Mark Jay

Review of North Star Adventures

September 15 Aurora Tour

September 15 Aurora Tour
This night, our driver was Joe and the tour guides were Crystal and Jane. Unfortunately, it was a rainy night and we caught only a small glimpse of the Aurora. Joe kept driving until he came to a location where the rain did let up. Crystal and Jane took pictures of guests when the lights were visible. They served maple cookies and hot chocolate and entertained us with tales of the town and the Aurora.

September 16 City Tour


September 16 Evening Teepee Tour
Pat was our driver for this excursion while Jane was our guide. The weather was fair that evening with only light rain but we did get to see some Aurora. We spent some time in a tent where we were treated to native snacks including bison meatballs, caribou jerky and char as well as more common treats like juice, hot chocolate, s mores and cookies. Again, Jane took pictures of guests with the Aurora and got the guests to interact with each other doing light painting when the Aurora was not visible. Pat talked about life in Yellowknife and showed everyone some of his personal artifacts. Everyone had a great time.

September 17 Bison Tour
Our driver was Pat while Brenda and Jane were our guides. Partway into our tour, we stopped for a light lunch at a picnic area at North Arm of Great Slave Lake. We saw 2 bison individually, and then a group of 7 including the Big Guy and a mom nursing her calf. It was quite an experience. Brenda took a lot of great photos of guests with the bison in the background while Jane assisted. Pat shared stories of his days driving to the Arctic and back. Very interesting and fun for all.

September 17 Aurora Tour
The best night of our week! Joe was our driver once again and Brenda was our tour guide. After a slow start, the Aurora appeared and was visible much of the next hour and a half. During a minor lull, Joe would drive to another location and would promptly find a place to stop when he heard the guests alerting him to the fact that the Aurora was gaining strength once again. Brenda did a fantastic job taking a lot of great photos with the stunning green lights in the background and kept everyone moving to get as many photos taken as possible. The Aurora came through later than usual that night but Joe was tracking its movement on an app and was willing to extend the length of the tour so that everyone got their fill.