I’ve been in Alaska for about a month now, and have fallen nicely into a routine. By 10am, I’m up and preparing the visitor center for opening: turning on the generator, making coffee, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, etc. We open at 11am and for the next hour and half I’m roaming the park, greeting visitors, and trying to look busy. It’s during these walks around the park when I’m most outgoing, not always an easy task for me. And it always seems that bossman Matt Weaver walks by after I’ve already talked to someone: he must think I’m completely anti-social. Really, there are plenty of people to talk to, and plenty of people with questions. Old ladies love me! So non-threatening. The same goes for the visitors who bring their dogs, especially the Siberian Huskies and Malamutes. I’ll bs with their owners if I get to play with some dogs.
At 1pm and 3pm we have guided tours. I usually lead one of the tours and assist with the other, or lead both—going inside the mess hall, bunk houses, territorial school, and other historic buildings. While these should last 50 minutes or so, I’m too long winded and mine go on for 75 minutes. I’m not in the same league of great story tellers like Matt Weaver or Josh Goodman, but by now I know enough funny anecdotes (miners playing drunken softball games, trips to Anchorage’s red light district, etc.) to give a pretty good tour.
The rest of the day, after Matt Weaver has left, is spent chit-chatting with Deb in the visitor center and playing crib with Ben Renshaw. After work, there is usually some type of hiking adventure or trip to the Mat-Su Valley for groceries, internet, and/or McDonald’s. I’ll end the day with a few chapters of Game of Thrones (and now) Clash of Kings.
