My Forty Ninth State of Mind

 

When Dutch said that I would write the next blog, I was stunned!!  He is the writer in this family, I like to crochet, sew, make crafts.......but write, not me!  So now here I am sitting at the computer writing about my views and perspective on our trip to Alaska.  So here goes.........

This is the trip of a lifetime.  The time has gone by quickly, yet there are times I feel like I've been gone so long.  If you have been reading the blogs you know we have been on the road since May 1st.  I've been to places I've only read or heard about, it has been awesome!  I had my fears and apprehensions but they just melted away like a spring snow.  I love the mountains, so between the mountains in the north west of the US to the mountains of Canada and finally Alaska I have been in mountain heaven :)

Dutch tried to prepare as best he could for what Alaska would be like, but he hadn't been to Alaska in 38 years!  All I could think was a cold, wilderness!!  Well, the weather isn't exactly cold, but it's not hot either.  Summer in Alaska the temps can vary from 60 degrees to 80 degrees for the high with low humidity, and the lows in the 50's.  Yes, you have seen me wearing a jacket and with a blanket on sitting by the fire.  That's because when the wind blows, it's a cool breeze.  So all the short sleeve shirts and shorts are still in the closet, lol.  But to tell the truth, when the temps are in the upper 60's and the sun is out, it is very warm.  We have had some very warm and beautiful days. We even got a little sunburn :)  And that is easy with the long hours of daylight. It is hard to feel tired when at 11:30 pm the sky is still bright!!  That took some getting used too.

They call Alaska "The Last Frontier" and that is the truth.  It has been very hard for me to grasp how much land is still not accessible by road.  Many towns here are only accessible by air or boat. One in 6 people in Alaska have a pilots license.  If the town is near water, the plane has floats, if inland the towns have a small grassy runway. The distance between the towns can be anywhere from 45 miles to 300 miles, with little cabins here and there.  There are populations from 23 in Chicken to 295,500 in Anchorage.  The smaller towns may only have a gas station/convenience store, café, and post office.  I was amazed, why aren't these towns growing? We have seen many abandoned buildings, as if the people just gave up and moved away. Then you have cities like Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Wasilla that have all the conveniences you need.  We spoke with a young man who said he travels to Anchorage, about 230 miles to Costco to buy up on supplies to keep from buying local where the prices are high. (Everything costs more in Alaska).  Which is what I figured the people would have to do, especially if the store is over 60 miles away. I'm sure most shop once a month. Running to the store for some small item isn't an option. Then when the winter comes, they have to stock the pantries and freezers. Oh yeah, the winters are harsh, Fairbanks can get to 50 degrees below!!!  With average annual snowfall of 59 inches.  This varies throughout the state, with Valdez getting 326 inches of annual snowfall but rarely gets below freezing.

The map below is only a portion of the huge State of Alaska.

 

 

I've also observed that many living here have ATV vehicles and snowmobiles, for obvious reasons.  This is a young persons state.  You can hike, camp, fish, canoe, kayak, ski, snowmobile, ATV or fly, definitely for the young or young at heart who loves the outdoors.

 

 

 

Right now we are in Homer, a quaint small fishing town. Homer is the halibut capital of the world.  There are 2 food markets, a hardware store, auto parts store, a few small restaurants, 2 thrift stores, bookstore, souvenir shops, Laundromat, and a few small businesses.  But, there aren't any clothing or shoe stores, for that you have to travel to Soldotna or Kenai which are about 1 1/2 to 2 hours or about 75 - 85 miles away.  There are only 4 Wal Marts in Alaska, Fairbanks, Kenai, Anchorage, and Wasilla.  So you see, you must plan your visits to the big cities, LOL.

 
I understand why people love it here, just look around.  The mountains still covered with snow in summer, beautiful rivers and lakes filled with fish, abundant wildlife just roaming freely, the colorful wildflowers and miles and miles of wilderness calling to hike or just sit and enjoy. We have taken so many pictures I think we will bore our family and friends when we get home.  We have tried to give you a sample of what we have seen but, a picture just doesn't capture the whole of what you are looking at or the feeling you get seeing a moose, a glacier, or a beautiful sunset.  Even though we have been here for 4 months there is still much we haven't seen.

 

 

I am grateful to my wonderful husband for the opportunity to take this trip.  I have seen and experienced so much.  I will miss Alaska........and maybe someday will return.  Within a few short days we will travel back to Palmer.  Our last adventure will be the State Fair.  It promises to be a great time and such amazing things as a 95 pound or more cabbage head.  The guys from Duck Dynasty will be guest speakers.  I know nothing about them except they have a TV reality show.  There will be other interesting things to see at the state fair, I'm looking forward to the craft's.

 

 

Before closing just let me say something more about the cost of living in Alaska.  I touched on it but didn't give you anything to compare prices with.  It's a very expensive place to visit and live.  In the less populated area's it's very expensive for goods and services.  In the more populated area's it's more reasonable and the availability of items is more as well.  I think my first couple of weeks I was in shock with the cost of items.  I'm still aware but less shocked after being here for a while.  Just a few examples, in Tok a hamburger and fries will cost you $18.50,  a glass of tea $4.00,  a box of dry cereal $5.00.  Here in Homer in the grocery store fresh fruit like peaches are $3.99 lb., tomatoes are $2.99 lb., bananas $1.20 lb.,  potato chips are $8.00 for 2 bags, peanut butter 28oz. jar $5.58, box of saltine crackers $3.19, just to mention a few.  Meats and fish are also outrageous, bacon $8.00 a package, T-bone steaks $12.00 lb., $26.00 for a lb. of crab legs.  You'd think with all the fishing done here that is the one thing that would be cheap, but not so.  Still it has been a great summer and I'm glad we made this trip.  I'm looking forward to the trip home and again seeing family and friends.

Until next we meet, Kathie with husband Dutch in Alaska.  Enjoying a vacation of a lifetime.

 

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