Living & Working in Great Places

Alaska

Well I did it, I took that leap and put in an application with Princess tours. I put in for both MT MCKINLEY and DENALI plus a position on the rail line. Right now my heart is doing leaps in my chest. I have always wanted to go see Alaska and have always been told it's awsome but I never got up the courage. So time will tell on this one.

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Permalink Reply by Brenda on December 16, 2008 at 7:38pm: One other question, if I was to get this job, would it be wise to get a ski coat? Course trying to find one in this state is another subject all together, Arizona. I assume being up in the mountains it would be best to come prepared with the winter cloathing as well.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Ben & Jari on December 26, 2008 at 10:45am: Denali tends to be cooler than McKinley because of its higher elevation, but you can expect temperatures near freezing (it may even snow!) for the first few and the last few weeks of the season. The rest of the time it should be very comfortable (and sometimes a little hot) all day and all night long. The shuttle between the airport and McKinley (I dunno about the Denali shuttle) stops at a Walmart along the way if you want to save your coat shopping for Alaska. :-P
I've been to both lodges and I've worked at McKinley for 4 years, and I love it to death! It's got a little bit more of a wilderness feel to it than Denali, and we've got the bonus of being at the foot of Mt. McKinley.
I've got some pictures of the McKinley Princess Lodge on my page if you're interested!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brenda on December 26, 2008 at 11:44am: I went and looked at your Photo's and want to say thanks. thats what I like to see. granted there are a lot of beautiful scenic photo's out there, but right now I want to see pic's of employees at work. Mt McKinly looks like a nice place to be. Hope you post more.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by akscootr on December 16, 2008 at 8:21pm: Moose Dropping Festival... ahhh yes. That is a cool one. So is forest Fest in Girdwood and Canned Food Fest in Fox, north of Fairbanks. Canned food is held @ Howling Dog Saloon which is full of character; They stole the red carpet Reagan and the pope walked on when they visited in the early 80's. It now covers the stage... :0) The fest helps feed the homeless and it is a three-day blues concert.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rachel Drinkard on December 17, 2008 at 12:17am: Good luck! You'll love it up here if you're here for the right reasons!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brenda on December 17, 2008 at 12:48am: thanks Rachel, I'm certainly not going to party. Not much into that sorta thing. I like my fun, but I like nature and wildlife a whole lot more. Alaska has always been a dream of mine to see so This is my chance to do just that, to see and explore.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Kate on December 17, 2008 at 1:08am: Caitlyn, this sounds like a lot of fun! I too have applied for Princess McKinley and I am excited. I'd love to ask questions, but, LOL, everything I'm reading on this site (and on the Princess site) has been answering them! Sounds like there is a good mix of people and plenty of different things to do.
As an armchair climbing groupie, the idea of visiting Talkeetna intrigues me :) But then, so does meeting people, getting involved with getting to know the Park Service efforts up there (ooh, a q: How far away is the nearest NPS visitor's center?), and just plain settling into Alaska for the summer!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brenda on December 17, 2008 at 1:17am: Kate, You said it, I just didn't know quite what to ask. there seems to be such vast communities of information and a lot of people to help with all the newbie Q's. I do have one other question though. Is kodiac Island anywhere close enough that you can make a day trip or a weekend trip.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by akscootr on December 17, 2008 at 1:46am: Kodiak is near Homer and you would have to fly or take the ferry. If you work in Denali, you can always visit after the summer season...; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by reggie on December 26, 2008 at 12:29pm: u have to fly to the island; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brenda on December 17, 2008 at 11:03am: that second bulding is huge.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Brenda on December 26, 2008 at 1:35pm: well, I am torn right now. I got the job back at the Grand Canyon North Rim and actually looking forward to it but I am still dreaming of Alaska. I am not sure what the 2010 season will bring, but I so was excited about Alaska at the same time.; ▶ Reply to This