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I don't mean any disrespect to those living in the bush, but to give someone from the lower 48 a perspective, it is more akin to living in remote parts of the developing world than any part of the lower 48, but with a very high cost of living due to the remote nature and expense of shipping in everything via small plane or seasonally on a barge.

It's hard to say what part of the state is best because there are so many pluses and minuses of each location. If you're on the road system you'll be able to get pretty much anything you can in the lower 48 and by Alaskan standards reasonably priced. You'll be able to access a vast portion of the state, but so can everyone else on the road system and those visiting in their RV's.

If you're off the road system in an area not visited by cruise ships you'll have a totally different experience and life style. There are good and bad things about small communities. It will take years before you'll be considered anything other than a visitor and you will never be truly accepted as a local.

As far as a hunting and fishing paradise, if you have the time and the money it can be incredible. If you lack one or the other or both then it's nothing like what you read about in hunting magazines. Fishing can still be outstanding, but our game densities are very low and there is a lot of competition for what game there is. Odds are you'll have to put a fair bit of time to connect with big game.

What you get out of an Alaskan experience is exactly what you put into it. IMHO Anchorage or the Mat-su can be an excellent place to plant roots as you'll have the broadest opportunity for employment, and Alaska can be right outside your door, or a short drive away. The downside is you can fall into the rat race and wonder how all these people have $100+k tied up in "toys" aka boats, 4 wheelers and snowmachines to access hunting and fishing. The answer is a combination of some people make really high salaries, some get into crazy debt for their toys, and some have been accumulating them for 20+ years.

You can have some uniquely Alaskan experiences with your kids amongst the hoards



Wilderness experiences just at the fringe of the cities



Or with a boat access areas where you can really get away from it all



If you do take the plunge, wherever you land make sure you and your wife will give it two years before you assess whether or not its for you. It'll take at least that long to give any place a fair shake.