Category: Planning

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.

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

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.

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

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.