I live in a desert in the lower 48. We have extreme weather, but not like this. This was eye-opening. Honestly, it made me want to visit AK more, (but not live there). I'm sure not many Alaskans would want to live in the desert either.
@grantstratton4629 what I found since being here is that people who move to Alaska despise the Heat, I think like me they don't want anything warmer than 75 or 80. But what I've also found is it's not entirely uncommon that people who were born and raised in Alaska leave in their 60s or 70s and typically go to California or another warm state. I've spoken to a few of them and they said they just can't do anything anymore outside in the winter time as they got older like they could when they were younger, and they don't want to sit inside all winter long.... and there are quite a few what they call snowbirds here, The alaskans who go to places like Mexico or the Caribbeans, and a few may go to Florida or Texas, just for the winters and then they come back to Alaska during the Spring and Summer. I would say they are usually between 30 and 50 and the husband or the wife has a really high paying job, so they can afford a house in two different countries or States. But it is a minority of the two groups I described above, regardless in the small communities you know the three or four people who do it every year.
Things were a lot different there in the 80’s when I lived there. One bar for every church. I used umbrellas on rainy and even some heavy snow days-because it was the practical thing to do. There were a lot of maladjusted kids I went to school with. It got really icy after huge snow falls followed by sudden temperature warmth and all the snow would rapidly begin to melt, turn to slush and then freeze which created a chunky texture to bang up your knees on after falling. But we didn’t wear boots or crampons, we wore high top tennis shoes , determination and nerves of steel! My favorite memories are of riding my bicycle everywhere in Valdez during the summer months, dining at the Pizza Palace, the smell of the salty air down around the harbor and the view from the city dock. ☃️😎
I had someone reply to my Nenana video and he was also here in the 1980s and said how much things have changed. There are still quite a few bars down by the docks, but in the entire 7 months I've been here during the rain and the snow, my umbrella was the only one I ever saw 🤣 the other tenants in the motel all tease me saying things like I drove past some guy with an umbrella and I knew it was you haha it's still the same how you described the snow and then getting a little warmer and then turning into chunks of ice, I usually walk once a week on the ice about five blocks to the post office and every time I saw one or two people fall in the street in December through February. My favorite pizza place in town is the stampmill, I'm not sure if that was there in the 1980s though but it's really really good.
@@gideongouvs5559 it's not easy moving across the globe. I would recommend applying at seasonal jobs, therefore you don't have to depend on someone else and you can earn decent money and get to know more about Alaska and find out if you actually want to live here. There are a lot more inexpensive places to live and easier places to get to than Alaska. But if you're set on Alaska, seasonal workers are always needed, and that would be the best start for a foreigner moving here 👍
@@gideongouvs5559 since Alaska is so large it really depends on where you live in Alaska and what you plan on doing how's the weather you would have peace and quiet. Most people choose Anchorage, which is the biggest city in Alaska and 40% of the Alaskan population lives there. It's a far cry from peace and quiet haha but that's where all of the year round jobs.... To get peace and quiet you can live on one of the many islands, which is extremely expensive, or you can live in a smaller community in the interior, which is extremely cold, or you can live in a place like Valdez. Most of the smaller communities are very inconvenient to live in, and the winters can be very difficult especially if you're new here (you can also live off grid but that's not as cheap as many of the TH-cam videos say).... In short I think even though Alaska does have a lot more quiet here where you can live, it also has a lot more inconvenience which can make life more difficult, depending on what you do for a living.... But if you come here for work I wouldn't come to Valdez unless you're familiar with or okay with dock work or working on fishing boats, which most people are not. It's much more easier working in the seasonal work for tourism, weather as a receptionist in a large or cleaning rooms in a large or working in one of the parks. I'm going to make a video in the summer about jobs in Alaska, for Americans who want to move here as well as for foreigners who want to get seasonal jobs 😉
Worked on the pipeline terminal construction for Morris Kuntson in 1975-76. While living in Alaska from 1974 till 1979. When the sun came out it had to be one of the most beautiful places on earth God created! Nice to see the pictures from today.
So true about the sun, I think I mentioned in a previous video on the ugly days it can be really ugly but on the pretty days it is gorgeous when the sun is shining.
I met some guy who came here when he was 65. It's definitely not easier than when you're younger, but it is doable. But more importantly, there are so many parts of Alaska that are more easily accessible then Valdez is, in my opinion no one is ever too old to do what they want... I came here at the age of 54, I could sit back and regret never doing it when I was younger but my previous experiences is what eventually brought me here... if you have time check through my videos but I put up between October and March, I took short video clips of each town. Whether it's Ester which is 8 minutes from Fairbanks, or nenana which is about 1 hour from Fairbanks, or even Healy which is about an hour and 45 minutes from Anchorage, depending on whether you want to live in a house near the mountains or in the woods near a river, it's all doable and you have many different options. 😊
Spent a few days in Valdez when I hunted with an outfitter named Guy Gorge. We hunted for sheep not far out of Valdez in a limited access area ,we walked 25 miles into camp and 25 miles out I was in the best shape of my life and was fortunate to take a good ram Guy George lived half the time in Montana and had worked on the pipe line burning brush, he was a great guy but has passed away. I also remember eating in a restaurant on the waterfront,we had halibut and it was delicious. I am 92 now and the trip was in the mid-eighties and I look fondly on my trip to Alaska. I have liked and subscribed and look forward to more stories.
The first time I visited Valdez was about 9 months after the 1965 tsunami/earthquake. Almost all of the town was still under water. It was completely devastated. The only building intact and not under water was a gas station at the top of town before you descended in. Anyway, man did you hit the nail on the head with your commentary! You did a fantastic job of really portraying an unvarnished Alaska and Valdez. Congratulations on your effort! And, I hope you have mega views with your presentation here; few people really describe living here in such a real life way.
Thanks a lot 😊 that must have been incredible yet sad visiting Valdez right after the tsunami. That's a memory that's never going to go away and you're lucky to have it. That makes me jealous lol
Pro tip from someone who has lived it in these small towns growing up. If you are in Valdez or Whittier, get your vehicle on the ferry and travel to Cordova. It's not very far. Cordova is like the Valdez that you want. Valdez and Whittier are packed with RV's and businesses hawking to tourists in the summer. Cordova is one ferry ride away and you will have none of that.
Thanks, I've heard a lot of good about Cordova. If I was staying in Valdez I would definitely do what you're saying, but I'm heading to another part of Alaska now. I will get the Cordova one day though 👍
@fbksfrank4 I think it's safe to assume I probably won't be seeing much more of Anchorage when I leave on June 30th. I'll be 2 hours closer to Fairbanks then I will be to Anchorage come July, so I'll be able to see much more of it and the North Pole then I can now.
@onedirection3510 it's probably just more noticeable or worse here because there's more people, that's my guess. I'm already packed for Sunday though lol
I spent the happiest days of my childhood on the Kenai Penninsula. We were stationed at Wildwood AFB in Kenai 1967 to 1970. We went to Old Valdez but never made to your newer Valdez. Thanks for the beautiful video!
Great video thank you, with very interesting observations. I will never make it to Alaska as I live in Sydney, Australia, but thoroughly enjoyed listening to you!
@RS-gl9ht A 20 or 22 hour flight would be brutal, but if you could manage to stay for 3-4 weeks in rent a car and drive through Alaska, the flight would be worth it 🙂 but I know what you mean because I always thought it would be cool to go to Australia but who wants to sit in a plane for a whole day lol
I live in Barbados and I remember being struck by the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. I was only 12 then. I hope that Valdez and Prince William Sound have recovered well. Your video is educational and informative.
I think the recovery has been as good as a could be. You don't notice anything with the naked eye but they say there is oil now buried deep below the surface. But the majority of sea life and Wildlife is back to normal.
Grew up in Valdez and moved to Fairbanks for 2 years for college. On the 11th I'm flying out and finally experiencing the world outside Alaska (moving to Denver). How ironic I get suggested a video like this now.
@Spacegamer1250 I guess no matter where you go Alaska is always going to follow you haha Have a great time in Denver, it's going to be a bit different but I'm sure you're going to have a ton of fun..... what would be really cool is if you started putting up videos with how life is different in the lower States than in Alaska. If you start doing that let me know and I'll follow you 👍
For you Old Timers, what ever happened to Sea Hawk Seafood? Worked there during the 85 salmon/herring season. Fall of that year, did a Halibut opener on the FV Myra. Met up with her captain, Dennis Rafferty in Valdez and went on a Halibut opener. Sailed around Prince Williams Sound for about three weeks. Spent about four days fishing and the rest of the time... sailing to Cordova, Whittier, a place called Snug Harbor, and towed a house boat across PWS to a place called Drake Island. Another, GREAT Alaskan experience!
I asked my neighbor who's a long time resident of Valdez and he said after the Exxon oil spill, Sea hawk seafood sued the city of Valdez later in 2001 claiming the amount of money they received in compensation in the 1980s was too low. In 2010 they win bankrupt and the property was taken over by Silver Bay seafood.... Sounds like you had a blast when you were there, I love hearing stories from people like you back in the days in Alaska.
There was also nautilus in town not long after that. I'm thinking there was one other on the south harbor rd with silverbay and peter pan ...i could be wrong. Now i think it's all silver bay over there because peterpan filed for bankruptcy and silver bay took over a few locations. I used to love catching herring off the old city dock when it was a 2 level deal that ran down the entire length. You could catch a whole cooler of herring a few days a week.
I am 70 years old and worked for Koch Alaska Pipeline in summer of 75 till the summer of 76. It was nothing to make 1k to 1.5k a week with overtime. I could live oñ per diem and bank most of my salary. Bought first house in Texas for cash.
That's cool that I'm getting so many comments from people who used to work in Valdez back in the seventies and eighties... It seems like that's something that hasn't changed, the summer workers are still making really good money and working a lot of overtime. Most of them are from the lower States but there's even people from other parts of Alaska who come here just for the work during the summer.
I worked on Kodiak Island for a short time during winter. When the weather was bad, no planes could land, ships would get delayed and the Safeway would have nothing fresh including meat. The news of the ship arriving would spread like wildfire and people would grab at the food not even looking at the cost. (mainly the fishing crews). Ice cleats everywhere, the town has 50 traversable miles if you have the right vehicle to do that. It was an adventure.
Sounds like Valdez where 90% of the time the planes were getting canceled, but they didn't have any issues with the boats getting delayed with food this past winter. It really is a unique experience living in places like Valdez and Kodiak in Alaska.
Talk about a small town, I was raised in Anchor Point from 1950 until I left in 1963, then went back to work on the pipeline. Anchor Point was S M All. 1 room school in 1950. Boring but unique childhood. But it's not the same anymore, all the people I knew are most likely gone or dead. Just memories now. I'm 80.
I could see how such a small place is boring when you're younger, to me now the small communities are all just unique and really nice. Maybe I'm just become more boring as I've gotten older haha
Some people I met the first month I was here have lived in Copper Center at the past three or four years and they love it there. And Willow Creek was probably my second favorite community I saw when I drove through Alaska last fall.
You will probably enjoy it, but I think even people who don't enjoy their experience in Alaska never regret trying. Unless they sell their house and everything they own in the lower States and move up here without any preparation or planning.
My time in Valdez was in the late 1970's when I was a sailor on the FOSS tug that brought the floating container docks there from Seattle. Of course it was summer so it was a beautiful place to see. I am familiar with small Alaskan towns from my time with FOSS and before that with NOAA. I have fond memories of many towns that have changed for the worse since cruise ships have arrived.
I guess alaskans and tourists have a love-hate relationship. They know that they need the tourists for the town to make money and the local businesses to survive, but they hate losing their home to swarms of gawking people every summer. But since it's only 3 months of tourists for the most part, it could be much worse haha
I can relate to your lifestyle there I'm living in a small Town in Finland with similar daily experiences but I enjoy it that's the best part the enjoyment.
As someone who grew up here, meaning I was a Ram, Husky, and BUCCANEER! I moved back to raise my kids. The summers are incredible but the winters suck and one grocery store is rough, but its home
What's compelling is that here nature is big and mysterious and keeps its distance -- except when it doesn't. And the town is small and precarious and every person's experience counts as special. I thought the narrative voice was perfect for the place. Thanks!
You said that better than I did haha especially when you said every person's experience counts as special, you nailed it! And thank you, glad you enjoyed the video.
Hi, Nepal is a beautiful country 👍 I always thought small towns were really bad for introverts because those people are forced to go into the grocery store where everybody in town goes into any other places where everyone goes. It's hard to get away from people unless you just sit behind your house or apartment building. I think most introverts are going to live off grid alone where a plane brings them food and mail and they only see people three or four times a year if they choose to fly in a small plane or drive their boat into town to get supplies. At the end of the summer or in the middle of the summer I'll be going to a much smaller place and I will look for the introverts 🤣
Born in Valdez and I gotta say no place makes me feel more at home like Valdez does my family had to move due to an accident but people still remember us every time I walk into rogues garden or fish central and a few other places the owners are beyond excited to see me I’m not the biggest fan of where I’m at now because I love the clouds, the snow, the mountains and the ocean all of it and and I am far from those things right now but hopefully I’ll be able to move back to Alaska one day Amazing video my guy!
I love hearing stories from people who watch the video, thanks 😊 do you know what I liked about Valdez is when you're new there they treat you like you've lived there your whole life. I hope you get back there soon 😊
I lived in Campion Air Force Station (pop 120), about 5 miles from Galena (pop 400). Quite a change for a kid from Los Angeles (pop everyone else), but a place that I still remember fondly over 50 years later.
I personally think you were lucky to have that experience. I think a lot of people would say things like that must be awful or it must be miserable living in a small town in Alaska, but in a way I feel bad that they never get to experience it because sometimes something that sounds like no fun winds up being some of the most fun things you've ever done in your life.
Yes. In my opinion it's really a great place to live if I didn't want to visit so many places by car across Alaska. Who knows maybe one day in the future I end up making Valdez my permanent hometown.
It looks like my old village in Siberia, where I lived during my childhood - harsh winters, solitude, an uncrowded place, but with beautiful nature, stunning views, and amazing people (sometimes). Nice video, appriciate that
Welcome, glad you enjoyed the video. Siberia is really pretty, and you're right places like Siberia and Alaska can be very harsh but unbelievably beautiful.
Just the right touch of information from someone who knows how to enjoy what they've got. Thank you. A fine place I'm sure I'll never get to see. Well, maybe next life.
I was at Ft Rich,74-76…rode trail bikes in the summer, hit many small towns and trading posts…Looking at the footage and I can still feel the difference in the air❤️
Alaska reminds me of Montana. Lots of the same kind of mentality. Lots of Indians too! The winters in MT are BRUTAL Like Alaska, you had better be ready to adjust to the local culture.
Thank you for sharing! :-) Your description of the weather in Valdez must match how most of my fellow Dutchmen (and definitely of the Americans living here) perceive the rain in the Netherlands and how the older ones among us remember "real" winters. Your description of the isolation of Valdez reminds me of when I was to become a sailer with the merchant navy. A Dutch saying translates to "we are all in the same boat", meaning that whatever fate will occur to all of us - no escaping. No wonder that the people of Valdez will readily accept (or even welcome) newcomers: you'll want to know those that may require or provide help when Valdez is on its own. I have "recently" discovered that I can handle just a certain amount of variation in daylight hours, implying that I shouldn't try living much more to the North than the Netherlands, or correspondingly to the South. I don't mind the dark, I don't mind the light, but I need a certain amount of both each day. - I wonder if you people from Valdez consider yourselves good at handling that. (Yes, I'm aware that winter days may be surprisingly bright due to the snow reflecting whatever light there is.)
I think you're probably 110% correct about how Americans and others living in the Netherlands feel about the rain, and also about real Winters haha .... You're also extremely accurate talking about we are all in the same boat. I think that's the way it is in most of the Alaskan communities that are smaller as well as any of the villages and communities around the world that are remote, people have to stick together.... I feel like whether it's the darkness in the winter or the cold, it's all in your mind. If you go outside and talk to people about how cold it is, you feel cold. If you go outside and just say it is what it is, the cold doesn't bother you. It's all a mind game in my opinion, you just have to accept it for what it is and you wind up not even thinking about it. The darkness is tough I think for people who drive to work and then come back home because you're leaving in the dark and you're coming back home in the dark, and the little daylight in the winter you're inside a building. But if you have a job that keeps you outdoors or if you work from home, then you get to enjoy the light a little bit more. There's actually very little sun in the winter time in Valdez, maybe two or three days every 10 days get sunny for a couple of hours, the other days are mostly overcast or snowing, and low clouds and lots of clouds. I mentioned in a previous video ugly days are really ugly in Valdez, but when the sun shines the pretty days are incredibly beautiful.
My Valdez is long gone. My in-laws had a homestead some miles out of town. I was stationed at the ACS cable house from 60 to 62 and occasionally filled in as relief tech or station manager from Glennallen as needed until 1964.
Wow, I've had a lot of people comment in this video who were living in Valdez in the 80s, but you actually lived here and in Glen Allen back in the 60s. That must have been wild. When was the last time you visited Alaska?
I spent a week in Valdez about twenty years ago. I loved it. You did a very good overall narrative on the city but didn't mention, if any, medical services.
Thanks. I'm sure quite a bit has changed in those 20 years haha there is a very nice hospital right in the center of town. It's not a huge building but it's pretty big. If you break a leg or don't have severe health issues, they can work on you there. They actually have about 20 patients living in the hospital who need to be taken care of on a daily basis, some of them have been there for a few years. But if you have something serious like a stroke or your arm gets cut off, they would fly you with the helicopter to Anchorage. But it's a much nicer hospital that was capable of doing much more than I had thought before I arrived there. Btw even if you're in Anchorage or Fairbanks, you would be flown to Washington State for most major surgeries.
..and you missed notation of slightly larger shaker back in March 1964, that displaced old Valdez completely; so the newer location could meet similar fate when circumstances finally might repeat.. "wash, rinse, repeat" like the seasons, if you are around long enough. And "Safeway" has been Albertson's sub-brand; working on becoming part of Kroger/FredMeyer. Much change is still ongoing, too! ~ small town AK-USA survivor since 1960 🇺🇸💮☃ PS: Ice cleats are better than umbrellas, since they might fit in your pocket.
Yeah, the chance of an earthquake forcing the town to move again is probably more likely than a tsunami destroying the town..... I'm actually preparing to move to another part of Alaska but correct me if I'm wrong he's in Safeway owned by Carrs grocery store now (or is Carrs owned by Safeway)? ... Haha now I'm going to go and get an ice pick lol what part of Alaska are you in? I'm pretty much set on where I'm going this summer/winter, although I'm a bit torn between healy and Willow Creek. I thought they were both really interesting.
Hi there. For me as an European it is a very interesting informative video about a part of Alaska. Thank you very much for all your work! For me it would be impossible to live there with so much rain and snow. I lived in several countries in Europe and also in Asia. I enjoy warmth, sun and a lot of greenery around me. Sending you love and appreciation from Italy ❤🎉
Thanks, appreciate it. I completely understand, I don't know a single person personally before I came to Alaska who wanted to live in snow and cold. That's probably why there's less than 800k people living here and 30k of those are forced to live here because they're in the military.
Thanks for a great video. I'm from Croatia and Alaska is my dream. Well , maybe not Valdez :). I live in a part of Croatia where there is a lot of snow in the winter, where the nature is beautiful, mountains, forests, slow pace of life and I really love it, no wonder I love Alaska too. But Alaska is really something else. That is my dream, but probably an unfulfilled dream
I live in and grew up in Florida. Growing up, my dad always dreamed (maybe a little dramatically and with a little embellishment) of building a cabin in Alaska and living alone. Thankfully I was do block headed as a kid to be offended by this. lol. He and I took a trip to Alaska when I was 16. Stayed in a hostel in Anchorage, hiked about mile and half into the national park sometime near the end of winter (plenty enough winter for Floridians, though!) and camped a few nights on a really cool spot next to a cliff that overlooked a river bottomed valley...the other side was a huge mountain. I have some nostalgia there. I remember being blown away by the mosquitos. Being a Floridian, it was crazy to see them that big, that slow. I came back to Florida boasting about how many I could kill in one swipe. Later in life, my dad got a job climbing telco towers in remote regions of Alaska and installing GPS devices. He got sick while doing this and was out of commission, on the company's pay in Alaska for an extended time. This, and probably old age thinned his blood and killed his dream (if he ever really meant it anyway). I kinda dream about it too these days. Too much I have here as a 38 y/o that I wouldn't leave. Might not ever do it. But, we'll see; Lord willing I have a lot of life ahead of me.
That's an interesting story, thanks for sharing. Maybe you were at Earthquake Park here in anchorage, that's all I can think of now with how you described it, but it may be some other Park...... I decided when I was 42 that I was going to come to Alaska, but I took things slow and I finally came 12 years later. My advice is don't rush it. The more ahead you plan the more you will be able to do that you want to do. And then one day you're just going to wake up out of the blue and you're going to know it's time to go to Alaska. It may take 12 years like it did for me, but that's what happened to me, I just knew it was time. Good luck if you decide to come 😊
@nooneyouknow5516 it's definitely a really great place to visit. I never heard someone say my Alaskan vacation wasn't fun haha I guess it's not a place for everyone to live, there's some things I'm still getting used to. I'm not really fond of the grizzly bears lol and I had a wolf run past the cabin about 75 or 100 yards away yesterday around 3:00 p.m. when I was sitting on the front porch, which was really cool and I especially liked it cuz it wasn't a grizzly 🤣
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- somehow I'm back watching this video! Question. Why did you say if someone isn't happy in NYC or Florida, they probably won't be happy in AK? Meaning they won't be happy anywhere? Don't get me wrong, I love Florida but I was so enamored with alaska. Having the mountains and the sea together was incredible. You are absolutely right though, who is going to say they didn't have a good time on their vacation in alaska? But I just feel so drawn to it.... Love that a wolf ran past your cabin! ❤
@nooneyouknow5516 I think there are a lot of people fascinated with Alaska, but none of them including myself know if they want to put up with the bad sides of Alaska until they live here. Videos tend to show us the best things about places and it gets our hopes and expectations much higher than they should be. I really did my best to have absolutely no expectations well before I arrived in Alaska because I knew that many of those expectations would just be a disappointment. So I really came to Alaska already buried in my head whatever happens happens and whatever I see I see but don't expect anything I've heard or seen in videos. And it was good I thought this way because I've been to a lot of places so far in the year I've been here and I have seen a total of three moose, and I haven't seen the amount of wildlife I've seen in all of these other videos. And I'm okay with that because I know eventually I will see more and more the longer I am here and it was good not to expect things like this..... and yes you are right what I mean is from people I know who have been depressed or were not particularly happy people, when they got what they always said would make them happy, they were happy for a short time and then they were back to being depressed or unhappy. So I'm a firm believer that happiness comes from within and not necessarily what you think you want or what you think will make you happy or where you live. I'm not saying I'm right but I have yet known or met anyone who was sad where they were living before and then became happy-go-lucky always in a good mood people simply because they moved. Like that saying goes, you always bring your problems with you no matter where you go. You also bring your personality and who you are no matter where you go. I understand people can change but you can't change a disease like depression or you can't change your personality from always negative to always optimistic, or from always in a bad mood to always in a good mood. There's another saying I heard once that goes, you are who you are no matter who you want to be.
The Old Town Diner ? The cook at your place is the person responsible for telling me where to go when I arrived to find a place for the winter. And the young waitress was extremely friendly whenever I stopped by. I left Valdez in April after staying there for 8 months, I really liked it there over the winter. But I wanted to come to the interior and now I'm outside of Healy. I'm going to visit Valdez next summer.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- That’s the place! That young waitress was my oldest daughter!! Glad you got to spend some time in our great little town! When you come back, be sure to check out The Stampmill pizza place on main street across from Wells Fargo. It’s my newest creation with my business partner and packed full of old town Valdez history and relics. All the tables are covered with newspapers dating as far back as 1944!
Nice production Sir. Your Sunny pics are spectacular. Did not know all that rain in the Summer, that I could not handle + snow in winter. I got isolated for 3 days because of mud slides in my canyon so I know what you mean, but this is lightweight compared to what you experience. Need to look this up on a Map.
Danke. Wenn du einmal Alaska besuchst, sag mir. Wenn du in meiner naehe bist, vielleicht kann ich dir eine Ort oder zwei vorschlagen wo du besuchen sollst 😊
I'm born and raised in Scotland. I can't explain exactly why, but I have this burning desire to visit Alaska and wonder if it's a notion guided by God. Let's see... Great video!
@@patty109109 Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there..." Christians still exist there, I see where you're coming from though it's not looking great right now.
Loved the video. Kinda felt like I was there except I am here in balmy, humid SC and it's only June. Last week was high 90s so the past couple days cooled off to high 80s but the bad stuff will be back and the A/C will be running non stop. Your video reminded me of Maine but with greater mountains of course. Lots more snow it looks like too.
Thanks. My best friend lives in Virginia and I've been trying to convince him to move here but if you have to convince someone to move to alaska, they're not going to stay here haha I'm in Anchorage right now and temperatures are in the low 60s, but the sun is not above you in Alaska but rather across from you so when it's 70° here, it feels much warmer than it is. 68° and you can wear a t-shirt outside and your comfortable ....... Valdez is the snowiest city in the US, when I left in April just under 400 inches of snow fell since November.
One interesting fact about Valdez is how all the streets are arranged in a perfect grid. North/South. East/West. I believe the town was designed as a military base because of the importance of ice free ports during WWII. I also think that the main industry in Valdez was commercial fishing but you say that it is tourism. Interesting how time changes. In the late 70's the pipeline terminus employed a lot of people. I do agree that the climate can be a little harsh but that adds to how unique this gem is. A fishing town with a drinking problem. LOL
That's true about the streets, I never looked at it that way...... Commercial fishing and construction it's definitely very important to Valdez, I think about 2,000 workers come there from May until September. They spend money on hotels and groceries. The reason I consider it a town that survives on tourism is because thousands of tourists arrive on boats and cars everyday, and also many of them stay in campgrounds or get back on the boat, a lot of the cruises put up their customers in the hotels there, and those tourists spend money. I think the town can survive without the fisherman, today it can survive without the tourists..... You probably know already but the Coast Guard is still active in Valdez.
It was planned that way after the 64 earthquake tsunami wiped out most of the town in its original location. Old Town was located at the very end of the bay which is what put in harms way. The current townsite is less of a direct tidal target and they made the streets wider because it facilitates easier snow removal, as you know VALDEZ gets record snow fall. Old Town Valdez was put together during the gold rush and buildings and homes were closure together and the streets were narrower, added snow created a lot of congested mobility. Modern day Valdez is spacious but lacks the intimate quality of old time western town.
@@juliadplume3097 thanks, Julia, that's interesting to know why the town is built like it is. I always imagined Old Town Valdez was much more cool. But they did a good job with the new Valdez.
Wonderful detailed told like a storybook with heart. I would live there for a bit. After spending 21 hot summers in south florida that could be a perfect vacation
My aim is to retire to a very remote area and live very simply. With no family and no connections, I would love be happy in a quiet peaceful area. I would not even want a car at that time. However, to live here with these extreme weather conditions, I do not know. I would stay in my home almost 100 percent of the time anyway. I do not know if I could deal with the weather.
Everybody's definition of remote is different. If you mean remote like in Valdez, you wouldn't need a car. But if you mean remote like in parts of the interior of Alaska, a car would be necessary. If you mean remote like on an island or in a place only reachable by plane or boat, you be pretty far from any medical centers....But if you're just going to be inside most of the time I wouldn't recommend coming to Alaska, especially if you're older. You would be better off moving to a remote town in the lower States because it's cheaper, safer, and you don't have to deal with the ice and snow when you're 70 years old, and the only benefits you will get out of living in Alaska at any age will be if you're interested in wildlife, outdoor activities like hiking or camping or fishing etc, and you also have to really enjoy winters because that's part of everyone's life here for most of the year.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- Well I absolutely LOVE outdoors and nature - but on a calm level. I love huge green trees. I would love to hike. But I would need more sunshine in my year. I also have been thinking of living waay in the northwest woods of Montana. That would be fabulous. Get some acreage. I do love remote as in very remote. I have some time to think about it. Even considered moving abroad. I am happy you are happy living there. It does indeed look so beautiful. Blessings.
It is very nice here, I'll say that much. It's definitely worth giving up conveniences to live in some of the small remote towns.... You should also check out Northern Minnesota, there's some really pretty fairly remote places up there. Although Montana would also be really nice.... If you look back at some of my videos you will see 30 or 40 small towns that I visited in Alaska, one thing to consider here is there's a video titled Ester, Alaska for example. I think it was roughly 8 miles outside of Fairbanks, there's nothing out there and it feels as remote as some of the places that are really remote. That's also something you can consider. I mean there's a lot of options I'm pretty sure in every state for you. If you have a chance to visit a few of them before selecting one so that you can compare them would be great. I wish you the best in whatever you decide at that time 👍
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- Well thank you, kindly. I will check out some of your videos. I just found you this afternoon and loved this video! Yes, I will travel to different places to see if I love them before deciding. Going to Priest Lake, Idaho next year as that is at the top of my list. Taking my Dad on a fishing trip as fishing is his first love. Great lodge cabins up there and we can rent a boat. I am so looking forward. Lots of great little areas you pointed out in Alaska. Blessings.
Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun in Idaho. I'm trying to convince my dad to visit me here but he said nope lol he's 82 so it's not easy for him to make longer trips, it's a shame I wish I could show him some of Alaska. I started making these videos in particular for my parents and friends who can't visit. This one caught on a little bit so after 8 months this is my first semi-success haha okay enjoy your trip and if you're ever in Alaska send me a message I might be close by 😉
Truth be told Sir, I find your description of the life in Valdez fascinating and really enticing. Sure, I also know I will probably make it (being born in rural Italy put me in the opposite spectrum of way of living), but damn, I would love to give it a try!! Amazing video Sir, thanks AAAAAND SUBBED!!
Thanks. If you're excited about it, you would make it easily. What I found in Alaska is the only people who may not make it are the people who are fascinated with Alaska, but it's not in their hearts to be here. If your heart is telling you to do it, then you would make it. Your brain will always tell you don't come to Alaska, because it's inconvenient and a little more difficult and a little more expensive. But once your heart tells you to do it, you're less likely to give up even through the hard times.
He may have said some people that move to Alaska are running from something or somebody? I'm going to give a long answer but the short real answer is at the end.....Long Answer: There are definitely the type of people I described in the video who maybe are running from depression, family problems, drug scenes, warrants, etc.... I think the majority of the people who move to Alaska are coming to 1) chase unrealistic dreams because they don't realize many of the Alaskan channels are more reality TV show than true life, 2) Hunters and Fishers, 3) Outdoorsman like rock climbers, Etc 4) people who want to live around wildlife and who also prefer winters over summers, 5) and people who just want a change in life for a little while but never plan on staying, 6) someone who spent time in the military here and just fell in love with Alaska and moved back here...... the reason I say people who like wildlife and prefer Winters over Summers is because you can get wildlife in many states in the US and you wouldn't move here for wildlife if you don't like Winters. And the reason I didn't add people who want to live remotely in small towns is because every state has remote small towns but you wouldn't move to one in Alaska if you didn't like Winters.... Short Answer: If everything is perfect in your life where you are now but you hate the cold and winters you get, you wouldn't stay there. People who move to Alaska and stay here love winters. If they like hunting or fishing or wildlife or rock climbing or hiking or boondocking, those are just bonuses you get for living here.
Thanku!! Very interesting video 😁 beautiful scenery and very good commentary 👌🏼👍 The first thought i had when your video started was the tv series Northern Exposure. I absolutely LOVED it! I'm almost 100% certain that the setting for that series was a town like Valdez... I wouldn't be surprised if they even did some of the live shoots there. As someone who has always lived in warmer climes but just passionately LOVE the mountains, your video is an absolute delight. Looking forward to many more 😁👍Thanku again and God bless 😊👼🏽🙏🏽
Thanks, glad you liked it ....I think the entire Northern Exposure series was shot in Washington State, but that was a fun series. Have a nice Sunday 😊
Very interesting presentation. I grew up in North Dakota in the 40's and 50's and remember winters when it got below zero in December and didn't get above until late January or February. I was shocked when you said Valdez residents may experience temps in the single digits for a few days, those days being the closest. I suppose the water helps keep it above zero. It's an interesting life and not everyone has the constitution to live as you describe but life is what you make of it and some of us just adjust and make lemonade when lemons roll you way. Lots of lemon snow cones during the winter.
Thanks. I was a bit surprised also, I was expecting it to be more cold and also more wind storms. I guess the water does help but the funny thing is Anchorage is also on the water and they were reaching I think -20 this winter and I also think it's common it's around -10 in the winter there, maybe it's also the air/winds that's coming from a certain area that is affecting the temperatures in Valdez also. But there's such a different variation of temperatures across Alaska for example now I'm in the interior and the past 3 days it's been 41° in the morning, and we're halfway through July. The warmest it's gotten here right now this summer so far is 68 from what I saw, but most days are in the mid-to-high 50s.... you said it perfectly, it is what you make of it. You can complain and be miserable or you can just take it as it is and enjoy it. It's actually just like any other place, you can always find something to make yourself miserable no matter where you are. In my opinion without a positive attitude and just accepting you're going to have fun, you might as well just never leave your home, no matter where one lives. Like I said in the video it's all in your head whether it's the cold or the snow or the ice or whatever. It's not hard for the brain to trick the body haha
Great video my friend 👍🏼 love the north. I lived in Inuvik NWT for over 5 years, absolutely loved it. ♥️ Cheers from 2 Canadians 🇨🇦 living in Mexico. 🇲🇽✌🏼🥰
My niece and her family live in Delta Junction, north of Anchorage and a couple hours from Fairbanks. It looks like paradise compared to Valdez. Not much snow there either but the northern lights are magical.
I'm actually on my way home from Fairbanks at this moment and I saw some really nice Northern Lights 2 nights ago there..... I guess if you're into small towns than Valdez would be more ideal but I guess Delta Junction is more of an area / spread out and it's also much more convenient. But you're going to get Northern Lights in most Parts of Alaska even Valdez, you just don't see them as easily because of the Town being surrounded by the mountains. But everybody prefers somewhere else, I prefer more in the middle of the Interior like around Denali.... if I lived in the vicinity of Fairbanks I would prefer Ester, ask your niece about that place. It's not far from her, it's just on the other side of Fairbanks 🙂
You're spot on with the "fly in" analysis. While it is peaceful it also costs a fortune for food as well as transportation. Not just flights, even gas is off the wall in fly in locals.
@schalitz1 thanks. I'm sure some things I said are right and some things are wrong because at the end of the day the videos are just my opinion. Sometimes people get mad at me and it's kind of funny so it's nice to get a nice comment. Thanks.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- No worries brother, your video was AWESOME. I always day dream about moving to a place like Moloka'i or a fly in community in Alaska (an island preferably, like Kodiak, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, etc...), but there's little work, and at least on Moloka'i gas is like $7 a gallon for regular!
@schalitz1 when I got to Alaska in September 2023, gas was 5.48 per gallon. Over the past 8 months it's down to $3.52 per gallon, so it's getting much better..... definitely work is an issue unless you don't care about working in a grocery store for example, or at the convenience store in the gas station, those types of jobs. I'm fortunate because I've been working from home since 2002, so I didn't need to worry about taking a job I really wouldn't like. I probably still would have done it if I really wanted to come though to where I am now.... I'm not sure if you saw any newer videos, when I first got here I drove from Fairbanks to Valdez for 7 days and visited 50 communities and locations with the goal to pick my favorite ones and then the second winter spend it there. And it's not as much as people think if you come at the end of September because prices for renting a car and lodges drop drastically as soon as the tourist season ends around September 28th. So this winter I'm spending outside of Denali, I just love the way this place looks. But I have an option next year if I don't want to put up with the cold temperatures in the interior during the winter, I would rent a cabin in this area during the Spring and Summer and I would rent a cabin in either Valdez or on Kodiak Island where the winters are more mild. But quite honestly I just love this area so much since I've been here that it's going to have to be really really awful for me to leave. But yeah some of the places you mentioned I know about and I completely understand why someone would want to spend their lives in those places or on those islands.... the most difficult thing for me to decide was where exactly to stay because after you visit several places, it's so hard to cut that list down and finally choose one. If you ever get here though try to take a look at a few places before choosing one to live because you never know you may just fall in love with one more than the others, or in my case you may wind up finding that the place you love the most was not even in your top 25 list before you got here and saw everything. Have a nice evening.
I love Valdez and Keni Pinunsula as both places are easier to cope with when it comes to harsh winter environment like in Fairbanks. I'd lived in Fairbanks from mid 80s for ten years and I even took part in the spill clean-up following the disastrous oil spill back in 88 or 89. I live in Baku, Azerbaijan and I would love to go back again for a visit or short stay. What a lovely place!
Yes, very true. Most people don't realize there are several climates in Alaska because it's so large, I think it's all the same..... it would definitely be interesting if you came back to visit so you could see how much has changed since the time you were here.
Glad you enjoyed it 😊 next month I'm going to be in a new small community where I will spend the next year at least so hang around and see how you like that place 👍
We visit your town during the summer with the RV that we rented in Anchorage. I just want to let your readers know that we really enjoyed your town and you’re right and people are extremely friendly and helpful. I was really surprised to see how much snow Valdez gets. I knew about the rain but I never thought about the snow. I come from a place called Lake Tahoe Nevada and we get all a lot of snow. So I probably should’ve thought About that.
From SoCal spent two mos driving in RV to Alaska. Yup, it’s definitely the last frontier. U have to well prepared, very expensive but the most beautiful state 😊
Haha how many people live in your town? Anywhere from 2 to 4 months I will be living in another place and I'm pretty confident this one is going to beat you even more lol
Willow was a nice town and fairly conveniently located. Make sure you visit before you buy land and look at the land closely (I assume you know this already but some people buy the land before they get here and they wind up getting swampland lol).
How long did you live out there for? I had someone else a couple of weeks ago who was living there I believe in the 1990s also tell me about that Island.
I never thought about it that way but in a way you're right. I guess you have to pay for peace. If that's true then I would say it's worth it, and I don't have a lot.
thanks from Turkey man. ı did not know anything about Alaska but i know something right now. Appreciate. And ıt seems a cool place for who likes rainy days and cloudy air. respect.
Hi, glad you enjoyed the video. Remember, Alaska is huge. Valdez is one of the more mild regions, seldom getting colder than -13 Celsius, and the snowiest region also... this year I moved to my favorite part of Alaska which is the interior, it's like a completely different world, not only because we get a lot less snow and winter time is typically between -28 to - 35 C, but the small communities are really cool and you're much more in the wild, as they say. Check out my videos from the last 2 months to get an impression on this part of Alaska 🙂 Have a nice week.
@terihanpeyze9512 🙂 the air is drier in Alaska so yes it's cold but it's not the same as if Turkey was -30 Celsius, but it's still cold and dangerous if you don't take precautions. The worst part is the cold wind. If its -13 Celsius and there's no wind it's actually not nearly as bad as it sounds but if its 5 Celsius with the cold winds in the winter 10 it feels miserable and unbearable lol
Great video! I've always wanted to go to Alaska. I live on a tiny island in the Caribbean, about the opposite of where you live. I'm going on an Alaskan Cruise to Glacier Bay this July. Really looking forward to it!
Thank you. Enjoy your cruise I'm sure you're going to have a blast. And the Caribbeans is a pretty nice place to live also haha have fun when you visit Alaska 😊
Looks like a pretty cool place. I love remote towns like this. I probably wouldn’t live there but could see myself spending a couple of months there…in winter for sure.
It's really pretty in the summer there, but winter time here is like no other small town because of the amount of snow they get. I thought it was the perfect place to start in Alaska, winter in the snowiest city in the US.
Thanks. I don't really understand why Alaska is attractive to people who are depressed or lost in life, because there are so many small towns throughout the US where people can hide, or be all alone or have the adventures they need to find themselves. Why come to the place that's more expensive and more dangerous. I think people just get easily influenced by unrealistic videos or TV shows they watch. I have no idea, I just don't understand. But my Hope was someone who was depressed and was looking up videos on TH-cam would come across mine and after hearing what I said maybe give it a second thought.
It's funny because like any place the people who live in small towns in Alaska of course don't like all the tourists because it makes everything crowded as well as tourists seem to not consider that people actually live there and are often inconsiderate, but at the same the locals realize they need them for the town to survive. I heard a joke, I told someone one time the people at the post office were so extra friendly this weekend and she said that's because all the tourists left 😂 but seriously, where I'm living now near Denali I understand a lot of tourists go there and yes sometimes they walk on the side of the road where the streets are narrow and the speed limits are 45 mph and they do get in the way but more so they put themselves in danger of getting hit by cars, we're driving running errands so we have to be extra careful for them, but I don't find as many tourists here as I heard there were before I got here. In short yes tourists are annoying just like I'm annoying when I go and visit a small town in Idaho. I get in those people's way, but I try to be considerate and understand people live there and it's their home, unfortunately most people don't think that way when they're on vacation. Anyhow, the benefit here is the tourist season is so short they come and go pretty quickly.
True, I mean I can understand it, who wants to carry an umbrella every day everywhere they go. At the same time Mary Poppins always carried an umbrella so I guess if she lived in Oregon or Valdez she would disagree 😆
Interesting vidoe I can relate with the rainy part...rainy season here from April to October in Belize. I've always wanted to see Alaska. Maybe some day
Welcome 🙂 the summer rain along with the late fall/early winter rain is a bit more rain and I prefer... now I'm in the interior and in the middle of the Rainy part of the season ( August / September) and it's like a different world than Valdez. Here it's more of an on and off drizzle and no downpours.
Your frankness is appreciated. You didn't sugarcoat anything. That's becoming more rare to find. Thank you
Thanks 🙂
I live in a desert in the lower 48. We have extreme weather, but not like this. This was eye-opening. Honestly, it made me want to visit AK more, (but not live there). I'm sure not many Alaskans would want to live in the desert either.
@grantstratton4629 what I found since being here is that people who move to Alaska despise the Heat, I think like me they don't want anything warmer than 75 or 80. But what I've also found is it's not entirely uncommon that people who were born and raised in Alaska leave in their 60s or 70s and typically go to California or another warm state. I've spoken to a few of them and they said they just can't do anything anymore outside in the winter time as they got older like they could when they were younger, and they don't want to sit inside all winter long.... and there are quite a few what they call snowbirds here, The alaskans who go to places like Mexico or the Caribbeans, and a few may go to Florida or Texas, just for the winters and then they come back to Alaska during the Spring and Summer. I would say they are usually between 30 and 50 and the husband or the wife has a really high paying job, so they can afford a house in two different countries or States. But it is a minority of the two groups I described above, regardless in the small communities you know the three or four people who do it every year.
Things were a lot different there in the 80’s when I lived there. One bar for every church. I used umbrellas on rainy and even some heavy snow days-because it was the practical thing to do. There were a lot of maladjusted kids I went to school with. It got really icy after huge snow falls followed by sudden temperature warmth and all the snow would rapidly begin to melt, turn to slush and then freeze which created a chunky texture to bang up your knees on after falling. But we didn’t wear boots or crampons, we wore high top tennis shoes , determination and nerves of steel! My favorite memories are of riding my bicycle everywhere in Valdez during the summer months, dining at the Pizza Palace, the smell of the salty air down around the harbor and the view from the city dock. ☃️😎
I had someone reply to my Nenana video and he was also here in the 1980s and said how much things have changed. There are still quite a few bars down by the docks, but in the entire 7 months I've been here during the rain and the snow, my umbrella was the only one I ever saw 🤣 the other tenants in the motel all tease me saying things like I drove past some guy with an umbrella and I knew it was you haha it's still the same how you described the snow and then getting a little warmer and then turning into chunks of ice, I usually walk once a week on the ice about five blocks to the post office and every time I saw one or two people fall in the street in December through February. My favorite pizza place in town is the stampmill, I'm not sure if that was there in the 1980s though but it's really really good.
I so wish someone out there can arrange for me (from South Africa) to come and live there
@@gideongouvs5559 it's not easy moving across the globe. I would recommend applying at seasonal jobs, therefore you don't have to depend on someone else and you can earn decent money and get to know more about Alaska and find out if you actually want to live here. There are a lot more inexpensive places to live and easier places to get to than Alaska. But if you're set on Alaska, seasonal workers are always needed, and that would be the best start for a foreigner moving here 👍
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- thank you for the honest reply --- i am from South Africa and admire that quiet life --- it looks serene and peaceful
@@gideongouvs5559 since Alaska is so large it really depends on where you live in Alaska and what you plan on doing how's the weather you would have peace and quiet. Most people choose Anchorage, which is the biggest city in Alaska and 40% of the Alaskan population lives there. It's a far cry from peace and quiet haha but that's where all of the year round jobs.... To get peace and quiet you can live on one of the many islands, which is extremely expensive, or you can live in a smaller community in the interior, which is extremely cold, or you can live in a place like Valdez. Most of the smaller communities are very inconvenient to live in, and the winters can be very difficult especially if you're new here (you can also live off grid but that's not as cheap as many of the TH-cam videos say).... In short I think even though Alaska does have a lot more quiet here where you can live, it also has a lot more inconvenience which can make life more difficult, depending on what you do for a living.... But if you come here for work I wouldn't come to Valdez unless you're familiar with or okay with dock work or working on fishing boats, which most people are not. It's much more easier working in the seasonal work for tourism, weather as a receptionist in a large or cleaning rooms in a large or working in one of the parks. I'm going to make a video in the summer about jobs in Alaska, for Americans who want to move here as well as for foreigners who want to get seasonal jobs 😉
Worked on the pipeline terminal construction for Morris Kuntson in 1975-76. While living in Alaska from 1974 till 1979.
When the sun came out it had to be one of the most beautiful places on earth God created!
Nice to see the pictures from today.
So true about the sun, I think I mentioned in a previous video on the ugly days it can be really ugly but on the pretty days it is gorgeous when the sun is shining.
If God created this who created god ?
@@feedtherich11 You can find the answer in Holy Scripture. i'd start with the book of Genesis!
@@feedtherich11 redditor spotted
@@feedtherich11Read the Bible! God has no beginning and no ending!
I'm 67.. if I were younger, this town would be great. I love rain, snow and cold, and the less people the better. Valdez sounds awesome.
I met some guy who came here when he was 65. It's definitely not easier than when you're younger, but it is doable. But more importantly, there are so many parts of Alaska that are more easily accessible then Valdez is, in my opinion no one is ever too old to do what they want... I came here at the age of 54, I could sit back and regret never doing it when I was younger but my previous experiences is what eventually brought me here... if you have time check through my videos but I put up between October and March, I took short video clips of each town. Whether it's Ester which is 8 minutes from Fairbanks, or nenana which is about 1 hour from Fairbanks, or even Healy which is about an hour and 45 minutes from Anchorage, depending on whether you want to live in a house near the mountains or in the woods near a river, it's all doable and you have many different options. 😊
Spent a few days in Valdez when I hunted with an outfitter named Guy Gorge. We hunted for sheep not far out of Valdez in a limited access area ,we walked 25 miles into camp and 25 miles out I was in the best shape of my life and was fortunate to take a good ram Guy George lived half the time in Montana and had worked on the pipe line burning brush, he was a great guy but has passed away. I also remember eating in a restaurant on the waterfront,we had halibut and it was delicious. I am 92 now and the trip was in the mid-eighties and I look fondly on my trip to Alaska. I have liked and subscribed and look forward to more stories.
Thanks for the story. I'm guessing you were somewhere on or around the pass when hunting.
I was in Valdez with the Coast Guard during the Exxon oil spill. This was a nice video to see the town under normal circumstances.
Glad you liked it and I hope you had some free time when you were there back then to enjoy it some. I'm sure that was a hectic job to have.
The first time I visited Valdez was about 9 months after the 1965 tsunami/earthquake. Almost all of the town was still under water. It was completely devastated. The only building intact and not under water was a gas station at the top of town before you descended in. Anyway, man did you hit the nail on the head with your commentary! You did a fantastic job of really portraying an unvarnished Alaska and Valdez. Congratulations on your effort! And, I hope you have mega views with your presentation here; few people really describe living here in such a real life way.
Thanks a lot 😊 that must have been incredible yet sad visiting Valdez right after the tsunami. That's a memory that's never going to go away and you're lucky to have it. That makes me jealous lol
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- But you pay the price. I am an old man. You are not! haha.
Haha time goes by fast, I'm getting there lol
Pro tip from someone who has lived it in these small towns growing up. If you are in Valdez or Whittier, get your vehicle on the ferry and travel to Cordova. It's not very far. Cordova is like the Valdez that you want. Valdez and Whittier are packed with RV's and businesses hawking to tourists in the summer. Cordova is one ferry ride away and you will have none of that.
Thanks, I've heard a lot of good about Cordova. If I was staying in Valdez I would definitely do what you're saying, but I'm heading to another part of Alaska now. I will get the Cordova one day though 👍
been there twice, hate anchorage so much I've taken the Ferry to Whittier twice.
@fbksfrank4 I think it's safe to assume I probably won't be seeing much more of Anchorage when I leave on June 30th. I'll be 2 hours closer to Fairbanks then I will be to Anchorage come July, so I'll be able to see much more of it and the North Pole then I can now.
Wow I thought Kotzebue and Barrow sounded rough.
@onedirection3510 it's probably just more noticeable or worse here because there's more people, that's my guess. I'm already packed for Sunday though lol
I spent the happiest days of my childhood on the Kenai Penninsula. We were stationed at Wildwood AFB in Kenai 1967 to 1970. We went to Old Valdez but never made to your newer Valdez. Thanks for the beautiful video!
Glad you enjoyed the video. It's always nice to hear from people who were here in the past and hear what they thought about it 🙂
Great video thank you, with very interesting observations. I will never make it to Alaska as I live in Sydney, Australia, but thoroughly enjoyed listening to you!
@RS-gl9ht A 20 or 22 hour flight would be brutal, but if you could manage to stay for 3-4 weeks in rent a car and drive through Alaska, the flight would be worth it 🙂 but I know what you mean because I always thought it would be cool to go to Australia but who wants to sit in a plane for a whole day lol
I live in Barbados and I remember being struck by the Exxon Valdez disaster in 1989. I was only 12 then. I hope that Valdez and Prince William Sound have recovered well. Your video is educational and informative.
I think the recovery has been as good as a could be. You don't notice anything with the naked eye but they say there is oil now buried deep below the surface. But the majority of sea life and Wildlife is back to normal.
Grew up in Valdez and moved to Fairbanks for 2 years for college. On the 11th I'm flying out and finally experiencing the world outside Alaska (moving to Denver).
How ironic I get suggested a video like this now.
@Spacegamer1250 I guess no matter where you go Alaska is always going to follow you haha Have a great time in Denver, it's going to be a bit different but I'm sure you're going to have a ton of fun..... what would be really cool is if you started putting up videos with how life is different in the lower States than in Alaska. If you start doing that let me know and I'll follow you 👍
We are burning with heat. Your video gave some solace. Greetings from Delhi, India
It's 55 degrees (13 Celsius) on June 1st here 😊
No, no. Please stay out of Alaska too
@@dima_r6it's too late for that bro, they're already there.
I've been to Delhi. Are you sure it's the 'heat' that's burning you? 💩😉
For you Old Timers, what ever happened to Sea Hawk Seafood? Worked there during the 85 salmon/herring season. Fall of that year, did a Halibut opener on the FV Myra. Met up with her captain, Dennis Rafferty in Valdez and went on a Halibut opener. Sailed around Prince Williams Sound for about three weeks. Spent about four days fishing and the rest of the time... sailing to Cordova, Whittier, a place called Snug Harbor, and towed a house boat across PWS to a place called Drake Island. Another, GREAT Alaskan experience!
I asked my neighbor who's a long time resident of Valdez and he said after the Exxon oil spill, Sea hawk seafood sued the city of Valdez later in 2001 claiming the amount of money they received in compensation in the 1980s was too low. In 2010 they win bankrupt and the property was taken over by Silver Bay seafood.... Sounds like you had a blast when you were there, I love hearing stories from people like you back in the days in Alaska.
There was also nautilus in town not long after that. I'm thinking there was one other on the south harbor rd with silverbay and peter pan ...i could be wrong. Now i think it's all silver bay over there because peterpan filed for bankruptcy and silver bay took over a few locations. I used to love catching herring off the old city dock when it was a 2 level deal that ran down the entire length. You could catch a whole cooler of herring a few days a week.
Seahawk is STILL in Soldotna. I hauled fish back south for 13 years for them.
VIC HOSKINS TRUCKING
I am 70 years old and worked for Koch Alaska Pipeline in summer of 75 till the summer of 76. It was nothing to make 1k to 1.5k a week with overtime. I could live oñ per diem and bank most of my salary. Bought first house in Texas for cash.
That's cool that I'm getting so many comments from people who used to work in Valdez back in the seventies and eighties... It seems like that's something that hasn't changed, the summer workers are still making really good money and working a lot of overtime. Most of them are from the lower States but there's even people from other parts of Alaska who come here just for the work during the summer.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- l still have that house as a rental l bought in 77.
@@michaelbryant2071 haha awesome.
How much went into the Great Alaskan Bush Company?
I worked on Kodiak Island for a short time during winter. When the weather was bad, no planes could land, ships would get delayed and the Safeway would have nothing fresh including meat. The news of the ship arriving would spread like wildfire and people would grab at the food not even looking at the cost. (mainly the fishing crews). Ice cleats everywhere, the town has 50 traversable miles if you have the right vehicle to do that. It was an adventure.
Sounds like Valdez where 90% of the time the planes were getting canceled, but they didn't have any issues with the boats getting delayed with food this past winter. It really is a unique experience living in places like Valdez and Kodiak in Alaska.
Even though it's cold, I still love this place
Glad you enjoyed the video.
Talk about a small town, I was raised in Anchor Point from 1950 until I left in 1963, then went back to work on the pipeline. Anchor Point was S M All. 1 room school in 1950. Boring but unique childhood. But it's not the same anymore, all the people I knew are most likely gone or dead. Just memories now. I'm 80.
I could see how such a small place is boring when you're younger, to me now the small communities are all just unique and really nice. Maybe I'm just become more boring as I've gotten older haha
Droll humor kept me chuckling for much of this video.
I have an odd sense of humor, I never thought about it but you're right it can be droll humor.
I enjoyed this very much. Reminds me of a couple of isolated towns we lived in on British Columbia's coast in Canada.
Thanks... One of my future plans is to visit some of those places in Canada in the future. I look forward to doing this.
We lived in Cooper Center in 75/76. My husband worked on the pipeline. Loved the experience.
Some people I met the first month I was here have lived in Copper Center at the past three or four years and they love it there. And Willow Creek was probably my second favorite community I saw when I drove through Alaska last fall.
Stunning narration, and a really good video. Thank you.
Thanks so much, appreciate the kind words from everyone.
I’m from the tropical country. I love the lifestyle and I wanted to experience this way of life thank you 🙏 for sharing this story.
You will probably enjoy it, but I think even people who don't enjoy their experience in Alaska never regret trying. Unless they sell their house and everything they own in the lower States and move up here without any preparation or planning.
Alaska will eat you alive. Stay home please.
My time in Valdez was in the late 1970's when I was a sailor on the FOSS tug that brought the floating container docks there from Seattle. Of course it was summer so it was a beautiful place to see. I am familiar with small Alaskan towns from my time with FOSS and before that with NOAA. I have fond memories of many towns that have changed for the worse since cruise ships have arrived.
I guess alaskans and tourists have a love-hate relationship. They know that they need the tourists for the town to make money and the local businesses to survive, but they hate losing their home to swarms of gawking people every summer. But since it's only 3 months of tourists for the most part, it could be much worse haha
It seems to me that the people of Valdez are its greatest asset.
They sound like something special. From Australia, I wish them well. 🇦🇺🇺🇲
Welcome, Australia 🙂 I think the people always make the town, the views and things to do or just extra bonuses 🙂
I can relate to your lifestyle there I'm living in a small Town in Finland with similar daily experiences but I enjoy it that's the best part the enjoyment.
Exactly. It's definitely not for everybody but at the same time those who enjoy it and get to live in it are really lucky.
As someone who grew up here, meaning I was a Ram, Husky, and BUCCANEER! I moved back to raise my kids. The summers are incredible but the winters suck and one grocery store is rough, but its home
At the end of the day like that famous TV show goes there's no place like home 🙂
What a fascinating video. A slice of life so very far removed from life as I know it. Thanks for this. I loved it.
Thank you, it's always nice to hear when someone enjoyed the video 😊
What's compelling is that here nature is big and mysterious and keeps its distance -- except when it doesn't. And the town is small and precarious and every person's experience counts as special. I thought the narrative voice was perfect for the place. Thanks!
You said that better than I did haha especially when you said every person's experience counts as special, you nailed it! And thank you, glad you enjoyed the video.
we all love you to Jimmy and the hole family god bless from San Diego ca
Thank you 😊
This seems like a nice place for introverts😊.. watching from Nepal ..
Hi, Nepal is a beautiful country 👍 I always thought small towns were really bad for introverts because those people are forced to go into the grocery store where everybody in town goes into any other places where everyone goes. It's hard to get away from people unless you just sit behind your house or apartment building. I think most introverts are going to live off grid alone where a plane brings them food and mail and they only see people three or four times a year if they choose to fly in a small plane or drive their boat into town to get supplies. At the end of the summer or in the middle of the summer I'll be going to a much smaller place and I will look for the introverts 🤣
I am an introvert and I loved Alaska and now live in a small town in South Dakota, nice.@@Life_Is_A_Highway-
I love Nepal and the people @@Life_Is_A_Highway-
I miss Alaska. I have lived there 3 times because I can't stay away
Born in Valdez and I gotta say no place makes me feel more at home like Valdez does my family had to move due to an accident but people still remember us every time I walk into rogues garden or fish central and a few other places the owners are beyond excited to see me I’m not the biggest fan of where I’m at now because I love the clouds, the snow, the mountains and the ocean all of it and and I am far from those things right now but hopefully I’ll be able to move back to Alaska one day
Amazing video my guy!
I love hearing stories from people who watch the video, thanks 😊 do you know what I liked about Valdez is when you're new there they treat you like you've lived there your whole life. I hope you get back there soon 😊
I lived in Campion Air Force Station (pop 120), about 5 miles from Galena (pop 400). Quite a change for a kid from Los Angeles (pop everyone else), but a place that I still remember fondly over 50 years later.
I personally think you were lucky to have that experience. I think a lot of people would say things like that must be awful or it must be miserable living in a small town in Alaska, but in a way I feel bad that they never get to experience it because sometimes something that sounds like no fun winds up being some of the most fun things you've ever done in your life.
great video with honest advice. thanks.
Thank you 😊
Fascinating remote villages. Nice infrastructures roads houses. No crowd no noise no pollution. So peaceful place
Yes. In my opinion it's really a great place to live if I didn't want to visit so many places by car across Alaska. Who knows maybe one day in the future I end up making Valdez my permanent hometown.
Thanks very much for sharing. Very informative.
Thanks for watching and hope you enjoyed 😊
Thank you. Just scratched Valdez, AK, from my bucket list. Nice video.
Definitely a place to visit one time 👍
Very interesting video. Thanks for sharing 😊
Thank you 😊
It looks like my old village in Siberia, where I lived during my childhood - harsh winters, solitude, an uncrowded place, but with beautiful nature, stunning views, and amazing people (sometimes). Nice video, appriciate that
Welcome, glad you enjoyed the video. Siberia is really pretty, and you're right places like Siberia and Alaska can be very harsh but unbelievably beautiful.
Just found your Channel today and subscribed! So many great Information! Thank you ❤
Thank you, glad you like the videos 😊
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- looking forward to watch more
@@policeofficersandy8057 Happy to hear you`re enjoying the videos :)
Just the right touch of information from someone who knows how to enjoy what they've got. Thank you. A fine place I'm sure I'll never get to see. Well, maybe next life.
Thanks so much, and glad you enjoyed the video...❤️
Excellent video - Thanks!
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it 😊
I was at Ft Rich,74-76…rode trail bikes in the summer, hit many small towns and trading posts…Looking at the footage and I can still feel the difference in the air❤️
That's cool, I really enjoy visiting the small towns and the trading posts, I can never get enough of that.
Alaska reminds me of Montana. Lots of the same kind of mentality. Lots of Indians too! The winters in MT are BRUTAL Like Alaska, you had better be ready to adjust to the local culture.
Yeah exactly Montana and also I think Northern Minnesota... I almost moved to Northern Minnesota.
I am from bulgaria and watching these very calm and well narrated video. One part of me as introvert like this quite and simple life.
Welcome, Bulgaria. Happy that you enjoy the videos 🙂
Thank you for sharing! :-)
Your description of the weather in Valdez must match how most of my fellow Dutchmen (and definitely of the Americans living here) perceive the rain in the Netherlands and how the older ones among us remember "real" winters.
Your description of the isolation of Valdez reminds me of when I was to become a sailer with the merchant navy. A Dutch saying translates to "we are all in the same boat", meaning that whatever fate will occur to all of us - no escaping.
No wonder that the people of Valdez will readily accept (or even welcome) newcomers: you'll want to know those that may require or provide help when Valdez is on its own.
I have "recently" discovered that I can handle just a certain amount of variation in daylight hours, implying that I shouldn't try living much more to the North than the Netherlands, or correspondingly to the South. I don't mind the dark, I don't mind the light, but I need a certain amount of both each day. - I wonder if you people from Valdez consider yourselves good at handling that. (Yes, I'm aware that winter days may be surprisingly bright due to the snow reflecting whatever light there is.)
I think you're probably 110% correct about how Americans and others living in the Netherlands feel about the rain, and also about real Winters haha .... You're also extremely accurate talking about we are all in the same boat. I think that's the way it is in most of the Alaskan communities that are smaller as well as any of the villages and communities around the world that are remote, people have to stick together.... I feel like whether it's the darkness in the winter or the cold, it's all in your mind. If you go outside and talk to people about how cold it is, you feel cold. If you go outside and just say it is what it is, the cold doesn't bother you. It's all a mind game in my opinion, you just have to accept it for what it is and you wind up not even thinking about it. The darkness is tough I think for people who drive to work and then come back home because you're leaving in the dark and you're coming back home in the dark, and the little daylight in the winter you're inside a building. But if you have a job that keeps you outdoors or if you work from home, then you get to enjoy the light a little bit more. There's actually very little sun in the winter time in Valdez, maybe two or three days every 10 days get sunny for a couple of hours, the other days are mostly overcast or snowing, and low clouds and lots of clouds. I mentioned in a previous video ugly days are really ugly in Valdez, but when the sun shines the pretty days are incredibly beautiful.
My Valdez is long gone. My in-laws had a homestead some miles out of town. I was stationed at the ACS cable house from 60 to 62 and occasionally filled in as relief tech or station manager from Glennallen as needed until 1964.
Wow, I've had a lot of people comment in this video who were living in Valdez in the 80s, but you actually lived here and in Glen Allen back in the 60s. That must have been wild. When was the last time you visited Alaska?
I spent a week in Valdez about twenty years ago. I loved it. You did a very good overall narrative on the city but didn't mention, if any, medical services.
Thanks. I'm sure quite a bit has changed in those 20 years haha there is a very nice hospital right in the center of town. It's not a huge building but it's pretty big. If you break a leg or don't have severe health issues, they can work on you there. They actually have about 20 patients living in the hospital who need to be taken care of on a daily basis, some of them have been there for a few years. But if you have something serious like a stroke or your arm gets cut off, they would fly you with the helicopter to Anchorage. But it's a much nicer hospital that was capable of doing much more than I had thought before I arrived there. Btw even if you're in Anchorage or Fairbanks, you would be flown to Washington State for most major surgeries.
Brilliant, brilliant and brilliant. Thankyou.
Rotorua, New Zealand 🇳🇿
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video 😊
..and you missed notation of slightly larger shaker back in March 1964, that displaced old Valdez completely; so the newer location could meet similar fate when circumstances finally might repeat.. "wash, rinse, repeat" like the seasons, if you are around long enough.
And "Safeway" has been Albertson's sub-brand; working on becoming part of Kroger/FredMeyer. Much change is still ongoing, too!
~ small town AK-USA survivor since 1960 🇺🇸💮☃
PS: Ice cleats are better than umbrellas, since they might fit in your pocket.
Yeah, the chance of an earthquake forcing the town to move again is probably more likely than a tsunami destroying the town..... I'm actually preparing to move to another part of Alaska but correct me if I'm wrong he's in Safeway owned by Carrs grocery store now (or is Carrs owned by Safeway)? ... Haha now I'm going to go and get an ice pick lol what part of Alaska are you in? I'm pretty much set on where I'm going this summer/winter, although I'm a bit torn between healy and Willow Creek. I thought they were both really interesting.
Hi there.
For me as an European it is a very interesting informative video about a part of Alaska.
Thank you very much for all your work!
For me it would be impossible to live there with so much rain and snow.
I lived in several countries in Europe and also in Asia. I enjoy warmth, sun and a lot of greenery around me.
Sending you love and appreciation from Italy ❤🎉
Thanks, appreciate it. I completely understand, I don't know a single person personally before I came to Alaska who wanted to live in snow and cold. That's probably why there's less than 800k people living here and 30k of those are forced to live here because they're in the military.
Nice video and educational, thanks 😊
Thanks, I tried to be as accurate as I could be 😊
Thanks for a great video. I'm from Croatia and Alaska is my dream. Well , maybe not Valdez :). I live in a part of Croatia where there is a lot of snow in the winter, where the nature is beautiful, mountains, forests, slow pace of life and I really love it, no wonder I love Alaska too. But Alaska is really something else. That is my dream, but probably an unfulfilled dream
Glad you enjoyed the video. Check out my latest videos 😉 I just moved to the interior of Alaska and it sounds exactly like what you would love. 🙂
Thanks for sharing
I hope you enjoyed it and have a nice weekend.
At the beginning I thought it was winter in the town , because of all that snow😂 Then you showed the town in winter...😮 Gobsmacked
@roydoncrerar2852 lol there's a lot of snow there haha between November and the end of March it was a total of 400 inches
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- That's a lot of snow by any standard! The most I've ever seen is a foot deep 🤣
I live in and grew up in Florida. Growing up, my dad always dreamed (maybe a little dramatically and with a little embellishment) of building a cabin in Alaska and living alone. Thankfully I was do block headed as a kid to be offended by this. lol. He and I took a trip to Alaska when I was 16. Stayed in a hostel in Anchorage, hiked about mile and half into the national park sometime near the end of winter (plenty enough winter for Floridians, though!) and camped a few nights on a really cool spot next to a cliff that overlooked a river bottomed valley...the other side was a huge mountain. I have some nostalgia there. I remember being blown away by the mosquitos. Being a Floridian, it was crazy to see them that big, that slow. I came back to Florida boasting about how many I could kill in one swipe.
Later in life, my dad got a job climbing telco towers in remote regions of Alaska and installing GPS devices. He got sick while doing this and was out of commission, on the company's pay in Alaska for an extended time. This, and probably old age thinned his blood and killed his dream (if he ever really meant it anyway). I kinda dream about it too these days. Too much I have here as a 38 y/o that I wouldn't leave. Might not ever do it. But, we'll see; Lord willing I have a lot of life ahead of me.
That's an interesting story, thanks for sharing. Maybe you were at Earthquake Park here in anchorage, that's all I can think of now with how you described it, but it may be some other Park...... I decided when I was 42 that I was going to come to Alaska, but I took things slow and I finally came 12 years later. My advice is don't rush it. The more ahead you plan the more you will be able to do that you want to do. And then one day you're just going to wake up out of the blue and you're going to know it's time to go to Alaska. It may take 12 years like it did for me, but that's what happened to me, I just knew it was time. Good luck if you decide to come 😊
Living in Florida too, but dreaming of alaska! ❤❤. Visited last yr and can't wait to go back.
@nooneyouknow5516 it's definitely a really great place to visit. I never heard someone say my Alaskan vacation wasn't fun haha I guess it's not a place for everyone to live, there's some things I'm still getting used to. I'm not really fond of the grizzly bears lol and I had a wolf run past the cabin about 75 or 100 yards away yesterday around 3:00 p.m. when I was sitting on the front porch, which was really cool and I especially liked it cuz it wasn't a grizzly 🤣
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- somehow I'm back watching this video! Question. Why did you say if someone isn't happy in NYC or Florida, they probably won't be happy in AK? Meaning they won't be happy anywhere?
Don't get me wrong, I love Florida but I was so enamored with alaska. Having the mountains and the sea together was incredible. You are absolutely right though, who is going to say they didn't have a good time on their vacation in alaska? But I just feel so drawn to it....
Love that a wolf ran past your cabin! ❤
@nooneyouknow5516 I think there are a lot of people fascinated with Alaska, but none of them including myself know if they want to put up with the bad sides of Alaska until they live here. Videos tend to show us the best things about places and it gets our hopes and expectations much higher than they should be. I really did my best to have absolutely no expectations well before I arrived in Alaska because I knew that many of those expectations would just be a disappointment. So I really came to Alaska already buried in my head whatever happens happens and whatever I see I see but don't expect anything I've heard or seen in videos. And it was good I thought this way because I've been to a lot of places so far in the year I've been here and I have seen a total of three moose, and I haven't seen the amount of wildlife I've seen in all of these other videos. And I'm okay with that because I know eventually I will see more and more the longer I am here and it was good not to expect things like this..... and yes you are right what I mean is from people I know who have been depressed or were not particularly happy people, when they got what they always said would make them happy, they were happy for a short time and then they were back to being depressed or unhappy. So I'm a firm believer that happiness comes from within and not necessarily what you think you want or what you think will make you happy or where you live. I'm not saying I'm right but I have yet known or met anyone who was sad where they were living before and then became happy-go-lucky always in a good mood people simply because they moved. Like that saying goes, you always bring your problems with you no matter where you go. You also bring your personality and who you are no matter where you go. I understand people can change but you can't change a disease like depression or you can't change your personality from always negative to always optimistic, or from always in a bad mood to always in a good mood. There's another saying I heard once that goes, you are who you are no matter who you want to be.
Great video! The opening shots are my hometown sign and behind the register at my restaurant. I’ve been here since 92’ and I love this little town
The Old Town Diner ? The cook at your place is the person responsible for telling me where to go when I arrived to find a place for the winter. And the young waitress was extremely friendly whenever I stopped by. I left Valdez in April after staying there for 8 months, I really liked it there over the winter. But I wanted to come to the interior and now I'm outside of Healy. I'm going to visit Valdez next summer.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- That’s the place! That young waitress was my oldest daughter!! Glad you got to spend some time in our great little town! When you come back, be sure to check out The Stampmill pizza place on main street across from Wells Fargo. It’s my newest creation with my business partner and packed full of old town Valdez history and relics. All the tables are covered with newspapers dating as far back as 1944!
well done. Like the narrated videos you´ve been doing lately 👍
Thanks, glad you liked it.
Nice production Sir. Your Sunny pics are spectacular. Did not know all that rain in the Summer, that I could not handle + snow in winter. I got isolated for 3 days because of mud slides in my canyon so I know what you mean, but this is lightweight compared to what you experience. Need to look this up on a Map.
Yeah, I also don't enjoy the rain, but Alaska in general has quite a bit of rain. Well, the positives are there's no mudslides around here haha
this was a good video. i think it will Blow up
Thank you, appreciate it.
Nice place
Nice presentation
Watching from India❤️
Thank you, glad you liked it 😊
I like your honesty
Thanks 😊
Very good and highly interesting video, really! Greetings from Germany🇩🇪.
Danke. Wenn du einmal Alaska besuchst, sag mir. Wenn du in meiner naehe bist, vielleicht kann ich dir eine Ort oder zwei vorschlagen wo du besuchen sollst 😊
tell your cuban friends "esta soplando el mono" when its cold! LOL
Lol will do
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- “the monkey is blowing” abstract cuban saying about cold weather.
@@FLORIDAHOODVLOGS thanks
Live in Valdez now. Did 4 in Sitka. Having a road out is a god send.
How long have you been in Valdez? And what was your overall opinion about Sitka?
I'm born and raised in Scotland. I can't explain exactly why, but I have this burning desire to visit Alaska and wonder if it's a notion guided by God. Let's see... Great video!
@SketchTM thanks, glad you enjoyed the video. Rent a car and drive through Alaska if you're able to make it one day, you won't regret it 😉
God left the USA a while ago.
@@patty109109 I wonder who's been receiving my Christmas cards then 😉
@@patty109109 Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there..." Christians still exist there, I see where you're coming from though it's not looking great right now.
A small rv would be better then you have a place to sleep
Loved the video. Kinda felt like I was there except I am here in balmy, humid SC and it's only June. Last week was high 90s so the past couple days cooled off to high 80s but the bad stuff will be back and the A/C will be running non stop. Your video reminded me of Maine but with greater mountains of course. Lots more snow it looks like too.
Thanks. My best friend lives in Virginia and I've been trying to convince him to move here but if you have to convince someone to move to alaska, they're not going to stay here haha I'm in Anchorage right now and temperatures are in the low 60s, but the sun is not above you in Alaska but rather across from you so when it's 70° here, it feels much warmer than it is. 68° and you can wear a t-shirt outside and your comfortable ....... Valdez is the snowiest city in the US, when I left in April just under 400 inches of snow fell since November.
One interesting fact about Valdez is how all the streets are arranged in a perfect grid. North/South. East/West. I believe the town was designed as a military base because of the importance of ice free ports during WWII. I also think that the main industry in Valdez was commercial fishing but you say that it is tourism. Interesting how time changes. In the late 70's the pipeline terminus employed a lot of people. I do agree that the climate can be a little harsh but that adds to how unique this gem is. A fishing town with a drinking problem. LOL
That's true about the streets, I never looked at it that way...... Commercial fishing and construction it's definitely very important to Valdez, I think about 2,000 workers come there from May until September. They spend money on hotels and groceries. The reason I consider it a town that survives on tourism is because thousands of tourists arrive on boats and cars everyday, and also many of them stay in campgrounds or get back on the boat, a lot of the cruises put up their customers in the hotels there, and those tourists spend money. I think the town can survive without the fisherman, today it can survive without the tourists..... You probably know already but the Coast Guard is still active in Valdez.
It was planned that way after the 64 earthquake tsunami wiped out most of the town in its original location. Old Town was located at the very end of the bay which is what put in harms way. The current townsite is less of a direct tidal target and they made the streets wider because it facilitates easier snow removal, as you know VALDEZ gets record snow fall. Old Town Valdez was put together during the gold rush and buildings and homes were closure together and the streets were narrower, added snow created a lot of congested mobility. Modern day Valdez is spacious but lacks the intimate quality of old time western town.
@@juliadplume3097 thanks, Julia, that's interesting to know why the town is built like it is. I always imagined Old Town Valdez was much more cool. But they did a good job with the new Valdez.
Wonderful detailed told like a storybook with heart. I would live there for a bit.
After spending 21 hot summers in south florida that could be a perfect vacation
I would melt in Florida. After 2 weeks there you would just see a puddle in the street and say "hey that's John"
My aim is to retire to a very remote area and live very simply. With no family and no connections, I would love be happy in a quiet peaceful area. I would not even want a car at that time. However, to live here with these extreme weather conditions, I do not know. I would stay in my home almost 100 percent of the time anyway. I do not know if I could deal with the weather.
Everybody's definition of remote is different. If you mean remote like in Valdez, you wouldn't need a car. But if you mean remote like in parts of the interior of Alaska, a car would be necessary. If you mean remote like on an island or in a place only reachable by plane or boat, you be pretty far from any medical centers....But if you're just going to be inside most of the time I wouldn't recommend coming to Alaska, especially if you're older. You would be better off moving to a remote town in the lower States because it's cheaper, safer, and you don't have to deal with the ice and snow when you're 70 years old, and the only benefits you will get out of living in Alaska at any age will be if you're interested in wildlife, outdoor activities like hiking or camping or fishing etc, and you also have to really enjoy winters because that's part of everyone's life here for most of the year.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- Well I absolutely LOVE outdoors and nature - but on a calm level. I love huge green trees. I would love to hike. But I would need more sunshine in my year. I also have been thinking of living waay in the northwest woods of Montana. That would be fabulous. Get some acreage. I do love remote as in very remote. I have some time to think about it. Even considered moving abroad. I am happy you are happy living there. It does indeed look so beautiful. Blessings.
It is very nice here, I'll say that much. It's definitely worth giving up conveniences to live in some of the small remote towns.... You should also check out Northern Minnesota, there's some really pretty fairly remote places up there. Although Montana would also be really nice.... If you look back at some of my videos you will see 30 or 40 small towns that I visited in Alaska, one thing to consider here is there's a video titled Ester, Alaska for example. I think it was roughly 8 miles outside of Fairbanks, there's nothing out there and it feels as remote as some of the places that are really remote. That's also something you can consider. I mean there's a lot of options I'm pretty sure in every state for you. If you have a chance to visit a few of them before selecting one so that you can compare them would be great. I wish you the best in whatever you decide at that time 👍
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- Well thank you, kindly. I will check out some of your videos. I just found you this afternoon and loved this video! Yes, I will travel to different places to see if I love them before deciding. Going to Priest Lake, Idaho next year as that is at the top of my list. Taking my Dad on a fishing trip as fishing is his first love. Great lodge cabins up there and we can rent a boat. I am so looking forward. Lots of great little areas you pointed out in Alaska. Blessings.
Sounds like you'll have a lot of fun in Idaho. I'm trying to convince my dad to visit me here but he said nope lol he's 82 so it's not easy for him to make longer trips, it's a shame I wish I could show him some of Alaska. I started making these videos in particular for my parents and friends who can't visit. This one caught on a little bit so after 8 months this is my first semi-success haha okay enjoy your trip and if you're ever in Alaska send me a message I might be close by 😉
I love this town of mine. Thank you for covering Valdez
@ethanclupper7034 thanks, hope I did it well. I really enjoyed my time in valdez.
Thank you sir!
Happy you enjoyed it 😊
Very nice video & very informative ❤!
@@marshawargo7238 Thanks :)
Truth be told Sir, I find your description of the life in Valdez fascinating and really enticing. Sure, I also know I will probably make it (being born in rural Italy put me in the opposite spectrum of way of living), but damn, I would love to give it a try!! Amazing video Sir, thanks AAAAAND SUBBED!!
Thanks. If you're excited about it, you would make it easily. What I found in Alaska is the only people who may not make it are the people who are fascinated with Alaska, but it's not in their hearts to be here. If your heart is telling you to do it, then you would make it. Your brain will always tell you don't come to Alaska, because it's inconvenient and a little more difficult and a little more expensive. But once your heart tells you to do it, you're less likely to give up even through the hard times.
Was told by the first person I worked for 50 years ago, " people that move to Alaska are running from something or somebody"
He may have said some people that move to Alaska are running from something or somebody? I'm going to give a long answer but the short real answer is at the end.....Long Answer: There are definitely the type of people I described in the video who maybe are running from depression, family problems, drug scenes, warrants, etc.... I think the majority of the people who move to Alaska are coming to 1) chase unrealistic dreams because they don't realize many of the Alaskan channels are more reality TV show than true life, 2) Hunters and Fishers, 3) Outdoorsman like rock climbers, Etc 4) people who want to live around wildlife and who also prefer winters over summers, 5) and people who just want a change in life for a little while but never plan on staying, 6) someone who spent time in the military here and just fell in love with Alaska and moved back here...... the reason I say people who like wildlife and prefer Winters over Summers is because you can get wildlife in many states in the US and you wouldn't move here for wildlife if you don't like Winters. And the reason I didn't add people who want to live remotely in small towns is because every state has remote small towns but you wouldn't move to one in Alaska if you didn't like Winters.... Short Answer: If everything is perfect in your life where you are now but you hate the cold and winters you get, you wouldn't stay there. People who move to Alaska and stay here love winters. If they like hunting or fishing or wildlife or rock climbing or hiking or boondocking, those are just bonuses you get for living here.
lol running to something
😂@@jerrymack8473
Thanku!! Very interesting video 😁 beautiful scenery and very good commentary 👌🏼👍 The first thought i had when your video started was the tv series Northern Exposure. I absolutely LOVED it! I'm almost 100% certain that the setting for that series was a town like Valdez... I wouldn't be surprised if they even did some of the live shoots there. As someone who has always lived in warmer climes but just passionately LOVE the mountains, your video is an absolute delight. Looking forward to many more 😁👍Thanku again and God bless 😊👼🏽🙏🏽
Thanks, glad you liked it ....I think the entire Northern Exposure series was shot in Washington State, but that was a fun series. Have a nice Sunday 😊
@@Life_Is_A_Highway-
Thanku 😊 you too 👍
And thanks for the info reg Northern Exposure 😊 much appreciated.
Thanks 😊
Very interesting presentation. I grew up in North Dakota in the 40's and 50's and remember winters when it got below zero in December and didn't get above until late January or February. I was shocked when you said Valdez residents may experience temps in the single digits for a few days, those days being the closest. I suppose the water helps keep it above zero. It's an interesting life and not everyone has the constitution to live as you describe but life is what you make of it and some of us just adjust and make lemonade when lemons roll you way. Lots of lemon snow cones during the winter.
Thanks. I was a bit surprised also, I was expecting it to be more cold and also more wind storms. I guess the water does help but the funny thing is Anchorage is also on the water and they were reaching I think -20 this winter and I also think it's common it's around -10 in the winter there, maybe it's also the air/winds that's coming from a certain area that is affecting the temperatures in Valdez also. But there's such a different variation of temperatures across Alaska for example now I'm in the interior and the past 3 days it's been 41° in the morning, and we're halfway through July. The warmest it's gotten here right now this summer so far is 68 from what I saw, but most days are in the mid-to-high 50s.... you said it perfectly, it is what you make of it. You can complain and be miserable or you can just take it as it is and enjoy it. It's actually just like any other place, you can always find something to make yourself miserable no matter where you are. In my opinion without a positive attitude and just accepting you're going to have fun, you might as well just never leave your home, no matter where one lives. Like I said in the video it's all in your head whether it's the cold or the snow or the ice or whatever. It's not hard for the brain to trick the body haha
Great video my friend 👍🏼 love the north.
I lived in Inuvik NWT for over 5 years, absolutely loved it. ♥️
Cheers from 2 Canadians 🇨🇦 living in Mexico. 🇲🇽✌🏼🥰
Oh, I bet that was a lot of fun! Glad you enjoyed the video 😊
My niece and her family live in Delta Junction, north of Anchorage and a couple hours from Fairbanks. It looks like paradise compared to Valdez. Not much snow there either but the northern lights are magical.
I'm actually on my way home from Fairbanks at this moment and I saw some really nice Northern Lights 2 nights ago there..... I guess if you're into small towns than Valdez would be more ideal but I guess Delta Junction is more of an area / spread out and it's also much more convenient. But you're going to get Northern Lights in most Parts of Alaska even Valdez, you just don't see them as easily because of the Town being surrounded by the mountains. But everybody prefers somewhere else, I prefer more in the middle of the Interior like around Denali.... if I lived in the vicinity of Fairbanks I would prefer Ester, ask your niece about that place. It's not far from her, it's just on the other side of Fairbanks 🙂
You're spot on with the "fly in" analysis. While it is peaceful it also costs a fortune for food as well as transportation. Not just flights, even gas is off the wall in fly in locals.
@schalitz1 thanks. I'm sure some things I said are right and some things are wrong because at the end of the day the videos are just my opinion. Sometimes people get mad at me and it's kind of funny so it's nice to get a nice comment. Thanks.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- No worries brother, your video was AWESOME. I always day dream about moving to a place like Moloka'i or a fly in community in Alaska (an island preferably, like Kodiak, Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, etc...), but there's little work, and at least on Moloka'i gas is like $7 a gallon for regular!
@schalitz1 when I got to Alaska in September 2023, gas was 5.48 per gallon. Over the past 8 months it's down to $3.52 per gallon, so it's getting much better..... definitely work is an issue unless you don't care about working in a grocery store for example, or at the convenience store in the gas station, those types of jobs. I'm fortunate because I've been working from home since 2002, so I didn't need to worry about taking a job I really wouldn't like. I probably still would have done it if I really wanted to come though to where I am now.... I'm not sure if you saw any newer videos, when I first got here I drove from Fairbanks to Valdez for 7 days and visited 50 communities and locations with the goal to pick my favorite ones and then the second winter spend it there. And it's not as much as people think if you come at the end of September because prices for renting a car and lodges drop drastically as soon as the tourist season ends around September 28th. So this winter I'm spending outside of Denali, I just love the way this place looks. But I have an option next year if I don't want to put up with the cold temperatures in the interior during the winter, I would rent a cabin in this area during the Spring and Summer and I would rent a cabin in either Valdez or on Kodiak Island where the winters are more mild. But quite honestly I just love this area so much since I've been here that it's going to have to be really really awful for me to leave. But yeah some of the places you mentioned I know about and I completely understand why someone would want to spend their lives in those places or on those islands.... the most difficult thing for me to decide was where exactly to stay because after you visit several places, it's so hard to cut that list down and finally choose one. If you ever get here though try to take a look at a few places before choosing one to live because you never know you may just fall in love with one more than the others, or in my case you may wind up finding that the place you love the most was not even in your top 25 list before you got here and saw everything. Have a nice evening.
I love Valdez and Keni Pinunsula as both places are easier to cope with when it comes to harsh winter environment like in Fairbanks. I'd lived in Fairbanks from mid 80s for ten years and I even took part in the spill clean-up following the disastrous oil spill back in 88 or 89. I live in Baku, Azerbaijan and I would love to go back again for a visit or short stay. What a lovely place!
Yes, very true. Most people don't realize there are several climates in Alaska because it's so large, I think it's all the same..... it would definitely be interesting if you came back to visit so you could see how much has changed since the time you were here.
Thanks for sharing. I live in a city in Malaysia and always wonder how the most furthest parts of the world looks like. So this is something awesome❤
Glad you enjoyed it 😊 next month I'm going to be in a new small community where I will spend the next year at least so hang around and see how you like that place 👍
We visit your town during the summer with the RV that we rented in Anchorage. I just want to let your readers know that we really enjoyed your town and you’re right and people are extremely friendly and helpful. I was really surprised to see how much snow Valdez gets. I knew about the rain but I never thought about the snow. I come from a place called Lake Tahoe Nevada and we get all a lot of snow. So I probably should’ve thought About that.
I'm sure you had a fun trip driving through Alaska. If you were in Safeway in Valdez we might have even walked past each other haha
From SoCal spent two mos driving in RV to Alaska. Yup, it’s definitely the last frontier. U have to well prepared, very expensive but the most beautiful state 😊
If you had to pick only three, what were your 3 favorite stops?
Lovely video. Thanks. I live in Western Washington, where it rains a lot in the winter and its the same with the umbrellas.Locals dont use them
Thanks 😊 it's funny for an outsider to see but it's also understandable who wants to carry around an umbrella everyday with them.
Just looking at the footage, I would have guessed your population would be much smaller than here in my NH town. You beat us!
Haha how many people live in your town? Anywhere from 2 to 4 months I will be living in another place and I'm pretty confident this one is going to beat you even more lol
Beautiful I think I’m going to try the willow area for
My land thanks great video good luck
Willow was a nice town and fairly conveniently located. Make sure you visit before you buy land and look at the land closely (I assume you know this already but some people buy the land before they get here and they wind up getting swampland lol).
I just found this and subscribed instantly. My dream is to retire and move to Kodiak. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks. Kodiak would be really nice. The only reason that's not for me is the cost if I want to go to the mainland more often.
I lived out on Adak Island in the Bering Sea for 2 yrs. We were really remote, closer to Russia than mainland Alaska.
How long did you live out there for? I had someone else a couple of weeks ago who was living there I believe in the 1990s also tell me about that Island.
I lived out there for 2 years. My husband was in the Navy stationed at the MAUW Compound. (Weapons dept)
@@rhondaoberto7476 hope you enjoyed it while you were there :)
Small towns like this are quaint and cozy but it seems like they all have their
hands in your pocket for something. Every thing is so expensive!
I never thought about it that way but in a way you're right. I guess you have to pay for peace. If that's true then I would say it's worth it, and I don't have a lot.
thanks from Turkey man. ı did not know anything about Alaska but i know something right now. Appreciate. And ıt seems a cool place for who likes rainy days and cloudy air. respect.
Hi, glad you enjoyed the video. Remember, Alaska is huge. Valdez is one of the more mild regions, seldom getting colder than -13 Celsius, and the snowiest region also... this year I moved to my favorite part of Alaska which is the interior, it's like a completely different world, not only because we get a lot less snow and winter time is typically between -28 to - 35 C, but the small communities are really cool and you're much more in the wild, as they say. Check out my videos from the last 2 months to get an impression on this part of Alaska 🙂 Have a nice week.
@@Life_Is_A_Highway- Thanks mate I'll check but -28 -30 Celsius are really cold hahaha. Anyway thanks again man. 🙏
@terihanpeyze9512 🙂 the air is drier in Alaska so yes it's cold but it's not the same as if Turkey was -30 Celsius, but it's still cold and dangerous if you don't take precautions. The worst part is the cold wind. If its -13 Celsius and there's no wind it's actually not nearly as bad as it sounds but if its 5 Celsius with the cold winds in the winter 10 it feels miserable and unbearable lol
You did a great video. It was honest and objective. Very interesting.
Thank you ❤️
Enjoyed this to the point reality of living in Valdez and surrounding Alaska areas.
Thanks 😊
Great video ..thank you.Greetings from Germany..
Vielen dank. Schoenes Wochenende wuensche ich dir 🙂
Great video! I've always wanted to go to Alaska. I live on a tiny island in the Caribbean, about the opposite of where you live. I'm going on an Alaskan Cruise to Glacier Bay this July. Really looking forward to it!
Thank you. Enjoy your cruise I'm sure you're going to have a blast. And the Caribbeans is a pretty nice place to live also haha have fun when you visit Alaska 😊
Looks like a pretty cool place. I love remote towns like this. I probably wouldn’t live there but could see myself spending a couple of months there…in winter for sure.
It's really pretty in the summer there, but winter time here is like no other small town because of the amount of snow they get. I thought it was the perfect place to start in Alaska, winter in the snowiest city in the US.
i love what you said about people with depression moving there to try to get away from that
Thanks. I don't really understand why Alaska is attractive to people who are depressed or lost in life, because there are so many small towns throughout the US where people can hide, or be all alone or have the adventures they need to find themselves. Why come to the place that's more expensive and more dangerous. I think people just get easily influenced by unrealistic videos or TV shows they watch. I have no idea, I just don't understand. But my Hope was someone who was depressed and was looking up videos on TH-cam would come across mine and after hearing what I said maybe give it a second thought.
This reminds me of an icy version of Quartzsite az. Except it shuts down in summer and 1 million RVs invade instead of cruise ships half the year.
It's funny because like any place the people who live in small towns in Alaska of course don't like all the tourists because it makes everything crowded as well as tourists seem to not consider that people actually live there and are often inconsiderate, but at the same the locals realize they need them for the town to survive. I heard a joke, I told someone one time the people at the post office were so extra friendly this weekend and she said that's because all the tourists left 😂 but seriously, where I'm living now near Denali I understand a lot of tourists go there and yes sometimes they walk on the side of the road where the streets are narrow and the speed limits are 45 mph and they do get in the way but more so they put themselves in danger of getting hit by cars, we're driving running errands so we have to be extra careful for them, but I don't find as many tourists here as I heard there were before I got here. In short yes tourists are annoying just like I'm annoying when I go and visit a small town in Idaho. I get in those people's way, but I try to be considerate and understand people live there and it's their home, unfortunately most people don't think that way when they're on vacation. Anyhow, the benefit here is the tourist season is so short they come and go pretty quickly.
Great video! Very thorough and thoughtful descriptions, and lots of great footage. I think I'd at least enjoy a full year here very much.
Thank you. It's really a nice place, great people and just minutes from the Thompson pass.
We don’t use umbrellas in Oregon/Washington either. I guess anywhere where it’s always rainy people just adapt/become one with the environment.
True, I mean I can understand it, who wants to carry an umbrella every day everywhere they go. At the same time Mary Poppins always carried an umbrella so I guess if she lived in Oregon or Valdez she would disagree 😆
I get umbrellas if you wear glasses and can’t do glasses
Hi from France, thank you for your videos. Very interesting. Take care.
Thank you 😊
Interesting vidoe
I can relate with the rainy part...rainy season here from April to October in Belize. I've always wanted to see Alaska. Maybe some day
Welcome 🙂 the summer rain along with the late fall/early winter rain is a bit more rain and I prefer... now I'm in the interior and in the middle of the Rainy part of the season ( August / September) and it's like a different world than Valdez. Here it's more of an on and off drizzle and no downpours.