There's no place like Nome

Shauntel Bruner-Alvanna from Nome joins Jennie to share about what makes Nome special and the unique things you can do in different seasons.

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Music credits:  Largo Montebello, by Domenico Mannelli, CC.

Transcript

 Welcome to the Alaska Uncovered Podcast with me, your host, Jennie Thwing Flaming, my occasional co-host and full-time husband, Jay, and I bring you accurate, helpful, and entertaining information about Alaska Travel and life in Alaska. Before we jump in, we want to take a moment to thank our Patreon supporters for making this podcast possible.

You can join them at the link in the show notes. Enjoy the show. 


Are you thinking that you want to go somewhere different and unusual in Alaska? Are you thinking about Nome? You should be thinking about Nome, and that's what we're gonna talk about today. There'll be a little music transition here. My guest today is Shauntel Bruner, Alvanna and Shauntel. Has lived in Nome for the last 10 years and she loves being in Nome.

And in the summer you'll find her doing all kinds of outdoor adventures. And in the winter you'll find her recovering from the summer inside, reading a book and maybe traveling to other places. So Shauntel, welcome to Alaska Uncovered. Thank you for being here. 

Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited about this.

Yeah, me too. It's so fun to be talking about Nome because it is so much more than just the end of the Iditarod, although of course we will talk about that. So I'd love to know, Shauntel, how did you get to Alaska and how did you get to Nome? 

This is one of my favorite stories, so thank you so much for asking.

Before Nome I had always been a traveler that I feel like if you have it in your heart, it generally stays there. So I had this opportunity. I was living in Chicago and I needed to leave the apartment that I was in. So instead of staying in Chicago, I said, where shall I go next? So I started asking around, I have some friends from when I was an exchange student in college and things like that, and I had a friend rep or, excuse me, suggest No. And when she did, she just said, it's a great place to make some money. It's off the grid, you'll appreciate it because you've traveled. And I said, sure, what do I have to lose? So I packed up four totes, very Alaskan of me from Chicago and I showed up very. 

You were like ready for Alaska before you even got there with the flying, with totes move.

Well, 

I was given a lot of handholding, which is one of the things that I like in my position is that I also get to hold hands because it's. So different up here. Yeah. But I did, yeah, I showed up with four totes and my 5-year-old at the time, she started school about a week later, and that year has turned into 10, which I am so grateful for as I'm continuing to learn something about Nome every single day, which blows my mind.

Aw, that's so fun. Cool. So tell everybody what you do now, what your job is in Nome. 

Awesome. So going back to when I first got up here, one of my first jobs when I arrived in Nome was helping translate French. Again, I learned French when I was an exchange student in Belgium. So grateful for that and never really used it in Chicago.

So I found it ironic that I was giving tours of a place I had never been to people in a foreign language. A little absurd, but very much. Per the GNome standards. 

Yes. 

So working with a lot of the local tour guides at the time and just periodically did that over the years. So as time changed and I was starting to do my own thing I own a business as well.

And so I expanded my business to offer more tour that were geared towards the local experience, because people always touch on the idra, they always touch on gold, they always touch on the muskox. But what we're missing is the humanity of what Nome has to offer. The culture, the people, the day-to-day things that make our life off the grid.

Very fascinating. So I started my own business doing tours, and then the visitor center scooped me up and I started managing that. And then transitioned over to the Chamber of Commerce. So I love this position because it allows me permission to work with all of our small business owners, help advocate for their growth, help promote their growth, all while it ties into encouraging people to come visit this fascinating cool place that we live in.

Yeah, so it's been an amazing year and it's just so much fun to be the liaison and the person that's helping collaborate because that's what it is. It's just a massive collaboration of all these amazing entities that exist here. 

Yeah. That's so cool. Okay, so tell us a little bit about what makes Nome special and unique.

I know there are many things. 

Yes. The biggest one and a lot of people I. Can't, this was hard for me to process as well when I first moved up here. We are not on a road system, which it seems absurd. You think that most places, especially in America, have access to all roads and all water. We do not. So just getting used to that.

So if you have eating, dietician, requirements or restrictions, things to plan ahead for. Yeah. That makes us really special. And then I touched about this, we're incredibly unique. So being the western hub of Alaska, which again, it's funny. So we're the big municipality for this region of the.

State. Yes, but we do, we and we represent that. So we have three different indigenous groups that have historically either passed through here, lived here, and so remembering that we're guests in a place that has existed well before.

Our country necessarily existed, makes us super unique and those things still exist here, which is really beautiful. Yeah. So whether you see things in different languages or whether you're seeing traditional art or whether you're seeing practices of subsistence and living off the land it's just an incredibly unique place.

And then of course, on top of that, we have. The big things, the Iditarod ending here is monumental and a huge deal. Yeah. And special for our community. Yeah. The gold in the earth, the fact that it's still so abundant in bringing people up here a hundred plus years later is so cool. Being the only place that you can find muskox in the wild is really cool.

There's just so much about our region and our area and our community that make it so welcoming, unique, and just fascinating. Yeah, totally 

love it. Okay, so why should the, so usually I spend most of my time encouraging people to go to fewer places overall on their Alaska trip. 'cause Alaska Yeah.

Is so vast. It's massive. Yeah. So if somebody is okay, I'm going to Alaska for a week or two, or whatever. Why should they add gNome to their itinerary? And maybe in addition to that, what type of traveler, like really being a traveler yourself like and having that like in your blood, what kind of traveler like really needs 

to go to Nome?

Awesome. So those questions definitely tie in together. So we attract mostly very proactive and independent travelers. So there are travel agents who can help with Alaska travel, but very rarely do we see that the travel agents have the understanding of the capacity in which we're off the grid.

And so it takes somebody to have that initiative on their own, to do their research, to reach out to materials because it's limited and we recognize that. So to answer your question, yeah, so if you are on a 10 day to two week excursion to Alaska Flights from Anchorage to Nome are twice a day and pretty regular given weather and all of that.

So what I've recommended to people is doing either a day flight or one overnight. So you could potentially take the morning flight up here, get here around, I think it fluctuates. Throughout the year, but it's usually between nine 30 or 10, spend the day going to the museum, maybe doing a quick drive around town to catch a muskox visiting the visitor center.

Of course, yes. Doing all the things and then catch the night flight at 5:00 PM and head back to Anchorage without having a lodging fair or a car, other expenses necessarily in there. We are more accessible than it seems, especially if you're adding us on to an already pretty long.

Vacation or trip. Yeah. Because people that come to Alaska, it's no, it's usually a bucket list trip and so it tends to be a little bit longer. If you're already here, do it. Yeah. Because nobody's gonna, normally come up to Nome independently, unless it is for Iditarod or because they have specific reasons to 

Yes.

Love that. 

Okay. 

So let's, you started on some logistics here, Shauntel. So let's like keep going with that theme. Okay. I think it is for people who haven't been to Alaska before, I think they don't often realize how big of a deal it is that you can fly there on Alaska Airlines. At least from Anchorage yeah, many remote communities off the road system don't have that service, which makes it more affordable to get there.

Now, I don't know that I wanna say affordable, but more affordable. Then if you don't have that option. So what about finding a place to stay? Do people who are coming to Nome need to rent a car? Can they rent a car? Let's talk a little bit about someone, and that's awesome to know that there's a day trip option too.

So maybe start with the day trip. What would you recommend people do with that day and if they are gonna stay for a little bit longer, what other. Things around like hotels and cars and things. Totally. Would you recommend people consider or look at. 

I love that. So I wanna put a disclaimer out there that what I'm about to say applies to everything outside of Iditarod.

Yes. Iditarod is booked in advance. Yeah. At least over a year. And that's where it comes back to that proactive traveler. If this is something that is calling to you, you need to start planning it now, or especially for Iditarod. And maybe even for Midnight Sun. One of the great parts about summer is that because we do see a cruise ship population and because we have the whole season, that demand is a little bit less, but still exists.

Yeah. So again, I really wanna just drill home planning. So if you know you're gonna be here, you wanna add on this day trip option, look ahead. Yeah. And then for the logistics of the day trip, it's. For me, very simple, we have to have that open-mindedness of weather, mechanical, other issues.

Yeah. So you might quote unquote get stuck in Nome, which is not the end of the world. We'll make it work. But yeah, you could fly in on the morning flight. You have options if you wanted to rent a car, there are car rental available. We have a few listed on our website at www visit no alaska.com.

Put that in there. As well as lodging options. However, you don't have to. So a lot, our airport is less than a mile from town, so you could put on your backpack, walk into town as long as there's no musk cocks out and about and go do the things. The museum downtown, front street the mini convention center, all of those things are within walking distance and we provide map at the visitor center to point people in the right direction.

We're also working on revising and updating our historic walking tour map. So it's just a pamphlet that kind of touches about all the history, whether it was from the Gold rush days to the Iditarod, to, the modern improvements in infrastructure, et cetera, that we're seeing now, or even the big storm we had in 2022.

So those are things, but if you did wanna rent a car. That would give you a lot more flexibility in terms of time because you'd get around a lot faster. You would probably have more luck in the muskox. So if that's something that's on your bucket list or you're a photographer and nature enthusiast, a car would probably be best for you.

Or if you're 

me and you just love Muskox, you only wanna see you just wanna see 

them. You would probably need a car. Yeah. And then the best way to do that is to either stop by the visitor center and ask, because as locals we are almost always posting online about where the muskox are that day.

Yeah. Sounds a real nerdy when you think about No, I love it. Muskox are my favorite Alaskan animal. Oh, there. They're so amazing little mullet and they run and there's always the safety clause too. So please be mindful that these are wild animals. It's not like other parts of the state where they have muskox in contained sedated places.

So please stay in your vehicle. Do not get too close to the animals. These bad boys run up to 35 miles per hour. They are incredibly protective of their babies, just like all mamas should be. And yeah, so I just don't want anyone to get hurt, but yeah. No, you're 

dreaming and if you've ever seen those horns that's oh yeah, you're 

not getting close.

No joke. Yeah, exactly. But yeah, no, the facility of being able to see 'em is almost, I don't wanna say a hundred percent 'cause we've had those days where, of course they go hiding, but we have six to seven herds that kind of fluctuate all over the region. And so whether they're right on the hill two miles away or down the road 10 miles away.

You, the chances of being able to see a muskox is pretty, pretty high. I'm trying to think if I forgot anything on the logistical part of that with the day trip thing and then staying overnight. Really the staying overnight. Even in the summer, especially in these upcoming years, I would, I. Push the proactive part.

Yeah. We're seeing a lot of capital projects because of our infrastructure growth and because of that we're seeing a lot of people who are up here doing those projects, which means less room for the tourists. So we're, it's this fun in between of, we don't have quite enough for everyone, but they're building it and we're getting that.

Yeah, and 

that's a good point too. You know that when there's a lot of infrastructure building going on and people are in town working, that's taking the same. Resources that visitors would use. So yeah, that is 

really good advice. And then I do wanna add on here real quick while we're talking about this still, in terms of the type of traveler that we attract, it's important, I feel like anyone coming to Alaska is generally open-minded.

However, recognizing that no, although in Alaska is even different for Alaska standards. So being open-minded to know why our buildings look the way they do, or why our streets look the way they do, or, yes. Coming from a place of understanding as opposed to a place of assumption, I think has fared really well in terms of the people that benefit from coming up here.

Yeah. If you have a question, ask us. And if see something that's vastly different, ask us and we'll explain to you why things look the way they are or are there way they are because it is just different. 

Yeah. I, I know that one thing that visitors often are thrown by in communities with unpaved roads is unpaved roads. So I feel like that is a good example of that kind of thing is yeah. 

And that, and the beautification, we, like we talked about earlier, like we get four very short months of summer. I don't personally wanna spend them outside painting my house. No. I wanna spend them outside catching fish or, collecting berries or harvesting from the tundra.

Yeah. There's and we get, four sunny days in that summer month. So when we look at things and we understand that one, we're on the permafrost or two, we're just in a very rough, area in terms of weather, it just comes with a lot of compassion. And so I always get a little disheartened when the first thing someone says when they get off the plane is oh my God, look at it here.

And because my response is, oh my God, look at it here. Yeah. Like it's gorgeous. And so in terms of the travelers, that's where I go back to be open-minded. Recognize that you're in America still, but it's very different Yes. Than the rest of what you have probably experienced in your American travels.

Yes. And that's what makes it such a unique place to visit. Cool. Yes, exactly. Yep. I love that. I'm so glad you brought that up. 'cause I think that is super. Important for people to understand. Yeah, I do too. Thank you. Alright, we are gonna take a short break and when we come back we're gonna talk with Shauntel about different things to do in summer and winter.

 📍 Hey everyone. Jenny here. I hope you're enjoying the episode so far. Just wanted to remind you that you can save 10% in my online shop with the Code podcast because you're one of my podcast listeners and you can pick up my done for You itineraries,  my on demand workshops, and also. My travel planners, so feel free to head on over there.

It's shop ordinary adventures.com. The link is also in the show notes. Alright, back to the show. I. 

 All right, we are back with Shauntel from the Nome Chamber of Commerce, and we are talking about all the things that make Nome such a unique and special place to visit.

And now we're gonna dive into season. We're gonna talk first about summer and then winter, if that works for you. Shauntel. Oh, that's perfect. Yeah. Okay, great. So summer activities in Nome, first of all, let's back up one step. When is summer in Nome? 

Ah, that's tricky. That's important question. 

Yes.

When would you say as a local, when is summer? 

Oh my gosh, that's a tricky question. 'cause normally I would say ice breakup, but that has been fluctuating each year with the climate change. I don't, wanna get political there, but Yeah. Or also when the birders come in, so when we start seeing the migration of the birds and then we see the influx of the travelers coming, just to see the birds.

In my heart, that's oh, summer is near, yeah. But it really does depend. So then like early June we can still have snow on the ground, but then by, I would say officially midnight sun. Okay. Like I feel like that's when it's go time. Yeah. So like around the summer solstice. Correct.

Exactly. Between the 19th to 22nd. That whole week there we celebrate. We do a lot of big things. Yeah. Fun. 

Okay. So if someone is visiting in summer. What are some of the highlights of things to do and see in No. And summer? 

Totally. So we touched on a lot of this. My personal favorite is the subsistence off the grid lifestyle.

So connecting with a local or getting on either of our Facebook groups or finding a tour guide. We do have some, it's limited to outline what harvesting looks like as it changes throughout the season. So if you come in June, you'd be harvesting something different than you would be in July or August.

Yep. Yep. And then July and August is fish season. So if you're into fishing or learning how to process fish traditionally, things like that. And then the berries, the tundra into the fall, et cetera. And then of course the muskox. Or any wildlife. The muskox seem to be the most prevalently available 'cause they're so easy to find and spot and they stick close to town.

But we have moose, we have GaN, we have all sorts of beautiful foxes that we'll see out and about. So just getting out into the country, whether it's a day trip in the car or a kayak trip down the river. Or you're just driving, one of the three roads, you're going to see something beautiful. I'm trying to think. Oh, in the summer, I always wanna point out, see, I'm gonna forget something. We have a museum up here that does a really good job of touching on all of the parts that make no unique and diversified. Yep. So I always suggest, come to the visitor center first, pick up a visitor guide, get a map, talk to our staff about all the basics, and then head over to the museum and.

See what speaks to you. Did you read more about Balto and now all of a sudden your curiosity about the serum run and Iditarod and all of these things and how the mushing culture has evolved, dig into that and then we can connect you with local mushers in the community. Or if you get there and you're just incredibly intrigued by the indigenous cultures, we can organize things with the cultural center locals to answer your questions and give you more details about what something might look like or what a process looks like or.

How ecoNomeies look in indigenous side of world or inside of things. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good place to start and it gives people the opportunity to pick and choose. 'cause there's a lot, and or with the gold mining too. Like you can stay in town and go down to the port and see the dredges and people actively working.

Or you could go down the road and see some of the historic dredges. There's so many, there's a lot of options here and there's a lot of things that kind of speak to whatever. Niche you might be most interested in. 

Yeah, for sure. And how many, I know I should have asked you this when we were talking about whether or not to rent a car before, how many miles can a person drive on the three roads?

That's a great question. So it depends on the time of the year. So right now we're about on one, we're about 13 miles on each road. But that once the snow melts and the state does come in and help maintain the roads in the summertime. Got it. So the road the first road that goes west, does go all the way to Teller, which is one of our regional villages, which is great.

So the people in that community can come into Nome to do their shopping without having to snow machine or fly in, which is pheNomenal. Yep. Yep. And then, and how far is that? How many models? Oh gosh. I wanna say between 70. All of these are gonna be between like 70 and 85. Okay. I can't remember the specifics right now and I should look that up.

Thank you. I'll make a note of that. I wanna say Teller is at 74. Cougar Rock is 72 and councils 85, but I'm not getting those numbers right. But they're somewhere. That's okay. I think 

think the reason I was asking about that is like sometimes people think, oh, it's only 70 miles to go to this. Yes. I'll just go out there and drive back and that'll take two hours and it's no, that's gonna be many hour.

Again, we're talking about unpaved roads, so I just want people to be aware that's actually a very long way, not road. 

It is a very long day and you have to remember that 90% of it you're going to be without cell phone service. Yeah. So one of the things that I'm trying to implement here is communications of safety plans.

Yeah. So I don't care if you're seeing at an Airbnb with someone on their couch or at a hotel. You let them know what your plan is for that day. Yeah. We have search and rescue, but it's volunteer based, so you know, the. Worst case scenario, we don't wanna go save somebody that could have been prevented because they didn't let somebody know what their plan was.

And again, the wildlife, so I would love to someday figure out if maybe this is a business opportunity, but selling or renting in reaches. I'm not sure how that would look, what the logistics would look like, but if you have one, I would strongly suggest traveling with it to Nome. Yeah. Once you get out to those roads, like again, we're very community based, so if something happens, somebody will stop and make sure you're okay.

However, that means that there has to be somebody else on the road, yeah. So it's just plan ahead. Make sure you understand how rural and how, I hate using the word isolated, but just like on your own, you are. Yeah. And so make sure you have water, make sure you're packing everything that you take out and bring in.

If you're using the bathroom, your toilet paper comes back into the vehicle with you. Things like that can be incredibly impactful and save lives. We've had a couple of incidences where communication would have prevented some big outcomes and we just don't want anyone Yeah. To get themselves in a situation that could have been prevented.

Yeah, abso 

absolutely. Yes. Yeah. So they do that is a. Oh, go ahead. So it's so important, especially when people are not, typically in situations without cell service. If you are, you probably already have some of these tools, but if that's new for you, like this is really important advice. 

Yeah, it is.

Or even just simple things like, I have messed this up and I live here like I forgot one year. 'cause I use my Garmin pretty seasonally as the roads open up. So I forgot one year to download the app that goes with it on my phone. So here I am, I have my Garmin and I'm so grateful for its presets, but I wasn't.

In an SOS situation, and I wasn't Okay. I just needed to communicate that I needed help, and I was un unable to do that because I was not proactive enough to make sure that I had everything on my phone. Yeah. And it scared me, yeah. So if these are things that I can share with other people or help with.

Yeah. And you're right. In addition to the driving, like I. You go slow, the roads are gravel. You're gonna wanna stop and enjoy things as well. So each road, I would say takes a day. So the, to drive to the end of any of the roads would not be something for a day trip excursion. Yeah. I would, max, maybe 10 to 20 miles out of town if you're doing the day trip thing.

Yep. More if you have an overnight lodging or camping. Yep. 

Yep. 

That 

makes 

a lot of sense. No, great. Great point though. I forget about that. 

I know. I do too sometimes, and then I am talking with someone and I'm like, oh wait, no, that will take much longer than that. That's exactly yeah. Anything else about summer before we transition to winter?

Yes. So I wanna bring up our Midnight Sun Festival. So yes, like I was talking about, we use that as our kickoff into summer. But it's really a really cool time to visit. So whether it's local vendors serving up their amazing baked goods or Indian tacos or local pizza, anything, it's just amazing.

And a lot of those efforts go to support our children. Because we're off the road system. If any of our kids wanna travel for sports or things, they're paying for it out of pocket. And so these fundraising opportunities are massively important for our community. Not only that, but the local art. So artisans will show up with their earrings, bracelets, other goodies, fur products.

To me it's one of my favorite times of years to go shopping even ahead of time for holidays and things like that. They do a reenactment of the like. Bank robbery, so they have historical elements in there as well. It's just a really cool time of year. And so I'm working on the midnight Sun calendar right now, and if people are interested in seeing all of the cool stuff that happens, check it out on our website once it's published before, usually around May 15th or so.





. And then in summer, speaking of September, actually, people often overlook the beauty in our fall. And so the rest of Alaska tends to fluctuate around cruise ships again, which we also see, we see more expedition cruises than commercial cruises, but we're still getting cruise ship passengers who come to Nome.

Yep. But that window usually shuts for us around September 15th. September 30. Yeah. I always encourage people to not stop traveling. September through October is still, it's not summer, but it's. Still beautiful. So we still have the long days. The tundra changes colors. You're still able to go outside and the chances of catching the aurora on top of it are more likely.

So I feel like that September, October is a great, beautiful cushion for those who don't maybe wanna do the big time, but maybe a little bit more off season or on the cusp. Yeah. Love it. But I think that's all I have for summertime. 

Okay. Let's talk about winter. And I know, one thing I just wanna make a comment about as an editorial note as the host of this podcast, earlier you talked about how when summer is changing because of climate change. So one thing I just wanna mention as the host is that I am aware, of course, because I'm an American, that climate change is a big political topic. However something that we've talked about before on the pod and I've also, I also talk about with my guests on tour in Alaska, is that the.

Experiences that Alaska is having right now, not in the future related to climate and weather are observable. Data that's being collected by scientists and that I'm going to say is not political. What people believe about it or what they think should be done about it. That is political, but I think what we're talking about here.

It's really important, things are changing and the further north and west you go in Alaska, the more extreme the experience is of climate change right now. Not in the middle of the century or a hundred years from now, but like now. And so I am just saying as the host that I think it's important to name that and this reality that people are living with is separate from.

What people's political beliefs are. So I guess what I'm saying is what a community like Nome is experiencing is not political, it's just what is happening. And I also think it's important for travelers because if you're reading information even from five or 10 years ago about when is summer in the Arctic, or where is a particular glacier that might be out of date?

This is 2025 that we're talking about. When is summer now? And what is that and that I know has probably changed even from when you moved there 10 years ago. It has 

no, thank you so much for mentioning and bringing that up, and that's, I might have to borrow that term, like that mentality because you're absolutely right.

What we. Experience is impactful and it is a result of things that are changing. Yeah. And it is every day for us. So whether or not it's the Iditarod having to take the road in instead of the sea ice because the sea ice doesn't exist, like you said, those are facts. Yeah. And they're, it's not supposed to be that way.

Like we're supposed to have sea ice. And it has changed dramatically since I've been up here. And that part startles me because it's only been 10 years. It's Yeah. Not that long in terms of all of, the information that I was fed about it before I moved up here. Yeah.

So very, and even the MBO storm, so a lot of people don't even recognize that no one was hit by a typhoon in 2022. Not. Okay. Not normal. No not on the bingo card for No, not at all. No weather, 

which is pretty bananas 

even without 

the typhoon exactly. Yeah. 

Yeah. So yeah, being mindful of those things and planning ahead and just, again, it comes back to that open-mindedness where it's oh, your permafrost is actually melting.

Yeah. Yeah. It is. Like I have to spend a lot of money to make sure my house doesn't. Float into the abyss, 

Yeah. And that's a real, are very real thing. That's a real thing that's happening right now. Exactly. Yeah. Okay. So with that in mind winter. Yes. When is winter and talk about the reasons to visit in winter, things to do in winter, that kind of stuff.

Awesome. Okay. So winter again fluctuates. Gosh, I don't even wanna compare it to the last couple of years. So snow comes when it comes? Yes. So I would say it depends on the winter season. So if you are doing the October through December, there might not be snow on the ground anymore. And if you do that's okay.

There's still things to do. You can still get outside. You can still connect with local guides, you can still catch the aurora and the roads. If there is no snow, tend to still be open and maintained through the end of October or so. November and December are part of one of my favorite times of year because it's where community comes together.

So we have obviously all of the holidays, but we also have like community bazaars. We have events, we have open mic nights, we have, oh my gosh, all sorts of things. They have trivia, at the vfw. So when we go inside, we go inside ourselves, but also with our community. And so being a guest, being able to see what that community looks like to me is.

Profound and magical in its own little way. 

Yeah. And then 

as you go forward through the year and then the snow does come get outside. Like winter solstice is December 21st af and we get dark. Don't get me wrong, it does get dark, but by January 15th or so, the daylight's a little bit longer where you can be adventuring, you can go snowshoeing, you could do a snow machine rental, you could go on a snow machine tour.

You could see some of the dog mushing communities live in action doing their trails and things like that. All sorts of things. And again the aurora is a huge part. It's not as regular as it is in other parts of the state, but we do get it. And so if there's something, someone that is interested in cultural tourism and, a little icing on the cake would be Aurora no is made for you, but in, yes, February or November, someone that window.

Yes. Yep. And then of course we wrap up our winter season with the Iditarod. And this last year, 2025 was one of my favorite years because we also celebrated the hundred year anniversary of the serum run. 

Yeah. It's 

Yeah, it's cool. But like I touched on earlier, if you don't plan for the Iditarod, a year or two in advance, the chances of making it aren't likely.

Yeah. The ceremony gave people a chance to come up, experience a similar, again, the same cultural, the same history, the same. Like idea, but without the chaos of Iditarod. And of course Iditarod has its own special place because of all the events and things that go on. But it was really nice to be able to see other people come into town with the same passion that couldn't swing it in March, but yeah, that time of year is about when the sea ice is usually still there. They run in on it. Let's think. We just celebrate the whole week. So it starts in Anchorage and then they generally get to us between 10 to 14 days later, depending on conditions and the racetrack or the race route, excuse me, that they're taking, yeah.

And yeah, it's just filled with all sorts of things to do that week, whether it's historian speaking or going out to late night events of all sorts of funky things. Yeah, it gets a little wild up here. Yes. 

Which is 

good, but whoa, 

I, yes, it's definitely for an adventurous person with an open mind.

Exactly. Yes. Love that. I love it. Wonderful. Okay. Anything else you wanna talk about with winter before we wrap up? 

I don't think so. It's an area where I'm hoping to see some growth, whether it's more events for the community or events geared towards people or guests coming to visit. But no, because things are slower and in hibernation mode and communal.

I think that kind of speaks to the audience itself in a way. Yeah, absolutely. Okay. 

Shauntel, a couple wrap up questions that. I ask all of my guests who come on the podcast, the first one is, what is your favorite restaurant? In this case, in Nome Now. Okay. Often people find that really challenging 'cause they're like, there are so many great options.

I've got five. Yeah. And so I know that Nome doesn't have a lot of restaurants, maybe I should do this question a little differently for you. How 

many restaurants are in Nome? And I was gonna say, I just jokingly quoted five. I don't know if that's right, but I would say that this is actually a good question for Nome.

So even though we don't have established restaurants, but we do, we have a couple that I could count on my hand and all of that. We also have community members. So one of my favorite things to do is check out our group on Facebook Nome posts and see who is making what. Because whether it's, so and so down the street, who makes the most amazing spring rolls or what's her face from cheerleading who has this amazing fry bread?

There, you don't necessarily have to go to a restaurant to get the best food or people like getting crab or fish. There's a lot of bartering that happens in our community. Yeah. So one of my favorite meals is picking up a crab from a friend who just checked their pot and, eating it with my kids at home, yeah. Like little stuff like that. Yep. Because it makes. Feel connected to my community and yeah, like where we are. But in terms of actual establishments I do have a favorite. Okay. Tell me it's Bingo's and it's part of what I was just talking about, but an established restaurant. So Erica runs it, Erica's there all of the time.

Erica gets her food from her partner or husband. I don't know what the relationship is, but he brings in the crab and the fish and everything from his role. So it's fresh and she makes it for you. And it, if they had an option to do Michelin star ratings up here, I feel like Ping goes would somehow make that, and I don't know how that works.

It's pheNomenal every single time. And then the environment. 

That's amazing. 

It's incredible. And then so you walk into this building and it's tiny. So the chances of you sitting with another community member are pretty likely, or even if you step in to get some of her baked goods, which also blow my mind.

Definitely worth a stop. And it's a place where you can easily spend a long time. So plan ahead for that, but worth every second. I think she had a stuffed, what was it? A halibut stuffed waffle. Insane. It was absolutely insane and amazing and just, yeah, beautifully done. That's so 

awesome. So is what you're saying that Erica just prepares whatever is available?

There's no menu. It's no, 

She has a menu. Okay. But she does it to order. So if you look at the menu and you. Like the other day I was in there and I ordered the Mediterranean salad because I was craving fresh vegetables because it's winter and No, so that's the thing. Yeah. We don't get here very often.

Yes. And as she's making it, she asked me if I wanted cilantro on it. Things like that where I'm like, where else in the world do I get my salad? That's already gonna be beautiful because it's. Here, cater to the exact taste and needs that I want, that's amazing. And I will say, so I don't want any bias because my job is to support everyone.

Of course all of our restaurants are  amazing. Whether it's sushi at Golden China or whether you're getting pizza from Milano's or airport, I am continually like. Blown away by the caliber of food that we get, regardless of the options. And so that's what I tell people.

It's like wherever you go, it's gonna be okay. Go check it out. 

Yep. And if you're in No, for a couple days. Yeah. You probably get a chance to try everything. Exactly. Yeah. It's awesome. I love it. I love it. I love it. Sometimes when people will ask me about a small community, they're like I'm sure what's your favorite restaurant?

I'm sure, you can't possibly have been to all of them. And I'm like no, I have, I've been to all five in that particular town. And this one is my favorite. 

Last question for you, Shauntel. I would love to know what is one thing that you wish visitors knew before they came to Alaska for the first time? 

Ooh, Alaska or no? Either. 

Oof. I always ask people about Alaska, but I feel like you can speak for No.

Instead, especially since it's such a unique location. 

I feel like Alaska, it goes into each other and I didn't even realize this. I came with a sense of. Not entitlement necessarily, but I did not understand how big, not just land mass wise, but like how big of an area we represent, whether it's the 22 federally recognized tribes or the diverse bio culture.

We see things from rainforest to Arctic Tundra in our state, and it's just holy cow. And so I think. That would be the biggest thing to know is just remember that you don't know everything and that's okay. And that you should go to learn about the diversity that exists there because it's going to be significantly more profound than I assume you are expecting, but yeah. Other than that, just be in Rotary. When I was an exchange student, we used to say, don't say no. So if somebody offers or invites you to something. Say yes. Like just yes, take them up on it. Whether it's on the back of a, that's good advice. Oh my God, right? Whether it's the back of a snow machine and you're like, what are we doing?

Or it's an opportunity to go fishing and learning how to use an ulu. Say yes if you get invited, say yes. Yeah, for sure. Absolutely 

love it. Shauntel, thank you so much for coming on the podcast and talking to me today 

about gNome. This is awesome. So much so much gratitude for the opportunity to share.

And hopefully bring up the well-intended open-minded people up here. And if they are, please come say hi. You'll find me. Yeah. Whether I'm at the visitor center in my office, in the post office, definitely come say hi. One of the two.  📍 Yes. 

It's not hard. 

Alright. 

Thanks so much. 

Thank 

you.