Moving to Anchorage from Seattle

[Will d s]

Warptman, looks like a very scenic trip. Lots of great pictures.

[RAMFEB31]

Originally Posted by yambest

Hi, all,

I am back again. My sister and I are planning the specifics for the our first road trip

Anyway, we are wondering whether 500 miles or more per day will be too much, particularly for Alaska hight way where there seems to be more unexpected, complicated road situation. We don't want to get overly stressed through the journey. So, we generally plan to be on the road 9am-8pm, and take about 1 hour of break in the middle. Please advise.

In addition, do you have any suggestion for the lodging place, particularly around the Liard Rive Hot Springs Park? Really, any of your sharing would be of most precious help to us!! Thank you!!

That hot springs is a great place to stop though I don't remember seeing any nearby accomodations. Almost everthing I've seen were for people w/RVs. If U stop there, be sure to bring mosquite repellant like Deets. There are plenty of those critters there. It is a 1/4 mile walk from the parking area to the 1st pool but it is an easy mostly boardwalk trip. There are restrooms there but I don't recall any showers. Further up the trail, U will find the beginning of the spring w/a very deep and murky lakelike area. Unless U have plenty time, stick to the closest spring. And if U have read some of my post, If U need fuel as U enter the Yukon Terr. the Watson Lake Garage is a good place. They are right across the street from the City of Signs where U may wish to hang your own momento. The owner, Donna and Pat can repair anything automotive and if U want to park overnite there, they usually accomodate. Just say a Chinaman sent U. For the record, I have no financial stake in that garage. But they have save my tail more than once.

[warptman]

You can also top your tank off at Lower Post, normally cheaper than Watson Lake. There is a lodge at Liard Hot Springs across the road and they have showers there. $6 canadian dollars to shower. The food there is good, too. They also have fuel there. Before Liard there is the Toad River Lodge, they have fuel also, top your tank there before you continue on to Liard, there are a lot of hills to climb between the two. I dropped off a hat last month at Toad River, my hat was #7269th hat to be hung on the ceiling/wall there. Toad River Lodge is open year round as is Lower Post. Toad has rooms available, too.

[pw72]

Originally Posted by Will d s

Actually the Canadian dollar is at an all time high with almost a 1 to 1 exchange rate while early in the year it took about 1.18 Canadian for each U.S. dollar.

My wrong wording. The Canadian dollar is strong, but the result is what I described. There are very few bargains in Canada right now compared to the US.

In other words, a strong Canadian dollar is not good for spending in Canada! Sorry about the confusion!

[jodyjaw]

Personally I have not done this but I knew of someone who drove a U-Haul from Arizona to Alaska and then a few years later returned to Arizona from Alaska again with a U-Haul.

Some might think it would or could be dangerous out in the middle of nowhere and think they would feel better if they had say a gun to protect self and all belongings. My advice is do not bother as the Canadians do not allow you through the border with a gun.

That someone who drove the U-Haul had his gun confiscated both times he made this drive.

[jodyjaw]

It's been about 12 years since I was joining my husband who scored the great paying job that re-located us to the Last Frontier. I suppose for me it was not too bad as, I was 30 something had my first baby who was 2&1/2 and my husband had worked in the same small town for the last three summers. So I had been there and even knew some people.

The town was King Salmon and I am hard pressed to remember just how long we lived there before moving to Anchorage -- at least a year and a half. But the pisser being, my husband ended up back in King Salmon(for the summer season) and the kids and I were in Anchorage on our own. When he got back he went and got a job in Glenallen. So Anchorage was short-lived by us.

Looking back on my roughly 3 years in Alaska, my 2 biggest regrets were 1) not realizing the wonderful, down to earth, do anything to help, people I met in King Salmon and I wouldn't of thought so, but I look back and think why did we want to leave that place -- it was certainly the best time that was had while in Alaska & 2) do take the chance, any that might come your way, to go some where that you might never get the chance to do ever again. Don't be so foolish to think you'll live there for the rest of the decade much, less your life! and that there will be another opportunity there's a lot of things that can happen and you might not have that once in a lifetime chance again!

Don't be anxious and move with an open mind you'll love or hate it but just go with it and if you love stay -- if you hate it don't stay -- best of luck to you

[VaLeeSou]

I am driving my Honda Civic from Silverdale Wa to Palmer.
I am shipping most of my stuff taking only what I will need right away. It takes about 6 weeks for the shipped stuff to get there.

If all that you want take will fit into your CVR, I would say don't ship. But, with what sounds like a small library plus you other things I would say ship. I know that the cost for shipping will vary by the amount of weight that is being shipped.

Anchorage, like Palmer is in south central Alaska. The weather is mild in the summer, about 70 or so but the humidity levels are lower. I no the winters are cooler than down here and it does snow.
As far as rents go I don't know as I have been looking into buying a home.