6/16/18 – North Pole

Yes, Virginia, there really is a North Pole!  And you can go visit Santa there when you’re in Alaska.  North Pole is a town near Fairbanks in North Star Borough (like a county in most of the rest of the country).  About 2,200 people besides Santa and his elves live here year-round. 

My niece had asked me to send her pictures of the North Pole, so of course we had to go check it out.  Some of it wasn’t quite what I expected...

We stopped by the Visitor Center first—which is one of the things I wasn't expecting.  We drove past it, turned around and when the GPS told us we had arrived, we still weren’t sure.  It looked unlike any other visitor center I'd ever seen.  Yes, that’s grass on the roof.  No, it’s not a short house for elves.  The bottom part of the building is dug into the ground for insulation.  Gets really cold at the North Pole!

On the other side of the highway is Santa Claus House.  The building is decorated vaguely like the Bavarian-styled buildings in Leavenworth, Washington, painted with Christmas scenes. I think it was painted that way so you could pose in front of a section and use it for your Christmas card photo.  

Built in 1952 as a grocery store, it has become a big Christmas themed store.  My Aunt Dot would have called it a “tourist trap”.  We didn’t stop at those when I was a kid.  Now I can if I want and can talk George into it. 

Inside is a huge Christmas store full of all kinds of Christmas decorations as well as standard Alaska tourist junk, all more expensive than it has to be.  They have a large business sending letters from Santa to kids all over the world. 

Even grownups waited in line to talk to Santa.  I don't think I expected that.

I thought I'd see Mrs. Claus wandering around the store giving out free cookie samples, but they don't even sell cookies in the coffee shop!  Another thing (or two) that wasn't expected!

I also expected to see Rudolph and his friends at the Antler Academy, but we just saw some of the trainees, still in their shaggy winter coats.

 

Outside is what was once the Largest Santa Claus in the World, at least it was until 2016.  (Guinness now says the largest one is in Portugal.)  Might be the World’s Tackiest one too. 

These and a couple more pictures on Flickr:  North Pole