Some Prime 25 Alaskan Things

This post has been stewing in my head for 

ages

now, so I figured I'd finally get a move on it!

So, without further ado, presenting....

Karen's List of 25 Alaskan Things

Also known as "Things-I-Find-Funny-About-Alaska" or "Alaskan-Quirks" or "Things-I've-Seen-Here-That-Are-Distinctly-Alaskan". 

*Note - pictures from Google Images

1. Alaska Grown hoodies

These. Are. Everywhere

Alaskans are really really REALLY proud to be Alaskans. Alaska Grown is the symbol they put on produce that was, you guessed it, Alaskan grown. But, put it on a hoodie, and it becomes the most popular Alaskan and tourist paraphernalia in all the land. It's tradition to give an Alaskan kid one of these hoodies when they leave to go to college. Seriously though - all the Alaskans wear these.

 2. XtraTufs

You may not be able to handle this much Alaska-ness

I don't even know where to being with these boots. Basically, these rubber boots are the most hardcore, bad Alaskan thing you could own. I'm not sure why, but they love these. They wear them for all their gritty, outdoorsy things as well as for a fashion statement at the mall.

 

 3. Moose Crossing signs

They're everywhere

You really don't want to hit one with your car. I was biking and passed one the other day - thought it was a horse out of the corner of my eye; that's how big they are! If you hit their spindly legs you knock them right over. Then it's the hood of your car vs. this 1,000 pound beast.

4. Really, really big trucks...

When I heard Aaron and I were going to be driving Pop's F-150 with a custom muffler and lift, I thought it was going to be the most hilarious and pretentious thing ever.

Little did I know that I'd fit right in.

For Alaskans, the bigger the better...

I see these cars all the time. Ford F-150...

...and bigger with the F-250...

...and bigger with the F-350. These trucks are monstrous.

5. Relatively nice drivers (compared to Utah!)

"No, after you!"

6. North Face everything.

Need a good jacket? Northface. New running gear? Northface. New socks? Northface.

7. Hockey

Yup. Hockey hockey hockey. 

8. Roller skiing

I see these guys everywhere. They're huge on cross country skiing up here and this is how Alaskans train during the summer - with roller skiis.

9. Fish

I never liked fish. Then I moved away from Utah and discovered that not all fish tastes like rot. We eat fish all the time up here. Alaskans fish like crazy during the summer and stock up their freezers for the year with halibut and salmon. With luck, Aaron and I will be shipping some home for the school year.

10. Super duper conservative

Super Christian, super anti-gay marriage, super big guns, super low taxes, super trucks, super everything. 

They have bumper stickers like these.

And there's a "Jihadists, go back to the lower 48" spray painted on the pavement outside my favorite park. 

Hm.

11. Big guns. And they really don't want you to take them away.

Like really. Don't mess with their hunting guns. Or gun rights. They gotta shoot some moose and elk and stock it up in their freezer alongside their halibut. And they like Cabela's.

12. Bajillions of Christian churches

In Utah, there's a million and two The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints chapels on every corner. There's a plethora of steeples here, too; the New Grace and Korean Christian and Nazarene and more that is.

13. Snow tires for mountain bikes

These are a thing. They're HUGE!! Apparently these are good for the trails during the snow season, but apparently they are also good during the summer as well because the peeps still use them. 

14. Food = 3x as much.

Half a watermelon? $7. Apples? $2.99 a dozen. Bread? 3$ a loaf. I was nothing short of furious the first time I went shopping here. And be careful of the produce - remember, almost everything is shipped in. 

15. Oil. Oil taxes. It's a big deal and constant debate.

Oiloiloiloiloiloiloiloiloiloiloil. Touchy subject.

 16. High gas prices

Aaron and I were talking - it dipped below 4$ a gallon last week! 

17. The average speed limit...

 There's not much police up here on the hillside and people kind of just drive whatever speed they want.

18. Beautiful drives and the New Seward Highway

Gosh, their drives are astounding. Aaron and I frequent this highway, called the New Seward Highway. It's ranked one of America's most dangerous and beautiful drives. LOVE it. 

19. Bear spray

Bahaha this picture is SO Alaskan!!! Hunting, guns, scripture? Check!

 Bear spray. It kind of is what it sounds - you spray it on bears in desperate measures. But don't spray it on yourself like you do with bug repellent; it's powerful stuff.

20. Lots of tourists. And moose.

Lots and lots of tourists. And lots of tourists love the moose. And Alaskans find tourists amusing and sell them stuff.

 21. Native Alaskans

Apparently they do not appreciate being called Indians. And some, like Aaron's Alaska History grade school teacher, still have a thing or two to say to white people. 

21. Big dogs

Remember in The Proposal how the little yappy dog was taken by an eagle? Apparently that's a thing; it can actually happen. Anyways, a lot of people have dogs that they train and take hiking/biking/running/hunting. And they're big dogs, like retrievers, shepherds and huskies.

22. Personal planes

There are so many lakes here, peppered throughout the neighborhoods. Plenty are private, and plenty more have private planes by their docks. Did I mention that many Alaskans are crazy wealthy?

23. Alaskan Lingo

See these? They're called "snow machines", not "snow mobiles". 

Aaron uses plenty of bizarre Alaskan words that make me stop and ask, "Wait, what?"

Phrases like, "way out in the boonies", "permafrost", and "he's in the bush".

Read about some words here and here.

24. The whole "light at night" thing

THIS PICTURE IS MINE!

This is the contraption I set up the other night in a desperate attempt to make it dark in our bedroom when we cracked a window. The sun has been setting earlier and earlier since solstice, but it never ever gets dark enough to see the stars. 

And now, finally...

25. Alaska is gorgeous...

Look at my handsome husband!

...and we don't ever want to go!

~Karen