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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50 |
Wife and I rolled in last Saturday after a long week's drive up from Dallas (we left Texas behind in our dust, ready for a brand new adventure ). Renting a place for now, something low maintenance (hopefully) so we can spend most of our time exploring the state and enjoying life outside. Start researching how to go about hunting here, probably a bit different from Texas, albeit on a non-res license for now If my boss lets me stay here (he really wants me in Atlanta), we'll be looking a little later this year for a property to purchase. I keep getting an itch to just buy one of these plots of land people have up for sale, just to call my own little getaway, use it for weekend escapes, hunting camp, something along those lines. But we'll see about that once we've been here a bit. See ya around!
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,944
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2001
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I figure in about 2 years you can buy anything you want at your price!
kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists
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Posts: 40,179
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 40,179 |
Congrats! You're going to love it.
Son of a liberal: " What did you do in the War On Terror, Daddy?"
Liberal father: " I fought the Americans, along with all the other liberals."
MOLON LABE
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 12,359
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jan 2005
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... so we can spend most of our time exploring the state and enjoying life outside..... sorry to have to correct you so early.. but "outside" when you are in Alaska means, anywhere else other than Alaska. suggestion: put in for the Denali Road lottery right away (it is open only in May to enter, for September pass to drive in using your own vehicle... enjoy. I had 6 great years up there!!
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50 |
... so we can spend most of our time exploring the state and enjoying life outside..... sorry to have to correct you so early.. but "outside" when you are in Alaska means, anywhere else other than Alaska. suggestion: put in for the Denali Road lottery right away (it is open only in May to enter, for September pass to drive in using your own vehicle... enjoy. I had 6 great years up there!! Noted I was actually just talking with one of the ladies at the realtor about the lottery, sounds like that would be pretty cool to be able to drive that far in. Right now, with the weather and the buses not running yet, they've opened the road up to mile 30. So we'll probably give that a run as well in the meantime. Today is moving in day though, thankfully we just have what fit in our cars, should be a relatively short ordeal.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
dang, you are 4 years and 7 months ahead of us.... have fun!
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,344
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 10,344 |
Left Texas in the dust? I thought you were from Dallas. Sure ain't no dust at this time. A winter will tell if you stay. Not the cold, just the short daylight. If you are not an outside person in the winter you will have a hard time.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
thast probably why carolyn at a minimum will have to come home like a snowbird for a few months every winter...
I'm staying the first year. I just hope we can adapt to it. There certainly is no other place like it that I"ve ever been.
Bugs are one thing. Lots of dark is the other thing. I think I can deal with cold. Plus that should be an ideal time to load ammo etc....
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50 |
Yup, I think Dallas is mud and squishy grass right now with all the rain that came through just as we left.
We caught some of the short days when we visited back in January, but yeah, a full winter will definitely decide it.
What do you guys like to do in winter to get out of the house? Thankfully I am off work at 1pm, so that should give me a little time before dark.
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Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,091
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 2,091 |
Where abouts did you relocate to? I'll be rolling into the Homer area later this month.
@jameslavish
If you work 40 hrs/wk: at 5% inflation and after 5 years, you need a 28% pay raise or to work 44 more hours (*one full extra week* per month+) to make up the difference.
This is inflation
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Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 50 |
Where abouts did you relocate to? I'll be rolling into the Homer area later this month. Wasilla for now. Kind of middle ground, smaller town (than Anchorage anyway), but still has everything we need. Also easy access to get north or south to all parts of the state relatively quickly. Now that we're here, have some place to live for the next 12 months, we'll be keeping an eye on properties, prices, economy, all that fun stuff. And trying to convince my boss he doesn't really need me in Atlanta
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 15,346
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 15,346 |
Close ...closer....now..….Drive 1 hour north or east ....ahhh , there it is ...Alaska.….beers to ya
I work harder than a ugly stripper....
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Joined: May 2013
Posts: 227
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 227 |
relatively quickly becomes an interesting term in alaska.
my brother-in-law lived up there for a few years, here in upstate ny an hour drive for dinner isn't bad. my brother-in-law said there were days he would take a road trip for dinner, 3 hours each way generally had a hike or something thrown in to justify the exploration but he would hear about a good place and go for it
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
Where abouts did you relocate to? I'll be rolling into the Homer area later this month. Wasilla for now. Kind of middle ground, smaller town (than Anchorage anyway), but still has everything we need. Also easy access to get north or south to all parts of the state relatively quickly. Now that we're here, have some place to live for the next 12 months, we'll be keeping an eye on properties, prices, economy, all that fun stuff. And trying to convince my boss he doesn't really need me in Atlanta Wasilla is way to big for our tastes, but then again its still close to Alaska. LOL. Great scenery around as is most places in AK. Just have to look up a bit. And many marshes filled with ducks, moose all over etc... Enjoy, we see Wasilla for a few hours or more every fall to visit great friends we consider family. Will be so nice to be able to drive over and spend a weekend or more with them now and again in about 4 years and 7 months. Enjoy!
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
thast probably why carolyn at a minimum will have to come home like a snowbird for a few months every winter...
I'm staying the first year. I just hope we can adapt to it. There certainly is no other place like it that I"ve ever been.
Bugs are one thing. Lots of dark is the other thing. I think I can deal with cold. Plus that should be an ideal time to load ammo etc.... I'm thinking you're gonna be a bit 'surprised'
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
I don't know your wife from Adam, but I wish you luck with it. I've seen many a people 'fail' after the first winter.
Damn near anyplace can seem groovy for 3 weeks
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
She will have a problem with it. Thats why she will snowbird it for a few months of the winter time back at home.
Unless it works better for her.
Just having the desire to do it, does not make it such that all will be fine.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
In a perfect world I'd live in Alaska March, April, May, August, September, October and leave before Thanksgiving.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
Yep, that wouldn't be bad.
I'm good easily through thanksgiving. But I'll be coming back some in December to hunt here. Though I"d like to hunt blacktails there in December.
I'm thinking whenever she decides to head south I wont' see her until March again is my guess.
I"m fairly sure I could be good year round.
But like the answer to the question, would you shoot someone attacking you or invading your car or house? I like to think I know that answer, but in the end, you won't know unless you have to.
I notice that June and July are out. Tourists? Heat? Bugs? All of the above?
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,944
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,944 |
That sums it up after 30 years!
kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
Yep, that wouldn't be bad.
I'm good easily through thanksgiving. But I'll be coming back some in December to hunt here. Though I"d like to hunt blacktails there in December.
I'm thinking whenever she decides to head south I wont' see her until March again is my guess.
I"m fairly sure I could be good year round.
But like the answer to the question, would you shoot someone attacking you or invading your car or house? I like to think I know that answer, but in the end, you won't know unless you have to.
I notice that June and July are out. Tourists? Heat? Bugs? All of the above? Tourists, heat (of course it will be hotter in the south). There ain't nothing to shoot in July and not much I want to shoot in June. Steelhead/rainbows are great in the spring, along with bear. August is great for salmon/hunting. Really not much I want to do in June/July. In fact, I found June/July and February the worse months.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619 |
December is really too late for blacktails. On Kodiak they start dropping antlers by about the 10th. Days are also too freaking short for much hunting. First three weeks of November are best, getting into the rut and finding good bucks.
June is one of my favorite months here. Just getting the black bears out of the dens up high and the smolt migration with the lake trout and rainbows tearing them up.
July is sockeyes...
Easy for me to get away from tourists...
December, January, and February are my three longest months...
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 96,121 |
Yeah, December deer are all rutted out, I don't want them.
December/January ain't bad if you're running a trap line. We didn't really have many sockeye in my part of SE, though the cutt fishing is great in the lakes.
"Dear Lord, save me from Your followers"
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,944
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 7,944 |
One of the big problems after you turn 65 up here is our health care rates are too high for Medicare, my tentative plan is to play outside for few months and get my health care done outside at a lower cost.
Just heard our medical costs are 2.76 times higher than nat. average! And some of the non profit Hospitals make the most profit! Some thing to consider when AK is your home.
Our reasons for staying in AK seem to be eroding fast!
Last edited by kk alaska; 05/03/16.
kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
Yeah, December deer are all rutted out, I don't want them.
December/January ain't bad if you're running a trap line. We didn't really have many sockeye in my part of SE, though the cutt fishing is great in the lakes. INteresting on the deer, had done them on Montague just before Thanksgiving and it was getting good... figured move it forward a bit and would be better. Good to know that info. Hate to hear about medicare costs and such, but being we'll likely be out a month or three in the winter I suspect we can make it work. I'm just hoping I can find a fairly close EMT job when we get up there, close to the Delta area anyway and if have to run into FBKs, that I can at least manage to find a 48 hour shift instead of 24s...
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,338
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,338 |
Wahnsinn, you might check this Alaskan site for information about many things, especially hunting, fishing, recreation, etc., in Alaska. Almost all the people who post there are Alaska residents and most are very helpful. http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/index.phpL.W.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." (William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830s.)
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619 |
Wahnsinn, you might check this Alaskan site for information about many things, especially hunting, fishing, recreation, etc., in Alaska. Almost all the people who post there are Alaska residents and most are very helpful. http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/index.phpL.W. Sadly, that website imploded from a ridiculous dose of over-moderation from the way left-wing owner/idiot. The few remaining posters are GIs new to AK looking for advice, but posting their own "great" advice anyway. Absolutely truthful negative feedback on anything is verboten...
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 15,346
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 15,346 |
I work harder than a ugly stripper....
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,133
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,133 |
But, but....they gots a ballistic engineer!
lol...
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 98
Campfire Greenhorn
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Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 98 |
A couple of weeks ago marked my 48th year here. The secret to Alaska is to get into Alaska. Summer is easy; fish, clam, Kayak, hike, camp or Get yourself a boat, UTV, quad or airplane. Before you know it- it's hunting season. In winter XC ski, downhill ski, Snowmachine or put your Bird on skies. That way, you are always looking forward to your next upcoming adventure. If you happen to have some "real money" you can get some horses. If you are a shooter, there is lots of that up here too. Rifle, Pistol and scatter gun. You just have to keep an open mind.
Presidents 100-'97 Distinguished Rifleman-'81 NRA Benefactor Artillery lends dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl.
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Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,133
Campfire Oracle
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Campfire Oracle
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 86,133 |
A couple of weeks ago marked my 48th year here. The secret to Alaska is to get into Alaska. Summer is easy; fish, clam, Kayak, hike, camp or Get yourself a boat, UTV, quad or airplane. Before you know it- it's hunting season. In winter XC ski, downhill ski, Snowmachine or put your Bird on skies. That way, you are always looking forward to your next upcoming adventure. If you happen to have some "real money" you can get some horses. If you are a shooter, there is lots of that up here too. Rifle, Pistol and scatter gun. You just have to keep an open mind. lol....
If you take the time it takes, it takes less time. --Pat Parelli
American by birth; Alaskan by choice. --ironbender
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619 |
But, but....they gots a ballistic engineer!
lol... And he is almost as real as their Moose Whisperer Poster of the Year! Between someone claiming to be a ballistics engineer while proving to know nothing and someone claiming to make moose die where he wants them to die it is hard to pick a bigger loser...
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,338
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 13,338 |
Wahnsinn, you might check this Alaskan site for information about many things, especially hunting, fishing, recreation, etc., in Alaska. Almost all the people who post there are Alaska residents and most are very helpful. http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/index.phpL.W. Sadly, that website imploded from a ridiculous dose of over-moderation from the way left-wing owner/idiot. The few remaining posters are GIs new to AK looking for advice, but posting their own "great" advice anyway. Absolutely truthful negative feedback on anything is verboten... I didn't know that, Sitka Deer. I look at that site about once a month, mainly at the Hunting Forum and the Float Forum. Hadn't noticed much else. I've always enjoyed the pictures of the hunting scenes and the beautiful Alaskan scenery. L.W.
"Always go straight forward, and if you meet the devil, cut him in two and go between the pieces." (William Sturgis, clipper ship captain, 1830s.)
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 50,619 |
LW No problem, just pointing out the killing of a site. There are some serious idiots over there. Some have strolled through here and tried the same stuff but their boats failed to float when they actually had to answer real questions. art
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,499
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 2,499 |
One of the big problems after you turn 65 up here is our health care rates are too high for Medicare, my tentative plan is to play outside for few months and get my health care done outside at a lower cost.
Just heard our medical costs are 2.76 times higher than nat. average! And some of the non profit Hospitals make the most profit! Some thing to consider when AK is your home.
Our reasons for staying in AK seem to be eroding fast! Hospital care in Alaska is one of the worst and most expensive in the nation. It's pretty bad in Fairbanks, specially heart issues. Alaska is a great place for younger people who can work hard and are in relatively in good shape, but not so great for retiring-age folks unless they have lots of money or a good health insurance that allows for traveling to the lower-48 for medical care. Not a bad idea to have Medical evacuation insurance.
Last edited by Ray; 05/08/16.
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