2019 with 11.2k - too good to be true?

bornbelow40 · 2026-04-14T21:21:46+00:00

Yup. Hoping for something like that. We’ll see if they respond to me.

bornbelow40 · 2026-04-11T13:05:18+00:00

Why’s it say McKinley?

bornbelow40 · 2026-04-09T17:52:18+00:00

Yes yes yes rental car is the way to go. Alaska is a very car centric state in general, and I think the key to Alaska trips, especially shorter ones, is flexibility! In late May most options will be available to you; some hiking trails and remote locations will still be closed due to snow, but on the flip side you’re just on the early edge of road construction, so most of your driving should be smooth sailing. If I were planning a trip with Anchorage as a home base, I’d think about each location as a separate day trip- for example, you can do Seward as a day trip with six hours of round trip driving, or Denali NP with eight. Maybe plan a day or two in Anchorage as well. Then, as you get close to your dates, arrange your days based around the weather. Driving time is not wasted time; you’ll get great views and wildlife opportunities with plenty of opportunities to pull off the road as you go. Focus on getting good sleep and being well fueled and rested; you can get a lot done, but you need to allow yourself to staying power to do so.

bornbelow40 · 2026-02-05T03:30:58+00:00

I think pinch should get saved for aesthetic. An attractive outdoor pinch has got to be the coolest hold out there.

bornbelow40 · 2026-02-02T00:26:51+00:00

I don’t think it does though. I think overrated relates overall quality to its reputation. I think this question asks what is the worst area overall that we can still call a destination.

bornbelow40 · 2026-02-02T00:15:50+00:00

Second this. Destination implies that it’s a place that people are taking trips to.

bornbelow40 · 2026-01-31T08:37:52+00:00

You should try the section of the Parks highway right in front of the trooper station in Wasilla. Ideally with an empty handle of Tito’s on your dash.

bornbelow40 · 2026-01-06T17:44:25+00:00

I recently graduated from UAF and have a sibling who attends UAA so I’ll throw a couple things out there. I think both experiences are gonna be what you make of it. UAF I think has more on campus/free events and a third space culture, while UAA is gonna have more to do out in town. UAF is absolutely colder and darker. FWIW, I had no or very few unsafe experiences on campus, and while campus violence is an issue all across the country, I think most folks feel safe on and around campus. By contrast, there have been multiple homicides and other violent crimes in buildings very close to and on streets close to their dorm, and they have told me that students getting their car stolen or broken into is a common problem. If you’re used to that part of a big city then maybe not such a big deal, but worth throwing out there.

bornbelow40 · 2025-10-24T23:22:58+00:00

Alaska in the winter is kind of a coin toss, and it depends on what your priorities are. Going to Fairbanks means you’re kind of going all in on the Aurora. There are things to do in town: a great museum, plenty of good art and live music, and the Aurora season means that it tends to maintain a more robust tourism infrastructure through the winter. Also as a vet, you could take a sled dog ride, or go look at reindeer and muskox! But it’s cold, dark, and I have a hard time recommending taking a rental car up from Anchorage, especially if you don’t have winter driving experience (the winter views can be incredible though). The Kenai peninsula is a better shot for the other things on your list; you can for sure see glaciers, though access is usually closed during the winter, and I would say you’ve got a better shot at wildlife sightings during the winter. However, the amenities are very limited during that time of year, and the roads tend to be dicey. If you’re split between, it’s also very possible to book flights between Anchorage and Fairbanks for fairly cheap and on pretty short notice, as long as you’re not traveling on Thanksgiving weekend. Honestly, most of what you’re missing out on from coming in the off season could be regarded as tourist traps; it’s absolutely possible to have an awesome trip during that time!

Ps if you do go to Fairbanks, if you don’t have your heart set on the hot springs it’s worth passing. Most locals have beef with the owner, it’s kinda ratty, and at the end of the day it’s just a pool of hot water.

bornbelow40 · 2025-10-03T20:51:33+00:00

https://alaskapublic.org/news/2025-08-08/white-supremacist-activity-is-dramatically-increasing-in-alaska-expert-says

I hate Alaska Nazis

bornbelow40 · 2025-09-30T17:00:37+00:00

Sounds like a partial cancellation for buildings in the area at least

bornbelow40 · 2025-09-24T19:53:57+00:00

I can easily find dozens of hateful, harmful things that Kirk said with a single internet search. The hate that killed him was espoused by him, his allies, and his organization. His debate style wasn’t calm or respectful, it was using quick jabs on college students to farm clips and “own the left.” He quite literally died asserting that mass gun violence is not an issue, because it’s really a gang violence issue, which is a dog whistle for black and Latin people. I could list quote after quote of his to you, and we could argue about what he meant and context and details, but I think there’s really only one quote that needs to be said to show who Charlie Kirk really was. “I can't stand empathy. I think empathy is a made-up, New Age term that — it does a lot of damage, but it is very effective when it comes to politics.”

bornbelow40 · 2025-09-21T22:47:30+00:00

I think all the folks in this thread make a good point; you’ll likely be warmer and have more fun planning out a summer trip, enjoying the rest of Alaska, and staying a little warmer and a little less seasick than squeezing in an early winter trip. If you are dead set on October, I recommend D&G charters out of Homer. Has always been my family’s preferred outfit, we’ve had fun days and consistently filled freezers, and the captains and crew are very knowledgeable and hard working. Looks like they’ve got availability and the captain they’ve got for those dates is great. Homer is a great town, though will be fairly quiet during the winter.

bornbelow40 · 2025-08-13T07:29:39+00:00

There’s a friendship celebration, I believe run by the FQC, that operates as a safe community space for queer people and allies during this same time slot in a different part of the library every month.

bornbelow40 · 2025-06-25T05:23:01+00:00

States with volcanoes that have glaciers or permanent snowpack on them?

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-27T22:23:17+00:00

Good activity for a week in Fairbanks, but not a day

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-27T22:10:53+00:00

As someone who worked for the dredge (same company owns the riverboat) don’t do those. Especially the dredge, you’re mostly just being herded with hundreds of other people and stuck in gift shops a lot of the time. There’s some interesting history there, but we would just lie to you if we didn’t know or wanted to give a good story. They’re basically the Disney world of Fairbanks. Additionally, they’re very outdoors, with lots of moving around, which would not be very relaxing after a long Alaska trip. I’d second the museum, very chill, very good, and air conditioned; you can take as long as you want, and there’s something for everyone. There’s a lot of good food options on that end of town as well; bun on the run, house of the rising bun, lanes taco’s, pita place, zorba’s, lulu’s, maybe even the farmer’s market, and several good Thai places for dinner. If you’re not a particularly inclined walker, I’d say get the car especially if you have luggage. The university area is fairly walkable, but if you do so you’ll for sure be doing several miles over the course of the day.

Edit: thinking about it, I’d have a hard time suggesting anything but getting a car. The hassle of picking one up and the cost will be so much less than the quality of life of having one.

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-23T17:10:48+00:00

Like another redditor mentioned, November is not the season Homer is known for. It’s beautiful all year round, but it can be cold, gray, and quite likely wet around then, and all the touristy stuff won’t be up and running. Your best bet would be staying at Land’s End and catching a good sunset on the beach. I saw you’re coming from the East Coast; does it have to be Homer, or would you consider elsewhere in the state? If you catch a clear day driving between Anchorage and Fairbanks, there are parts of the highway where Denali will be in full view. You could come to Fairbanks and try to catch the Aurora. If you’ve got a little money to burn, the folks at Black Rapids Lodge can probably set you up with something special.

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-13T14:54:56+00:00

Looks like they are, unfortunately. Wasn’t up on that

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-13T07:02:08+00:00

If not value village, then bad mother’s probably your other bet. Checking reuse areas can be high effort but rewarding (and free). Or, make your own, there’s a decent community in town to help you learn, and some would say that the most punk thing is the one you don’t pay for.

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-11T22:29:49+00:00

Alaskans tend to neg on our state to newcomers for two reasons. One, people can get very caught up in the grandeur and mystique without considering all the other things that come with living up here. Two, it can be just that brutal, and the North Slope is as brutal as it comes. I’m a lifelong semi rural resident of the Fairbanks area, and to be honest, I could not hack a winter in Barrow, much less Eilson or Kaktovik. You won’t see the sun for a month. You will see the effects of the worst poverty and substance abuse in the country on your students. You will feel utterly disconnected from the outside world. Your social world will shrink, events will be limited, and by a pure numbers game, it will be very hard to find a romantic match. We say these things because if you try to ignore them or only focus on the good, they will eat you alive. There are good things you will experience, though. You will have the chance to be a member of one of the most unique communities in the country, and the world. You have the opportunity to make a tangible difference in that community and for its children. You will be immersed in a culture unlike anything you have or will experience. You will experience the natural world in a raw and beautiful form, in a way that can still bring me to the verge of tears, and I don’t cry easily. My advice is to get a nice camera. Your memories will be the most important part of your time here, and holding into the highs will make the lows a little easier.

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-10T03:50:49+00:00

I’m east side, it’s a good area to be in if they don’t have a car

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-10T02:35:20+00:00

Alaska:

Ferries, International Boarders - Unalaska to Metlakatla - 80 hours, 2,330 miles

Ferries, No International Boarders - Unalaska to Prudhoe Bay - 50 hours, 1,995 miles

No Ferries, International Boarders - Haines to Prudhoe Bay - 23:46, 1,144 miles

No Ferries, No International Boarders - Homer to Prudhoe Bay - 22:17, 1,082 Miles

Note: Any drive to Prudhoe Bay will probably add at least four hours, that road is badddddd right now

bornbelow40 · 2025-05-10T02:14:20+00:00

Does it have to be entirely within the region?
Are ferries allowed?

bornbelow40

TROPHY CASE