Day 0
Our adventure to the Arctic Circle and the polar night began with a long night and day of flights from Boston to Heathrow, Heathrow to Helsinki, and Helsinki to Ivalo. The flights were pretty uneventful except that our flight out of Helsinki was delayed a bit because we had to get the plane deiced.
We arrived in Ivalo, grabbed our bags pretty quickly, and then picked up our rental car. It was quite cold, but not as cold as I expected it to be; that said, we were grateful that the car rental folks had already heated the car up for us. We got in and headed for Inari.
Day 1
We got to Inari around 8 o’clock and met Alexa, one of the innkeepers. She showed us around the base camp and then showed us to our cabin and explained how everything worked. We loaded up our luggage into the cabin, and after not too long Sampsa came over on the snowmobile and hitched our cabin to the back. He pulled us from the base camp through the woods out onto the frozen lake to the area where we would be staying overnight. It was a very strange experience being dragged inside a little house on skis onto a frozen lake. When we got out on the lake, we were all quite tired so we got settled in and went to sleep. We were quite cozy inside with the heater going, and it was beautiful seeing all of the snow and the trees on the shoreline off in the distance. It was very cloudy that night, so the only aurora we saw was on the way to Inari from inside the rental car.
Day 2
In the morning we woke up and had a snowball fight. We were then pulled back to base camp by snowmobile again. At base camp we had a lovely meal cooked by Alexa (who was originally from Norway). We met her husband Atte, the other innkeeper, who would be our host for ice fishing that day.
Billy and I went with Atte out onto the frozen lake and he drilled a few holes to fish in. He showed us how to use the ice fishing poles and the sonar, and then it was time for us to try it out. It took a while for anyone to catch a fish, but I finally caught a tiny perch and then released it. I got another one and released that one too, and then for the third one Atte recommended we keep because even though they were very small, we could still eat them. Billy almost caught one fish, but it came off the line before he was able to reel in it. Finally, he caught one as well. We went back to base camp and then Atte showed us how to fillet the fish and removed the bones and skin, and then he cooked it up with butter and salt. It was quite delicious, if only a very small portion.
After we got back, the three of us played Ticket to Ride Europe. I happened to look out the window at one point and it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced – everything had gone blue, and then about a minute later it was back to normal. We were so excited that we got to experience a “blue moment”. Later we went to Siida, the Sámi museum. The museum was very interesting and we all quite enjoyed it. We got to see Sámi clothing, tools, and culture. They had a temporary polar lights exhibit, as well as the Duodjebálgát exhibit where they followed two Sámi artisans who explained how their crafts got handed down through their families and how they put their own personalities into their traditional clothing.
After the museum, we went back to base camp and it was time for our sauna. We entered the sauna and used eucalyptus oil in the water for an amazing steamy experience. It felt so good to go outside afterward and cool down. After the sauna, we took a shower and then it was time for dinner. Everyone staying at the cabins that night gathered in the grill hut, where we sat in a circle around a table. In the middle of the table was a fire pit, and Tuomas had cooked our dinner over the fire. We had reindeer sausage and vegetables, and it was absolutely delicious. We we had glögi with dessert, which was fruity and hot and amazing. As we exited the grill hut, we saw our first glimpse of the northern lights of the night directly above us, but it would definitely not be our last.
We headed back to the cabin for our tow out onto the lake. I started setting alarms every 30 minutes to check for the aurora, and it was a good thing I did because one of the times I woke up I looked out and saw beautiful dancing lights. I got up, got dressed, and went outside and then I saw that to the west they were even more beautiful. I had to go back inside and get June and Billy to come outside as well because there was no that way they could miss this. We were outside for quite some time watching the lights dance. It was absolutely breathtaking and I realized this was the first time ever that I was looking south to see the northern lights. They were everywhere in the sky and they kept moving as we watched. It was quite an experience standing out in the snow on a frozen lake looking at the northern lights dance all around us. It was absolutely incredible.
Day 3
In the morning, we were towed back to base camp and we went inside for breakfast. Alexis said that she would have time to play Ticket to Ride with us that day so we played a game with her. Aili, Alexa and Atte’s 13 month old, was passed around among the guests and she was perfectly happy. It was such a warm, homey atmosphere, and we really enjoyed it and were sad to leave. After our game we packed up the car and it was time to reluctantly say goodbye to Alexa, Atte, Aili, Sampsa, and Tuomas.
It was raining for our drive south from Inari to Saariselkä. The roads were a bit treacherous in places, mostly at the beginning of our drive. As we got past Ivalo, conditions were better. We had a snowmobile safari booked in Saariselkä and we were nervous about not making it on time, but we made it and we were able to go on the adventure. Billy started with me and we headed out into the tundra. It was a really great experience, very, very fun. About halfway through, we stopped and made the trek up a small hill to a grill hut where our guide grilled sausages for us and gave us hot drinks to warm up. On our way out of the grill hut, we were treated to more northern lights. Billy switched snowmobiles and went with June for the rest of the time. All three of us had a blast, and Billy said it was his favorite part of the whole vacation.
After we were done with snowmobiling, we headed to our hotel at and got checked in at our cabin. We were wowed with how much room we had. It was a large cabin with the kitchenette, a seating area, a bunk bed, a king size bed, and a fireplace. There was a glass half dome off the north end of the log cabin with two twin beds in it, and we also had our own sauna. After we settled in, we went back to the main building and enjoyed the hotel’s Christmas Eve buffet. Once Billy was asleep, I set up stockings and presents for Christmas morning.
That night I set up aurora notifications through an app on my phone, and even though it kept waking me up, the auroras were pretty weak.
Day 4
In the morning, we opened stockings and presents, and then walked to the main building and had breakfast. We tried out kick sleds while we were there, which was fun. We went back to the cabin and had a nice lazy Christmas day, hanging out and putting together LEGO. After dinner, we had a fire in the fireplace and we all dozed off. The auroras were better that night, and it was lovely seeing the aurora through the glass dome as we laid in bed cozy and warm.
Day 5
The next morning we had to pack and check out of the cabin. We got breakfast, and then were off to go husky mushing. It was certainly an adventure! We got a brief safety talk and then were shown to our sleds. Billy came with me and sat in the front and I drove the sled. June had their own sled. Around the first corner, I misplaced my foot and put it on the ground instead of the ski, and off the sled I went. Once Billy realized that he was by himself, he yelled for the guides to help and they stopped the dogs. I walked back to the sled and was able to take over again. I’m sure it was not funny for Billy at the time but it’s hilarious now. The rest of the trip was better, with no more mishaps. It was really fun driving the dogs. Afterward we got to pet them and they were super happy about it. They were very cute. We then got to go see the husky pups and we each got to hold a one-month-old husky, and he was the cutest little thing. I would’ve loved to have taken him home! We then went into a kota (a traditional Sámi shelter) and had warm drinks. It was a great experience, and we really loved it.
After that, we went to the design gallery and art gallery and looked around for a while. We decided that we would see the planetarium show later on. Since we had some time to kill, we drove up to Saariselkä and had lunch at the top of the hill, and then drove back down to Kakslauttenan. The planetarium show was interesting. We then got to see the art gallery. Billy was unimpressed, but I thought it was great. We drove back up to Saariselkä and went to check in to our hotel. They let us know that we could upgrade to a larger place that was more private and less expensive, but that we would need to wait to check in. We took that deal and headed back to town to find the grocery store. We then got to do one of my very favorite things to do when I’m traveling: grocery shopping. I love seeing how different the stores are from place to place, and how differently the food is labeled and advertised. After grocery shopping, we went and got some hot drinks and then headed back to the hotel. The hotel staff showed us where our cabin was, and we were floored. It was absolutely huge with heated floors throughout. We had two bedrooms, a full kitchen and dining room, a living room with a fireplace, a sauna, and a back deck with a hot tub.
June cooked dinner for us and we relaxed after dinner with a fire. Later I went in the hot tub until I was ready to go to sleep.
Day 6
We woke up to a lot of snow. So much snow, in fact ,that we got stuck trying to get out of the driveway. Eventually we were able to get onto the street and make our way up the hill to breakfast, which was in the same place that we ate lunch the previous day. We went grocery shopping again for dinner, and then headed to the reindeer farm.
Apparently I had forgotten that I had arranged for a pick up at our hotel, so we ended up getting to the reindeer farm very early and braving the snow even though we didn’t have to. On the bright side, we got dressed in warm clothes and then went back outside to see the reindeer while we were waiting. Once everyone else was there and ready, we went outside to the sledges that we would be riding. Billy came in the sledge with me and June got their own (again), and then we started on our journey. It was still snowing quite a bit, and it was magical – very quiet and peaceful as the reindeer pulled the sledges through the snow in the forest. We were quite warm sitting on hides and covered in blankets. Billy was so relaxed that he fell asleep, and I did close my eyes at a few points. It was quite lovely after our rent. We got to feed bundles of lichen to the reindeer after our ride. Then we went into the main building and had cornbread and hot cocoa, and we learned more about the reindeer and the Sámi people. There was an obnoxious Australian lady who kept asking really weird questions like why the Sámi people she saw in pictures were darker than the lady telling us about herself and her family (after which I leaned over to June and whispered “Oh my god, Karen, you can’t just ask someone why they’re white.” I never thought that would be a movie quote I would ever use, and yet here we were). She also asked what they were wearing under their semi garments and stated confidently that the two women talking to us must be from different regions – I knew in my heart even before they answered that they were mother and daughter, and I was right. It was truly an experience. 😂
After reindeer, we got some lunch and then headed back to the cabin. We relaxed for a while with a fire, and then I cooked dinner and we relaxed some more. Later on June and I used the sauna, and I alternated being in the sauna and running outside to rub snow on myself when I got too warm.
Day 7
On our last full day in Finland, we woke up and packed up all of our stuff. We got breakfast and then began our drive to Rovaniemi. Roveniemi is about 250 km away from Saariselkä. Even though it snowing again, it was a mostly uneventful drive. It was interesting to see the change in scenery as we drove south with the trees becoming taller and the snow becoming shallower. We also learned that closer to the Arctic Circle, there are fewer days without sun during the winter. It was wild to us that a drivable distance would make such a difference, with Inari having around six weeks without a sunrise and Sodankylä, the town we were driving through when we looked up the information, having only four days.
We got to Santa’s village and it was delightful, if touristy and crowded. We went to the petting zoo first and bought some twigs to feed the sheep, goats, and alpaca. We saw more reindeer as well as some bunnies and peacocks. After the petting zoo, we headed to the Arctic Circle line and took some pictures standing halfway in and out of the Arctic. We went to the post office and got some postcards and mailed them so that they would have a special Arctic Circle postmark on them. We then went in from the cold to a little café and had some snacks and hot drinks. By then our apartment was ready to check in so we made our way back toward the car, stopping at the husky place on the way back, but unfortunately it was closing.
We made it to our apartment and got settled in, and figured out a place to have dinner. We found a place that did gluten-free chicken and waffles and so we drove to downtown Rovaniemi. We had a delightful dinner. Billy and June 💚 had hot cocoa with marshmallows and I had glögi. We then walked around downtown which was absolutely charming. All of the decorations were still up for Christmas, and they had an ice rink and ice sculptures in the center of town. We walked down to the river where we could see the festive lights on the opposite bank and the Lumberjack’s Candle Bridge (Jätkänkynttilä) crossing over the river.
We made it back to the apartment and played a game of hearts together, and then it was time to try and get some sleep to prepare for a long journey home. The bed was extremely comfortable, which I was happy about.
Day 8
We woke up and took showers, got packed, and we were on our way. We dropped off our winter clothing rentals in downtown Roveniemi, and then we decided on a place for breakfast. Apparently Google thought it was adequate to lead us to the highway underneath the building where the restaurant was instead of leading us into the parking lot for it, so we had a few minutes of driving around until we figured out that it was inside the mall that was above the highway. We ended up eating at a different place anyway, but it was still inside the mall and was still very good.
We got to the airport and returned the car without incident. We got through security fairly quickly, and then saw that the airport was absolutely packed. There was really no place to sit, but eventually we found some bar stools near the window. It started snowing and our flight was delayed for about an hour and a half. When we got to Helsinki, we booked it through the short connections line through passport control, and hurried to our gate. Thankfully we got there in time and we were able to get on the flight to JFK.
When we made it to JFK, we were running very late for our flight to BOS, and it didn’t help that two of our suitcases didn’t make it with us. We finally gave up on luggage and we were able to get an airline employee to help us get through border control and security. We then ran to the gate and got there just in time to board the plane. The flight was uneventful, but when we got to BOS there were zero suitcases awaiting us. At that point we just had to laugh about our luggage going on its own vacation and go find the driver that would bring us home. We got home and were very happy to be there after our long journey.
Update: We ended up getting our suitcase back from the JFK-BOS flight the next day, and the two suitcases from the HEL-JFK the day after that, so not too bad.
I absolutely loved Finland and would go back in a heartbeat. I would love to see Alexa, Atte, and Aili again, maybe this time for the midnight sun.