Thinking about moving to Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks: rent, buy, living in)

[JDLCA]

Hey all, I've read many of the threads on here about moving to Alaska and they've provided some great information!

I'm currently living in Austin, Texas as I have just moved from Southern California, this Alaska move wouldn't be for a couple of years or so, but I want to start looking into it. I differ from the average person weather wise. Growing up in the southern California desert where summers would reach 124oF on occasion and with one inch of rainfall per every decade it seemed, it made me crave any kind of weather that wasn't sunny LOL

I LOOOOOOVE rain, snow, fog, wind, tropical storms all that good stuff! I really want to experience extreme cold and what it would be like to wake up at 8-9am and it's still dark outside. I love the wilderness and defiantly want to experience what Alaska has to offer. I plan in the future working in Antarctica and I think living in Alaska first would give me a good idea of what I can expect on the south pole. I was set on Barrow, AK but I as I started looking into Fairbanks I'm thinking that would be a better choice since it's cheaper to bring my car up there than to ship it to Barrow and that fact of being in a town as isolated as Barrow isn't something I'm used to, so I would imagine it's better for me to start slow?

I know Fairbanks isn't Los Angeles or Austin but it there a good amount of things to do, to keep one busy? great ways to meet people? I read in another thread sports teams and such were a great way of meeting people, and I just so happen to be learning ice hockey here in Austin. I'm so tired of heat... I thought I was going to get somewhat of a break from it here in Texas, but it just got humid!! I just want to make sure I can keep myself busy and enjoy the experience up there, I plan on visiting in the next year or so to check it out, but I think it would be such a great experience. Do you all recommend a good time to go? I'd like to go while there is still snow on the ground and it's still pretty chilly... Is Fairbanks a good choice?

[warptman]

Yes.

[Wynternight]

Barrow is windy, cold and dry. Antarctica is windier, colder, and drier.

[akvarmit]

Visit first....get job second.......Once you know you can afford to pay rent and buy toys - go for it

[JDLCA]

Awesome, thanks for the replies, pretty excited to go and visit!! Although I didn't understand why tickets to fly there next month are cheaper rather than saying you want to fly out in December You think it would be cheaper that later it is!

Anyways, thanks again!

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by JDLCA

Awesome, thanks for the replies, pretty excited to go and visit!! Although I didn't understand why tickets to fly there next month are cheaper rather than saying you want to fly out in December You think it would be cheaper that later it is!

November/December holiday season is peak travel time for Alaska residents flying to and from the lower 48 to visit families and/or escape the cold. It's actually a challange to get good reservations at that time, as most of the other carriers have cut back their summer service, leaving Alaska Airlines to carry the majority of the load. If you try to book last minute reservations around the holidays up here you're almost guaranteed to get stuck in a middle seat, even on a red-eye flight!

[JDLCA]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

November/December holiday season is peak travel time for Alaska residents flying to and from the lower 48 to visit families and/or escape the cold. It's actually a challange to get good reservations at that time, as most of the other carriers have cut back their summer service, leaving Alaska Airlines to carry the majority of the load. If you try to book last minute reservations around the holidays up here you're almost guaranteed to get stuck in a middle seat, even on a red-eye flight!

Moose Whisperer, when is a good time to go? I was thinking maybe April-May-ish... I'd like to go when it's still cold though And there is snow everywhere.. Thanks for the info on that though!

Yeah was looking at flights out of Austin this month and they're like 527$ for the roundtrip, but if I do November/December and even January they're 800$+

[Moose Whisperer]

My recommendation FWIW would be late Feb/early March. More daylight so you can check out the local scenery, but still plenty cold, and enough darkness to see the Northern Lights too. Also, the Iditarod race start and associated festivities are occuring in Anchorage, and the Ice Carving Championship is in Fairbanks (sounds like they were able to find a new spot for it after all ). April/May - still snow on the ground but starting to warm up by interior Alaska standards!

NEW! Ice Alaska 2011

The Official Site of the Iditarod®

Anchorage, Alaska, Fur Rondy, Anchorage Fur Rendezvous Festival

[tigre79]

I wanted to get a taste of winter this last year and came up in early March. Was a little worried because it had been warm up here (up to about 40), but got a cold snap right after we arrived. Perfect! Haven't been here in any other part of winter, but it was great then. And from what people I know here say, mid-February to late March is the best part of winter.

[1stimestar]

April is our ugliest month up here in Fairbanks. Brown and muddy. March is my favorite month.