Only in Alaska:

Alaska is a different place. It's wild and beautiful and harsh. The people are hardy, do-it-yourselfers, living largely off the land. The summers are dominated by fishing, wildlife, and tourism. A great many people work only in the summers. They run gift shops, fish for a living, run charter businesses, etc. They build their own houses, a bit at a time. (We fit right in!) Winters are quiet and snow laden. Artists create art for the tourist season, owners of tourist driven businesses rest, relax, vacation in warm places, and gear up for the next season. If you're in the tourist industry in Alaska, you have 100 days a year to make your living. There are many things seemingly unique to Alaska. So many that the saying, "Only in Alaska!" is pretty common. While some things aren't totally restricted to Alaska, here's some things I've observed over the years. I hope to keep adding to this list as time goes on.

ONLY IN ALASKA
*At outdoor rural bar-b-ques most of the guests "pack heat". "Grab the beer honey; I'll grab the gun. We're goin' to a party!"

*Rusted toilet water abounds

*Safeway (grocery store) sells fishing tackle and bait

*Tourists wear hiking boots and sweatshirts while residents wear sandals, shorts, and tank tops

*People wear their chest waders into the grocery store.

*A small town has one TV channel - that airs NBC one night, BBC another night, PBS another night, etc.

*$6.25 at a gas station store will buy you either a gallon of milk or a bag of chips.

* Driving home at 8:30 at night seeing a temperature sign reading 69 degrees and you say, "Yea, it was hot today."

*There's a "No Hunting" sign in the parking lot of Fred Myers (like a Super Wal-mart).