jesse and kathy clifton: And so it begins... - 11/15/09 11:39 AM
Although some were hoping we would see a kindler, gentler Old Man Winter this year, it seems the old boy has other plans.  According to a weather genius friend, and confirmed by NOAA, we're going to see record cold temperatures sweep across the Tanana Valley.

Bring it old man.
I could probably live without seeing the mercury slide down to negative 40 and colder.  Doing anything outside at those temperatures is just not fun, and can be life threatening if you're not prepared for it. Note: Always be prepared for it. 
But, I well remember winters in the 80's … (29 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Ak Real Estate Market Report - October 2009 - 11/13/09 08:54 AM

Ready to find your piece of the Last Frontier? Call or contact us online today. Our network of experienced professionals is ready to assist you through every stage of the buying process.
(6 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Photo Friday ~ Be vewy vewy quiet - 11/12/09 09:33 PM
...or not.  Truth be told these guys are a little on the slow side.  If you're careful and let them adjust to your presence, it's not uncommon for them to come right up to you.  Ptarmigan are very common in Denali and  throughout Interior Alaska. The Willow Ptarmigan also holds the distinction of being the state bird of Alaska.
This little darling is dressed in her winter whites and it won't be long before she will be virtually undetectable on the solid white canvas that is Alaska in winter.  There will be no wintering in Palm Beach as these guys (and … (32 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Denali Estates - Fairbanks Condominium - 11/02/09 11:56 AM
Fairbanks Real Estate - Denali Estates - Fairbanks Condominiums

Built in 1982 by Jerry Sadler, Denali Estates is one of the most sought after condo addresses in Fairbanks.   Many owners have resided in their condominium since it was built and take a great deal of pride in the building.  Denali Estates encompasses forty units over three floors.  75% of the units have assigned indoor parking and separate indoor storage areas.  The remainder of the units have off-street assigned parking.
While not a new development Denali Estates has been very well cared for with most units showing very well.  We lived … (12 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Hope Alaska: Camping & Recreation - 10/25/09 07:07 PM
Hope Alaska: A Jewel in Alaska's Recreational Crown
                    Camping & Outdoor Recreation
Literally at the end of the road on the beautiful southern shore of Turnagain Arm lies Hope, Alaska.  Founded in the late 1890's after gold was discovered on nearby Resurrection Creek, Hope is a charming window to the past and a favorite playground for Alaskans.
There are no WalMart's, no 7-11's and no Golden Arches.  What they do have an abundance of, however, is natural beauty. The 17 mile Hope Highway winds through towering spruce and stands of birch and aspen giving visitors spectacular views of the Chugach Mountains and … (34 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fall Homeowner To-Do List - Fairbanks Alaska Winter Preperation - 10/06/09 10:26 PM
Winter Preparedness for your Fairbanks Alaska home - A fall homeowners checklist
Although it's been a glorious fall, that lovely white stuff will soon start falling.  If you're like me, you've been out enjoying the great weather and not paying all that much attention to your winter preparedness to-do list.  I finished the last of my list today and thought I would share what I do to get us ready for the long winter.

Have a licensed technician clean and service your boiler or furnace.  This should be done once a year and now is a great time as the … (32 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Lakewood Subdivision - Homes w/ Airstrip Access Fairbanks Alaska - 10/05/09 07:45 PM
Lakewood Subdivision - Homes w/ Airstrip Access Fairbanks Alaska

With barely 14,000 miles of road in a state covering 570,000 square miles (more than twice the size of Texas), it's easy to see why Alaskans rely so heavily on air travel.  And, with 1 in 53 Alaskans holding a pilots license, we do a lot of flying.  While many folks opt to keep their planes at Fairbanks International or Metro Field, there's something to be said for stepping out your front door and into your plane.  Whether for convenience or security it's a feature most neighborhoods don't offer.
Lakewood Subdivision … (31 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Lazy Saturday in Denali Park - 10/04/09 04:32 PM
It's October and we don't have any snow on the ground to speak of.  Can you believe it?  Normally by this time we're covered by at least a thin blanket of snow.  Yesterday we took advantage of yet another gorgeous Autumn day in Alaska and drove down to Denali Park.  From Fairbanks, Denali is a short 115 mile drive down the Parks Highway.
With some good 'ol beach music streaming from the ipod we headed down the road.  I doubt we passed more than a dozen cars; all the blue hairs have left for warmer climates. Just south of Healy we … (21 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Inuksuit - Old School Navigation - 10/02/09 07:38 AM
Inuksuk - Alaskan Navigational Aids
Back before hand-held GPS devices were readily available, we used to mark our trail by occasionally breaking a tree branch or tying a piece of surveyors tape to a limb. Hansel and Gretel left a trail of breadcrumbs to help them find their way home, and we all know how well that worked.

A barren landscape combined with a sun that refuses to rise or set (as the seasons go) makes navigating in the far north a bit of a challenge. While this may look like an ordinary stack of rocks, these inuksuit (plural) have … (35 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Where did it go? Fall comes to the Interior... - 09/22/09 10:02 PM

I hate to start talking about how fast time is flying by, because it's inevitable some wiseacre will say something about age.  But, it's true.  It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating the arrival of spring and now the first snowflakes of winter are falling. 
We were fortunate this year to have what felt like an actual Autumn, rather than moving from summer to winter in a matter of days.  Mother Nature blessed us with a warm, dry fall that, for me at least, makes the arrival of winter seem a little less dreary. 
Since it's snowing and I'm … (46 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: I think I can... I think I can... - 08/26/09 06:33 AM

I'm not a huge fan of heights. Actually, that's a bit of an understatement.  I would rather wrestle a live rattlesnake (and I really, really hate snakes) than get more than 10' off the ground.
The last time we were in Anchorage Kathy wanted to ride the tram at Alyeska but I refused.  There's something about trusting my life to a hand-basket on a clothesline that is more than I can take.  On this trip I lost the battle... She used the 'face your fears' line on me and like an idiot, I caved. 
The Tram runs all year ferrying … (16 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Alaska's Congressional Delegation - Keeping the lines of communication open - 07/24/09 11:34 AM
Alaska's Congressional Delegation - Keeping the lines of communication open
As a citizen of the United States, it is our responsibility to be informed and engaged in the governing of our Republic.  Despite evidence to the contrary, the men and women who represent us in Washington, DC take their cues from us. 
There are a myriad of issues that need our daily attention:
The economy.  Health Care. Veterans Affairs. Tax Policy. Subsistence issues.  State Sovereignty.  Energy Independence. Immigration.
Make your voices heard in Washington.  Some of the folks on the Hill can't seem to read the legislation they vote … (10 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Fairbanks Alaska Homes For Sale - Doyon Estates - 99701 - 07/23/09 11:07 PM
Fairbanks Alaska Homes For Sale in Doyon Estates - 99701
Doyon Estates is one of Fairbanks newest residential developments.  Homes in Doyon Estates are sought after due to the neighborhoods proximity to the new east Fairbanks shopping district, downtown Fairbanks and the University of Alaska. It's also a short five-minute drive to Fort Wainwright.
Single Family homes in Doyon Estates - 99701
Fantastic single family home built by Darrell Russell of Denali Builders.

Beautiful cedar-sided home by Roger Burks of Aurora Builders.

View a slideshow of homes in Doyon Estates.
Currently there are five homes for sale in Doyon … (5 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Golden Days 2009 Fairbanks Alaska - 07/22/09 06:53 AM
Yep, it's that time of year again.  Time for the 2009 Fairbanks Alaska Golden Days celebration. 
Fairbanks was founded by men and women lured north by the promise of a new dawn... a new day that with luck would be filled with the sight of gold at the bottom of their goldpan or sluicebox.  Felix Pedro fanned the flames of those desires when he discovered a massive gold-bearing creek north of Fairbanks.  Fairbanks founding-father E.T. Barnette sought to capitalize on the news by establishing a trading post on the banks of the Chena River to serve the army of miners … (10 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Wordy Wednesday... - 07/21/09 07:58 PM
This past weekend my beautiful bride and I found ourslves with an empty house for the first time since the middle of May. WooHoo!  Hotel Clifton was temporarily empty. Don't get me wrong, we love to play host and hostess, but peace and quiet can be fun too!
Rather than stay at home and tackle the the honey-do list I really should be working on, we decided to load up the RV and run away from home.  Not wanting to run into the throngs of blue-haired terrorists tourists choking on the wildfire smoke at Denali we opted instead for a trip … (26 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Sullivan Roadhouse ~ Delta Junction, Alaska History - 07/19/09 10:00 PM
Sullivan Roadhouse ~ Delta Junction, Alaska History
The terminus of the historic 1,422 mile Alaska (or Alcan) Highway lies at the heart of Delta Junction, Alaska. At that junction, travelers headed north to Fairbanks, Fort Wainwright or Eielson Air Force Base will find the Sullivan Roadhouse - the oldest original roadhouse still standing in Interior Alaska.

Following the lure of the Klondike gold rush to Alaska in the 1890's, Jack Sullivan and Florence Hamburg joined thousands of others on the long, arduous trek north with dreams of strikng it rich.  It was in Nome, Alaska that they met and were … (23 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Wordless Wednesday - Fairbanks Alaska Florists - 07/15/09 02:55 PM
Fairbanks Alaska Florists - Keeping your home and office beautiful and fragrant!
Although we live north of the 64th parallel, Kathy and I are southerners through and through.  Moose chili, banana puddin', fresh halibut and grits can always be found in our home.  We northern-transplanted southerners sure do like to eat well.  One of the other traditions that followed us around the world and north to Alaska is always having fresh cut flowers in the house.

I remember as a boy how my mother would fuss over 'the garden.'  Hours were spent in a big wide brimmed straw hat in … (18 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: 2009 World Eskimo Indian Olympics - 07/14/09 10:29 PM
For centuries the people who called the circumpolar areas of the globe home have survived and thrived in some of the harshest conditions imaginable.  They lived off what God and Mother Nature provided. 
Shelters were built to shield families from the elements from primitive materials. Imagine, if you can, building a home capable of enduring a harsh Alaskan winter without making a single trip to Home Depot.  Hunting parties tested their patience, endurance and skill against the animals that shared the landscape with them.  The byproducts of their hunting also provided the raw materials necessary for clothing to keep them warm … (24 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: I'm shocked... - 05/13/09 11:25 AM
Mr. Buyer... you're still on the fence about buying a home in Fairbanks, Alaska?    
The Fairbanks Real Estate Market is still humming right along... Uncle Sam will give first time homebuyers an $8,000 credit... and you can even use it as (part/all) of your down payment... Fairbanks/North Pole Home Buyers can receive up to a $7,500 rebate on a new construction home... Rates for a 30 year fixed loan are below 5% (4.625% as of 5/13/2009)
** Whatcha waiting for? **
(17 comments)

jesse and kathy clifton: Climb that mountain.... - 05/07/09 09:22 PM
I swore I would never, ever make that trip again.  The last time I did, it cost a pretty penny to charter a helicopter to fly me off the mountain.  For some reason I have an aversion to looking out the window of a bus (driven by an undoubtedly high college kid who looks like he's one toke away from driving us all to a certain death) and seeing terra firma... 1,500 feet straight down.  Nope.  Sorry. Just not gonna do it.

This past weekend the boss and I took some much needed R&R time and headed south to Denali … (28 comments)