Wasilla Real Estate News, Valley Market Real Estate

Alaskan Houses. They aren’t all Igloos September 22nd, 2007

Categories: Alaskana, Wasilla Real Estate News

I think I’m going to start a new category just for fun.  In my travels around I see a lot of interesting houses. Alaskans are unique, and some of us show it in our classic Alaskan houses. 

I’m trying to think of a name for these houses…if anyone has a good title let me know.

The one in the photos here is a good starter.  I don’t know the story behind this house but I’m sure there is one.  It is located right here in the Mat-Su Borough.

I can’t give you good directions to drive by it, the driveway is probably gated.  This house has been there awhile and has proven that it can withstand the winds and earthquakes.  It must be pretty stout, although it looks to me like it should fall over.

Take a look at the photos below…

Written by Marty Van Diest 1 Comment »

Palmer, Alaska’s At It’s Best August 31st, 2007

Categories: Alaskana

I borrowed the slogan from Palmer Chamber of Commerce.   But it certainly fit the time I spent last evening at my son’s soccer game at the Sherrod Fields.  It really was Alaska at it’s best.

How many places have a view like that as a backdrop to a soccer game?  It was warm and sunny for the games.  Parents and grandparents from the opposing teams were pleasantly chatting along the sidelines.  None of your screaming soccer yahoos here. 

The Valley Crusaders, ( a team of local home schoolers), played against Valley Christian School.  It was a hard fought game won by Valley Christian School.  All the players on both sides sported good attitudes and sportsmanship. 

I enjoyed the sight of a flock of Sandhill Cranes forming up to head south.  Fall is here, winter is coming, but it certainly was comfortable at the soccer fields yesterday.  Along with the sandhill cranes was a Cessna 172 practicing touch and goes at the Palmer Airport.  I was wondering if he saw the hundred or so cranes in his flight path. 

Summer sports at one of the many fields in the Matanuska Valley is just an additional reason why this area is a bedroom community for the whole state of Alaska. 

Written by Marty Van Diest Please leave a comment.

Palmer Alaska—The Friday Fling June 15th, 2007

Categories: Alaskana

I stopped in at Palmer’s Friday Fling today.  It was a gorgeous day, about 70 degrees with a bright sun.  Almost too hot for this old Alaskan. 

Every Friday during the summer Palmer has a mini fair. Booths are selling everything from fur slippers to funnel cakes to organic bread.  The organic booth was actually doing the most business when I was there.  I was hoping to see some early produce but I guess that was unrealistic…it’s only the middle of June and most crops were just planted two weeks ago.

But I took some photos:

It was right across from the Palmer Visitors Center and gardens.The gardens were actually coming into bloom. They really looked inviting under the summer sun, but I had to run to an appointment at this cabin on the side of Mount Baldy, all the way on the other side of the valley.

My daughter Teressa has some photos that show off the Palmer area as an agricultural center of Alaska, she is a better photographer than I.  Here are more of her photos.

Written by Marty Van Diest Please leave a comment.

Sourdough Wanted May 19th, 2007

Categories: Alaskana

I talked to a friend tonight.  He has given thought to selling his homestead in the Yenlo Hills but really doesn’t want to part with it yet.  He spent a lot of time proving up on it.  Then he spent money on a cabin and airstrip.  Now he is offering a free place to stay if he can find the right sourdough.

If the you or someone you know would like an opportunity to live in the real Alaska wilderness upon approval he would allow them to stay in his cabin.  This would have to be someone who is pretty independent because there would be no neighbors…at all.  It is about a three mile hike to the Yentna River.  I don’t think there are any trails

The only access is by air.  I believe that he might drop you off, but you could not count on regular flights.  You would need to be prepared to stay for a long time. There isn’t a quick mart on the corner.

If you happened to really like it he might work out a rent to own arrangement, but if you don’t like it or just want to do it for a year or so, it’s free rent. 

Want to know where it is?  Just click on the google map above, it’s dead center in the map, zoom out to get your bearings.  It’s amazing how close you can be to civilization and still be in the middle of nowhere.  This is only about 60 miles from Anchorage, but if you yell for help, no one will hear you.

Oh… if you don’t know what a sourdough is, that means you are probably a cheechako and you might want to steer clear of this until you have a few Alaskan winters under your belt. 

Drop me an email, I’ll put you in touch.

Written by Marty Van Diest 1 Comment »

Mountain Man Rendezvous 2007 March 21st, 2007

Categories: Alaskana

We spent last weekend at the Mountain Man Rendezvous.  This is an annual spring fling for men and their sons in the foothills of the Talkeetna Mountains. 

We had a good time just hanging out, talking and feeding the fire.  The temperature got down to -15F  while we were there and it was apparently colder earlier in the week.  The event lasts a week with people coming and going the whole time. We were only there overnight but some of the diehards were there all week. 

This is a not a tightly scheduled event.  Everyone did their own thing at their own time. The only organized thing that I saw was a game of capture the flag in the dark after the younger kids begged to play it.  Most of us old men sat it out.

The teenage boys and young men spent most of their time testing each other on their snowmachines.  What they can do with these modern machines is amazing to me.  I have spent many hours on snowmachines in years past riding the trapline trail, but I didn’t attempt anything close to what these guys were doing.  There was a very steep hill right next to the camp that was covered with spruce trees.  Somehow they were able to ride straight up the hill winding between the spruces

I was most interested in an old cabin that is now hidden in a thick spruce woods.  Apparently it used to be a post office for the surrounding area in the old days when mail was carried by mule trains and dog teams.  It was probably built around 1910 or so. The roof is completely caved in.  In fact, some good sized trees are now growing inside of it.

The kids gave it a passing glance, history is not that interesting when you are 8 years old. They liked climbing on top of it the most.

Here is a picture of Mark’s tent with our machines parked outside.  Mark had a pretty nice camp with a wood floor.  It made it very comfortable in that winter weather. 

The only problem was that he had to feed the small wood stove almost constantly at night to keep the temperature to his liking.  A larger stove would help.

This little stove needed to stay cherry red in order to keep the heat up with the -15 degree weather.

There was no shortage of fire outside ,however.  Even in the cold, it was comfortable around this big fire.  I’m not sure if the fire went out at all during the whole week.  It sure burned well while I was there.  The only problem was that your marshmallow sticks needed to be at least 10 feet long.

It looked like there were about 10 camps there, most of them had heat.  A few diehards were camping out in that temperature without any heat.

I tried it, I made a trench in the snow into which I put my tarp wrapped sleeping bag.  Then I buried all but the head and shoulders in snow.  It was warm, but so uncomfortable that I moved into the tent after a couple hours.

Written by Marty Van Diest 2 Comments »