Cooper Landing, Alaska 8/29/05

Cooper Landing, AK 8/29/05

I am off the boat!!! Ahhh, sweet release! I’m free! Well kinda, now I’m part of a damn bus tour but it just tells me where I’m going and where I’m staying. What I do there is up to me. Sure the boat was kind of like that too but somehow it feels different.

Right now I am staying at the Keni Princess Wilderness Lodge which sits towards the top of a giant hill. It’s not a large place and with the rooms spread out into 15 surrounding buildings it seems even quainter. The lodge has a beautiful deck that overlooks the Keni River a couple hundred feet below. Of course there are mountains in every direction I look. That should be understood from now on in all Alaska entries unless otherwise noted. The mountains are everywhere! I love it!

I know most people appreciate the natural beauty of a good mountain. I see that too but my first thought when I look at a mountain is “I wonder if you could climb it?!” Or to be more specific, “Could I climb it?”

No exaggeration, I think it every time. What would it be like to climb it? How long would it take? How steep is it really once you get up there? Would you need special gear; ropes, crampons, pitons, or just some good boots? I’ll also admit that I’m probably a bit naive too because with the exception of the really steep rocky, snowy, ones I think I could climb them all. Sure it would be hard, a good workout for sure, but I’m confident I could do it. I guess there is only one way to find out…Mental note: Make plans to climb a mountain!

The rest of the days on the boat were uneventful. The cruise through College Fjord was un-narrated, unlike Glacier Bay, so after awhile it was just another cool mountain after another. My running schedule, in preparation for the New York City Marathon in November, also called for a “long run” yesterday. The Runners World plan has 12 down but I have been consistently adding 2 to 4 miles to all the long runs that the plan calls for. If I was in WPB I would have been comfortable with at least a 16 miler but again the boat held me back. I did 12 miles around the deck of the ship and that was enough for me; 36 laps of constant “on your left”.

It actually wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be when I started. Again the passing mountains surrounding the ship were a nice background. I spotted a pod of Killer Whales which provided a nice excuse to stop and stretch for a second also.

- A little pause to look at the scenery and take in some deep breaths of fresh air -

I’m torn between writing/sorting out some thoughts and getting a cold beer while making some friends…and the later is winning. Hey, I’m on vacation! Why can’t I put things off?!

First I will put to rest my grumblings about my first cruise ship experience. Basically it felt like a summer camp for retirees. On board I was pretty bored. The entertainment was horrible; live bands that I wouldn’t book for any reason, magicians doing tricks from the magic shop, comedians who’s only funny moments were when they were making fun of how much they were bombing and how dead the crowd was.

Even the food that everyone usually raves about on cruise ships was very standard. I’ve seen better buffets at school cafeterias. Plus they also nickel and dime you for everything. A can of Coke was $1.73. Good thing I don’t drink much soda.

I spent most nights sitting in the ship’s library. I’d read some; flip through the giant atlas and day dream about future trips, and write, which is probably very evident from the numerous and long entries I have to show for the last week.

I did hit karaoke night once. A night so pathetic it was funny then and probably will still be for years to come. I guess there was a karaoke competition that took place over 4 nights but once was enough for me. Now I’m all for bad, karaoke. I of course can’t sing but like to think I’m pretty good at karaoke or entertaining at least.

You pick a fun song that others can, and like to, sing along with. Then you get up there and cheese it up. For the record on my one night to “Jammers” for the nightly horror show I sang “Build Me Up Buttercup” by The Foundations.

It wasn’t one of my best showings but I blame it on the crowd. As I was saying, karaoke is supposed to be fun, crazy, screaming, yelling, fun booing. This ship was like a bad American Idol try out. One lady sang the National Anthem for crying out loud! Like an Opera singer! I was in a cruise ship disco bar with a 65 year old lady singing the National Anthem from a mirrored dance floor and everybody stood up and put their hand over their heart. I felt like I was in a Fletch movie.

The only compliment I will give them on karaoke night is that their song selection book was the best I have ever seen. They had options for some crazy shit. System of Down is the one that blew me away but there were several that made me chuckle. Of course this made selections like The Star Spangled Banner and anything by Celine Dion much worse because it ain’t like there wasn’t anything left to sing!

Formal night on the boat also cracked me up; literally a night for the kids to play dress up. Bad tuxedos and sequence dresses in every direction. That sounds pretty mean I know. So I’ll turn my criticism towards myself for a change. This is there environment not mine. I have been the intruder here. Who am I to come in and start passing judgment?

Well for all my whining in this journal my mind has not passed judgment. My complaint is that I spent a good chunk of change on an experience that I didn’t want just so I could get to a place that I wanted desperately to see. The cruise shippers are great people and I am no better than them; like line dancing, antique shopping, church, whatever…if that’s how you like to spend your time then have at it. It’s just not for me.

So will I go on another cruise? Probably yes. But it won’t be alone and adventure won’t be my goal, although I do hear good things about “barefoot cruises”. Sailing a boat and sleeping up on deck would be more my speed.

OK, time to go inside now and try to get the scoop on some good trails to hike that are not paved and the trees aren’t labeled, plus the bar inside looks inviting. Draft beer appears to be the standard in Alaska and I’ve found a “local” one I like; Alaska Summer Ale. It’s no Yuengling but it is close.

Now I’ll put my cruise ship complaints to rest and since I don’t see me filling up my Princess Cruise Passport ever I’ll put my official “stamp” right here in my journal!

MJF

“It is the fault of our rhetoric that we cannot strongly state one fact without seeming to belie some other.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson