Photo by Frank Kovalchek
You just never know how going on a cruise is going to change your life. For example, we never imagined that in the first week of March — when most people were tuning into their source of sports for the final stages of basketball and hockey, or the start of baseball — we'd be looking for the Iditarod.
In case you haven't been here since last fall, our introduction to the Iditarod came while on a Princess Cruisetour in September. Oh yes, did we mention that the Iditarod is a sled-dog race that has taken anywhere from nine to 20 days to finish, in becoming Alaska's most famous sports event?
It's run in early March, from Anchorage to Nome (there's no place like it), on the far western shores of Alaska. It's run in March because just about any other time of the year (when the climate is less than perishable) the terrain from Anchorage to Nome is a bog.
We met a sled-dog racer named Gerry Sousa, who took us for a dry-land ride behind 13 of 
his puppies, in the rain. For people who thrive on warmer climes, this was preferable to a trip to Nome in March. It turns out that Gerry had been in nine of the last 10 Iditarods…now 10 of the last 11. His best finish is 16th — he was 20th this year. You can look it up (we did).
The race, from its roots to present-day, was captivating. It traces a life-saving race with medicine that was needed in Nome, about 90 years ago. This year's race, the 40th, was won by Dallas Seavey, who turned 25 this week, somewhere between Anchorage and Nome. His Dad (Mitch) finished 7th. His Grandpa (Dan), the only competitor to have competed in all 40 races, was 51st and still sledding yesterday.
Women have made their marks on the Iditarod. Aliy Zirkle finished second this week, 27 years after Libby Riddles became the first woman to win. The year after Riddles won, Susan Butcher was first four times in five years, leading to the slogan:
"Welcome to Alaska, where men are men…and women win the Iditarod!"
How do we know all this?
Because we went to Alaska on a cruisetour, and came back on the Coral Princess.
DAILY DEAL:
Norwegian Epic
11 nights
April 14, 2012
Miami, Ponta Delgada, Barcelona
Inside $499
Cost per day: $45
www.ncl.com