Fairbanks, Alaska

From August to April, you can see the northern lights in Fairbanks on most clear nights. The city even has its own aurora tracker for the latest status from six prime viewing locations around the area. Sign up for an aurora tour if you want a guided perspective: Northern Alaska Tour Company offers tours by ground or air. Sleep in a geodesic igloo with a clear roof or a tiny cube with floor-to-ceiling windows at Borealis Basecamp, 25 miles outside of Fairbanks, where two-night packages (from $980) include dogsledding and snowmobiling.