Life in Alaska

Hi, All:

We hope you're having a nice week.  We've been hearing some murmurs from the lower-48 that people want to know what it is like living in Alaska.  (P.S. Isn't it weird that Alaskan's call it the "lower-48" even though Hawaii is technically lower as well?).  We hear that while you're enjoying the pictures, you also want to know what it is like to live in the frozen north.  So we thought we would answer some frequently asked questions we receive:

How Dark Is It?
Currently, the sun rises at around 9a.  It then sets around 6:32p.  Every day we lose about 6 minutes of sunlight. So it is definitely pitch black when we both wake up and drive to work.  But as we head toward December, it will keep getting worse.  Ultimately, we'll have about 5 hours of sunlight.  But then as the summer comes we'll have plenty of light!  And in the winter there are lights along a lot of the trails, so it shouldn't get too bad.

How Do You Stay Happy In The Dark?
Believe it or not, we have actually bought a thing called a SAD-Lamp.  This lamp gives off blue light, which helps keep people happy.  Hooray for happiness!

How Cold Is It?
Tammy's parents were just in town and we think they explained it the best.  It's currently the equivalent of Thanksgiving temperatures if we were in Boston or Michigan.  It's definitely getting colder, but we're not at the worst yet.  We should be getting our first permanent snow any day now, and once that lands we'll have permanent snow on the ground pretty much every day until April.

Do Reindeer Hot Dogs Have Reindeer In Them?
The answer to this depends on your definition of "in them."  Technically, the answer is yes.  And they are really easy to get.  You can go to any hot dog cart along the downtown streets in the summer and get one no problem.  That said, the hot dogs are only about 1% reindeer.  The rest if a combination of fun, other meats . . . just like any other hot dog.

Are Studded Tires Cool?
When Tammy bought her new car, she managed to do some awesome negotiating and got the dealership to throw in a free pair of studded tires.  These tires help cars drive around the roads during the winter, when ice and snow are pretty big threats to the road.  One of the fun facts we've learned is that, unlike Michigan, Alaska cannot salt its roads to get rid of the ice.  Why not?  The moose come out and start licking it if salt is put down.  So Alaskans have to use gravel as a means to provide traction in the winter.  This means the ice is still on the ground, so studded tires (which basically look like tires with nails put in them) are used to help give a little added traction.

Moose?!  On the road?!  Really?
Oh yes.  Moose are a huge threat to Alaskans in the winter.  Ordinarily, moose will have to walk through really deep snow in the winter.  They have really long, awkward legs, and so walking through this snow is quite the pain.  So the moose seek out the easiest path they can find . . . which often means the cleared roads.  Therefore, moose walking along a highway is a huge problem in Alaska and every year many people hit them.  And, as you may have seem in Mythbusters, moose are beasts.  They are like 600+ pounds, and your car is going straight at it. Plus, in Alaska, we hear that it is against the law to brake if you are about to hit a moose (assuming you cannot stop fully before hitting it).  This means many car accidents from moose.

Is Alaska Like The TV Show Northern Exposure?
In Anchorage, no.  Absolutely not.  Anchorage is a pretty decently sized city.  That said, 2 hours north of Anchorage is a town called "Talkeetna."  It is believed that this city was the motivation for Northern Exposure.  So, there you go.

What's Your Favorite Thing You Have Eaten So Far?
Tammy cooked a delicious vegetarian Shepard's pie.  It was amazing.  Otherwise, the halibut in Alaska is really delicious -- whether fried as fish and chips or in a sandwich.

Can You See Russia From Your Apartment?
No.  As funny of a joke that was on SNL, it is in no way, shape, or form possible to see Russia from Anchorage (or Wasilla).  The northern lights, on the other hand, are totally viewable!



If you have any other questions, leave them in the comments and we'll answer them in our next post!  Until then, keep warm :)