delayed slightly, putting me into MCI (Kansas City International Airport) around 12 midnight. Even considering the 3-hour time change, I had flown for 15 hours. By comparison, scheduled flight time from Chicago to Hong Kong is only 50 minutes longer.

While my Alaska Milk Run flight 62 was not the scenic Alaska tour that it can be on a clear, sunny day, I’m glad that I got the opportunity to make the trip and have the experience.

It was a fitting finale to my trip to Fairbanks, which was to attend the memorial service for my friend and former boss, Michael Noel Wien who passed away unexpectedly. Mike was a proud Alaskan, a world traveler, and the grandson of Noel Wien who pioneered Alaska’s first commercial flight service when he began flying mail routes between Fairbanks and isolated communities in 1923.

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Flight 62 is just one of six Milk Run flights on Alaska Airlines.

• Flight 61: Seattle (7:50 a.m.)-Juneau-Yakutat-Cordova-Anchorage (1:54 p.m.)
• Flight 66: Anchorage (3:35 p.m.)-Cordova-Yakutat-Juneau-Seattle (11:10 p.m.)
• Flight 64: Anchorage (11:40 a.m.)-Juneau-Petersburg-Wrangell-Ketchikan-Seattle (8:35 p.m.)
• Flight 65: Seattle (7:55 a.m.)-Ketchikan-Wrangell-Petersburg-Juneau-Anchorage (3:08 p.m.) 
• Flight 62: Fairbanks (6 a.m.)-Anchorage-Juneau-Sitka-Ketchikan-Seattle (4:04 p.m.)
• Flight 67: Seattle (3 p.m.)-Ketchikan-Sitka-Juneau-Anchorage (9:22 p.m.)

Note that all even-numbered flights are southbound flights, while all odd-numbered flights are northbound flights.

Learn more about Alaska Airlines Milk Run flights in this article on the airline’s blog “The Milk Run is a hop, skip and a jump along Southeast Alaska’s coast.“

After my “milk run” flight in Alaska, I read about a similar frequent-stop flight on United Airlines between Honolulu and Guam. Described as United’s Island Hopper, United flight 154 takes 15 hours as it makes five stops, flying the route HNL-MAJ-KWA-KSA-PNI-TKK-GUM, or Honolulu-Marshall Islands-Kwajalein Atoll-Pohnpei Island-Micronesia-Guam. Michael Spelfogel wrote this review of the Island Hopper flight experience.

Have you made a ‘Milk Run’ run flight? Please share.

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Check out some of our other posts on Alaska:

• A Winter Walk in Fairbanks, Alaska
• Packing for a Winter Trip To Fairbanks, Alaska
• 24 Fun Facts About Fairbanks, Alaska
• 20 Fun Facts About Juneau, Alaska
• 17 Fun Facts About Kodiak, Alaska
• 12 Fun Facts About Dutch Harbor, Alaska
• Visiting Alaska? 22 Fun Facts You Might Want to Know
• 21 Fun Facts About Ketchikan, Alaska
• 28 Fun Facts About Anchorage, Alaska

Last week, on February 9th, I woke up in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Peering out the window of Room 225 at the Marriott Springhill Suites in downtown Fairbanks, this was the view just before 9 am local time.

It is light outside. The birds are flying and the city is slowly springing into action. After a very late night, I’m trying to wake up and get out and explore Fairbanks.

I filmed a quick little video of the view. A police car goes by.

I put on all of my many layers, and my new down parka.

My friend James and I head out for a walk. Our goal is to walk for 30 minutes, and then turn around to walk 30 minutes back.

I stop frequently to take photos on my iPhone, quickly whipping off my glove, and snapping the photos. Then, quickly getting my glove back on, and my phone buried back in my warm pocket.

The light is magical. This is the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge across a frozen Chena River.  The Immaculate Conception Parish church is in the background.

We continue walking on the sidewalk beside First Avenue. The street follows the Chena River, where Fairbanks began in 1901 when E.T. Barnette created a temporary trading post on its banks. 

You can get a sense of how deep the snow is from this photo of a tourist information sign.

I picture a very different view for June, when there are many visitors walking the same path along the Chena River, minus the snow.

My friend James takes a screen shot of the weather on his phone. Although the temperature is minus 17 degrees F, AccuWeather says it feels like only minus 6 degrees F.

Ha. It is cold, but I have to admit it is not as bad as I thought it would be.

After all, the sun is out and there is no wind.

We keep moving. Both the road and the sidewalks had been cleared of snow, but there was a thin layer of snow on the sidewalk. Both the snow and the air are extremely dry.

I have to stop to take a photo of this church. Later, I learn that it is St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, originally built on this First Avenue site in 1904.

Although the original church building burned in 1947, the wooden altar and other carvings were saved, and were replaced with the present St. Matthew’s Church building.

Once we reached the Aurora Energy power plant, we turned around to head back to our hotel.

This photo was taken at 9:46 am. It shows how the sun is getting higher in the horizon.

Better light equals brighter photos

Heading back to the hotel. I’m cold after this 45+ minute walk, but I’m not miserable. I dressed for the part. The cold, dry air, however, is hard on my skin, and my nose and breathing are affected

Back at the Marriott Springhill Suites, I admire how all of the cars in the parking lot are plugged in.

Later, I see first-hand evidence as to why hockey is likely the more popular outdoor winter sport than basketball in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Have you visited Fairbanks, Alaska?

Check out these other on Fairbanks:

• 24 Fun Facts About Fairbanks, Alaska
• Packing for a Winter Trip To Fairbanks, Alaska

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I’m flying tonight on a last-minute trip to Fairbanks, Alaska. The temperature is expected to be as cold as negative 33 degrees F.

Brr! That’s scary cold.

What to wear/pack for -33 degrees below zero temperatures in Fairbanks?

First, as always, I start with my bags. I want to be strictly carry-on for these flights, so I borrow Mr. Jones’ suitcase.

It’s a Briggs & Riley Baseline Domestic Carry-On Expandable Upright suitcase that he has used weekly since 2013.

This carry-on bag was spendy, but it has stood the “Travelin Jones” frequent travel test. At 22 inches, it fits in the overhead, and it expands if your belongings “grow” during your travels. Most of all, we appreciate its sturdy handle that securely holds my heavy backpack as I dash through airports for connecting flights. We haven’t had to test the “Simple as that® lifetime warranty” that comes with Briggs & Riley bags yet in 3.5 years of regular use.

Speaking of back-packs, this is my regular travel carry-on “personal” item that fits under my seat:

It is an Eddie Bauer Unisex-Adult Voyager II 30 Pack, Black

With a roomy 30 liter capacity, this pack has a padded back with trolley-handle sleeve for sliding onto my roller bag. It also has a special padded slot where I keep my laptop and iPad, for easy pull out if I’m traveling somewhere without TSA pre-check. Inside this spacious bag there is plenty of room for my work files, pile of magazines to read, medicine bag, snacks, quart-sized “liquids” bag, and a small purse. For this trip to Fairbanks, I’ve also crammed in gloves, a heavy scarf, a stocking cap and an extra pair of thick socks.

Now, what to pack and/or wear on the flights to and from Fairbanks, Alaska?

A warm coat. This one was rated to temperature of 20 below zero, if you are active.

I bought it – the Eddie Bauer Women’s Slope Side Down Parka

I will wear the parka on my flights. If I get warm, it will make a good pillow or blanket for the flights.

Staying warm is all about layers.

My first layer will always be one of these Cuddl Duds Women’s Softwear Stretch Long Sleeve Top

And under my jeans or pants
Cuddl Duds Women’s Softwear Stretch Legging

What about my feet? I will be wearing a sweater dress in Fairbanks.

Luckily, I have these boots.

The Stuart Weitzman Gorki Waterproof Rain Boots are waterproof and have good non-slip soles.

With a pair of tights, they look good and keep my feet and legs warm.

I have two pair of these SPANX Reversible Tight-End Tights.  Each pair is reversible with two different colors. One pair is black/grey and the other pair is black or chocolate brown. They are like having two different pairs of tights in one, so you can always find the best match for your outfit.  Plus, they are warm.

For the flights which are 9.5 – 12 hours of total flying time each way between Kansas City and Fairbanks, I will wear my these socks to avoid getting swollen feet.

These Compression Socks (1 Pair) 20-30mmHg Graduated – Best For Running, Athletic Sports, Crossfit, Flight Travel (Men & Women) – Suits Nurses, Maternity Pregnancy, Shin Splints – Below Knee High Socks. are comfortable for hiking, and other athletic pursuits. While they take a little longer to put on, these socks wear like any other sport sock. Wear them on your next long flight, and you won’t have to worry about your shoes being too tight from swollen feet.

On the plane I will wear these comfortable shoes

These Clarks Women’s Haley Fashion Sneakers slip on and off easily, are comfortable for long walks, and offer good traction.

I’m nervous about the extreme cold temperatures. My friend James (who lives in Anchorage) had a few tips of other items to bring, to combat the cold air and low humidity in Fairbanks in the winter.

Cold air holds less moisture than warm air, and the result of being outside in very cold, very dry air is dry eyes, dry skin, chapped lips and a dry nose (some people get nosebleeds.)

To combat this dry air, I put these items in my quart-size toiletry/make-up bag:

A tiny bottle of Systane Ultra Lubricant Eye Drops,.33 fl oz Bottle

and this

to soothe dry lips Vaseline Lip Therapy, Travel Size .35 Oz

and my favorite moisturizing cream

Eucerin Skin Calming Daily Moisturizing Creme, 1 Ounce (Pack of 36)
I bought a pack of 36 1-oz tubes over 2 years ago, but and I never travel without one of the tubes in my carry-on liquids bag. You can buy a single 1-oz. tube also.

I’m nervous about the cold, but I’m ready.

Have you visited Fairbanks, Alaska, or anywhere that is this cold?

What packing advice do you have to add?

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I did some quick background research on Fairbanks. Check out

• 24 Fun Facts About Fairbanks, Alaska