Given the often harsh weather conditions in the Arctic (157Cong.Rec.S3206)

I am no fool. I know that if you're going to plan a road trip in the Arctic Circle, you better check the general weather forecast and typical driving conditions. But here's the lesson I've learned: Rental-car agents in Helsinki likely have not. When I landed in the Finnish capital, the balmy temperature didn't belie any potential problems; they didn't even try to sell me an upgrade to snow tires. And besides some small confusion about how to buy gas, it was smooth cruising on my first driving leg.

I arrived in Kemi after nightfall, so it wasn't until morning that I could see the spectacular view from the Seaside Glass Villas (top left). The many windows made you feel like you were floating right on top of Bothnian Bay (top right). We were way too early for the city's usual tourist attractions: The Sampo Icebreaker and SnowCastle don't start operation until December; construction on a permanent castle wouldn't finish until the following year. Despite us being the only guests, the villas set out a lovely breakfast for us (bottom left). My little Volkswagen could've been in a commercial as we set out for the north -- with a warning from the proprietors that we might encounter some snow (bottom right). 

The sun was shining at our destination, Kittila, but the temperatures hadn't dropped enough to melt a recent -- unseasonally early -- snowfall. Some ice chunks were even floating along the Ounasjoki River (top). The sunlight reflecting on the snow-covered forest made for some great photographs (middle left). And the crisp air and powder-padded roads made for some invigorating and peaceful walks (middle right). But the icy conditions put my rental car in a whole new light. We exhausted a full bucket of gravel just getting it up the slight incline of our lodge's driveway (bottom). 

 

But in compensation, the cold, clear weather created perfect conditions to see the Northern Lights, which was the number one goal for my trip. To the naked eye, their brightness can seem somewhat less than impressive (left). But spending some time watching them swim across the sky is a rewarding experience, as you contemplate how ancient people must have reacted to the serpentine illuminations (right). 

Even the more modern tribes of the Arctic have devoted considerable time and attention to explaining the phenomenon. The base of contemporary research once could be found in Alta, Norway, where an observatory was built primarily to pinpoint their scientific explanation. The observatory has now been converted to a hiking hut, but the city continues to pay homage with the Northern Lights Cathedral (top left). The LED lights on the chapel walls remind one of the Aurora Borealis, as intended (top right). A tower room just inside the entrance contains a gilded Jacob's Ladder, a clear sign of the church's support of the connection between the spiritual and the scientific (bottom left). In fact, the church's basement is home to the Borealis Center, featuring interactive exhibits outlining the history and cause of the Northern Lights (bottom right).

 

 

In my pre-trip research, I read that I supposedly was going to Finland at a good time because rakka season, with its plague of mosquitoes, would have ended, and ruska season, with its glory of autumn, would have begun. It wasn't until toward the end of my road trip, in the Neristan of Kokkola, that I finally witnessed the glorious colors (top left). The weather was so mild that as I took a morning stroll through Kaustarviken Harbour (top right), I abandoned my jacket. I donned it again when I needed some shield against the cool breezes along the bay (middle). Fall was clearly in full effect at Jakobstad Church as well (bottom left). Nearby Alexander Park had a carpet of crunchy leaves, but the many still on the trees complemented the hues of the Skata's wooden houses (bottom right).