Alaska, the "last frontier." Is she... (Anchorage, Wasilla: how much, house)

[Grannysroost]

Is she truly different, or a state of mind for those who were raised here, moved here... Does reality overcome fantasy...is she truly different or just a change of 'scenery'....Should she be conquered and turned into just another place, or is she already? Other than the fact we are in a part of country separate from the rest, is Alaska really different than living anywhere else? Any thoughts?

[Nephler]

Wow Granny, that one's deep. I think it's really all of the above, it depends on the person. Myself, a lot of it is my state of mind, I'm much less stressed out here, even when times are really bad, something is soothing to me here, not sure what it is, it's just there. Other times, yes, it's just another part of the country, with all the traffic and people here. This area, in my opinion, is anywhere USA, big box stores and so on, but when I get out and about, I feel something I have not in a long time. Peace.

I could go on and on with this one Deb, think I'll save this continued thought for my blog on another date.

Damn good question!

[Jonotastic]

I actually think Alaska is pretty similar to the rest of America. When people ask me, what's it like in Alaska, I say it's not much different than down here except for the scenery. However, similar scenery and solitude can be found in parts of Northern California, Colorado, and Oregon for example. We have all the major box stores and I actually think there are more per 100,000 than in most cities in the -48s. I'm not saying this is a bad or good thing, but I really don't feel like I'm in a completely new environment when I come back up here. I did a road trip from California to Florida and Alaska to Washington and found many places in between that had complete silence and no markings of mankind.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Some of you folks should buy an airplane ticket to Alaska before you waste too much time describing it.

[ASpilot2be]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

Some of you folks should buy an airplane ticket to Alaska before you waste too much time describing it.

Who? I think all the people who have replied live in Alaska, except for maybe Jonotastic.

[quakinator]

Originally Posted by Floyd_Davidson

Some of you folks should buy an airplane ticket to Alaska before you waste too much time describing it.

LOL...maybe Floyd is referring to "real Alaska" since 50%+ of the state doesn't even live in Alaska and are therefore inferior, and any opinion they have can be discounted or rejected (obvious sarcasm here, I'm of the mind that Alaska includes everything within it's boudaries...I know call me crazy...but that it just adds to the diversity of Alaska having cities like Anchorage, Eagle River and Wasilla each with a completely different personalities).

Seriously Floyd, try posting in one thread without insulting or denigrating others comments please.

[polarbytes]

I guess for me, what defines Alaska is it's isolation. I know, I know, you can get on an airplane and be anywhere in a few hours, but that's only if you are on the road system. Those folks who live in the bush know that their lives are dependent on each other because of that isolation and I think that is why the state is so unique. Yes, other states have splendid areas of little or no obvious impacts of man evident, but even in these areas, there is a road system that to some degree negates that splendid isolation. But here, when you are in the Gates of the Arctic, you are by gum!, really isolated. You have a problem, you solve it or you may die. For me, that defines why I continue to live here. Even if I now live in a place, that by all standards has all the same amenities of outside locals, Nikiski, I am still in close proximity to that intangible and exciting prospect of true isolation. I am now getting too old to enjoy the complete freedom of the raw, unadultrated wild places that I explored when a younger man, most notably a three week backpack in Wrangel-St.Elias by myself, or river trip in GofA, just knowing it is still there and mostly unchanged, recharges my batteries and renews my wonder of Alaska. And I don't think that any continued "gentrification" of the road system where so many live, will ever change that.

[Marty Van Diest]

Alaska is definitely different. Take a look at a map and notice how much of Alaska is difficult to access. If you get on a plane and have it take you to one of those remote points and drop you off. As soon as that plane takes off and leaves you there...alone, you will realize how different it is.

Floyd has a point in his way. Most of us live on the road system, which is still a lot different than the rest of the country. But spend some time in Togiak, Pedro Bay, Huslia, Shaktoolik, or even Barrow and you will feel the difference. The fact that Alaska is so HUGE, so unpopulated, and so extreme makes it different.

Here is an example of the difference. I helped an elderly couple sell their house in Wasilla a few years ago. They were moving back to the village. Their son Joe, who is about my age was helping them because he spoke english. As soon as they signed the listing papers they moved back and the house was vacant. Every time I called Joe about something to do with the house they answered the phone in Yupik. When I explained who I was and that I wanted to talk to Joe there was always a scuffle around the phone as they found someone to talk to me. When someone else got on the phone and I asked for Joe again they almost always explained that he was hunting. Once he was hunting walrus. He called me when he was back and I asked him what walrus tasted like...after a long hesitation he said, "it tastes like walrus".... Bottom line, his family really does live a subsistence lifestyle with very few store bought foods...thats different.

[Floyd_Davidson]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

Floyd has a point in his way. Most of us live on the road system, which is still a lot different than the rest of the country. But spend some time in Togiak, Pedro Bay, Huslia, Shaktoolik, or even Barrow and you will feel the difference. The fact that Alaska is so HUGE, so unpopulated, and so extreme makes it different.

Anyone who thinks Alaska isn't really much different than the Lower-48 hasn't been to Alaska. (Or at least their head hasn't been there...)

"Even Barrow" is so different than anywhere in the Lower-48 that it takes merely minutes (or a few hundred feet from the Alaska Airlines terminal building) for people to realize they simply are in a totally different environment.

It is just hugely hilarious to see people who live Outside saying otherwise. But to be honest, it's embarassing to see people who live in Alaska repeating the same things...

[Alex2009]

I think Jonotastic was thinking of anchorage when he made that post.