Its Official! North to Alaska from Georgia! (Anchorage, Fairbanks: 2013, houses)

[GAtoAK]

Hello all. My wife and I have both received job opportunities in Anchorage. Securing a job in Alaska has been a goal of mine for over 2 years and after many attempts with nothing to show, my patience has finally paid off! My wife will be staying back most likely until May while I will be driving up around January. We currently own 2 vehicles, neither of which we will be bringing. My wife's Mother auctions cars for a living and is going to help us quick sell them and find a good 4wd to drive up. I plan on driving up with my dog and buying my wife a plane ticket from Atlanta to Anchorage a few weeks after I arrive. Our house in Georgia appraises for over 30,000 more than we owe so we are highly likely to come out good there if we can sell it soon. Even if we don't, I should still be able to cover the payments while living in Anchorage until it sells. I currently have the 2013 version of Milespost which I hope is current enough. Either way I will be checking the web in major cities daily as I travel up. My wife and I plan on bringing almost no possessions that are not absolutely essential and starting over in Anchorage. Besides clothes, a vehicle, and other bare essentials, we will be buying pretty much everything else in Anchorage that we need. Any advice would be great. Thanks

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by GAtoAK

Hello all. My wife and I have both received job opportunities in Anchorage. Securing a job in Alaska has been a goal of mine for over 2 years and after many attempts with nothing to show, my patience has finally paid off! My wife will be staying back most likely until May while I will be driving up around January. We currently own 2 vehicles, neither of which we will be bringing. My wife's Mother auctions cars for a living and is going to help us quick sell them and find a good 4wd to drive up. I plan on driving up with my dog and buying my wife a plane ticket from Atlanta to Anchorage a few weeks after I arrive. Our house in Georgia appraises for over 30,000 more than we owe so we are highly likely to come out good there if we can sell it soon. Even if we don't, I should still be able to cover the payments while living in Anchorage until it sells. I currently have the 2013 version of Milespost which I hope is current enough. Either way I will be checking the web in major cities daily as I travel up. My wife and I plan on bringing almost no possessions that are not absolutely essential and starting over in Anchorage. Besides clothes, a vehicle, and other bare essentials, we will be buying pretty much everything else in Anchorage that we need. Any advice would be great. Thanks

Why not buy the vehicle in Alaska and just fly up? Seriously. After dumping my car and family in a ditch yesterday there is no way I'd drive to Alaska in the middle of the winter coming from the south. Finding a car that is winterized will be a challenge.

Other than that get studded tires. We had two outbacks and sold the one with studded tires. I ordered a set of studded tires last night after we got home. Luckily we were only going 30 when we slid out of control.

Good luck with the move and I'd recommend getting your gear before you get here. If you do decide to drive be prepared for -50 f temps with no heater or cell reception.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

Why not buy the vehicle in Alaska and just fly up? Seriously. After dumping my car and family in a ditch yesterday there is no way I'd drive to Alaska in the middle of the winter coming from the south. Finding a car that is winterized will be a challenge.

Other than that get studded tires. We had two outbacks and sold the one with studded tires. I ordered a set of studded tires last night after we got home. Luckily we were only going 30 when we slid out of control.

Good luck with the move and I'd recommend getting your gear before you get here. If you do decide to drive be prepared for -50 f temps with no heater or cell reception.

I'm so sorry to hear that you had such a scare. I hope everyone is okay (Subaru too)! Glad you were going nice and slow when it happened.

To the OP: I agree with Hj!

[Arktikos]

GAtoAK, if you are really looking forward to a wintertime driving adventure to Alaska, do not be dissuaded.
With an emergency road kit, sleeping bag and the right mix of antifreeze you should be good to go. I would suggest top quality stud less winter tires for the vehicle, as studs may not be legal in some locations. Besides:

"The precise environmental conditions under which studded tires provide a traction benefit are rare. On smooth ice near the freezing mark they are great. As the temperature drops, so does the effectiveness of studded tires. Studless tires seem to offer an excellent alternative. Good on ice, great on snow, but definitely more expensive."

“The truth of the matter is that tire design (has) evolved to the point where studless tires are equal to or better than studs,” said James Harper, a communication specialist with the Alaska University Transportation Center in Fairbanks, where researchers work closely with the state DOT. “The real takeaways from our research have less to do with tire performance and more to do with the driver.

[Wynternight]

Just pack a very full emergency kit with water, food, extra clothing, blankets, sleeping bag, a CB and drive carefully and you'll have a hell of a lovely drive up. Watch the switchbacks and the ascents and descents and have a camera with a telephoto lens. The vistas are amazing.

[skisnow92]

I was in a simular situation and decided to fly. A plane ticket from Boston to Anchorage is $213.00. Why would I drive a car that very well might break down (You never know with an older car) and pay upwards of $1000 in fuel, oil, food, wear in tear on the vehicle. Doing the Alcan alone can be fun but, also dangerous. Day light hours are limited in the winter and it's just not worth it in my opinion with the ticket being so much cheaper. You can find nice vehicles up there. Just my two cents. Good luck!

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by riceme

I'm so sorry to hear that you had such a scare. I hope everyone is okay (Subaru too)! Glad you were going nice and slow when it happened.

To the OP: I agree with Hj!

Everyone and everything was fine. Landed at the bottom of the air strip. The curve has a reputation. It really did scare us. There was another car coming from the opposite side and they were sliding as well. The good news was I had both kids strapped into their car seats properly (normally I only do the top part, since we are where we are).

I know studded tires aren't always needed, but when they are helpful, they are helpful. Right now we get a small snow, then rain. Then snow, then rain. Roads are slippery.

[GAtoAK]

Thanks all for your opinions. There are many things that will take place before the move actually takes place. First, My wife, baby daughter (19 months) and I will be flying up on Dec. 18 and returning to Atlanta Dec.23. My wife has a few interviews to attend and we will be looking at a few houses already lined up via Trulia. I am open to all criticism and please understand that I really have done plenty of research but know nothing about Alaska and am turning to some of you who do. Thanks to all for your input.

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by GAtoAK

Thanks all for your opinions. There are many things that will take place before the move actually takes place. First, My wife, baby daughter (19 months) and I will be flying up on Dec. 18 and returning to Atlanta Dec.23. My wife has a few interviews to attend and we will be looking at a few houses already lined up via Trulia. I am open to all criticism and please understand that I really have done plenty of research but know nothing about Alaska and am turning to some of you who do. Thanks to all for your input.

My offer stands to you, send us a PM and I will help any way that I can. As a matter of fact, if you are open to meeting for dinner on the 23, before your flight home, we would love to take you guys out.

Of course weather would play an issue there, but we are supposed to be in Anchorage on the 23rd.

I am not sure what your winter driving is like. Mine was nonexistient before I moved here. In anchorage they take care of the roads much better than our bush location. I would not drive up myself personally even after 4 winters. You may have experience that I don't have. I just know that being from the south, winter driving is different.

I also wouldn't buy into the "I will have an AWD or 4X4 vehicle, so I will be fine" mindset. After our little incident, one of the guys that helped pull us out of the ditch was telling me we were lucky we were in a Subaru and not a higher 4X4. I thought that if we had been in a higher ground clearance vehicle, we would have flipped.

Heck, I am looking from a bumper sticker that says: I drive slow, because I'm from GA.

In all seriousness, your plan has been thought about. But I stand by my comments. You can get a nice vehicle already set up for winter in Anchorage. Price would be a little higher, but by the time you add your time and gas as well it isn't that much higher. When we were winterizing our car this summer (it was in metro ATL) I ended up buying stuff in Anchorage and mailing it down since none of the local parts stores had what we needed. Of course that was during the summer, but...GA winter is more like our fall.

[AKStafford]

Originally Posted by GAtoAK

looking at a few houses already lined up via Trulia.

I would be careful about relying on Trulia or Zillow for Alaska. Your best bet is get connect with a good, local Realtor who knows the market.