Anchorage has two civilian hospitals, and one large military hospital at Elmendorf AFB. Most serious cases are sent to Anchorage statewide. Anchorage is a big city with lots of big city problems, drugs, gangs, and everything big cities have. The weather is comperable to being in the northern tier of states. Freeze and thaw all winter. The main problem with hunting and fishing around Anchorage is that you have to trailer out 100 miles or more to get to good hunting and fishing areas. But the boom is taking place in Wasillia, about 40 miles north of Anchorage.
Fairbanks has one civilian hospital, and one military hospital at Ft Wainwright. They are about four miles apart. Fairbanks is right in the middle of good hunting and fishing. Half the population of anchorage comes up this direction to hunt. But the weather here is not as nice as Anchorage in the winter,but Anchorage does not have summers, it's always colder and windy there in summer. We do get colder weather, but the summers make up for it, we have beautiful summer in comparrison to Anchorage. Usual summer temps are in the upper 60s and 70s, some years 80s and 90s do happen but that is not too common. After a couple of years, and you learn how to get along with the colder temps, it is not near as bad as you would think.
My question is why are you waiting? My neighbor came up here to visit a friend (another neighbor) ten years ago. He stayed for two weeks and liked it, so did his wife, and kids. Upon returning his oldest daughter was caught shoplifting at a mall. Found out shoplifting was a requirement to be accepted by her peers there in Michigan. And hanging out at the Mall was what the local kids did. He got to checking out what his kids were doing after school everyday and did not like what he found. Things were not going well at work, and with his wife's family. So they had a family meeting. Decision was made to move to North Pole. House was sold, furniture was sold, toys, extra clothes, everything they could not pack into two suitcases each was gotten ride of. A few things (family hairlooms were put into storage at grandma's place). Husband, Wife, four kids, and one dog, loaded into two ford vans and drove to North Pole. They did not hurry, they camped their way up through Canada. The kids loved it, and they saw a lot of Canada and things along the way. Canada has some nice camp grounds all along the Alcan highway. Kids were 13,12,9,and8, Mom and Dad drove the vans. Upon arrival they stayed with our mutual friend and neighbor. He got a job at a Truck/Heavy Equipment repair shop, She went to work at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital as a nurse. After a month they bought the house two doors down from me. Today his oldest two (girls) are in their fourth and third years of college at UAF (University of Alaska Fairbanks). The third kid a son graduated high school last spring with an ASE certification to be an mechanic. He went to work at a local dealership and they have convinced him to go to college, and they are helping pay for it. Their youngest a daughter graduated high school early last month, and started at UAF this month.
The comment he has made to me constantly, for the last ten years. It was the best thing they ever did, moving from Michigan to Alaska. This is a great place to raise kids. I agree, I also have a 17 year old son. My son elected not to graduate last month so he can continue to play Hockey with the high school team. He will start at UAF next fall. Our two sons were inseperable for about 8 years. Just in the last year since Eric (my neighbor's son) graduated have they gone their seperate ways. During the time they were hanging out togeather I would take them during spring break in March out to a friends cabin and spend one week, snowmachining, hunting, ice fishing,and just generally having a good time. The boys worked cutting and splitting firewood. They also had to build and keep the fire going in the stove. I taught them to cook on a barrel stove, and campfire. After moving to Alaska none of the kids have been in any kind of trouble. Oh forgot, the oldest got into trouble when she punched out a bully her senior year. Both were sent home for three days, and the bully had an attitude adjustment after that. Another thing to think about is that driving here is like driving was when I was a kid back in the 60s. It's a good place for kids to begin driving. Yes they drive on ice and snow for six months of the year, but I have had no problems with my son learning to drive. We have a low population here in the North Pole, Fairbanks area.
