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Hi everyone.

My husband and I are planning our first winter trip to Alaska in
From Nov 6-15th and would like to check about our itinerary

We’re planning to visit Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Chena Hot Springs, and our itinerary includes:

Matanuska Glacier
Aurora Winter Train from Anchorage to Fairbanks
Chena Hot Springs
Snowmobiling
Arctic Circle + Yukon River by road
Dog sledding
Northern Lights viewing
Museum of the North
Creamer’s Field
Chena Lake / Moose Creek Dam
North Pole
Goldstream Valley / Murphy Dome

We’ll also have an AWD rental car in Fairbanks and plan to self-drive for most of the local sightseeing.

like to know:

1- Will it be easy to self drive - ( just FYI, I live in Arizona😅)

2- Are there any places here you would skip or replace?
Are we missing any really good nature/scenic spots around Fairbanks or Anchorage?

3- Is early November usually too early for snowmobiling or traditional dog sledding?

Are there any places on this list you would avoid self-driving to in November?

We’re mainly interested in winter scenery, nature, glaciers, Northern Lights, scenic drives, dog sledding, and snow activities, rather than museums or city attractions every day.
Would really appreciate any suggestions or changes from locals or people who have done Alaska in November.

I’m going to Anchorage for work from November 6-13. I’ll have a Friday through Monday to explore wherever. After doing lots of research, I’m pretty pumped about the idea of going to Seward for the weekend.

By the looks of it, all the trains and buses between Anchorage and Seward are closed for the season. So we would need to rent a car. How treacherous is that drive?

I’m sure it’s impossible to know for certain till we get there. But I’m wondering if it’s a good idea to do that drive, specially because I’ll have a bit of a nervous Nelly passenger with me.

Aside from hot ponds/springs, and excluding the ocean, do people swim in Alaska? Does the water get warm enough? 🤔

Ill be in the fairbanks area mid october any things to do with my wife? So far I got reindeer walk and ice skating the the three summits in fairbanks? Are hikes possible? I was looking into going for the castner glacier one would going around 6am make sense or will it be too dark?

hi! i may be moving to sitka if a job lines up. i’ve never lived in alaska and im from the south so i am prepared for the culture shock but not so sure if im prepared for the logistical lifestyle changes. i know i will have a VERY long trip if i take a car, and that i would have to ferry/ship my car from bellingham washington or haines alaska. i worry about feeling trapped without a car on top of the isolation, and i also like to go an do things by myself pretty often. im debating if bringing a car is worth it- im not very interested in selling my car and buying a new one up there. or i could fly, but i guess im wondering how the public transportation in sitka is and if its really necessary to bring a car.

i’m also wondering about bulk groceries and other random things that the local stores may not have. i know many people fly over to juneau to do some shopping but playing with the alaska sea plane website showed me a round trip is over 500 dollars and you cant fly there and back in the same day.

any sitkans please chime in! i’d love to know everything about your town. if anyone has any information about the island i’d also be interested in that! thanks!

Hi, we are visiting Alaska in June/July for about 10 days with our kids who will be 11 and 9 by then. We will fly into Anchorage On Wednesday
-Drive to Girdwood Wednesday and stay there Thursday and Friday
-Saturday drive to Seward and stay there on sunday and Monday
-Tuesday drive to Denali and stay there in Wednesday and Thursday.
-Friday drive back to Anchorage and Saturday fly out

-I don’t have specific oto do things planned yet but we like hikes that are Easy/moderate and about 3 miles. We will definitely do a boat tour in Kenai Fjords.
-We like to take our time to enjoy things rather than stay on the move.
-Does this seem like good time to spend in each area?

Edit: How far ahead should I rent hotels. Some of our dates are not available for hotels in Seward. I am wondering if they are booked already or it’s too soon to book?

My spouse and I are both going to be new grad nurses in December and we are thinking of moving to Alaska. How are the job opportunities over there (we’ve seen mostly Fairbanks and Anchorage), and how is the pay vs cost of living over there?

Okay, this might sound dumb to some of y’all, but I could really use your advice! 😂

I’ve been doing some research, looking at land prices, and dreaming about building a small cabin in Alaska, specifically in Willow, Alaska. I recently watched a couple of YouTube videos showcasing Alaska’s incredible nature, and I completely fell in love with it! Now I can’t stop thinking about making this dream a reality.

I have a few questions for anyone familiar with the area or who has gone through this process.

• Building permits: Do I need a permit to build a small cabin in Willow, or does it depend on the location and size of the cabin?
• Electricity: I’d only plan on staying there during the summer, maybe 2–3 months a year. Would solar panels be enough to power a small cabin during the summer, or would it be better to buy land that already has electricity and utility hookups?
• Drinking water: What’s the situation with well water in Alaska? Is it generally safe to drink if the well is properly maintained and tested, or do most people rely on bottled water? I’m from upstate New York, where we don’t always feel comfortable drinking well water, so I’m curious how things work in Alaska.
• Building help: Are there any local handymen or contractors in the Willow area who could help me build a small cabin? I’d love to hear about anyone’s experience working with local builders.
• Buying land: Is there anything specific I should know before buying a lot in Willow, especially when it comes to access roads, utilities, water, or building restrictions?

Has anyone here built a small cabin in the area or gone through the process of buying land and building one? I’d really appreciate hearing about your experiences, advice, or any mistakes I should avoid.

I know I might be getting ahead of myself, and maybe I’m dreaming a little too big too soon, but hey, there’s no harm in dreaming, right? 😂 Sometimes you just see a place so beautiful that you can’t help but imagine having a little piece of it for yourself.

Thanks in advance to anyone willing to share their knowledge! I really appreciate it. ❤️

How do you know her? What's she like? Is she the smiling person you see in her campaign ads, the hostile woman painted by the allegations in the news, somewhere in between?

Truly not looking for political opinions, just curious to hear firsthand accounts on her character.

Thanks!

(I hope this kind of post is acceptable here.)

Good morning Alaska.

My dad and I, who have a complicated relationship which is besides the point, are thinking of going on a fishing trip to spend quality time together and bond over both our one common-interest (one we're particularly unskilled in and have terrible luck with) and a bucket list trip for my dad. We're planning from scratch and looking for non-AI generated advice from people who live in Alaska and/or know the fishing situation well. We're flexible! We're looking for:

• Preference for river fishing (I get seasick).
• Best times to go (flexible).
• What expectations to have around odds of catching salmon with all we're hearing about trawling depleting stocks. Our last couple charters ended in disasters for a variety of reasons including running aground on a sandbar.
• Related, but tips for being a responsible visitor, being mindful of local communities and supporting them rather than corporations based out of state. We want to do more good than harm.

Thanks so much! Pointing us towards resources/websites is also greatly appreciated.

My husband and I are moving to Hydaburg, on Prince of Wales island early November, coming from Eastern WA. (He will be teaching at the school!) We are taking the ferry up from Bellingham and I just have some questions about what winters are like on the island.

Well-meaning family members keep telling me the winter is going to be really harsh in terms of low temps and tell me I need an engine block heater for the car, but most things I've read say the winters are mostly rainy/slushy/sometimes heavy snow. What do ya'll think? I am trying to conserve money and I'm not sure its worth the expense.

How passable is the road from Hollis to Hydaburg in the winter months? What type of tires/chains/studs should I have on the car? I have a Subaru Forester Sport (2024).

Of course any other helpful advice ya'll can think of is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hey y'all

I will be working in Anchorage mid March to mid November 2027. I'll have 2 weeks to get from southern CA to anchorage, which will be the first 2 weeks of March

Unfortunately my car isn't great for a winter journey. It's a Subaru legacy currently with all season tires.

Seems likey options are either 1. Drive the whole way, 2. Uses ferry to Haines to cut road time or 3. Ship the car entirely

What would you do iny positive? Any advice for those with experience would be appreciated!

Hello! We are a retired couple planning a month long trip to Alaska mid-summer next year. Return trip for him, first time for me.

Our first week we will fly into Juneau and have 7 nights before flying to Anchorage for our 3 week RV trip.

We love landscapes, wildlife and light hiking. He may do a couple more strenuous hikes and/or mountain bike.

Our thoughts for that week:
Day 1 - Arrive mid afternoon, rent car and go to grocery store. Explore some depending on how tired we are.
Day 2,3,4 - Fast ferry to Haines. 3 nights in Haines with rental car. Hoping for eagles, bears and nice drive up toward Haines Junction.
Day 5, 6 - Fly to Gustavus. Might have to be a private operator. Stay 2 nights and take GB boat tour. Maybe whale watching from here.
Day 7 Ferry to Juneau
Day 8 daytime explore Juneau, whale watching if missed so far. Evening flight to ANC.

How does this sound? We will end up with a solid day, day+ in Juneau, but will
prioritize Haines and being on the water in ferries/tours.

I know there is a ton to do in the area, but this is our compromise week to see some of the southeast, with the main trip being Anchorage/driving based. More on that itinerary later.

I remember a documentary about sharks found across the coast of America. But i forgot about the part where they said sharks are found in Alaska

What kind of sharks can be found swimming around the coast of Alaska?

For all those who are currently living in Alaska what are the pros and cons of living over there. I'm not going to give you my direct location where I'm planning to go but just kind of give me an idea of what to expect when it comes to life living in the lower 48 to all the way up there. I have left in a lot of cold states in the past so for me the cold weather is not an issue at all but I guess I saw YouTube videos about everything been very expensive out there and there's not a lot of resources. Living a small cities I understand you know you don't have all the stores you need like the big Walmarts and whatnot but just kind of give us some advice about you know things to expect moving out there.

I know a lot of these posts are already on the sub, but every time I try to figure out which of two options to choose, the answer seems to be "yes."

We would like to visit next summer with two college-aged young adults. My husband and I are 40s-50s, we're all pretty fit. We love pretty scenery, wildlife, hiking (but not scrambling level), food, and history. I do not want to take a cruise and I don't want to be on any tiny planes. I do not sleep on the ground, but would be fine cabin-camping. I'm on the fence about some of these side-of-a-cliff train options, but my daughter does love trains.

We are coming from the east coast, and could probably do up to 2 weeks anywhere inside of June to August, and aren't terribly budget-constrained. Do we fly into ANC and visit Kenai Fjords and Denali? Or fly into JUN and take the ferry to Skagway and/or Ketchikan? Try to do both? Would love some help!

Hi everyone,

I'm planning a trip to Anchorage in June 2027, but I can't seem to find any available rental cars at ANC through major companies like Enterprise and Hertz.

Does anyone know if they've already sold out, or if their booking calendars for June 2027 haven't opened yet?

For those who have rented a car in Alaska during the summer, how far in advance would you recommend booking?

Thanks in advance!

Never been to Alaska and finally met someone who likes to travel therefore we would like to plan a visit to Alaska for about 1-2 weeks.

We would like to go when it’s in pure snow season. We are from the nw, me personally want to experience the snow blizzards,ice storms etc kind of what is seen in movies.

What or where would be a good place to stay at? Like hotel or air bnb, also what city? (Later in the future a small town would be nice but for now a city is more ideal)a car is a must so I can rent one. We are both grown so we just want to visit there and see how life is there. We don’t want to party nor be out late. Just simply head out from our regular routine and relax 1-2 weeks.

Any hints and tricks thank you

One of the interesting things about being in Alaska is how remote so much of it is. I could see that being a make or break factor for some people. Maybe in Anchorage and Fairbanks you get less of that feeling but even then compared to much of the lower 48 those places aren't super busy either.

Is Alaska worried that Putin or whoever comes next might get an idea to reclaim it like Ukraine? Nukes would certainly be a part of that rumble but these ruskis seem to like to toe that line. Do Alaskans like Russians? Are they mortal enemies? Fish stealers and creepy drunks? Friends that offer a warm bowl of borscht to an Alaskan in need? What’s the feeling?

I read many postings here for advice on visiting Fairbanks to see the lights but it is mostly for people who could/would rent a car. I am from California and have never driven in the snow so that is not an option. We only have two days in Fairbanks and to maximize our chances of seeing the lights, we plan on staying in town and hiring one of those light chasing tours since I was told that they could drive to a location not covered by clouds. I know it’s a bit of a gamble. 1) Is staying in town is better than a lodge/resort since you can walk around town etc and the lodge is not mobile and cant avoid clouds? 2) Without a car and only two days, does the tour makes more sense for me vs someone else? I ask this questions since previous response were all negative on hiring tours.

Hi all!

Curious about what kinds of things you all absolutely recommend that a person buys in the lower 48 to bring with them on a move up, and what things they should wait to buy once they arrive? Also, what do you guys stock up on and bring home with you when visiting the lower 48?

Hi everybody! I’m planning a trip to from Bellingham to Juneau sometime this year, and unfortunately I am not able to go in the spring or summer. I’m currently thinking about taking the ferry in either late November or early January, and I’m wondering what the ferry is like in the winter time? Are the waters crazy rough? How cold is it? Would I be able to sleep on deck under the heat lamps, or would it still be too cold? Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

(Heavy emphasis on whether or not it’s too cold to sleep under the heat lamps. It’s kind of a dream to sleep on the deck of the boat but I assume it’s more of a summer activity)