moving from CA to kenai, need info (Anchorage, Sterling: house, buying)

[JD girl]

We are trying to sell our house and move to Kenai or Soldotna in a few months, hopefully the house sells, the market is not good at the moment.
I have not been to Alaska so I am trusting my husband who has been to Kenai.
I am a stay at home mum with a 4 month old right now, who I will need to entertain when I get there.
My husband will have his job, hunting, fishing and clubbing animals and so on.
I have been trying to find out what there is for mums to do, for the kids and themselves without much success.
Although we live pretty far out there now, I am worried I will be even more isolated, there is no community spirit here and not many moms groups etc.

We also raise our own meat, so I wanted to know about buying steers, pigs etc.
Basically I would be grateful for any info about these places.
thanks.

[Desertchick]

I love Soldotna! It is a small town, but the business hub of the Kenai Penninsula so it has a large Fred Meyer store (kind of like Super Wal-Mart, grocery and other goods), Safeway, car dealships, fabric store, etc. Grocery prices are comparable to here in Arizona and gas is about the same too. Because it is a tourist town there are lots of places to eat. We like the Penninsula Steak House where all the food is made fresh. It is also a great city for kids with lots of city parks, most of them with playground equipment when you little one is big enough. There is strong sense of community there and they try to keep things going during the winter with lots of town activities and groups and clubs. It also has decent medical care with a small hospital.
Kenai is a much smaller town, but only a few minutes from Soldotna for shopping etc. Kenai does have a large supermarket and Home Depot. Depending on where you live in Kenai you may have an ocean view. In Soldotna, the big draw is the Kenai River.The city of Soldotna publishes a nice city guide with visitor services and relocation information. You can call for the free guide at 907-262-9814 or order it online.
Soldotna and Kenai have a milder climate than much of Alaska, not nearly as cold as the north, and it doesn't rain as much in the Southeast. It is also daylight longer in the winter than many places since it is farther south. You will probably face traffic jams in July when the salmon are running and ALL the fisherman are in town.
Fishing and hiking can literally be in your backyard. It is only a 40 minute flight or a three hour (summer) drive from Anchorage for specialized medical care, mall shopping, or just a change of pace. Down the highway is Homer, a community with lots of arts and crafts people and a fun place to visit.

[Bangladesh]

I hope your ready for super cold and super snowy and harsh winters if your moving to Alaska.

[Twinkle Toes]

You're kidding about the clubing animals part, right?

[mountain_time_Blues]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

You're kidding about the clubing animals part, right?

How else are you suposed to kill seals without damaging the fur. lol.

[Rance]

I'm from Sterling. Welcome to Alaska!

[buckwheat]

30 years ago I was unprepared. read peninsulaclarion.com and adn.com it will give you an idea what you are getting into. There are support groups but it is spendy. Clubbing animals is probably not the proper name for hunting. Maybe you want to do some research.

Originally Posted by JD girl

We are trying to sell our house and move to Kenai or Soldotna in a few months, hopefully the house sells, the market is not good at the moment.
I have not been to Alaska so I am trusting my husband who has been to Kenai.
I am a stay at home mum with a 4 month old right now, who I will need to entertain when I get there.
My husband will have his job, hunting, fishing and clubbing animals and so on.
I have been trying to find out what there is for mums to do, for the kids and themselves without much success.
Although we live pretty far out there now, I am worried I will be even more isolated, there is no community spirit here and not many moms groups etc.

We also raise our own meat, so I wanted to know about buying steers, pigs etc.
Basically I would be grateful for any info about these places.
thanks.

[Rance]

But there are animals in some of the clubs!

[JD girl]

We got here, moved to Soldotna, so did the snow!!
We are living in a 960 sf house, with 4 dogs and baby, looking for a new one, not quite enough room.
And no for all those concerned, there will no clubbing of any animals of any kind.
Looking for moms groups or something to do with baby, any more info out there, would be grateful.

[sweetana3]

My mom and dad raised 4 kids in a 900 sq foot house built in 1953 in Anchorage. Brother still lives in the house. No garage either. Did have a partial unfinished basement. We did fine. It was "go outside and play" most every day. Either that or school/homework.