I finally did it; I went to my first Las Vegas Star Trek convention, the big one put on by Creation every year for the past several years. I had heard about these cons and often thought about going, but never made the trip until this year. The thing that made the decision easiest for me was when I heard that my friend Wil Wheaton, whom I had met on Cruise Trek 2002 and with whom I have kept in touch since then, would be appearing at the convention and selling his new book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives. I knew that Wil would be entertaining in his appearance, since he always does very funny and touching readings from his books, plus there was an impressive line-up of other Trek guests and activities that looked like they could be interesting to see and hear.
I arrived early on the morning of Thursday August 9, the day the convention officially began. I got to the Las Vegas Hilton in time to see another Cruise Trek guest whom I had met previously, Suzie Plakson, in her appearance with Patti Yasutake. They talked a bit about what they have been doing lately, and took questions from the audience. This would be the pattern for just about all of the guests who appeared on the "main stage" of the convention: talk about themselves for a few minutes, then answer audience questions, then go to the back corner of the room to sign autographs for those who had bought tickets for that. I'm not an avid autograph collector, so I didn't buy any autograph tickets, as I didn't see much point in spending money to stand in a long line to wait to spend a minute or two having the guest sign something for me that would likely get stashed away and forgotten. Same thing for the photo opportunities; the prices were too high and the lines too long for me to deal with them. After hearing some horror stories (scroll through the comments at the link to see the various entries) about how disappointing the photo ops were for some fans, I'm glad I didn't consider doing any.
I alternated my time between the main auditorium, the dealers' room, and the secondary auditorium on all three days that I attended the con. Although some people seemed to hang on every word from the celebrities giving their talks, I grew restless listening to some of them and would get up and leave. No slight meant to the actors who were on stage; I guess my son's ADHD was inherited from me. But I must admit that I don't get too much out of sitting in an enormous convention hall listening to people talk about the last acting job they had or the project they have coming up. As I type this, it occurs to me that the size of the room that they had the main panels in was much too large for my taste, and detracted from the experience. I would much rather have been in a smaller room, where it might have felt a bit less impersonal. Also, the room was very dark, with spotlights on the speakers on the stage, and the audience probably pretty much invisible to the performers. I would guess that the lights were kept low to help with seeing the two video screens on the sides of the stage, which were showing the speakers as they talked (when the camera operators could keep them in sight). I don't know if there is a good solution to this dilemma, but I hope Creation finds one.
I spent a good deal of time in the dealers' room, mostly browsing the vendors' booths but not buying much of anything. I didn't have an unlimited budget, and I wanted to make sure that I spent my money on something that I truly wanted and would enjoy. There were a couple of things that I had planned on buying before I even left home: Wil's new book, and the chapbook that he put together which is a collection of some of his reviews of Next Generation episodes for TV Squad. I realized after I got there that the dealers' room might be the perfect place to find Walter Koenig's out-of-print autobiography, Warped Factors, and I was right; I found one for less than original cover price. Score! I got gifts for my wife and son: I bought a T-shirt for Ben from the movie Serenity, with a quote from the show on it which Ben and I both found hilarious when we saw the movie ("Dear Buddha, please bring me a pony and a plastic rocket"; bonus points if you know the reference). For Pat, I got a Star Trek mug with a drawing of the original Enterprise transporter room on it, whose crew members disappear when you fill the mug with hot coffee or other liquid. They were both pleased with their souvenirs when I got them home.
As it turned out, I was the first customer for Wil's books; he mentions it in his blog entry about his experiences at the con. Being the good sport that he is, Wil also posed with me for a fun photo opportunity, which was actually his idea in the first place. By the way, be sure and pick up Wil's new book, The Happiest Days of Our Lives, which should be available for ordering soon, and his other two books, Dancing Barefoot and Just a Geek. They are all excellent reads.
Last two things about Wil:
1. He read selections from the new book and the chapbook at his appearance at the con. He was scheduled to appear late on the first day, after all the other speakers were finished (less competition, good) but at the same time as one of the celebrity dinner parties (some competition, not so good). The secondary hall where his performance was held was much smaller than the huge cavern, and IMO that helped a lot. Wil and the audience were better able to see and connect with each other. The reading went over like gangbusters, and Wil got a well-deserved standing ovation at the end from the packed room.
2. Wil hosted a poker game in the Hilton poker room Friday evening. Having played poker many times with Wil on line and a couple of times in person, I knew I couldn't miss this game. We had a full table and played a mixed variety of games, including Hold 'Em, Omaha Hi/Lo, one round of Razz, and even some Crazy Pineapple. I played fairly well, but didn't get much in the way of starting cards, so I wasn't able to get in on the action too much. I finished the night down a bit, but it was well worth the fun I had playing with Wil, some of his friends, and some fans from the convention. I'll have more to say about that night on my poker blog.
Other highlights from the trip: I got to spend a good deal of time with visual effects expert Ron B. Moore, his wife Barbara, and their friend Glenda during the weekend. I had met Ron and Barb on two previous Cruise Treks, and consider myself fortunate to call them friends. They are wonderful people and were kind enough to invite me to join them for a few meals while we were all there. I also watched Ron's presentations at the con, which are always interesting and fun. I got to chat (much too) briefly with Vaughn Armstrong, another Cruise Trek comrade and great guy. I talked with Charlie and Aaron from Cruise Trek, who had a booth in the dealers' room to promote the cruises for this year and next. There were a lot of very elaborate and outrageous fan costumes, which are always fun to look at and wonder, "How did they sew/build/create that?"
A few not-so-pleasant items: The air conditioning in the Hilton, both the hotel and the convention center, was drier and colder than I would have preferred. I had to go outside into the 100+ degree Nevada heat to warm up periodically. The food in the convention center snack bar, and everywhere at the Hilton, was vastly overpriced. I never made time in my schedule to actually go through Star Trek: The Experience, although I kept telling myself that I needed to do it.
But those minor quibbles did not prevent me from enjoying my first Las Vegas Trek convention. I might even go back again in future years if there is someone or something in particular that I want to see, and all other factors are in alignment. One thing is for sure: if I have an early flight home, I will double-check my alarm so I don't oversleep and miss my flight like I did this time.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Our 25th Anniversary Cruise
No, we haven't been on 25 cruises (yet); the title of this post refers to the fact that the cruise we took this year was in celebration of 25 years of marriage for Pat and me. We went back to Alaska, in great part because the three of us (including our son Ben) liked it so much when we went there for our 20th anniversary in 2002. We sailed on the ms Amsterdam of the Holland America Line, and it was just as nice a ship as the Volendam that we sailed on the first time.
This trip, we wanted to see at least a few different ports from the previous one, but the best we could come up with given our finances and scheduling was another Inside Passage trip that visited two ports which we didn't see last time: Sitka, AK and Victoria, BC. We did not stop in Skagway, AK this year, and the trip started and ended in Seattle, WA instead of Vancouver, BC. Our repeat ports were Juneau and Ketchikan, AK, and we saw Glacier Bay again. All of the places we visited offered us interesting and scenic things to see and do.
We left Seattle on Friday afternoon, June 29. The first port stop, after a day at sea, was Juneau. We wanted to have a better chance to see some humpback whales this time, because we barely got to see any at all five years ago. To accomplish this, we booked a whale-watching excursion out of Juneau through the cruise line. The excursion company has a money-back guarantee: if you don't see any whales or some other wildlife when they take you out on their boat, you get a refund of your ticket price. No worries for them; we saw plenty of humpbacks, along with orcas and a sea lion or two as a bonus. It was pretty exciting when someone on the boat would shout, "Three o'clock!" to tell everyone which direction to look to find one of the magnificent creatures swimming nearby. The whale-watching excursion was probably the highlight of the cruise for me.
We went to Glacier Bay the next day. It is just as spectacular now as it was in 2002, although some things have changed, of course. Mother Nature doesn't stand still, especially in glacier country. The majesty of this part of the world cannot be done justice in photos; it has to be seen in person. (That's a hint: if you ever get a chance to go up to Alaska, do it.)
Tuesday, we visited Sitka, a former Russian settlement with a lot of history and a very nice historical park on the edge of town, where there are several totem poles to see and hiking trails through a small patch of rainforest. We saw lots of bald eagles in the park, fairly close up. What gorgeous birds they are.
Wednesday, July 4, the Amsterdam docked in Ketchikan. We booked an excursion through Holland America for this stop: the Ketchikan Duck Tour. This little jaunt took us on an amphibious vehicle through some of the interesting parts of the town, and then out into the harbor to get a look at the city from the water. We had our rainiest weather of the trip in Ketchikan but we came prepared with ponchos and an umbrella, and the "liquid sunshine" as the natives call it did not hamper our enjoyment of walking around the historic, if shop-infested, downtown area after the Duck ride. The city had a parade in honor of Independence Day, but we had to watch it from the ship as we sailed away around 2:00 PM.
After we left Ketchikan, we had our Renewal of Vows ceremony on the ship. The ship's captain, Dirk van den Berg, presided over the ceremony for us and another couple, Vicki and Rick, who were also celebrating their 25th. Also in attendance were the Hotel Manager, Stan Kuppens; our son, Ben; and a couple of the cruise staff. We had champagne, cake, and photos, plus some time to just sit and chat with the captain and other guests, and it was a nice little celebration.
Our final port stop was Victoria BC; we arrived there about 6:00 PM on Thursday. We had made arrangements ahead of time to meet our Cruise Trek friend Gordon, who lives in Victoria and offered to drive us on a mini-tour of the city and out to Butchart Gardens. The Gardens are an incredibly beautiful place, with thousands, if not millions, of different species and varieties of flowers, plants, and trees, all gorgeously landscaped in what was once a rock quarry. It was well worth the drive there and the admission price.
Friday morning, we docked in Seattle. We picked up our rental car, drove to Seattle Center to walk around and go up in the Space Needle, and later met our Seattle-resident friends Sue and Phil for dinner. The next morning, we boarded our flight home to Texas.
But wait, you say. You must have spent some time on the ship; tell us about that.
The ship was quite nice, and our stateroom was very comfortable for its size. When we sailed in 2002, we booked through Cruise Trek, and I spent a lot of my ship time attending the Trek activities with the group. This year, we went on our own, so we enjoyed the shipboard activities offered by the cruise line. We went to a couple of the showroom performances, which included two very funny comedians. Ben and I participated in some of the "athletic" things such as ping-pong and basketball, and Ben went to a few of the Club Hal teen activities, although he said they were poorly organized and in some cases were never held. Pat attended several cooking demonstrations in the Culinary Arts Center (being the Food Network junkie that she is). The meals in the main dining room, the Lido buffet, and the upscale Pinnacle Grill (where we had our "anniversary" dinner) were all very good. The staff were always friendly and helpful. Overall, our shipboard experience was extremely pleasant.
We are trying now to decide where to go for our vacation next year. A Mediterranean cruise is at the top of our list, if we can find one that fits our budget and schedule. We also might try a cruise of the Hawaiian islands, or a land vacation in British Columbia. But I think Pat had a great idea for future vacations while we were on this year's cruise. She said, "Maybe we should come back to Alaska for every fifth wedding anniversary." You know, I like that idea a whole lot.
This trip, we wanted to see at least a few different ports from the previous one, but the best we could come up with given our finances and scheduling was another Inside Passage trip that visited two ports which we didn't see last time: Sitka, AK and Victoria, BC. We did not stop in Skagway, AK this year, and the trip started and ended in Seattle, WA instead of Vancouver, BC. Our repeat ports were Juneau and Ketchikan, AK, and we saw Glacier Bay again. All of the places we visited offered us interesting and scenic things to see and do.
We left Seattle on Friday afternoon, June 29. The first port stop, after a day at sea, was Juneau. We wanted to have a better chance to see some humpback whales this time, because we barely got to see any at all five years ago. To accomplish this, we booked a whale-watching excursion out of Juneau through the cruise line. The excursion company has a money-back guarantee: if you don't see any whales or some other wildlife when they take you out on their boat, you get a refund of your ticket price. No worries for them; we saw plenty of humpbacks, along with orcas and a sea lion or two as a bonus. It was pretty exciting when someone on the boat would shout, "Three o'clock!" to tell everyone which direction to look to find one of the magnificent creatures swimming nearby. The whale-watching excursion was probably the highlight of the cruise for me.
We went to Glacier Bay the next day. It is just as spectacular now as it was in 2002, although some things have changed, of course. Mother Nature doesn't stand still, especially in glacier country. The majesty of this part of the world cannot be done justice in photos; it has to be seen in person. (That's a hint: if you ever get a chance to go up to Alaska, do it.)
Tuesday, we visited Sitka, a former Russian settlement with a lot of history and a very nice historical park on the edge of town, where there are several totem poles to see and hiking trails through a small patch of rainforest. We saw lots of bald eagles in the park, fairly close up. What gorgeous birds they are.
Wednesday, July 4, the Amsterdam docked in Ketchikan. We booked an excursion through Holland America for this stop: the Ketchikan Duck Tour. This little jaunt took us on an amphibious vehicle through some of the interesting parts of the town, and then out into the harbor to get a look at the city from the water. We had our rainiest weather of the trip in Ketchikan but we came prepared with ponchos and an umbrella, and the "liquid sunshine" as the natives call it did not hamper our enjoyment of walking around the historic, if shop-infested, downtown area after the Duck ride. The city had a parade in honor of Independence Day, but we had to watch it from the ship as we sailed away around 2:00 PM.
After we left Ketchikan, we had our Renewal of Vows ceremony on the ship. The ship's captain, Dirk van den Berg, presided over the ceremony for us and another couple, Vicki and Rick, who were also celebrating their 25th. Also in attendance were the Hotel Manager, Stan Kuppens; our son, Ben; and a couple of the cruise staff. We had champagne, cake, and photos, plus some time to just sit and chat with the captain and other guests, and it was a nice little celebration.
Our final port stop was Victoria BC; we arrived there about 6:00 PM on Thursday. We had made arrangements ahead of time to meet our Cruise Trek friend Gordon, who lives in Victoria and offered to drive us on a mini-tour of the city and out to Butchart Gardens. The Gardens are an incredibly beautiful place, with thousands, if not millions, of different species and varieties of flowers, plants, and trees, all gorgeously landscaped in what was once a rock quarry. It was well worth the drive there and the admission price.
Friday morning, we docked in Seattle. We picked up our rental car, drove to Seattle Center to walk around and go up in the Space Needle, and later met our Seattle-resident friends Sue and Phil for dinner. The next morning, we boarded our flight home to Texas.
But wait, you say. You must have spent some time on the ship; tell us about that.
The ship was quite nice, and our stateroom was very comfortable for its size. When we sailed in 2002, we booked through Cruise Trek, and I spent a lot of my ship time attending the Trek activities with the group. This year, we went on our own, so we enjoyed the shipboard activities offered by the cruise line. We went to a couple of the showroom performances, which included two very funny comedians. Ben and I participated in some of the "athletic" things such as ping-pong and basketball, and Ben went to a few of the Club Hal teen activities, although he said they were poorly organized and in some cases were never held. Pat attended several cooking demonstrations in the Culinary Arts Center (being the Food Network junkie that she is). The meals in the main dining room, the Lido buffet, and the upscale Pinnacle Grill (where we had our "anniversary" dinner) were all very good. The staff were always friendly and helpful. Overall, our shipboard experience was extremely pleasant.
We are trying now to decide where to go for our vacation next year. A Mediterranean cruise is at the top of our list, if we can find one that fits our budget and schedule. We also might try a cruise of the Hawaiian islands, or a land vacation in British Columbia. But I think Pat had a great idea for future vacations while we were on this year's cruise. She said, "Maybe we should come back to Alaska for every fifth wedding anniversary." You know, I like that idea a whole lot.
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