Posted on 10/18/2009 6:33:13 PM PDT by The Magical Mischief Tour
I guess I've reached that point in my life where you begin to think honestly about retirement.
Not happy with the current state of politics and not happy with the politics of my current home state, its gun laws, the criminal injustice system et al... I'm looking for a new home.
Fortunately its just me, no wife, no kids just me.
What are the opinions of Alaska?
I like the landscape, I love winter, wilderness and the outdoors.
I am talking with some small charter operators who own and operate small planes for a part time slot.
I've been there many times, but usually just a fuel stop as I continued onward to points in Asia.
What are the real in's and out's to Alaska living?
It’s dark in the winter. Do it while you are physically able.
Best wishes for you and your retirement.
If you like Alaska and winter, go for it.
Me, I enjoy the dry heat of the desert.
Follow your heart and do what brings you happiness. :-)
I predict that the feds will be forced to sell Alaska to the highest bidder in order to keep social security and medicare afloat.
I have a few online friends who live in Alaska. The cost of living is very high because everything has to be flown/shipped in.I don’t know where you live but I’ve been told that food and utilities cost aboput twice what they do in California.
You need to prepared for the unexpected at all times. You need to be self-sufficient. You must have a love of nature.
It’s a great place.
You won’t like 50 days of darkness and going to the tanning booth to keep your sanity. Alaska sucks in February.
Sell it, hell. They’ll give it away.
“Follow your heart and do what brings you happiness”
This, young man, says it all. As one of the older fogeys hanging around these parts (FR) I can guarantee you that you will never regret doing what you dream of.
The nursing homes are full of folks who wish they had “gone for it” in spite of the fact that someone told them all the reasons they shouldn’t do it. There’s always someone available to talk you out of doing things, but very few around to encourage you. Trust your heart.
I think it was George Mason Univ that did a study that concluded that Alaska has the most freedom of any our 57 states.
Have spent a llot of time in AK, but never in the dead of winter. Not sure I want to either. I will laways cherish my time spent there, but I doubt I’d ever want to live there.
If I moved to Alaska it would be Ketchikan or Juneau, fairly temperate during the winter, and beautiful! However, I wouldn’t do it unless I owned a home near the water with a dock for a boat and floatplane.
Tennessee - Tennessee - Tennessee
No income tax, and a very gun owner friendly state. Alaska? TDC (Too Damn Cold) and considering the bear population, humans are not on the top of the food chain.
I’ll buy it. I’ve got a printing press!
Have you been to Ketchikan? What are your thots about the area?
People used to say, “That’s something I always wanted to do!”, when they heard about our living aboard and cruising on a boat. I used to always say, “Why not try it?”, “What’s the worst thing that can happen? You hate it, so you go back to living on land.”.
If you can do it and it’s something you always wanted to do, why not? You may find bliss or you may discover six months of darkness and -80 degrees is not your cuppa tea. At least you’re not sitting in a rocking chair at 90 saying, “I wish I had...”
I was just there on a vacation and talked to several people who had retired to the Anchorage area. They loved it - one couple took their motorhome somewhere beautiful every summer weekend. A lot of people only live there for six months though - they go to Florida or Arizona for the winter. I’d be tempted, but my husband owns too much crap to store.
I need to fix mt post.
East Tennessee - East Tennessee -East Tennessee
How about SE Alaska, bit wet but not so dark in winter.
I’ve developed an interest in Prince of Wales Island :)
Spent 3 years in Fairbanks. -60F long cold winter but a dry cold. Along the caost much better but a wet cold. I loved the place but even my doctor said the best thing is to have an open-ended ticket out of AK for either depression or any major surgery as AK doesn’t attract the best of anything except folks on the lam. I love Alaska! I hunted and fished to my heart’s content but ya gotta have something to live buy since it’s expensive, dark and cold. I suggest Kodiak or Sika. Everyone in AK is a lot friendlier than in CONUS and there aren’t as many women. Hell, even the fat girls can afford to be picky...and they are! I love Alaska!
ping.
Ahem.....well we stopped there on a cruise...LOL! I loved it though, clean, fresh, wild, beautiful, and you have the whole inside passage to explore. Nice town too with some interesting people and interesting history.
I loved the inside passage and plan on more exploration using the Ferry system, floatplanes, private boat charters, and kayaking. There is endless adventure in them there waters.
You fly? Establish residency in Alaska - then spend January and February in Florida. Lots of folks here rent to snowbirds ... I know of a nice place on a large lake - bike to the local library...
A lot of single bears living there.
I live in Boston which is getting harder to do with taxes and the cost of living being so high. Its not easy to live with the dread of winter. I despise winter.
Three of my close relatives are moving to South Carolina. They have already done their research and everything is far more reasonable in terms of costs. In many instances the costs are greater than half. Ans the cherry on top is the weather being so much nicer.
My state really is a mess and I have been fumbling around with thoughts of following them to SC. We'll see. Seems like there isn't much for me in New England any more except memories.
Why don’t you consider a southern state? East Tennessee is absolutely beautiful with low taxes, very few regulations, and a mild climate.
Else the Russians will demand it back.
Alaska is a great place. Even a “big” city like Anchorage is great. Everyone seems to get along with each other and the people are friendly. There are lots of veterans in Alaska and most people have conservative values.
The “main beer” (by Alaskan Brewing) is great too, especially the Winter Ale. The summers are amazing (and quite warm). You can go downtown (or to midtown rather) and watch minor league ball games. Anchorage has an awesome 4th of July parade, and their American Legion Post is great.
Alaska is beautiful... huge moose you can see from miles away — and they’re not afraid to walk the streets of downtown Anchorage either! Alaska is a wonderful place.
You should try Helen, Georgia. Absolutely beautiful, cost of loving isn’t too high, and there’s 4 seasons.
I lived in Anchorage for two years and I LOVED Alaska. I came back to the lower 48 for some personal issues but given the chance to go back..I would. It is totally different than anywhere you will live in our country, I think. You learn how to live in the changes of weather. It is just beautiful. There is a “sisterhood/brotherhood” with Hawaii from eons ago so there is always some bargain trip down there if you need to get away for a bit. Some people who lived there had homes in other states for the winter...a lot in Arizona. I wouldn’t recommend Fairbanks...extreme variations on temperatures and weather, both summer and winter..unless you’re into that kind of thing. The grandest summer of my life was the first summer I spent in Alaska. It was mind boggling. State benefits are great! As with anything, there are pluses and minuses. I go with the pluses.
Just as another suggestion...Asheville, NC. Ended up there from Alaska. It is BEAUTIFUL and the weather is really nice. A little expensive. State taxes unlike Alaska...but it is worth checking out.
You come and check it out. You will love it. I promise. Long, cold, beautiful winters, short, intense summers. Magnificent scenery, fishing like HEAVEN. Just come up and look it over. No state income tax.
Just wanted you to know that I just enlarged your quote about folks in nursing homes who hadn’t “gone for it” and stuck it up on my wall — so i always see it and remind myself.
Thanks for the great post.
well, you porbably already know most of it. Those of us who choose to stay stay because it’s like no place else. There is a challenge to life here that defies description, a sense of the struggle to keep what one is able to wrest from the wilderness. Life is good, laid back, challenging, (oh. mentioned that), and never dull. I moved back five years ago after being in Utah and Minnesota. Thirty-five years up here, all together. It’s hard to describe what life is like here. Don’t settle in the metro areas if you don’t want just more of what you are leaving down there. The Mat-su is growing strongly, the panhandle is incredibly gorgeous, but limited. You probably know all of that.
Ask some specific questions, and I’m sure you’ll get the answers you are looking for. Good luck. I hope you join us.
Do all the women look like Palin?
Be prepared for RAIN, lots of it, and many, many cloudy days. The panhandle gets around 300 days a year of measurable precipitation. But some people don't mind liquid sunshine. I lived there for about 11 years. .
http://searchalaska.adn.com/sp?aff=1125&keywords=obituaries&skin=
One interesting thing about Alaska is the obit pages. Compare the ages here to the obit page where you live now. Lots of young people in the Alaska obits.
Me and my hubby just moved from Los Angeles to Landrum, SC & we LOVE it!!!
LOL! Don’t we all wish? It would be nice if all the men looked like Todd, too...
Why is that?
My sons have all lived in AK. The last one has been there over 18 years now and just loves it. He snowboards, plays basketball with Team Alaska, hunts, fishes, travels to the Yukon with his wife to participate in Tlingit life there, he will never be back down to the lower 48. He has an excellent job he loves and three great kids to share it with him. The deprivation of sunlight can be a pain but go to the Y and exercise. That helps them.
If you're old, forget it. It will kill you. Everything is expensive. The winters in the north are murder. Over the Arctic Circle you'll have 6 months of sun, and six months of darkness. Alcoholism is rampant. Depression is the average state of mind. Suicide is the preferred method of treatment.
If you're not committed to this lifestyle it will either kill you or you'll be back to the lower 48 fast.
Personally, I look elsewhere.
My sons have all lived in Anchorage. My youngest has been there for over 18 years now and he loves it there.
Go for it. If you don’t like it, don’t make yourself stay. Sometimes people try a place out for a some months before they take on the committment and money to relocate.
Ohhhhh yes. Are you in Anchorage?
Wonderful! Tell me a bit about life in SC. I’m curious about the unemployment rate at 10% or so. IS that due to the flood of people moving there?
I’m not sure, it’s just something I noticed. having established that I’m not an expert, I’ll rant on.
I looked at cause of death a while ago. Construction accidents, fishing accidents, drugs took a toll. It’s also a tough environment, dark, cold, wet (unless its really cold).
Some deaths came to people living subsistence lives, living off the land.
Look at the obit pages I posted, it’s pretty dramatic compared to El Segundo, where most people are over 80, plus a few traffic or ocean-related deaths.
Shhhh!!!! Dude, don’t be telling that. ;)
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