I had a 3 night stay during the New years time and wow, what an experience! Annie and Bernard are one of the most welcoming, friendly, gracious (I am running out of adjectives to describe them) hosts I have ever met. From the moment I made my reservation, Annie guided me about the things to do in the area and planning the rest of my trip. I arrived at Bettles on 31st Dec and Annie & Bernard were there at the airport to receive me. We had a plentiful and sumptuous New years eve dinner on that evening. One thing I can vouch for sure is that I have never been pampered so much with food while staying at Bettles lodge. Each meal was a culinary delight and we had access to their kitchen throughout the night.

During one of the days, Bernard gave me a tour of the area. Both Annie, Bernard and some of the locals kept us updated on the Aurora viewing. They also arranged snow machining tours for all their guests and Annie helped me out personally on arranging the remaining part of my trip. One of the best part of my stay was to meet the locals along with other wonderful guests and the lodge was a great place for socializing. I will never forget the interesting chats that dragged late into the night interspersed with stunning Aurora viewing.

Annie & Bernard; thank you for making my stay at Bettles an experience to treasure for my life. I love traveling and it's people like you who make it worth for me to try and explore Alaska. Hopefully, I will be at Bettles again in future and maybe combine a trip with a stay at Iniakuk lodge.

I travelled to Alaska for New Years Eve 2010 and stayed 3 nights in Bettles at the Spirit Lodge to see the Aurora.
Annie and Bernard who own and run the lodge are the most hospitable and friendly people you could meet. Nothing is too much for them.
The meals are nothing short of amazing and believe me you will not go hungry. If anything you will put on weight when staying here.
The rooms are large and well maintained with all amenities needed.
The community itself in Bettles is very small with a normal population of 26 people only of which most are characters to say the least. Being a small place the locals here are so excited to meet you and learn about where you come from and what you do. Makes you feel really welcome in this little place.
The scenery here is amazing (I visited in the midst of winter) and the Aurora is spectacular. Being so far north the lights are right above you here and on New Years Eve they spread over the whole sky.
If you find Bettles when searching for a place to see the Northern Lights i recommend putting in the effort to come here and ensure you stay at the Spirit Lodge.

To get to the Spirit Lights Lodge in Bettles, the owner Annie arranges the flight from Fairbanks through the Wright Air service. Having never been on a prop plane, this was a great experience in itself. Upon arriving, I was enthusiastically greeted at the plane by owners Annie & Bernard, and proceeded on the short walk to the lodge. After a quick tour of the lodge, I was treated to what was the first example of Annie's excellent cooking! From her soups for lunch with homemade bread, to her fabulous dinners and amazing desserts, you will definitely not go hungry. While I am merely a cereal & coffee person for breakfast, Annie did also fix quite a spread for the other guests for breakfast. (I plan on asking for a recipe or two)
Annie & Bernard are extremely personable, friendly, laidback people who just want to make sure you have a great experience in Bettles, and that you get the opportunity to see the northern lights. I was introduced to some of the 26 full time residents of Bettles, and taken on a tour of the area. Annie arranges for some of the residents to join you at dinner each night, during which I had some great & entertaining conversations with Steve and Doug:)
When it comes to seeing the northern lights, Annie or Bernard will make sure to wake you up once the lights are seen. The first night there, I witnessed the lights around 7 am. The second night however, around 3 am, the lights were visible and AMAZING. Even with my simple Olympus digital camera, I was able to get some really good pictures. That experience was perfect & made the whole trip alone worth it!
Annie & Bernard will also arrange for snowmachining and dog sledding if you're interested. While I did not go dog sledding myself, other guests did, and after seeing the pictures and video, I know I will be including that on my next trip to Bettles. I did however, go snowmachining, and while I learned it's evidently a skill that I don't quite possess (poor Steve had to dig me out 3 times & I did a really good face plant!), it was well worth it just to see the views! Steve took me across the frozen Koyukuk (?) River, closer to Brooks Range, and showed me animal tracks in the snow, like moose and lynx. It is such a beautiful place & an exhilarating experience.
I can't say enough about the owners, Annie & Bernard. For them, it's not just about running a business. In fact, it feels more like your staying at a friends house (a friend who happens to cook every incredible meal for you). They want to make sure that whoever comes to Bettles has a great time, and I have to say, what made this so great for me was while this was the first time I had vacationed by myself, I was never lonely. I had a fabulous time chatting with Annie or Bernard during the meals, or just hanging out with them. I wish I had spent more than 3 days there!!! This was definitely a worthwhile experience and I do plan on returning!! I can't recommend Spirit Lights Lodge enough!

In the middle of nowhere, Bettles is a tiny village right on the arctic circle.

Spirit's host couple were ABSOLUTELY AMAZING - TRULY GREAT. Thanks once again guys!

Great food (home-made soups, breakfast), great activities (dog sledding, snowmachine ride) and an amazing supper with local eskimos on christmas' eve. Such a wonderful experience!

Should I not forget to mention the view at the aurora! Green and blue lines in the sky, in the middle of the night...

Remembering these moments always make me to want to go back...