An Alaskan woman lives in one of the world’s most remote villages with no shops or restaurants. To buy her groceries, she has to travel via a plane to the nearest store, over 160 miles (260 km) away.
Salina Alsworth, 25, has lived in Port Alsworth her whole life. Her great-grandparents Babe and Mary Alsworth moved there in the 1940s; they were two of the first people to live in Port Alsworth, which is why the village is named after them.
In the 1940s, people were invited to live in Alaska to homestead. Her great-grandparents both had to prove that they could live self-sufficiently off the land and in return, the government gave them land to live on.
The only way to get to the village is by small aircraft as there are no roads, no supermarkets, no hospitals, no pubs, and the nearest city, Anchorage, is an hour away. It has a population of just 186, which increases to around 400 during the tourist season.
Ms. Alsworth said: “The community of Port Alsworth was started by my great grandparents. There are five generations of us who live here. It is a very remote place to live—there are no roads to get here. The only way to get here is by small aircraft. I love the simplicity of living here.
“It can be complicated from time to time—you do have to plan ahead for supplies, but I love being surrounded by nature. You can watch moose running through your garden or bears swimming in the lake.”
Ms. Alsworth’s family runs the Lake Clark Resort, which sees hundreds of visitors flock to the beauty spot every year. Her husband, Jared Richardson, 23, a fishing guide from Detroit, Michigan, was one of the many tourists who visit the village.
The pair met while Mr. Richardson was working on the resort, and after they married, he chose to relocate to the remote village. At one time, on her way back home from Anchorage, Ms. Alsworth wanted to bring her husband “something special” and picked up an Italian takeaway so they could have a date night.
Ms. Alsworth said: “I had been working in Anchorage for four days and I was flying home and wanted to bring something special. I got some Olive Garden takeout, the flight was a little over an hour. It was all worth it as my fiancé and I had the best dinner date on our porch—well worth the airplane ride.”
Residents rely on Anchorage for supplies, which can be a challenge to reach depending on the weather conditions.
“Snow and fog are a big factor, there are no hospitals here,” Ms. Alsworth said. "We have a small clinic, which does basic stuff, but if you have a baby or need surgery you have to get there by airplane.
“The only shop we have is our little gift shop at my family’s resort. There are no theatres, bars, or restaurants.
“We have two coffee shops, but they are the only places in town.
“Winter is a very challenging time, with us being so remote and everything coming from aircraft, snowstorms and fog are a real issue for us. When there are certain weather conditions only certain types of aircraft can fly—you can go up to a week without planes getting here.”
Despite its many challenges, Ms. Alsworth said she has no plans to move with her husband to Michigan.
“I am very grateful that I found a man who wants to live here,” she said.
“We met at my family’s resort, and we got married in May 2020.
“He is super excited about the Alaska lifestyle—we hope to get our own plot of land and build our own house.”
