138--Alaska: A Cool Vacation
@ CherieSpotting Jul 24 2003 - 07:18 PST

cherie writes: “Do you want to go to Alaska?” I asked my boyfriend.

Greg didn’t even think before he replied. “No. It’s cold there. If I’m going on vacation, I want it to be warm.”

“We’ve done ‘paradise vacations.’ We’ve cruised through Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama and the Caribbean. I want something different, something adventurous…something raw.

“If you want something raw, eat a carrot.” Greg snapped. “You know I don’t like cold weather.”

“There is no such thing as cold weather, there is only poor clothing.” And with that I clicked on www.soundsailing.com to learn about chartering a sailboat in Alaska. Men are visual creatures, so I needed some photographic aids to help me close the deal with Greg.

“Look at these incredible images on the web site! It’s light twenty hours a day in the Alaskan summertime.” I proclaimed.

“And cold 24-hours a day,” Greg mumbled.

I pulled him to the computer. “Look at all the sea-lions, whales and bears!”

“Oh my!” Greg said in his best Judy Garland impression.

“Don’t you want more adventure in your life? Are you going to let a little cold keep you from the greatest voyage of your existence? Don’t you want to wake up to the rhythmic beat of a whales fin against the sea, instead of an alarm clock? Aren’t you ready to soak your worries away in a steamy hot-spring in the middle of a forest? Let’s go to Alaska! We’ll catch our own King Salmon and have sushi right there on the bow!” (That’s a summary of my oration; it went on for hours.)

Greg shook his head and conceded: “I feel like I’m going to Alaska, but I just don’t know it yet.”

“It’s going to be amazing! If I’m wrong, you can say ‘I-told-you-so’ for the rest of our lives.” My Alaskan dream vacation was on its way to becoming a reality, the rest was just details.