r/AskAlaska

I am new to Fairbanks with no car (came from Arizona where I had an old RAV4, like less than a 3k dollar car). I am now looking for a car younger than 2017 and with less than 100 k miles, it has been tough to find for less than 20k. I've screened all the dealerships and now on FB marketplace. I narrowed it down to a Jeep Compass 2020 with 84k miles, no accidents 2 owners but apparently the first was a lease, 16 k dollars. Versus a Subaru 2019 with 74k miles, no accidents and one owner, 20 k dollars. I'm tempted to pay 4k less for the Jeep because my budget is really tight. It looks really nice, but I wonder why Jeeps have such a worse reputation than Subarus?

Or maybe I should shoot for older Subarus and Toyotas for less than 16k? Does the brand really make that much of a difference in this case??

I visited Anchorage for work and travel after completing my first year at university, and I absolutely loved it there. I’ve also been to Morocco, and when I compared the two places, Alaska felt so much better for my social anxiety. People in Anchorage minded their own business, hardly anyone stared at me like they did in Morocco, and although people were reserved, they were more than happy to help if needed.

I’m a super awkward person socially, and in Alaska nobody gave me a hard time for that. People seemed patient, tolerant, and respectful of personal space.

Sure, Alaska has its downsides. Winters can be harsh (although Anchorage and southern Alaska are not as extreme as people imagine), groceries can be expensive, and remote living isn’t for everyone. But I think Alaska has a lot of advantages that attract people:

* Very low risk of terror attacks

* No snakes or dangerous venomous animals (I have a fear of snakes, so the idea of walking through grassy areas near Anchorage without worrying is honestly amazing)

* No diseases like malaria or cholera

* Plenty of fresh water

* Beautiful nature and clean air

* Far away from most major global conflict zones

And sure, Alaska has dangerous wildlife like moose, bears, and wolves — but it’s not like they’re casually roaming Anchorage looking to eat people. Most wildlife incidents happen when people get too close, surprise an animal, or ignore common safety rules. If you respect wild animals and use common sense, the risk is pretty low for everyday life.

Honestly, if I had to choose between being stranded in the Amazon jungle or Alaska, I’d choose Alaska.

If I knew I could find an IT job, afford a house, and comfortably pay for food and bills, I’d seriously consider moving there.

You guys are genuinely lucky to live somewhere so beautiful.

Hey y’all,

I am visiting Juneau the second week of June. I’m staying with a good friend who happens to work in Alaska. I’m wondering what would be a “must” for you if you had family coming into town. What would you take them to or recommend?

My parents keep stressing about bears and dumb things, do you feel like this is an actual concern? I am a younger female so I probably won’t do much hiking alone for obvious reasons lol.
Thanks!!

My wife and I are doing an 11-day road trip in Alaska in late June. I'd like to get an opinion on our proposed itinerary. Here are a few things to consider when giving commentary:

1. My wife has a goal of going to all 63 national parks. She's currently over half way there. Part of our motivation on this trip is to knock off 3 more national parks in one trip (Kenai, Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias), so there is a bit more driving than we'd otherwise do.
2. We like going on road trips. We take turns driving, drive slowly, and stop a lot to take pictures, look at scenery, and possibly do a brief hike.
3. I grew up driving over mountain passes in CO and am very used to driving mountainous 2-lane roads. I realize there are no multi-lane highways in Alaska.
4. The two flightseeing flights will be subject to weather. If it's very cloudy or rainy, we'll skip those and substitute in something else.

Here is the itinerary. Our plan is to rent a vehicle we can take on the Denali Highway:

Day 1 – Fly into Anchorage & pickup car (stay in Anchorage)

Day 2 – Drive to Seward, sightseeing, and do a hike / activity round Seward (stay in Seward)

Day 3 – Full day Kenai boat tour (stay in Seward)

Day 4 – Drive to Talkeetna, sightseeing, walk around town (stay in Talkeetna)

Day 5 – Flightseeing over Denali from Talkeetna & drive to Denali (stay in Denali)

Day 6 – Bus tour in Denali + hike if feeling up to it (stay in Denali)

Day 7 – Drive Denali Highway, sightseeing, hike (stay at lodge on Denali Highway)

Day 8 – Hike, canoe, etc around Denali Highway (stay at same lodge on Denali Highway)

Day 9 – Drive to Copper Center, sightseeing, walk around town (stay in Copper Center)

Day 10 – Flightseeing over Wrangell-St. Elias park from Gulkana airport. Sightseeing drive to Thompson pass and back. Is it worth doing the drive to Thompson pass and back? (stay at same place in Copper Center)

Day 11 – Drive to Anchorage and fly home. Flight is 2pm. Plan would be to leave Copper Center 7:30am - 8am. Can leave earlier if people recommend that.

Thanks in advance, and feel free to make any suggested changes!

Hi everyone. I'm going to be cruising to Alaska in July and stopping at these ports: Sitka, Haines, Ketchikan, and Prince Rupert (I know, not Alaska).

I was wondering which of these ports would be the best to go on a whale watching tour? Mainly want to see humpbacks, but other wildlife is a bonus. I tried googling it, but every port says they're the best so I was wondering what a local would recommend?

is there absolutely no way to drive from Anchorage to the lower 48 states without going through Canada?

asking for someone who drove up there(yes, through Canada)... then lost his passport. short of getting an emergency passport issued, is there any possible way to drive back to Chicago?

if not, he plans to fly from Anchorage back to Chicago and leave the car in Anchorage. Where is the cheapest place to park for at least 2 to 3 weeks in Anchorage or near ANC airport? once he gets a new passport reissued, he'll fly back there and drive the car back..

Thanks for your help!

(also... he should have listened to me and gotten a passport card as a back-up to the passport book) :)

I’m getting ready to sell my house in Alaska, and honestly, I'm trying to figure out what issues actually scare buyers the most up here. My place has some normal older house stuff, the roof isn’t brand new, the heating system is older, and there are a few cosmetic things I never got around to fixing. I keep debating if buyers care more about big structural stuff or if smaller things end up killing deals, too.

I’ve been looking into different selling options lately, including some local home buyers, because I’m not sure I want to spend months fixing everything first.

For people who sold in Anchorage or Fairbanks, what problems made buyers walk away or try to negotiate hard?

Good afternoon, readers,

My wife and I will be PCSing to JBER in June. I grew up in WA state so I am somewhat used to colder climate, and love being outdoors. My wife has grown up in LA and SD, and is somewhat apprehensive about the cold and darker winters. Especially the sun cycles. As we are moving up, can I get some tips and tricks from locals or those who have been before?
- What truck is best? We are shipping my wife's Toyota Highlander, and I will need a car.
- What are some fun things to do in Anchorage specifically?
- Best restaurants price wise and bang for buck?
- Are there coastal trails?
- What are the places to stay away from? Or at least exercise higher caution while walking around?
- Best Internet? (I've seen GCI for total coverage, but they're a mess to work with supposedly).
- Best places to purchase clothing? (Winter, outdoors, etc).
- Best way to meet new people? My wife and I are in our mid 20s.

Thank you very much for your time, consideration, and answers!

Would love to fly to a glacier with stunning blue pools with family this June . I am also willing to add a dogsled tour on glacier but hoping the dogs are treated with care and the tour is ethical . Would love recommendations! Near anchorage / Denali . Thanks

I am a 25 yr old California man, used to 70 degree winters and 100+ degree summers. In about two weeks I’m moving right outside of Denali park, I feel over prepared one moment and then underprepared within the hour. Any advice on some things I need to have, or should bring would be appreciated. I have a bunch of different long sleeves, some nice thick coats, a deck of cards and a flashlight even though I know I won’t need it. Thank you in advance :D

Asking so the locals can respond: What's your biggest barrier to staying in shape (if any) in Alaska?

I am flying into anchorage on 12 June and thinking of ending the trip at Fairbanks to catch the midnight summer baseball game on June 19 . There is so much to do in Denali and anchorage and I could easily skip Fairbanks and fly out of anchorage itself . Would you say coming all the way to Fairbanks just to catch the midnight sun is worth it ?

My cousin was telling me about going to Alaska next month and I started doing some research and I'm really debating it. It's some company called E.C Phillips, he said I would be able to go as well if I really decided to.

I work from home 40 hours a week at around $23~ an hour. Last year I made 45k. My current job offers no overtime. And yes, although I'm very comfortable working from home, I'm literally in my room all day and it makes me depressed sometimes. I feel stuck in a loop of always doing the same thing and I've gotten too comfortable that leaving my comfort zone seems like a difficult task. I used to be out and about literally every day, and I've changed so much since working from home. I also feel exhausted and tired everyday due to lack of exercise which is my fault of course but again I just feel stuck.

I started school a few years back but last year I fell behind and FAFSA didn't loan 1 semester due to my school performance. I just feel like I have no time! Since 1 semester remained unpaid, school is basically on pause until I pay the past due amount before I can go back, which I'm planning on doing. I go to online university, so everything is pretty much self paced as long as I finish a certain number of courses per semester.

Now how I'm seeing things:

Go to Alaska, work my butt off for any time that I can (my cousin isn't too sure but says we can do either 3 or 6 months, I need to investigate), then return with a savings. I still don't know how much it's a realistic amount of money for me to come back with.

If only 10-15k is the realistic amount the average person comes back with, then I'm not sure if it's worth it because I would just be coming back from Alaska with no job having to find another one which might be more difficult in my field, so I'm afraid of being forced to start from 0 in a retail store or fast food place.

If i can come back with 25-30k+ I could see it being more doable, that way I can take some time off without having to worry about finding my next job and focus on school 10000% and try to finish it as soon as possible.

I don't know I feel like this post is all over the place. I'm hoping that anyone with experience can give me realistic advice. I'd like to do more than 3 months in Alaska for sure and just save as much as possible. Is it realistic to find more work once my 3-6 months are over or would I just be coming back stressed about the next job?

Would you choose a 45k/yr work from home job or Alaska?

EDIT: Forgot to mention that the company would be paying for flights and housing if I do go to Alaska

Currently working a second season in Alaska and considering the idea of spending one weekend flying out to one of these locations (if the timing and money worked out for it).

If you where to choose any of these options what do you think would be a solid option here to visit for a day (if you were to pick a favorite here)?

Thanks

My wife and I are looking to move to central Alaska in the next few years and are wanting some recommendations regarding neighborhoods or at least areas we should absolutely avoid. We plan to take a trip up there within the next year to scout some areas and figure out where we’d like to settle. I know this isn’t a lot to go on, but I’m happy to answer any questions you might have. Looking for a single family home with some elbow room, so nothing downtown and no apartments. Thanks!

Edit: central, not southern AK

Edit/Update 2: We have actually been to Alaska before and stayed for about 2 weeks in January. During this time we visited and stayed in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Homer. Anchorage area was our favorite due to the close proximity to both the mountains and the ocean. We are now looking to visit during the summer and get a lay of the land when things aren’t completely covered in snow.

Having a hard time finding any vehicles at the Anchorage airport to rent. Is there a shortage? Is an Uber from Anchorage to Palmer going to be insanely expensive?

Considering making a trip to Valdez again this year. Last season towards the end of August we went to the Fishery there and had a great time but didn't luck out with any bears going fishing.

Anyone know when could be peak odds of seeing some bears fishing near the hatchery there?

Thanks