Thule Travel Guide

Visit some of the outlying areas off of the base. The Fjords are absolutely stunning. To see 3 glaciers flowing into the same bay is impressive to say the least!
To my understanding, there is nowhere else in the world that has 3 glaciers flowing into a single bay. In any case, seeing a flat topped iceberg larger than t football fields floating in the water is IMPRESSIVE!

There are only 2 clubs in Thule. One is the TOW Club and the other is the Danish Club. Unless you speak Danish or are invited by a Dane to that club, you will have a tough time of it as it is a fairly small facility and most of the people there are Danes, so only speak Danish. The TOW club on the other hand is large enough that 200 or so people can be there at the same time. It also has a fine dining restaurant, a casual bar with typical bar food and a discoteque/club area. The slot machines are always a favorite activity as is the weekely bingo games!
There is a bell in the casual portion of the club. Unless you have a lot of cash in your pocket or have your Thule Air Base coin with you, don't ring it because the tradition there is that you are buying the bar a round if everyone has their coin with them. And as a patron who DOESN'T ring the bell, be aware that if the bell is rung and you don't have your coin, YOU are the one buying the bar a round!

Dress Code: Dress is from casual to formal to club attire. Since Thule is a very small community, everyone knows everyone else on the base.

600 miles north of the Arctic Circle is COLD! When it warms to 32F/0C, people will start walking around in shorts and leaving their coats in the building because it is almost hot! Even in August, there is the possibility of extreme winter weather. Always be aware of where you are and if you are away from the base, know where the nearest shelters are. Along the road to BMEWS there are shelters every 500 yards or so in the event a blizzard happens and you are incabable of driving further, you have a shelter with phone, power and food.

Polar bears are also free roaming there. While none came on base the year I was there, they do travel through the Thule region.

And remember to always travel with a companion. This is for a couple of reasons. Should something happen to you, you've someone who can either rescue/help you, or go back for help. It gives your company in the wilderness. And remember to pick your adventuring mates wisely. You don't need to outrun the polar bear, just your companion!

'D' Launch is one of the things, if anything there can, that qualifies as a tourist trap. D Launch is one of the Nike Missile silo's that used to house ballistic nuclear missiles until the treaties of the 80's removed them. Now it is just an empty bunker with a few domed buildings and some barbed wire around it.

Unique Suggestions: Take your camera and capture some of the great views from up on South Mountain.

Check out my travelogues for more pictures from "D" Launch.

Fun Alternatives: Hmmm.... if D Launch isn't any fun, you can always go back to base and hit the club.

Favorite thing: Most people don't have a clue where Thule is, so I thought I'd put up a map, courtesy of Encarta.

As you can see, there is not a whole lot of the world further north than Thule, which is located on the north west side of Greenland. While it is in the extreme north, it DOES get above freezing there. You have to go a bit further north to reach the permanent ice pack and the ocean is not frozen for about 4 months or so every summer.