20 Days and counting until we take off for a long weekend in Alaska. I just hope all this crap with the airlines ends by then.
Anchorage Bound
We’re headin’ up for a weekend 🙂
May 1st – May 4 is all, but it will give us a chance to look around a bit. We arrive in Anchorage at about 2:25pm Thursday and leave Anchorage at 4:30pm Sunday. This gives us 2 full days and most of a third. We’re staying at The Hotel Alyeska. The hotel is about 45 minutes to the south of Anchorage in Girdwood. The plan is to head north into the Mat-Su Valley the first day to check out Palmer and Wasila. Hopefully we’ll have time to drive up into Hatchers Pass to. The second day we’ll drive south toward the town of Kenai around Turnagain Arm thru the Kenai Mountains. Our last day, up till time of flight, we’ll spend in downtown Anchorage.
The City of Anchorage
Indecision, Decision
Well, with much thinking, searching and discussion between Jan and myself, we’ve come to a decision. We WILL be moving to Alaska! Let me backup a bit to explain. In the past couple weeks we have been thinking that it may be too hard to get across the border of Canada with Maddie’s immigration issues and my past DUI’s. We’ve looked again at Montana, Oregon, North Idaho and Washington. None of them can compete with Alaska. The other issue is that Jan wants to get in some more training here before the move so that she is better qualified. This training will take a bit more time, a month or two, to complete. This month or two will also allow myself to sure up a good drivers licence and to get Maddie’s issues more in order.
I still hope and plan to make the move this year, before winter. It just may, and most likely not, happen by July 10th, our planned move date. September would be wonderful with all the autumn colors for the drive north and we would still beat the snow.
On a really good note, we are looking at taking a trip to Anchorage in May. Just for a few days, but it will give us a chance to take a quick look around Anchorage and the Mat-Su. We’re thinking, and most likely will, of staying at The Hotel Alyeska. This is in Girdwood, about 45 minutes from Anchorage and on the Turnagain Arm.
This is a view of Girdwood.
… You May Live In Alaska
Forget Rednecks, here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about Alaskans:
If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there, you may live in Alaska.
If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Alaska.
If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Alaska.
If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Alaska.
If you know several people who have hit a moose more than once, you may live in Alaska.
If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ in the same day and back again, you may live in Alaska.
If you can drive 75 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching, you may live in Alaska.
If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Alaska.
If you carry jumpers in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Alaska.
If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit, you may live in Alaska.
If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph — you’re going 80 and everybody is passing you, you may live in Alaska.
If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow, you may live in Alaska.
If you know all 4 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter and road construction, you may live in Alaska.
If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car, you may live in Alaska.
If you find 10 degrees ‘a little chilly’, you may live in Alaska.
Can’t Make Up My Mind
A friend of mine that is quite a “gun guy” says that a shotgun is just not accurate enough when being charged by a bear. I don’t know. He says we should really go with the Marlin 1895g 45/70 and after we get used to the kick and weight, we’ll be able to shoot from the hip. I just don’t know now, just when I had made my mind up for the 20 gage.
Here is what Marlin says about it:
Model 1895G “Guide Gun”
The hunter who’s looking for plenty of power in a compact, stow-anywhere package will find the ideal solution in our Model 1895G. The mighty 45/70 Government cartridge has proven its worth on every species of large North American game, from Maine to Alaska. This rugged lever action rifle weighs only 7 lbs., and features an 18.5″ barrel with Ballard-type cut rifling.
Caliber 45/70 Gov’t.
Capacity 4-shot tubular magazine
Action Lever action; side ejection; solid top receiver; deeply blued metal surfaces; hammer block safety.
Stock American black walnut straight-grip stock; cut checkering; ventilated recoil pad; tough Mar-Shield? finish; swivel studs.
Barrel 18.5″ with deep-cut Ballard-type rifling (6 grooves).
Twist Rate 1:20″ r.h.
Sights Adjustable semi-buckhorn folding rear, ramp front sight with brass bead and Wide-Scan? hood. Solid top receiver tapped for scope mount; offset hammer spur (right or left hand) for scope use.
Overall Length 37″
Weight 7 lbs.
Owner’s Manual Download Owner’s Manual
Moose
I understand this is quite a common sight…hope so. 😀
Waiting For The Snow
Waiting for the snow to leave that is :-/
Once the snow is gone from our driveway/yard we can purchase the cargo trailer. As it is now we have no place to park the darn thing. When the trailer is resting in our yard, we can begin to box things up and pack em away in the trailer. Till then, we wait 😐
Dates
The dates. The scheduled dates for us are as follows; June 13th last day at work. I may wait till the 20th, not sure. July 10th is the day we hit the road for our adventure.
We keep looking at homes to rent in AK, but it’s just too early to do anything now. I keep thinking that we shouldn’t look too hard and travel up there, stay “some place” and look for a home then. Although, if something pops out at us, i guess we could jump on it eh.
So, in the Harbor Springs area, our taxes keep going up and we just got notice that the value of our home has gone down by $30,000. Just wonderful. Now in the Mat-Su valley, the values have gone up by 2%. It all just continues to prove what I have been telling people, AK is a better place to live.
Here’s some more eye candy…
City of Palmer Water Tower.
