Moving to Ak

[Jim Warren]

Where to begin.

We, wife and 15 yo son, want to make the move.
Been thinking about it for a loooong time.
We have deep experience in managing asd running hotel/restaurant operations.

Any advice?
(I know that is a kinda lame question depending on varied particulars)

We're extremely flexible.

ps
We have old friends on the Kenai who want us to come and visit but at the end of summer 'cause this is their busy season.

[Jim Warren]

1. fellow travelers

any input appreciated.

[WhoDoYouTrust]

2. Hi, Jim.

I can't help you much with the job part.

The summers are great and the winters are very long.

I know about the "busy season" as we have company all summer long. If you get down on the Kenai, let me know, and we'll get together.

Alaska is a wonderful place to live!

Judy

[Jim Warren]

3. Hi Judy

Yup, they're busy in the summer not so much with visitors but with work. Our friends have a small family fishing operation, salmon then halibut.(not the best year for salmon for them I hear)
Then they relax toward the end of Aug. and more so into Sept.

My thought is August into September might be a little late to get a start there.

[roguevalley]

4. sweetie, I am from the Kenai. Soldotna in fact. :) Its good that

you have friends. Its the best thing to do. COming up here alone is too hard. Have you put out resumes? Flyers? CHecked the state employment website?

[Jim Warren]

5. Sweetie?

Hi RV
Not sure sweetie would be apt for me but I'll take that as a term of endearment. :)

Thanks for the input. I kinda thought it might be a lame idea to post something as ambiguous as I did. Guess I was just wishing for a little feedback. I do appreciate the general attitude of DUers and of course the politics here. I am aware of the capital R suffix of most Alaskan politicos.

I have been checking sites and the newspapers for south central AK.
I've been on the Kenai a couple of times but always for just a visit. Our friends always wanted us to come up and stay but they live "off the road" past Homer. Fishing is their way of life there and they do well but keep it small and tight and expenses low.
As I'm sure you are probably well aware, failing that in that area, you gotta fill a niche.

[roguevalley]

6. I taught until I retired. :) However, you must be able to hang on if you

come up here until you can find something. Having friends is good and it sounds like they live in the sticks at The End Of The Road. (TM)

[snowbear]

7. north to alaska

Jim..

Are you still considering a move to Alaska? You're right that there are more R's than D's.. but probably not as many as you'd think.

When graphic art "party affiliation pie-charts" are shown here, you'd see that the real MAJORITY of voters here are Independents. There are more R's than D's, but not by all that much. The vast section of the pie goes to the I's here!

One reason R's are voted into office more often than D's is primarily because of one thing: OIL

It's political suicide in our state to be against oil drilling. Plain and simple. Another thing that doesn't go over for the vast majority here are gun control laws.

Unlike many red states, the majority of Alaskans are pro-choice. And one reason that a Democrat like Tony Knowles has done so well here(twice elected as Anchorage mayor, twice elected as Governor) is that he is all three - pro-drilling, pro-guns, pro-choice.

So that's the deal here.. We could easily slide into the blue column if a candidate like Knowles was running for President. But *sigh* until a Democrat who is pro-oil and pro-guns runs, we'll be designated as a red state.. x(

[Dear Maggie]

8. Southcentral? Come to Valdez!

I can help you find housing or a lot to build a nice home on

www.valdezlink.com/move_to_valdez.htm

My son developed a nice housing subdivision with 9 lots left to purcahse; nicely treed; roads in; undergound water in; Prices from $25,000 for 1/2 acre

www.valdezlink.com/land_prep.htm

[I Love Alaska]

9. Juneau

If you don't mind tons of rain, Juneau is a nice community to live. We are by far, the most Democratic/liberal area in Alaska. In fact, if election stood on Juneau's vote alone, Kerry and Knowles would be in office!

Juneau is a safe community of about 33,000 with lots of local hiking trails and the Mendenhall Glacier in our backyard.

The drawbacks is the median housing is $200,000. I don't know how much it is in the Anchorage area. We also have no road out, so the only way in and out of our community is via ferry or plane.

Hope that helps.

[Bandit]

10. Hi...I Love Alaska

Just curious. How did you discover this site? Are you the Pat of the Alaska Pictures website? Nice pictures by the way. I also live in Juneau and have put up a few Democratic Underground bumper stickers around about and was just wondering if you had seen any. Entrance to
Costco there is one I put up about three years ago and it is still there. glad you have joined us here. It has been lonely from Juneau. I think we are the only two.

[I Love Alaska]

11. Hi Bandit!

Good to meet you! No, I wish I was as good of a photographer as Pat! Isn't his photos awesome?

I have to admit that it was just pure luck finding this awesome site. I will be looking for that bumper sticker when I go to Costco again!

We live in the valley. My husband works at the hospital, I am too a nurse, but I am finishing my degree at UAS and work as a teaching assistant in the Social Science department.

Could I put you on my Democratic underground buddy list?

[Bandit]

13. Hi again

Just past the Java Jazz when you first turn the corner there is an old delivery van parked facing the road. The bumper sticker is on it's bumper. It is just before the FSA building. I used to participate here a lot but after the election all my enthusiasm has gone away. I rarely come here any more. It was my home for four years though and there are some truly remarkable people here. It almost becomes an addiction. We are all deluded here though. America is not the country I grew up in. It has become much more fascist and hatefilled. I have lived in Juneau for almost sixty years and have seen a lot of change. Some good and some not so good but nothing like what has happened to America in the last decade. I visit Whitehorse a lot and that really helps. I know there are some sane people left around anyway. Glad you have joined us and look forward to reading your opinions on the issues. :thumbsup: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[I Love Alaska]

14. Bandit,

Bandit,
We need you. We are the sane ones!! This country is the most powerful nuclear threat in the world. If we give up, what will stop the hate-filled people from killing others in the world? I am not silent and neither are you. I am sure after living in the awesome and powerful 60's that this must be the biggest disappointment ever. We have to keep the faith. We have to believe in change and in the power of humanity.

I have been to Whitehorse a couple of times. It is a cool town. I wish Juneau would invest in a pool for its citizens as Whitehorse has.

P.S. I thought you were in your teens or twenties. I want to sound as cool as you when I am a little older.

[Dear Maggie]

12. Yes, COME to Alaska!

We love it when people come to Alaska

We only have about 500,000 people in the whole state,
so we have lost of room

So many times people come to Alaska to earn a lot of money and then
Leave as soon as they retire.

Here is one of my favorite comic photos of pipeline development most likely:

Don't Have to be Alaskan to Like this Photo

Open the web page & listen to the music
www.valdezlink.com/hazards_of_alaskan_construction.htm

[cleofus1]

15. just for your information

Here's some basic info about ole anchor town

http://www.muni.org/homepage/newtoanc.cfm

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Yes, do come to Alaska

and bring all your Democratic friends with you. :) I've been in Anchorage since 1975, and I love it here. The winters are long, granted, but not as long as they used to be, nor as cold. Summers are awesome, but my favorite season is fall when the tourists have all gone home and we get our campgrounds back. The colors are gorgeous.

[Jim Warren]

17. Thanks for all the replies

'preciate it and will check the thread from time to time. More info always welcome.

All the best.