Intelligent Travel

Strange Planet: Running of the Reindeer

We were asked to update readers on last weekend's Running of the Reindeer in Anchorage, Alaska. During the annual Fur Rondy festival, 1,000 men and women ran down Anchorage's Fourth Avenue with 12 reindeer in the inaugural Running of the Reindeer. Before the race, handlers and participants were afraid that the normally docile animals wouldn't be up for the sprint, but fortunately for spectators, the reindeer ran with the best of them. Many runners dressed in costume (as a bull's-eye, or as carrots and lichen — a reindeer's favorite foods).

Afterwards, participants and spectators lined up at local eateries to get a taste (literally) of the reindeer. As USA Today reports:

"Normally we just eat them," said Mark Berg, a spectator who has lived in Alaska since 1967. "I just made some jambalaya the other day out of reindeer sausage. I've eaten more of their cousins than they want to know."

Less fortunate reindeer are participating in the Reindeer Sausage Eating Contest at Humpy's, held today.

Check out the Anchorage Daily News for some great videos of the event. The Fur Rondezvous festivities end Sunday, March 2.

Photo: Thomas Leach via Flickr

The Running of the Reindeer

This February, Alaskans are embracing Spanish culture and letting humans and animals run wild through the streets of Anchorage.

Except Alaskans like to do things a bit differently. Instead of running with somewhat irritable animals, Alaskans are letting loose a dozen reindeer (which are a bit tamer). And unlike the bulls, who have piercing horns that pose a threat to human runners, reindeer antlers are soft and curl inward, so really can do little harm to humans.

The inaugural Running of the Reindeer will take place during the annual Fur Rendezvous (or "Fur Rondy") winter festival. The animals will run along Fourth Avenue, which is fenced.

But Tom Williams, whose reindeer have been selected to run in the event, is still a bit concerned. According to the Anchorage Daily News, his biggest fear is that the reindeer will just be docile, and disinterested in racing at all. Williams told the News: 

"I'll probably be trying to solve the biggest problem of all - lack of fear and motivation, and a love for the people," he said.

"I'm afraid the deer are just gonna stand there. It may be a very slow walk, with the animals sticking their noses in people's pockets, looking for something to eat," Williams said.

... In fact, he thinks event organizers should handicap the humans so they are more vulnerable, and less likely to provoke the animals.

"I think we should make them wear fur bikinis and fur Speedos to even things out," Williams said.

Fur Rendezvous staff are capping participants at 12 reindeer, 500 men, and 500 women. As of January 3, 40 people had signed up to run in the event. No word yet on whether they're stocking up on furry swimwear.

The Running of the Reindeer will take place on February 24. Participation costs $20 per person, and proceeds will benefit Toys for Tots, the charity chosen by Bob and Mark, two radio hosts who came up with the event.

Photo: JohntheFinn via Flickr

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Hawaii Can't Win 'em All

In an attempt to reduce air travel between Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and eventually the Big Island, the 350-foot Hawaii Superferry took to the seas, offering interisland travelers an alternative option to flying by transporting their cars instead.

But in recent months, the Superferry sparked a huge legal controversy from environmentalists, saying that the ferry could harm whales and increase car traffic on the islands. CNN explains:

The first 350-foot catamaran has been sitting idle in Honolulu Harbor for weeks while Superferry lawyers, the Legislature and Gov. Linda Lingle struggled with environmental objections.

State Attorney General Mark Bennett told the judge he was bound by the new law signed by Lingle this month allowing the ferry to run while an environmental study is being completed.

...Superferry CEO John Garibaldi said outside the courtroom that the ferry service likely would resume in about two weeks with an announcement in a few days on when 250 furloughed employees would be rehired. Its schedule calls for daily voyages to and from Maui and a six-times-weekly run for Kauai.

IT's reached a dilemma. Opt for flying, and you leave a much bigger carbon footprint during your Aloha travels. Opt for the ferry, and you're reducing your carbon emissions, but instead harming the whales and overcrowding the roads with cars. What's a traveler to do? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

For more background, check out World Hum's article about the surfers who blocked the ferry from entering Kauai's Lihue harbor last August.

Photo: Hawaii Superferry

Thrifty Souvenirs

Obviously, IT loves a good shopping spree for authentic crafts when we're traveling. But there's also something to be said for scoping out the local thrift stores for some fabulous finds. Our friends over at Gadling and Gridskipper reminded us of the satisfaction that comes from scoring a great item for next to nothing while you're wandering, and we asked the Traveler staffers to tell us their favorite thrifty souvenirs.

Assistant Editor Janelle Nanos: I found my all-time favorite sweater in a thrift store near Covent Garden in London—a white cardigan with tiny blue flowers that I wear year round. It's girly and cozy and generally perfect in every way.

"Wandering around Maui, my brother and I tired of the endless rows of Hawaiian shirts that cluttered the shops, so we ducked into the Salvation Army store to find some more authentic duds (35 Halekuai St., Kihei, Maui). He found a vintage terry-cloth polo with Maui stitched on the pocket, and I snagged a super-soft "Hang Loose" T-shirt that's perfect for sleeping in. Thankfully, this year I went to Kauai, so the shirt actually makes sense now."

Introducing: Trip Lit

Here at Traveler, we do a lot of reading: in addition to the upcoming magazine copy, we're constantly perusing newspapers, blogs, and websites all day. But we know there's nothing quite like escaping away into a good book, which is why we're thrilled to announce the arrival of Don George's "Trip Lit" to our new columnist cadre.

Don is a legendary travel writer and editor who has won numerous awards for his work. He has been travel editor at the San Francisco Examiner and Chronicle, founded and edited the Wanderlust section of Salon.com, and most recently was Global Travel Editor at Lonely Planet Publications. He is the author of  The Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing and the editor of six literary travel anthologies, including The Kindness of Strangers, Tales from Nowhere, and By the Seat of My Pants.

In his inaugural column, Don discusses the challenges of navigating both the Alaskan wilderness and parenting in Lou Ureneck's Backcast, offers up a feast of new epicurean-themed books, before detouring into India and Africa.

We're looking forward to going where he leads us next.