I went to Alaska last week. I don’t mention this as a vacation flex. It was really too far for my comfort level. Flying nine hours through Seattle to get to Anchorage is like torture for me. If you are itching for some vacation bliss talk, just assume that I have presented the trip as nothing but great on my social media pages. Probably have a dinner party to show some slides of my trip, you are all invited.
But, for my loyal readers, I’m nothing but a truth sayer and it was beautiful and such but for the second time in my life, President Trump interrupted my vacation. For six months I had planned this trip and on Friday of the trip the wife and I were scheduled to jump on a pond hopper plane and fly out to some remote like area and watch bears and other wild type beasts do nature things as we watch from a pontoon boat.
At 7:30 am, we were up and ready and outfitted in our newly procured Columbia “outdoorsy” gear and my phone rang. Tour cancelled, all flights near Anchorage grounded for the president(s).
Despite the fact that I do not have a Ukraine flag as my profile page setting, I wouldn’t mind if they ended that war. Mostly, I’d like to quit sending my money to vacation in Ukraine, but I’m all for this attempt at peace, but I still would have liked to see bears eat things and such. Anyway, the bottom line is that I have now made my contribution to peace and hope that’s enough to move the needle. If not, I’ll probably put a sign in my front yard and see if that helps.
Trump also interrupted my trip to South Dakota during the pandemic when he flew in to make them shoot fireworks at Mount Rushmore or some such thing. It was cool seeing all of the planning operations before the president’s arrival, but it also attracted an onslaught of old MAGA groupings, and it hurt my feelings to be stereotyped as part of that group without explaining the nuances of my political leanings.
Our hotel in Alaska was overrun for 48 hours with Russian security detail. By far, the rudest group of people I have ever encountered. I’m sure that they are not representative of the Russian population, but I’m not going to lie. After having them push us around through lobbies and breakfast buffets, the nuclear arsenal build up seemed like a good idea to me. Made me wonder why we dismantled all those silos around here.
The Die-Hard movies and that Russian boxer in Rocky were accurate depictions of the Russians we encountered. Also, they smoke like it is 1970. I thought my parents from the past had arrived at the hotel the way they were ripping heaters. Reminded me of riding in a smoke-filled Oldsmobile as a child.
I looked it up, 40% of the adult population in Russia smokes. Maybe those lung darts will lower our costs of having to build out an extensive nuclear offensive. I have no idea. I’m no expert on war and such, but I suppose you have to consider all these things.
I suppose I should make better travel plans, but South Dakota and Alaska seemed like decent bets to not have presidential lock downs. Probably have to consider blue states to be absolutely sure going forward. What are summers in Delaware like?
(Guy Speckman can be reached planning Blue State vacations through 2028)
