One for Ten Cabin Fever in Haines AlaskaWritten by www.adamlongnecker.com
One for Ten: Cabin Fever in Haines Alaska by Adam Longnecker05/05/2001 Mountains, massive piles of rock and earth shaped by glaciers, erosion, and weather; can conjure feelings of awe, enlightenment and fear in people. For millions of years weather systems have shed soft crystals of snow on these massive peaks, and now we stand as mere specs in history of these giants, aloft on their high ridgelines. As we descend a sensation secretes from our brains pulsing throughout our bodies as adrenaline, sculpting our passion to return to top of these towering peaks over and over again. Jason Shutz waited a long time for this turn. Photo: Longnecker Pursuing their love for mountains, Jason Shutz, Bill Buchbauer, Annie Fast, Chris Ankeny and Tom Routh headed for southeast Alaska in late April– Haines, Alaska to be exact. Haines has been moderately popular among ski and snowboard film crews for years, but still contains plenty of pristine wilderness only attainable by glacier plane and split board. The posse, made up of Montanans, headed to Haines for an affordable backcountry trip aboard Cessna ski planes. They were armed with split boards, mountaineering gear, and winter camping equipment. During first two weeks of April group bagged a lot of great sunny days up on glaciers, split boarding new lines and eying up lines for next year. After a full day of Air Travel from Montana I arrived in Haines, Alaska aboard a single engine Cessna. Haines is positioned at North end of Alaska's Inside Passage and at Northern end of America's longest Fjord. The town shares its border with 20 million acres of protected wilderness: Glacier Bay National Park is 25 miles by air, and Canada's Kluane National Park and Tatshenshini-Alsek Provincial Park are just up road. A Bald Eagle Preserve is also just outside of Haines giving area an amazing collection of dramatic scenery and plethora of wildlife. Day Two of my trip was like 99% of Alaska days: it rained. The Montana posse that I came to hook up with spent day recuperating from a 4-day backcountry camping /split-boarding trip. I sat and listened to spook stories about new uncharted areas with sketchy snow pack, hairball plane flights onto glaciers, and all great runs in between. Make no mistake; no matter where you ride at home, Alaska is bigger. Everything in AK is big: mountains, fish, wildlife, trees, everything is just so damn gigantic. The air was getting cold and it was snowing on peaks; our conversations turned to next mission once sun broke again and stoke began to build among us. This would have been an action photos, but it's raining. Photo: Longnecker The rain continued for next eight days with little sign of sun. Chris, Annie, and Tom went home leaving Jason, Bill, and I to wait for sun. Pool, darts, scrabble, ping-pong, eating, reading, beer, coffee, beer, coffee, fishing, hiking, and hacky sack became motion of days. Cabin fever can invoke some strangeness in people and after eight days of rain and no riding; walls were closing in – I can't take it, I can't take it. Freaking out and pounding your head on wall is no way to deal with it, sowe ran around in rain for a few hours. But that was a bad idea. We ate again even through we'd eaten an hour ago, and two hours before that. We were beginning to lose our minds and we only had two days left; The northern lights are out that evening and it was clear – would it be clear in morning? That was question.
| | Las Vegas Trips: SIN CITY U.S.A or FAMILY PLAYGROUNDWritten by Joan Ewart
Las Vegas Trips – Sin City U.S.A or Family Playground Las Vegas in past was known for 3 G’s – glitz, glamour, gambling…and it hasn’t changed that much, except during 90’s there was big push to get families to Las Vegas, but let’s face it how many Las Vegas trips offered hotels or attractions for families with kids! So Las Vegas catered to family trade for a while. The new motto for Vegas is “What Happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas”! that’s called latitude!The pendulum has definitely swung other way. A Las Vegas trip today is like days of old! Sin City, here we come. Now at former Treasure Island you’ll find The Sexy Sirens of TI at Siren’s Cove in front of famed newly named TI Hotel, with barley clothed sirens in a show billed as Song, Dance and Danger!At Rio Suites, their byline is Exotic, Uninhibited, Fun. Uninhibited.A newly redesigned Shimmer Cabaret in The Las Vegas Hilton offers “Aussie Angels,” a hot new show that offers interaction of dancers with audience. Hot, Hot, Hot.In fact these days you don’t even have to go to showrooms to view outrageously pretty gals, scantily clad, you can go to any of major hotel pools or discos or lounges. Try pool at Royal Palms. A trip to biggest party pool at Hard Rock should do it. More stars and super models than most, so be sure in you're in good shape if you go. Caesar's Palace offers Garden of Gods Pool and Bellagio has an 85,000 square foot pool and holds title for "most luxurious". Many good looking girls here as well.Gentlemen’s Clubs have increased in number and offer stunning topless revues. The Golden Nugget is a case in point with its “Hot Stuff” late night show. The Gentlemen’s clubs have multiplied, because of lack of sexy shows in Vegas and lets face it’s what many visitors have always associated with Las VegasThere are of course “family shows and venues”. Excalibur offers a castle theme complete with kings, knights and fire-breathing dragon…Children under 12 can stay for F.R.E.E. and they even offer a F.R.E.E. buffet for children 4-10. Circus Circus offer The World's Largest Permanent Circus, with world-renowned live circus acts performed F.R.E.E. every day. Children under 17 – no charge!
|