Me and my husband live on the east coast and are in the planning stages of moving to Alaska when he gets out of the Marine Corps in 2012. I know it s far away, but we are dead set on making it happen. He lived up there as a small child and we have quite a few relatives, on his dad s side, that work at the national parks near Anchorage, which is where he would also like to work... I ll admit that i m a little city girl when it comes to shopping (because i grew up in southern california), but a bit of a drive to stores and whatnot wouldnt bother me at all, since i ve always been a homestyle girl in every other aspect. Anyways, my husband gets out in October 2012, and from what i ve researched and heard from others is that winter is NOT a good time of year to plan to move to Alaska! We have decided that i will go up there first with my mom and get settled sometime in August. He ll help move by taking leave but will have to return to VA, where he is stationed, until his release papers and everything has gone thru in October. How is the weather for travelling in August and late October? Is there any towns or small cities close to Anchorage, and/or the national parks, where you can buy a home on 1+ acres of land, but still be close to the city-type convieniences? What is the best way to move there (ie. drive car/moving trucks, take the ferry from washington or fly with minimal belongings)? And one more thing.... I m still trying to decide what i want to go to college to major in, and since we are FOR SURE moving to Alaska in 3 years, what kind of professional, degree-driven (non governmental) jobs are readily available for entry level or the minimally experienced in southcentral Alaska?? I ve always been interested in Psychology, Pediatrics, Art, Medical Research and Criminal Investigation (not being a cop)..... Thank you in advance for those that take the time to respond to everything i ve asked!!!PS. We are also considering moving near Fairbanks, but I ve heard both good and terrible things about living there, so we re on the fence about that..
I moved to Dawson City, Yukon last summer. It is about 100km (60 miles) from the Alaskan border, The nearest big place is Fairbanks.I know people from here drive to Fairbanks to shop. It is about the same distance as Whitehorse, and the road is not as good, but the population of Fairbanks alone is half again more than the entire Yukon. Lots of great shopping! Well, relative to here, that s for sure.Parts of Alaska are remarkably mild. I live on the Queen Charlotte Islands, just south of the Alaskan Panhandle (near Ketchican). It barely snows there at all. OTOH, Fairbanks can be pretty chilly, even in October. And, dark in winter too - but light in summer. We did not really have snow in mid-October here (although there was some in Whitehorse - 500km south!). It was cold enough to though. The main problem with moving up here is finding a company that will do it! I was lucky - 2 people were moving to Whitehorse, and relative to coming from the East, going to Dawson made it worthwhile for the company. Still cost me nearly $20,000 to do the move though, plus what I spent driving 6000km across the country. Early October would be fine - the end, no so much, although Anchorage is much milder than Fairbanks.I have taken the ferry between Prince Rupert and Vancouver, which was absolutely awesome. I have also driven it now (last summer), and the route is also awesome. I saw a lot of Alaskan licence plates in Dawson in the summer. However, the road to Alaska from here closes pretty early - early October at the latest I think. But, the southern route (Alaska Highway) is open all year round.As for life in Alaska itself, I m afraid I cannot help much. It is a lot more civilized than the Yukon, mostly because of the larger population. Still, if it is anything like here, you will be able to live your own way, and people will not bother you much. You just have to get used to eating lots of moose!