True. Took off this afternoon for the hills up around Hatcher Pass looking for blueberries. Sadly, only a few low bush berries left, and those have almost no flavor. But the view up there is great. Fall colors are just starting to come in, and with all the moisture we've had the veg is lush right now. On the way home I stopped at Trout café in Wasilla, then over to the Sportsman's Warehouse, where I picked up a new butcher's knife and 3 pair of thermal underwear on clearance (each pair averaging less than $10). It started pouring down rain on the drive home down Glen Highway, but I got home, changed into a pair of the thermals, and now sitting beside the wife in front of the fireplace.

I got half a dozen little projects and to-do's that I will work on over the next week. To top it off, I got invited to a pre-opening of the new Sam's Club out on the NE side of town on Wednesday night. Lots of giveaways and specials promised, so maybe I'll get my hands on some boodle. The new store will be huge, so it will be interesting to see what all they put in it.

Sounds cool! I would love to see Alaska like that one day. Sadly the demand for chefs probably isn't all that strong.

All those tourists who come up here in summer like to eat well. And even some of us locals, believe it or not. There are quite a few nice resturants in Anchorage, and also some in smaller towns. I have no idea how hard it is to land one of those jobs. Our local college has a "Culinary Arts" program, so there must be some demand for chefs.

There are also quite a few lodges that are open in the summer. Some cater to folks who pay big bucks to fly out to remote lodges to fly fish and what not. People who pay that kind of money for a vactation also expect good food. Even people at the less exclusive lodges like to eat. Those kinds of places usually also like it if you can do other things, like help with maintenance and whatnot. If you are a chef who is also a "jack of all trades" you could probably find a summer gig somewhere. I once talked with a lady who ran a lodge who told me her biggest hassle was finding good help who would stick around for the summer. Her place was on the road system, but several hours from the nearest town. She said she had hired lots of kids who came out there, worked for a month, then decided it was too boring and quit. Not too many tourists come here in the winter, so that kind of work would be seasonal.

Yes, there are some very good restaurants here in town, and quite a number of great eateries all around. Most have seasonal work demands, but there's enough off season demand that it should be possible to find a permanent spot if you are any good.

Camp cooking is hard work, much worse than in a real kitchen. I have the goods and the means to do it, but not the gumption to do it for a living. Been there, done that, my back and knees won't take the abuse no more. But if you have the wherewithal and the connections, you can see the backside of Alaska from a very special perspective.

I was very close to taking a job at a lodge in Canada. It would have been seasonal, with long hours and lots of work in season. Ultimately I didn't want to have to deal with trying to manage all the permissions needed to work in another country. Alaska of course wouldn't have those issues.

One thing I've been considering is trying to do a summer working in a kitchen up there right after I graduate. Once I get my Bachelor's degree, that would be a good time (and maybe the last time) to do something "wild" before settling into the 55 hour a week grind for the next 20 years.

I would highly recommend it. I wanted to come up here after the Navy, and I regret I didn't take the chance until now. Thirty years later, I have had the chance to travel the world, and I can say that for a fellow like me, this is where I belong.

I need to stop reading this thread before bed. Now I'm craving meat!
-Blast

"Now I'm craving meat!"
Come on man! There's cattle near Houston. Also bison, deer, rabbits, prairie chickens, whooping cranes, (oops, don't mess with the cranes)