Chase the Northern Lights in Fairbanks, Alaska
Fairbanks sits directly beneath the auroral oval, making it one of the best places in the world to see the northern lights. From September through March, drive just twenty minutes beyond the city lights, look up, and watch green and violet curtains sweep across the Arctic sky.
The Fairbanks version is disarmingly simple: no expedition required. Once darkness falls, sometimes all you need to do is look up. At Chena Hot Springs, far from the city glow, the surrounding wilderness is pitch black, an ideal setting to soak in the steaming outdoor rock lake while the northern lights move across the sky. Hot water, cold air, and the aurora overhead.
I was there in April with a KP index of just 2, and even in town with all the city lights, the aurora was clearly visible. To the naked eye, it can look more like a pale white or gray glow, but your camera may pick up the green much more strongly. You really can just look up and get lucky. For the best experience, check the KP forecast, cloud cover, and moon phase, and aim for a clear night around the new moon if you can.