Ia Orana is a proper greeting (“Hello” or “Welcome”) in the Tahitian language.  This week 36 AJers will will say Ia Orana to each other, and to Tahiti as we embark on an 11-night journey to French Polynesia.  Perfect weather is an understatement as balmy days turn into moonlit nights, and where tropical breezes blow while brightly colored fish swim just below the surface of clear turquoise waters. 

The pampering begins with two nights at an incredible resort in Tahiti followed by a seven night cruise aboard the luxury ship, Paul Gauguin. Built specifically for French Polynesia, this intimate voyage will glide our group of honorary Jewish single Tahitians through some of the most remote islands of the world.  Some of these islands you may have heard of: Tahiti and Bora Bora seems to be familiar to many.  But there are 118 islands-about 50 of which are inhabited-that make up French Polynesia.  Our journey will also take us to the tiny but pristine islands of Moorea (More-aya), Raiatea (Ry-a-taya) and Taha’a (pronounced exactly how it looks).

The ship is equipped with an array of unique features such as a drop-down watersports marina where passengers will enjoy complimentary kayaking, snorkeling, windsurfing and waterskiing.  On board, unlimited complimentary drinks, three exquisite restaurants, Polynesian entertainment and a ratio of one crew member to every two guests will translate into one huge Ia Orana (“Welcome”) and memories to last a lifetime. The word ‘vacation’ cannot be more clearly defined than what is in store in French Polynesia. 

To share in the tranquility of these unique islands our new friends will travel from four countries to be a part of this amazing journey: US, Canada, Australia and England.  Stay tuned to our Amazing Journeys facebook  (www.facebook.com/AmazingJourneys) page over the next 2+ weeks for a front row seat on our adventures. 

And then…don’t be left out in the cold yourself.  Why not consider joining us on one of our next upcoming Amazing Journeys:  Spain, China, West Coast Cruise, India, Music Cities of the South, New Year’s Caribbean Cruise, Alaska…and lots more.   Visit: www.amazingjourneys.net  

Over the past 20 years, (the last 11 years under the name Amazing Journeys) we have taken over 6000 passengers across seven continents to places once only dreamed of .   We tag our Amazing Journeys with “vacations that change your life” and there’s a reason we do so.  

Together we’ve gone jetboating in New Zealand, hot-air ballooning in Australia, dog sledding in Alaska, snorkeling in the Caribbean, zip lining in Costa Rica, parading at Carnaval in Rio, biking in Europe, off-roading in Iceland and even swimming in Antarctica! 

We’ve seen the Statue of David, the Sydney Opera House, the massive Alaskan glaciers, the Aurora Borealis, the Great Wall of China, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, The Grand Canal in Venice and The Grand Canyon itself. 

We’ve been kissed by dolphins, cuddled by koalas, snorkeled with sea lions, swam with the stingrays, witnessed the birth of a buffalo and waddled with penguins. And….we’ve been the venue for the introduction of over 100 “happily ever after” individuals who, for obvious reasons, won’t be seen on an upcoming Jewish singles Amazing Journey.

Check out some of these life changing experiences we have provided and shared with our Amazing travelers. If you are one of the lucky one’s who have ‘been there, done that’ then you can attest to the life changing experiences we offer to our travelers and we invite you to come back for more. If you are one of our readers and followers and facebook friends who have yet to travel with us…what are you waiting for?  Life is too short to stay home. Get out there with us and experience what it’s like to have, by true definition, an Amazing Journey.

A vacation that will change your life.

Here at Amazing Journeys we have been company to truly amazing experiences in all parts of the world.  In 19 years of leading Jewish singles to places on all 7 continents, the thousands of travelers we have hosted will attest to remarkable experiences: from zip lining above the clouds in Costa Rica, to dog sledding on a glacier in Alaska…from witnessing the Sumba Parade in Rio during Carnival, to celebrating New Year’s in Hawaii…from riding an elephant in Thailand to marching with the penguins in Chile.

But imagine for a moment if these wonderful experiences in waiting, never happened because of one simple faux pas…one simple misjudgement, one simple moment of carelessness or one simple moment in time that could have and should been avoided.  

These five simple rules of engagement can help you maintain peace of mind in your preparations for that long awaited/long earned vacation.  Don’t let Murphy’s Law rule.  Live by the Vacationer’s Rule where thou art due leisure time away on vacation; to live carefree, to have fun, to leave your worries behind and to “vacate” your life of responsibility for a life of bliss:

1. Mind Your Passport:  Really…..don’t just assume that its where you “usually” put it, and make sure that its on your person BEFORE checking your luggage onto a cruise ship or under a motor coach (thank goodness the airlines ask for it before you check your luggage).  Case in point:  Barbara (names are being changed to protect the innocent) was sure she had her passport in her pocketbook as she checked in onto a recent cruise with Amazing Journeys. After the porters took her luggage for boarding, she realized she packed in her suitcase.  The luggage was somewhere amongst 3000 other pieces of baggage in process of being delivered to staterooms and she was denied boarding until her luggage appeared again. Lucky for her, it was before the ship set sail.

2. Lighten Up, Francis: For so many reasons, travelers need to lighten their load while traveling.  It can cost you more in checked baggage fees…the more you pack, the more you can lose if your bag gets lost….lighter luggage is greener on the planet as it uses less fuel, less manpower to haul, and less materials to wear & tear, etc.  And, it’s easier on you! Even if you have luggage assistance on your tour, somewhere along your way you will have to handle your own belongings and if its too heavy for even you to move, its too heavy!  Case in point:  Sharon was on her way to meet her Amazing Journeys group at JFK for a flight overseas and the start of a tour of Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands.  While unloading her suitcase from the taxi, she lost her balance and trying to right herself, tweaked her lower back.  She couldn’t right herself and let alone move her luggage into the airport, she couldn’t even stand upright.  She never made it to Ecuador.

3. Make Things Right, At Home:  Have a checklist of things you need to do to get yourself ready for the trip, that not only includes actual trip preparations (buy sunscreen, pack camera, have enough underwear, etc), but preparations for your leaving and returning to home.  Buy an automatic light timer that will randomly turn a lamp on in your home throughout the days and nights, giving the impression that your home is occupied.   This is a deterrent for would-be thiefs.  Clean all your dirty dishes. Imagine the stench or mold left to grow if your kitchen has perishable food hanging around for a week. Make your bed!  Its just nice to come home to an orderly home after a long time away. The last thing you want to do is organize, clean or fix something.  And finally, if your home is going to be empty, make sure your main water supply is turned off. Case in point: Sam left for his 10 night Amazing Journey to the Med.  One of the pipes leading to his washing machine cracked while he was away causing the water to flow onto his basement floor. And flow and flow it did, flooding his basement and beyond. Because the water flowed continuously for days (he really wasn’t sure when it broke) he had so much water damage in his basement that he needed to gut it all out and basically rebuild it. NOT a fun way to come home from vacation.

4. KISS Your Vacation (Keep It Simple, Stupid): You’re on vacation finally. You’re feeling relaxed, carefree, like a kid again. Just what you wanted!  Way to go, dude!  But….you forgot one thing.  You’re not a kid anymore.  The reality check here is make sure that you have your vacation, within your physical and emotional means.  Its ok to have a few more drinks than normal, but don’t pound ‘em down like you’re at a college frat party.  Do you really want to lose a day or more of your precious vacation to a hangover?  Speaking of drinking, be careful where you are drinking the water.  There are places you want to go where you won’t want to drink the water.  Do your research and ask the questions.  Montezuma’s Revenge will hurt more than a hangover and ruin more than a day. Finally, its ok to take on new adventures but do so with care.  Wear a helmet if you go bike riding or wave-running, wear sturdy shoes if you go hiking and don’t go near any of the wildlife.  Also, don’t go where you’re not supposed to. Case in point:  Phil was in Alaska with Amazing Journeys and after a full day of Whale Watching and biking, he had 30 minutes before he needed to board our ship. Not wanting to miss a single minute of seeing something he took off for an unscheduled, unsupervised and rushed hike, just so he could say he did.  He was so careless in his rushed approach to this hike that he found a secluded rock formation to hike…and then slipped, falling 10 feet into a ditch where no one could see or hear him.  His broken rib causing pain and subsequently losing his wind, he had no choice but to muster up strength to get himself out of the ditch and to the ship. All this in 30 minutes!  The end result was two days in the ship’s infirmary and an early disembarkation so he could be hospitalized.

5. Buy Travel Insurance! For all the aformentioned reasons and so many more, you need to protect your vacation investment.  From lost luggage to a delayed flight or an unexpected need to cancel due to injury or illness to you or a family member…insurance can safeguard what is a significant investment of your time and money.  If there is one thing you do to prepare for your trip beyond packing, its this. Buy insurance. Let me say it again; BUY TRAVEL INSURANCE!  Its a nominal but extraordinarily valuable addition to your vacation planning and it gives you peace of mind should anything go wrong: Case in point:  Just last week, Ethan was booked on our Bermuda Cruise out of Bayonne, NJ.  He was scheduled to fly from Columbus to JFK early in the morning on the day of the cruise, but the airports shut down due to Hurricane Irene. He had not purchased travel insurance because he was “sure nothing could wrong..I’m a healthy guy”.  Sadly he didn’t get to go on the trip and he lost all his money.  Another case in point: Sarah’s luggage came off the belt in Sydney during one of our Australia tours, with a huge gash in the side making the piece unuseable.  The airlines shrugged it off as they do, but Sarah had insurance was able to be reimbursed for a new suitcase.

Granted, this is not a common thought to those of us living in a civilized modern world, but if one were to think on such a plane, one would consider the secret of survival in the Arctic Ocean to be to stay in the boat and not go in the water.  Right?

Well…given a challenge and the opportunity (and being just a li’l ol’ visitor from the aformentioned civilized world), I decided TO go in the water;  to plunge into the 38 degree Arctic Ocean from the northernmost point in the United States, Point Barrow, Alaska.  Barrow is the nearest bit of American mainland to the North Pole and when Amazing Journeys took our Jewish singles group there in 2007 after our annual Alaska cruise, we had the opportunity to join the real and official Polar Bear Club. Membership into The Polar Bear Club in Barrow is authenticated by Club member witnesses from a nearby host restaurant who accept a $15 fee for the right to freeze your butt off.  The do provide the towel, however.  They also provide authentication of such prowlness. The feat must include full submersion into the water and all successful plungers receive a certificate of authenticity and a Polar Bear Club Patch. 

For Barrow visitors, going in the water is something of a tradition, a ritual for the young at heart and the easily bored. But swimming is not Barrow’s sole attraction. There is the novelty of 24-hour light in summer and 24-hour darkness in winter. There are traditional Iñupiat Eskimo festivals—Piuraagiaqta to celebrate spring and Nalukataq for the whale harvest. There is the land itself, flat ground and subtle hills rendered treeless by the permanently frozen soil. There are Iñupiat carvings and handmade fur gloves. There are polar bears.

But we were there to see a land rarely seen by most people from the lower 48.  We were there to meet the people who are mostly isolated from the rest of the US. We were there to taste a remote culture where entertainment includes blanket tossing and whale meat festivals.  We were there to swim (well, I was)….because I could.  Although it stung like a thousand needles, inside, I felt exhilaration as I reveled in the idiocy of my actions.

Cold water swimming is not new for me.  Not anymore anyway.   It was a rare feat to submerge in the Arctic Ocean, but less than three years later, in February of 2010 I had the chance to say that I could be in rare company.  First to swim in the Arctic Ocean and now, the even colder (35 degrees) Southern Antarctic Ocean. I had two friends join me in the Barrow swim, but this time I also had two friends…who didn’t really take the word “submerge” so seriously.  Antarctica doesnt’ offer an authentication, so they got certificates too – but your’s truly took the plunge yet again. 

Sure there is no way to jump into this icy water and be manly about it (yes, we all came out screaming like little girls) – another thousand needles poking my skin….but I am now a swimmer of both poles.!

How utterly cool…in so many senses of that word!

Summers and vacations go hand-in-hand.  Growing up, most of us had the good fortune to be taken by our parents on a family vacation.  Whether we went to the beach, a resort, on a European tour, enjoyed a cottage in the mountains, or to visit relatives, these experiences have engrained themselves in our minds as some of the happiest of times in our lives.

Summer is the busiest time of year at Amazing Journeys because people equate summer with travel.  We have more travel opportunities packed into a few short months than at any other time of the year.  Folks always ask us, “Where do you go when you vacation?”  ”When do you have time to get away?”  Well, the staff at Amazing Journeys, along with planning your summer vacations, is taking some time off to enjoy some of our favorite destinations.

Malori and Barry are back at Hershey, Pennsylvania for the 25^th consecutive year.  Barry has a conference there each year, and Malori uses these three days to enjoy the surroundings of the landscape as well as the features of the resort.  With the exception of the past two years, it was always a family vacation, and all of the kids had been here to share in the experience. Barry sits in a conference room listening to a lecture, while the rest of the family gorged on chocolate and enjoyed Hershey Park, the amusement park across the street from our hotel.

Only a four-hour drive from Pittsburgh (only three from New York City and two from Washington DC), The Hotel Hershey is a gem.  An older hotel, it has the grace and style of a Mediterranean villa, with all of the modern features of a 21^st century resort.  Some of the hotel features include Jazz on the Veranda on Friday nights, The Circular Dining Room which is a beautiful restaurant overlooking formal gardens and fountains, The Hershey Spa, complete with “chocolate massages, ” a pool with water slides alongside a quiet, adult section and my favorite, a BBQ picnic dinner on the lawn with s’mores for dessert!  There is chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate here.  From the Hershey bar each guest is presented upon check in at the front desk, to lots of Hershey Kisses on the bed each night, to Dove candies for the taking in all of the restaurants and gift shops, chocolate soup, chocolate bread and chocolate butter served in the restaurant, chocolate martinis in the bar and to the smell of chocolate permeating the air from the nearby Hershey’s Chocolate factory.  This is truly the sweetest place on earth!

In addition to the hotel itself, we have visited the surrounding area and always taken one afternoon of our stay to enjoy nearby activities.   Historical Gettysburg is just down the road, 30 miles away.  We have taken the kids to Amish Country in nearby Lancaster and cute little towns along the way such as Intercourse, PA.  Philly is only an hour and a half from here and provided lots of history lessons.  We have been to a pretzel factory and Indian Cavern Caves.   This place offers so many eye-opening opportunities and is so close to home.

Further afield, Bill is spending his summer vacation on a cruise to Alaska, his little slice of heaven and his favorite spot on earth.  This, his 13^th visit to this magical land, he is seeing it without a group in tow.  Although we love showing our groups “Our Alaska,” how fun is it to visit a place you love with no schedule?   He has no place to be at any given time, no planned activities to carry out.  Plus, he is able to experience some new and amazing excursions, hoping to discover something that will be a fun and fabulous experience we can share with our Amazing Journeys passengers on future trips to Alaska.

Michele will spend her summer vacation at the beach with her family and some friends.  Who doesn’t love a beach vacation?  A familiar surrounding, her family loves the beach for the relaxed atmosphere it provides.  Sitting in the warm sunshine, listening to the crashing waves on the sand, and playing in the water provides fun for the entire family.  Nights are spent laughing and talking with the people you care most about in your life, while catching up with good friends who you only get to see only once a year.

Sometimes, you don’t have to go far to enjoy a taste of summer.  A vacation can be anywhere you don’t have the day-to-day responsibilities of work, home or taking care of others.  Once you step out of your daily grind, and away from opening mail, emails and taking phone calls,  your vacation has begun.

We look forward to hearing about your summer vacation plans, and hope that whatever you do this summer, that it’s amazing!

Wanna get away?  Whether you’re a world adventurer or feel safer and more content staying closer to home, the world–or the United States–is your oyster.  The New York Times recently issued their Top places to see and you might be surprised that while several are exotic and requiring great traveling distance (as they say, ‘the greatest treasures are the one’s longest sought’), some are closer than you think.  I’ve added an eleventh – my personal favorite and always a Top Place to visit….even more than once.  (I’m actually headed there for the 14th time later this week…)

#1  Santiago, Chile:   Less than a year after an 8.8-magnitude earthquake wreaked havoc in Chile, its capital, Santiago, has largely recovered, the economy continues to grow, and tourism is in an upswing.

#2   San Juan Islands, Washington State:  what brings tourists out are the landscapes. On islands from Shaw to Decatur, pastoral hills give way to broody forests and scrappy escarpments that overlook fjordlike inlets. Areas are protected from logging or unruly development, and in turn provide fresh terrain for the public to explore.

#3   Koh Samui, Thailand:  A toned-down version of Phuket, heavy on wellness and food Koh Samui is Thailand’s third-largest island. But the 95-square-mile tropical gem in the southern Gulf of Thailand, whose white sand beaches, abundant coral reefs and seas of palm trees were once a backpackers’ secret, has emerged as the stylish luxury alternative to crowded Phuket.

#4  Iceland:  Where a country’s hardships are a visitor’s gain, Iceland’s economic crash has had an upside, at least for tourists. After the devaluation of the krona that followed the country’s 2008 financial crisis, the breathtakingly beautiful island is a lot more affordable. While traditionally a must-see for nature tourists — who come for thermal springs, glaciers, volcanic landscapes and the Northern Lights — Iceland is now emerging as a cultural phenom.

#5  Milan, Italy: A reborn cathedral joins fashion-forward galleries and hotels. Compared with the Italian troika of tourism — Florence, Venice and Rome — Milan is often an afterthought. But with novel, eye-catching design emerging around the city, that should soon change as the city’s collection of 20th-century art is now showcased at the Museo del Novecento, which opened in December in the restored Palazzo dell’Arengario…plus, outside the historic center former factories have been transformed into design studios, old warehouses have been repurposed as unconventional art venues, and galleries are packed with avant-garde works.

#6 Republic of Georgia:  Ski buffs don’t usually think of Soviet Georgia when planning their next backcountry outing. But ambitious plans in the Caucasus are trying to change that fast. Tucked between the Black and Caspian seas and smattered with mountains, Georgia has the kind of terrain adventurous skiers yearn for: peaks reaching 16,000 feet, deep valleys and largely untouched slopes.

#7  London:  There is never a bad time to go to London, but this year may be better than most: the 2012 Summer Olympic Games has prompted the construction of 12,000 hotel rooms, and several hotels that have been around for a while are burnishing their appeal with notable new restaurants. (NOTE: Join Amazing Journeys in August for our Jewish Singles Cruise from London through the British Isles)

#8:  Loreto, Mexico:  Long known for sport fishing, Loreto, on Baja California Sur’s eastern coast, is poised to become one of Mexico’s next luxury destinations.  Recently, Villa Group Resorts, one of Mexico’s largest privately owned hotel groups, opened a $60 million Villa del Palmar resort with three restaurants, a 20,000-square-foot turtle-shaped pool and 150 suites from $250 to $1,500 a night. The resort is the first phase of an 1,800-acre development, Danzante Ba. It will add seven resort hotels, restaurants and a Rees Jones golf course.

#9  Park City, Utah:  Many film aficionados have been lured to Park City for the annual Sundance festival, missing the slopes entirely, which is a shame. This year, new hotels, expanded terrain and events at area ski resorts make on-mountain exploration imperative.

#10  Cali, Colombia: Cafe culture is on the rise while salsa fuels the night life; Cali has always felt like the grittier stepsister of Medellín, but tucked amid the colonial homes of the barrios of San Antonio or Granada are a number of new jewelry boutiques, low-key cafes and salsotecas teeming with crowds as sexy as any in South America.

#11: Alaska:  Few places on earth conjure up a better collection of natural beauty, peace on earth, adventure for any level, unpredictable arrays of wildlife, majestic mountains, uncharted territory, imposing glaciers and a culture that reigns more with the land it inhabits, than the people who govern. Its a place you have to see to believe…but where you have to experience again and again to quench your yearning for more.

After about two years of negotiations, the Bloomberg administration announced recently a multiagency agreement to supply cruise ships with “shore power,” The Brooklyn terminal will become the first on the East Coast to adopt the cleaner technology.

Advocates for the environment, who have staged protests and lobbied since 2006, hope the pending agreement will rid the waterfront community of a veil of haze and what they contend are associated health risks.

There has been little controversy about the merits of reducing pollution, mostly sulphuric gases, from cruise ships idling in port.  The debate raged, however, over who should foot the bill. Electricity for a 3,000-passenger cruise ship the size of four football fields was not exactly on the rate card for the NYC Power Authority, which provides power for the cruise terminal.  But ultimately, the city, state and private sector came to a tentative agreement. and the Economic Development Corp  agreed to subsidize some of the cost of the power, as did the power authority.

Under the five-year agreement, Carnival Cruise Lines, which owns the Queen Mary 2, will pay 12 cents per kilowatt hour, while the city economic agency and the power authority will divide the remaining 16 cents, according to one official with knowledge of the deal.  Carnival will also have to pay $4 million to retrofit its two ships that use the port — the Queen Mary 2 and the Caribbean Princess. The two ships dock in Brooklyn a total of 40 times a year.

For the cruise line, the deal may cost about $1.7 million more than using the diesel generators that now operate at the port. But the company has already embraced the technology, introducing it 10 years ago in Juneau, Alaska.  Electrical power is now used at cruise terminals in Vancouver, Seattle, San Francisco and San Diego and Los Angeles.

A large cruise ship burning diesel emits more than 1,600 tons of air pollutants annually, according to an environmental impact study conducted as part of the project to switch from diesel to electricity.  Plugging in to an alternative hydroelectric source would eliminate nearly 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide, 95 tons of nitrous oxide and 6.5 tons of diesel particulate matter annually.  Just from the shore powering of these two ships, it will be the equivalent of removing 5,000 cars per year from the road.”

During our recent Amazing Journeys Winter Alaska tour, we took part in a remarkable experience in the small remote town of Chena.  Two days and two nights were spent in the wilderness as we swam in the natural hot springs, snow mobiled, went dog sledding,  and gazed at the amazing Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) under spectacular startlit skies.  Sure it was cold (minus 35 to be exact), but that is what brought the experience to the highest level of uniqueness; once-in-a-lifetime to the truest form. 

Ask anyone of our 25 passengers and they will tell you, it was beyond words.  This kind of experience can only be enjoyed and experienced…not just explained.

As true testimony to the very special place of Chena and our memorable experiences, you are invited to watch this video clip, filmed by KTUU-TV from Anchorage as they feature this destination…and Amazing Journeys’ experience:  

http://www.gotoak.com/gotoak/videobeta/watch/?watch=ff19e954-44c7-48b3-9c70-583adebaf9db&cat=empty&src=front

It was Sunday, February 7^th and I was perched on my doghouse in Chena, Alaska.  Among the dozens of other tail-wagging, tongue-panting, treat-seeking, barking mongrels hanging out in the bright sunlight of a frigid wintry afternoon….there I was, waiting my turn.  As I scanned the collection of wooden dog houses and all my furry friends hovering around, each and every set of K9 eyes looked at each and every set of homo sapiens, expressing to the extent by which dogs can express, “Pick me! Pick me!”

I was born the offspring of  lab/shepherd mix and a teenage mutant ninga hound.  Some kind of every dog species was somewhere in my DNA, making me a wonderful mix of strength, endurance, and appetite. Because I’ve been crissed and cross breeded and with the best of the best, I am a devoted and loving pup – eager to please my human friends by running fast, playing nice and looking so darned cute for all those tourists who come visit me every day.

Usually these visits are a collection of ooohs’ and awwww’s with a little rub here and a little pat there…here an ooooh, there an awwwww…everywhere a pat pat.  But today….something different happened.  I woke up along with my litter of friends, just a little happier and excited to start the day. Just a little more eager to please.  Just a little more full of anticipation. 

 I soon found out why.

 Amazing Journeys was coming!!

At precisely 11am the first group showed up and the “Pick me, Pick me” looks and barks started emitting from every dog house on the block.  I wasn’t picked…but that was ok because that meant that I could watch all the fun and host a visitor or two to my pen.  I had prepared my doghouse for visitors early that day by peeing on each and every corner of my dwelling.  I even laid a dump on the back wall just so everything would be perfect.  While that first group giddy-upped into the wilderness with Cecil, Hansel, Moonshine,  Stevie, Lucy, Buster and Chester….the next group of humans came to play.

Wobbling up the road like abominable snowmen, they marched.  I don’t mean to sound crass but as I lay around town in my winter fur—and just my winter fur—these city folk were bundled up more tightly than a set of tefillin on the arm of a chasidic rabbi. I overheard a couple of them “bragging” about how many layers they had on.  One lady had—get this—long underwear, short underwear, two t-shirts, thermal socks, a sweater, a vest, a fleece, a scarf, ear muffs, a hat, a hood…and something they kept calling a baklava.  Us four-legged creatures had a good howl later in the day with all the kinfolk. Hellooooo,…look at us; one layer and happy as a clam.

While my comrades ran I had the day off to play with the humans.  I got ear massages, tummy rubs, and back scratches for two straight hours…and then I got to have lunch and take a nap. All without ever leaving my home. 

My next door neighbor, Baily told me a great story about this Amazing Journeys group from the day before.  See, we have eyes and ears…and noses all around this great land of Alaska. While this group called Amazing Journeys was chugging around on snow mobiles we were howling at their adventures.  Poor Master Pete who had to lead the way for them was beside himself with worry and concern.  Pete, who could sing to the Aurora Borealis, couldn’t snow mobile bad enough with this group to make him look good.  One person gave up mid-ride and had to be snow lifted home….one girl steered her snow machine off the side of a trail into an 8 foot bank and had to hauled upright thankfully unharmed.

 THEN, there was the woman they call Annie.  I’ve never heard our commands used for humans, but suddenly it was “Come Hau Annie…Come Hau”.  We don’t know what really happened, but Rusty, who has his nose in everyone’s crotch seems to think she took a wrong turn somewhere in the wilderness and had to walk back when no one noticed she was missing.

Meanwhile, this group just loved our small town of Chena and all the activities they could play.  More ooohs’ and awww’s as they treated themselves to the hot springs, drank martini’s in our famous ice museum, rocked & rolled in the snow coaches for sunset views atop the mountain… and gazed endlessly at the night sky for the northern lights.

 When it was time for this group to go, it felt like loading up a carload of us pups to head to the vet.  No one wanted to go.  But, they were on a quest for the best day of the trip so far, so off they went. 

I heard from my cousins Big Boy and Sunny Girl that AJ stopped by to see their Master Mary Shields and her brood.  What a special place with a special lady; she’s the first woman ever to have finished the world renowned Iditarod Sled Dog Race. I’m told that Mary treats her family of dogs abundantly special and that her loved ones are some of the happiest healthiest dogs in Alaska.  I hear from Big Boy that she bakes her own dog treats for the family….along with a mean chowder and the sweetest brownies for the guests.   I’m told that Mary loves to tell her stories and that the humans love to hear them.  Some of my ancestors are mentioned in her stories and I’m proud to say that I am an Alaskan Sled Dog because of them. 

One of my great great uncles was honored this year at the World Ice Carving Competition.  The ice artists from Norway incorporated my Uncle Rico into one of their sculptures.  I understand that this ice festival is a sight to behold with dazzling sculptures, interactive designs and spectacular artistry.

My butt-sniffing friend Misty went to the festival last year with her owner Miss Melinda and gave the ice festival a perfect 5 wags of the tail.  Miss Melinda is a really cool Canadian lady who raises mushing dogs; some who are noted for continuing the lineage of Balto, the most famous sled dog of all time who lead the way in 1925 delivering diphtheria antitoxin to Nome.  Balto is accredited for paving the way for what is now the famous Iditarod Race and is honored with a statue at the starting line of the Iditarod on 4^th Street.

Misty told me of some crazy antics that happen on Iditarod Day. There is a huge gathering of people on 4^th Street to watch the start of the race each first Saturday in March.  All the teams line up, all the mushers kiss their dogs and wave to the crowd…and then off they go into the great white north.

After the dogs take off running, so do some crazy people…side by side with reindeer!  Hey, I love a good run, but there’s no biscuit in the world that would make me run besides a crazy caribou with pointed horns coming out their heads. Dogs will be dogs…and people will be people, I guess.

Soon spring will be here and much of the ice and snow will melt.   Those crazy tourists will keep coming to Chena and Fairbanks and the rest of Alaska, but they’ll eventually start looking less like the Stay Puff Marshmellow Man.  But they WILL keep coming…and rightly so-to see the glaciers…to hike the hills…to watch the whales…to fish the salmon… and to escape the crazy world from which they came. 

I’m a Sled Dog and proud to say, Alaskan.  This great land of ours is magical and mysterious.  Its laden with a sense of adventure and a lore that has to be experienced, not just explained.  I’ve been privileged to run through a few fields around the land, but the stories told by my ancestors tell a tale of unbelievable possibilities & realities that this land is famous for. We call her Mother Nature’s Showcase.  I call her home.

Cameras flash and crowds cheer as the divas strut the runway clad in mini-jackets and hot-pink booties. Yet this is no walk on the red carpet. These are working sled dogs parading down Fourth Avenue in Anchorage, Alaska, for the ceremonial start of the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.

The jackets are for show, but the booties are functional, protecting the paws of dog teams in this grueling 1,049-mile race, which begins March 5 this year and continues for the next two weeks across the snowy Alaskan wilderness to Nome.

Though heading for a vacation in Alaska at this frosty time of year seems counterintuitive, the Iditarod is an awesome spectacle as a modern-day re-creation of the ancient alliance between human and dog against fierce elements.

Highlighting our Amazing Journeys Winter Wonderland tour of Alaska (a vacation for Jewish singles 30s-50s), we will be in Anchorage for the ceremonial start and a  lineup of festivities including The Musher’s Ball and the outdoor festival known as The Fur Rondy. Our days leading up to this true extravaganza will be chock full of outdoor adventure including snowmobiling, hiking, Aurora Borealis (AKA The Northern Lights) gazing, and dogsledding ourselves. We’ll be in Fairbanks and Chena Hot Springs in the days leading up to the festivals in Anchorage (did I mention the hot springs?  Imagine…an oasis of natural hot mineral pools amongst the frozen tundra in the wilderness. Yup – that’ll be us!). Once in Anchorage beginning March 3^rd, we’ll partake in all the glamour and pomp surrounding this remarkable event.  Its like Super Bowl week…only its in Alaska, and its to celebrate the sport of mushing, not football.

But I digress.

The official restart of the Iditarod is on March 6th in Willow; just a stone’s throw away from Sarah Palin’s house in Wasilla (AJ’s been there!).  Spectators can get close to the chute on frozen Willow Lake, or for those wanting an authentic checkpoint experience, one can hire an air taxi day flight or stay at a lodge along the race route.

For those with deep pockets and advance planners, the Idita-Rider program offers the best seat possible for the first 11 miles of Iditarod. Minimum bids start at $500, while $7,500 guarantees a ride in the basket in the sled of your choice.

Though it’s vital transportation for some, visitors will find the sled-dog experience sheer joy. Our Amazing Journeys tour includes several authentic mushing experiences including a visit with Mary Shields–the first woman ever to have finished the Iditarod—and her team of mushing dogs.  We’ll also hop aboard a sled and “Hike up!” the call for the dogs as we launched into the winter wonderland (using the word “mush” to a dogsled team is a misnomer. There are actual cadences used for each command of “go”, “stop”, “left” etc)

To those who think dog mushing is cruel, it is not.  Not by any stretch of the imagination.  These dogs live to run. They are happiest and healthiest when they run.  They are born..to run.  You just have to meet a mushing dog to see for yourself, but trust me because I have an affinity of love for dogs and I would be the first to share feelings otherwise.  These are special dogs, well cared for and some of the happiest breeds in all the planet.

Four time defending Iditarod champion Lance Mackey of Fairbanks will be searching for his unprecedented fifth consecutive first place finish.

Not just the Iditarod: The Iditarod is the granddaddy, but you can catch a race just about any weekend through winter in Anchorage or Fairbanks.

It’s what Alaskans do.

Its what Amazing Journeys is about to do!