Sitting high in the mountains away from the lights of Fairbanks, this family-friendly lodge is the ideal place to view the Aurora Borealis during the August to April season. The Logan’s Chalet is a spacious two-bedroom Alaskan log cabin with its own aurora viewing platform in the front yard. It holds three queen beds in two bedrooms, a living room furnished with leather couches and a fully equipped kitchen. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi, satellite TV and a radio that alerts you to aurora sightings.

The Aurora Borealis Lodge is located on Cleary Summit, just over 20 miles from downtown Fairbanks. The high ridge is considered to be one of the best places in the world to view the northern lights. In the nearby town of Fox is the popular Turtle Club restaurant, a casual eatery that specializes in steak and seafood. Continue into Fairbanks for a wide range of restaurants and shops, or load up on groceries for your cabin back on the ridge. Kids will want to spend a day at Pioneer Park, the city-run theme park on the banks of the Chena River. They’ll also love an afternoon river cruise on the authentic Riverboat Discovery paddle wheeler. Be sure to get back to the lodge before dusk so you can have a ringside seat for the magical Aurora Borealis. It will be one of the highlights of your family vacation to Alaska.