Moving from Alaska to Arizona (logistical clusterfuck itt)

Mikesta

I will most likely be moving from Anchorage, Alaska, to Phoenix, Arizona, and I have no idea what the fuck to do. The logistical nightmare this thing will become is slowly starting to reveal itself to me. I don't have a ton of stuff, but I won't be able to fit all of it into a car, either. Oh, and I need to bring my car. And I'm not sure if I can drive all the way through Canada and into the Lower 48 (no passport, plus winter is coming and winter makes driving the ALCAN scary).

I'm trying to think of all of the things I'll need to work out before the move, but I'm sure I can't think of them all. If you can, I'd like for you guys to suggest ways I can successfully pull off the following:

-Drive to the Lower 48
-If driving is right out, what about taking a ferry? Has anyone here done that before? Any idea how much that would cost?
-Ship my stuff to family in Phoenix
-Not shit my pants every time I think about this

Don't let that list limit you, however. If you can think of something I'll need to take care of that I haven't listed, feel free to mention it.

Please help.

Oh, and general advice is welcome too. Thanks!

punk

How much stuff are we talking? You could ship it if it's not too much. There's also the option of a professional mover, but from Alaska to Arizona would be a pretty big bill, I'm guessing. Have you considered a U-Haul trailer or something of that nature? Buddy of mine had a trailer hitch welded onto the frame of his car and towed a small trailer behind it from here (Arizona) up to Washington state. A full-blown U-Haul rental with a car-tower-unit would probably be really expensive as well. If the expense of moving your stuff down here is greater than throwing it all out (or selling, or donating), you might consider buying new when you get here. Keeping sentimental items, of course.

You'll definitely need a passport if you plan to cross the border(s) by land.

Mikesta

I guess what I could do is do a little test to see if everything fits into the car. I really don't own much, though I do have a computer. Of course, I wouldn't want to leave that shit in my car overnight in the Yukon if it were really cold or whatever.

I hadn't considered the trailer but I'm kind of scared to drive with one.

It takes like 60 days for them to process a request for a passport, right?

Darkewolfe

Ship what is really important and won't fit in your car, sell and throw out everything else. You can pretty much literally buy everything again cheaper than you can transport it.

punk

Passport processing times: standard service is 4-6 weeks, expedited is 2-3 weeks. Lots of info here.

Have you considered a sled and a team of huskies?

Mikesta

punk wrote:

Passport processing times: standard service is 4-6 weeks, expedited is 2-3 weeks. Lots of info here.

Have you considered a sled and a team of huskies?

Yeah, but I don't want to run afoul of PETA.

Noquar

You can have your passport fairly quickly.

I have done the ALCAN twice from Anchorage to the Lower 48. The second trip was a full blown move. I second Darkewolfe. Ship what is too big, and fit the rest into your car.

I don't know what your time frame is, but if it is in the next month or so you need to figure out how mechanically sound your car is. The highways in deeper parts of Alaska and through the first few hundred miles of Canada fucking suck to put it lightly. You need to plan your stops carefully. A lot of places in Alaska and Canada will be changing to winter hours if they have not already and you may find yourself sleeping in your car in a parking lot. Keep receipts, many of your expenses could be tax deductible.

I can be much more specific on taking the trip if you are really sure you are going to drive it.

Thanatos

I did a move not this extreme (NorCal to Seattle), and managed to get everything into a 1990 Honda Civic (no trailer).

*If you can stand to part with them, get rid of your books. I didn't think I could do this, donated them all to the local library, and I'm so glad I did; these days, if I want a book, I either get it from the library, or buy it, then give it away when I'm done.
*Get rid of any furniture that isn't super-expensive/sentimentally valuable. I took literally no furniture with me. Furniture is relatively easy to find, between CraigsList and IKEA.

I would find out everything I can about driving that road in the winter; it seems like a high-risk proposition; any way you could wait until May to move your car out, put it into storage before then?

Enc

Conversely, you could Auto-Train your car to the closest city, with all your stuff inside it (if you can fit it), avoiding the risks of the drive and security. Most state capitals/major areas have an Auto-Train that goes through once or twice a month, find the closest locations from where you are to where you want to go and let the train do the driving while you wait in the cheapest seat you can get.

For that distance, you are probably looking at $400-$600 for business class seat. A lot cheaper than the gas required for the drive with a U-Haul and with the peace of mind that you won't crash and die in the frozen wilderness.

Usagi

Wait, if you don't have a passport how are you going to cross the border at all? Enhanced driver's license?

Durp, never mind.

Caelum Militis

I've done this from Juneau to Colorado. Shipped anything that was eligible via media rate mail (book, dvds, etc), which is super cheap, but can take a few weeks to arrive at it's destination. Then packed my car full, and took the ferry to Bellingham, WA, and drove the rest of the way.

Looks like you'd need to take the Whittier Terminal ferry stop (seems to be closest), and for you plus car, would be somewhere around $1600 to get to Bellingham. Takes just over a week, and add another $60 or so if you want a room (for a trip that long, you probably want a room). Doesn't seem to be anything available before the beginning of January, though. Fiddle with their reservation settings though or give them a call and maybe you can find something better: http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/

harry.timbershaft

Just made a long-distance move and have a bit of general advice: keep a list. Order it if that makes it easier for you. I wouldn't have had a successful move without writing shit down. So important.

illig

if you want to drive you can do it two ways:

1. get a hitch installed on your car (if it doesn't have one) and rent a small trailer.
2. rent a truck and get a towbar installed on your car - and then tow your car behind the truck.

Any major truck rental company will be able to help you with both things...

Mikesta

I think I will reach out to the AK Marine Highway people tomorrow morning and ask them a few of the questions I have about taking a ferry, including whether I can get on one soon. I think I should clear that up before I plan anything else.

Romero Zombie

Ya I concur with shipping a lot of your stuff, a lot cheaper than hiring a moving company. Ferry to Washington and make the horribly boring (I hate road trips) drive down here. I can't imagine why anyone would want to move from Alaska to Phoenix though..maybe it's because I've lived here for fifteen years and hate it though...

Mikesta

Romero Zombie wrote:

Ya I concur with shipping a lot of your stuff, a lot cheaper than hiring a moving company. Ferry to Washington and make the horribly boring (I hate road trips) drive down here. I can't imagine why anyone would want to move from Alaska to Phoenix though..maybe it's because I've lived here for fifteen years and hate it though...

I lost my job and don't know how much longer I can live up here before I run out of money. So, I'll be moving back to AZ (most likely, anyway) which will save me money while I figure out what the fuck I'm doing with my life.

Plus, I think Alaska is kind of draining my soul and I'd like to move back to a place where the sun shines for more than three hours a day.