moving to Alaska without confirmed housing (Anchorage, Kenai: transporting, rentals, insurance)
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I'm a recent college graduate taking the self-employment route. Drove up north to Seattle during christmas to check the vibe. I like the cold but figured out that cities are the same everywhere, despite the pleasant sceneries a rental situation might provide if you're lucky
I really like the suburbs surrounding washington state, i can sense people are more wind down and have a warmer attitude (i have no words to describe it).
I figure I should take the leap and just travel and rent a place in Alaska so I can focus on work and have a more immersive experience with solitude. I'm much more comfortable now with solitude but I do need space and really desire to be closer to nature rather than having to drive up to Palomar Mountains every weekend to unwind.
I've read that covid makes it hard to travel across the border without a set of documents. I wanted to pay for housing at least after I pack up in my truck and at least get to facetime the place, but ideally I would like to be there to survey the rental property and its environment.
How likely will the border patrol prevent me from crossing given that I haven found housing yet? I'm travelling alone and just wants to drive straight to Alaska so I can get set-up and start working.
how will it be cheaper? have u done your estimations or traveled both routes? Last I check (around xmas to EOY), a plane ticket to alaska costs a few hundred bucks while transporting your car prolly cost $1.5k-2k?
I'll be sleeping in my car and probably not be eating anything extravagant. And I might also pick up equipments for my car along the way or before the journey in case of emergencies (there was a post that talked about this, engine block heater or what not).
If you could share your analysis/experience I would be delighted to read them.
You need to do some research about what will be least expensive for you but I'm with AKStafford on this that it may be more practical for you to plan to skip the border... put your vehicle on a ship and fly up. It'll probably be cheaper and a heck of a lot less hassle since Canada is presently in total lock down at this time..
If you intend to drive I'm pretty sure you will need to be able to provide verifiable confirmation of a residence and employment waiting for you in Alaska before the Canada Border Authorities will allow you to drive across the border and through Canada while the border is closed. I think if you are only going up there to look around for a residence and a job it would be considered non-essential travel through Canada and you would be denied entry.
If you do have confirmation and are allowed to drive through Canada you will need to have purchased any equipment for your vehicle and have it all installed before you start your journey, while you are still in USA, since you won't be able to do any kind of shopping to pick up any equipment anywhere in Canada.
I'm a recent college graduate taking the self-employment route. Drove up north to Seattle during christmas to check the vibe. I like the cold but figured out that cities are the same everywhere, despite the pleasant sceneries a rental situation might provide if you're lucky
Your post is somewhat confusing OP. The timeline you hope to follow isn't clear. Some questions to figure out what you are actually asking:
First, Alaska is not Washington. What time of year were you planning to do this? Next month? Next June? You won't want to sleep in your truck in February up here.
When you say city, do you mean Anchorage? Anchorage is not the same as Seattle and neither is the "vibe". I don't understand what scenery has to do with a rental. If you're in the city, you're in the city.
I really like the suburbs surrounding washington state, i can sense people are more wind down and have a warmer attitude (i have no words to describe it).
Again, Alaska is not Washington. Don't expect it to be.
I figure I should take the leap and just travel and rent a place in Alaska so I can focus on work and have a more immersive experience with solitude. I'm much more comfortable now with solitude but I do need space and really desire to be closer to nature rather than having to drive up to Palomar Mountains every weekend to unwind.
A rental in Anchorage (if that's the city you meant to move to) isn't going to provide much solitude. You'll have to leave the city to find it. Did you mean you want to use Anchorage as a home base but spend most of your time traveling to other more remote places from there? If you hope to work remotely out of your truck, be advised that phone and internet service is very limited once away from cities.
I've read that covid makes it hard to travel across the border without a set of documents.
Yes, it does, but I'm not clear about what "documents" you mean. The problem is, the situation changes from week to week. Obviously you'd need an official ID (passport, etc) to cross the border, regardless what the pandemic situation is. What the border agents require in addition to proof of identity now may not apply next month, 2 months later, 6 months after that. The border could also close down completely if the situation changes. No predicting it, so your plan might fail at any time If you simply try to drive up.
If by "documents" you mean proof that you are an AK resident returning to the state, You'll have to get up here some other way FIRST (which is why someone suggested just flying up), get an AK residence address, proof of rent and/or a utility bill, get an official state resident ID before flying back south to get your truck. Then, go ahead and try to drive it across. You might also need vehicle insurance tied to an AK residential address. I don't know. You'll still be faced with uncertainty at the border. The Covid situation could change before all this happens.
I wanted to pay for housing at least after I pack up in my truck and at least get to facetime the place, but ideally I would like to be there to survey the rental property and its environment.
How likely will the border patrol prevent me from crossing given that I haven found housing yet? I'm travelling alone and just wants to drive straight to Alaska so I can get set-up and start working.
IF, at the time you try to cross the border the border agents require proof of an AK address, they may not just let you in. You'll be turned around. Is that a chance you want to take? There have been a couple other C-D posters that happened to. I also talked to someone in person last spring who was turned around at the border because they didn't have an AK residential address. They run a seasonal business based out of their motor home. They ended up driving back down south to Washington and putting it on the AK Marine Highway ferry. They were very very lucky to get a reservation. Vehicle space on the ferry is limited and fills up months in advance. However, if you put your truck on the ferry initially, you won't need to drive across the USA/CA border and all you need in terms of documents is to prove your identity. The ferry may be more expensive up front, but in these times it is somewhat less complicated.
Did I understand your plan or not? I also agree with AKStafford about shipping your truck and flying yourself. If you insist on driving, all you can really do is keep a close watch on the current requirements for the international border. What I just wrote could be obsolete a week from now. Honestly, this may not be the best year to do all this. Even if you do fly up to get residency established ahead of time you will still make two trips and the border could still close down for who knows how long.
Last edited by Parnassia; 01-05-2021 at 11:55 PM..
How likely will the border patrol prevent me from crossing given that I haven found housing yet? I'm travelling alone and just wants to drive straight to Alaska so I can get set-up and start working.
Tay
Pretty much 100% chance they won't let you in right now. In 4 or 6 months, who knows.
Apply now for seasonal summer jobs. Most come with housing and are away from Anchorage in more... colorful locales. Depending on how things unfold the next few months, summer jobs in the tourism industry may be sparse, but there are other things. Check government jobs, forestry and wildlife service stuff. You didn't mention what sort of degree you graduated with, so I can't offer more specific suggestions.
Rents in Anchorage are expensive, even for terrible places. Rentals elsewhere can be sparse and are often.... unique. You should definitely be there in order to locate something that suits you, in my opinion.
Either way, I'd say chill in place 'til April or May and reevaluate travel options then.
First, Alaska is not Washington. What time of year were you planning to do this? Next month? Next June? You won't want to sleep in your truck in February up here.
When you say city, do you mean Anchorage? Anchorage is not the same as Seattle and neither is the "vibe". I don't understand what scenery has to do with a rental. If you're in the city, you're in the city.
Yes In fact I would like to move ASAP during winter because I would prefer to pack more layers to keep warm. I have checked the weather at whitehorse, Yukon and Kenai, AK, it doesn't seem like the temperature falls so much below 10 Degree Fahrenheit at this time. And I've dealt with maybe 28 or slightly less, both in car and camping, so I reckon that I perhaps can deal with something colder?
What's the rule of thumb for cold management in AK? ie what does a few deg drop in temperature entails?
Quote:
A rental in Anchorage (if that's the city you meant to move to) isn't going to provide much solitude. You'll have to leave the city to find it. Did you mean you want to use Anchorage as a home base but spend most of your time traveling to other more remote places from there? If you hope to work remotely out of your truck, be advised that phone and internet service is very limited once away from cities.
Yea I found a cabin in Kenai whose landlord says has internet and shower but even if I were to work remotely I can work around that. Might actually be better since it forces one to plan ahead to gather what resources one needs. . just like it's much easier to set up tent and fire before nightfalls and it freezes.
Quote:
If by "documents" you mean proof that you are an AK resident returning to the state, You'll have to get up here some other way FIRST (which is why someone suggested just flying up), get an AK residence address, proof of rent and/or a utility bill, get an official state resident ID before flying back south to get your truck. Then, go ahead and try to drive it across. You might also need vehicle insurance tied to an AK residential address. I don't know. You'll still be faced with uncertainty at the border. The Covid situation could change before all this happens.
Ah.. i see. . it makes sense to fly up and get a residence first. . at least in my situation, thanks for enlightening me on this.
Quote:
Did I understand your plan or not? I also agree with AKStafford about shipping your truck and flying yourself. If you insist on driving, all you can really do is keep a close watch on the current requirements for the international border. What I just wrote could be obsolete a week from now. Honestly, this may not be the best year to do all this. Even if you do fly up to get residency established ahead of time you will still make two trips and the border could still close down for who knows how long.
yup that sounds about right. Hoping for the better for 2021! thanks!
Apply now for seasonal summer jobs. Most come with housing and are away from Anchorage in more... colorful locales. Depending on how things unfold the next few months, summer jobs in the tourism industry may be sparse, but there are other things. Check government jobs, forestry and wildlife service stuff. You didn't mention what sort of degree you graduated with, so I can't offer more specific suggestions.
Rents in Anchorage are expensive, even for terrible places. Rentals elsewhere can be sparse and are often.... unique. You should definitely be there in order to locate something that suits you, in my opinion.
Either way, I'd say chill in place 'til April or May and reevaluate travel options then.
Hi that sounds like a wonderful idea. Not exactly what I had in mind but I'll check it out. I primarily just wanna do my own thing (at least for the next year) since jobs and having to have immediate interaction with people are what i've been doing my whole life.
I found some places going from $800-1000, not in Anchorage but I definitely understand that in urban places rent can be more expensive compared to having to drive to the nearest town.
I graduated with a applied math major but I'm looking into electronics right now.
You need to do some research about what will be least expensive for you but I'm with AKStafford on this that it may be more practical for you to plan to skip the border... put your vehicle on a ship and fly up. It'll probably be cheaper and a heck of a lot less hassle since Canada is presently in total lock down at this time..
If you intend to drive I'm pretty sure you will need to be able to provide verifiable confirmation of a residence and employment waiting for you in Alaska before the Canada Border Authorities will allow you to drive across the border and through Canada while the border is closed. I think if you are only going up there to look around for a residence and a job it would be considered non-essential travel through Canada and you would be denied entry.
If you do have confirmation and are allowed to drive through Canada you will need to have purchased any equipment for your vehicle and have it all installed before you start your journey, while you are still in USA, since you won't be able to do any kind of shopping to pick up any equipment anywhere in Canada.
.
Yes I plan to get all my equipments here and install in the US (maybe along the way at rest area, truck stops, home depot. who knows, anywhere that's convenient)
I get that residency should be verified but how does the border authority stop someone if he/she has a flexible job or self-employed?
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