Kenai, Fairbanks, Anchorage or Juneau - where should I go?

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

I would say you should visit this winter...like in January or February, and then again in June. That would show you the best and worst of Alaska.

I would call it the best and best of Alaska!

(but I know what you were trying to say)

[danisiri]

Excellent. Going to schedule some time to get up there and tour around. We have a friend living in Delta Junction, so hopefully he can give us some pointers too.

[RebeccaBphotos]

Alaska winters are dark and cold, summers are pretty warm and the sun never sets until late July.

I grew up in Soldotna, it is very small town, still pretty safe but very Slowdotna. There are drug problems and domestic violence issues. Entertainment is at a minimum, but during the summer, it is a very nice place to camp, fish, hike around. Kenai tends to be windy and the economy is not the best. There are also dark roads and moose and caribou cross the roads making it slightly hazardous driving in the winter. It is a very pretty area.

Anchorage is where I currently live. It has the hustle and bustle and I wouldn't consider it very safe. There are homeless people on a lot of the main street corners and hanging around the downtown area. There are a lot more entertainment/ resturant options. In the winter, we have the Fur Rondy events and the Iditarod dog races to help get through the long cold winters.

I haven't really been to Juneau but I know that it is secluded, you can't just drive, you have to take a ferry or plane to get there. It is also expensive to live there.

Fairbanks has extreme temperatures, from 90+ in summer to -30+ in winter. The Aurora is awesome in winter if you can handle the cold. It is a college town and a military town.

If I could afford to live there, I would live in Kenai. Small town with great surroundings. It is a 3+ hour drive to Anchorage for real shopping which can be hazardous in the winter and full of fishermen/campers in the summer.

I have taken photos of the Kenai area and the Anchorage area that you can check out on my website: www.RebeccaBphotos.com

Hope I have helped a little.

[danisiri]

Thanks for the info. While saving up money to get up there, most of our opportunities have been filled. The only one left is in Fairbanks. While not the best climate compared to Kenai or Juneau, it may be the most lucrative financially since people don't necessarily want to live there. I am getting some sticker shock on the airfare, but I guess that is normal for Alaska.