Pre-race banquet tickets?

[emwcee]

I have a possibility of a place to stay in Anchorage for Iditarod 2009. It's still in the "dream" stage at this point and not at all a definite thing. However, Mith told me it's time to buy the banquet tickets. I can't seem to find any info about it on the website. Can someone give me a phone number? Also, if I do buy the tickets now, can I cancel my order if it doesn't work out -- or do I just sell them individually?

[Holly Golightly]

I ordered mine by calling the gift shop # and then asking to be transferred to "the person in charge of banquet tickets", which turned out to be a very nice lady named Joanne. 1-800-545-6874, if my memory and bad handwriting is correct. Not sure about cancelling an order if things fall through...sorry.

[mithious]

EM,

I don't think you can "cancel"...they send you the ticket/ticket's...you have to pay first...then you get the tickets...but last year there was a 100 person waiting list, so I don't think you would have a problem selling them if you need too

If you look on the ITC website....go to contact us....that has the ITC's number, just incase Holly's handwritting and memory are slightly off..... I'm sure it's not....just teasing Holly

Holly, did you go? just thought since you knew how to get a ticket? maybe you went? if so, when did you go?

[Holly Golightly]

Yeah..I went this past year, and have my '09 tix ordered too. I really can't afford it, and I really couldn't this past year either and shouldn't have gone at all and probably have no business going back either, but it's a long story.

And no, my handwriting really IS that bad. For my last exam in a grad-studies course, the prof actually wrote on the back of my exam booklet "My doctor ordered me not to drive for three days after being exposed to your handwriting."

[emwcee]

Thanks, Holly. I tried calling off and on all day, but I kept getting their answering service. The person answering was very kind, but I'm sure she got tired of hearing my voice. She finally took a message, so hopefully someone will call me tomorrow. I'm really not ready to order tickets yet, as this is still just in the "dreaming" stage, but I want to make sure I have them, just in case. Does anyone know when they usually sell out of tickets? It really wouldn't be worth going if I didn't have banquet tickets.

[Moose]

How much are the tickets? How about for the Nome banquet? Emwcee, let us know when you get answers to your questions. For those of you who have been there, how does one go about scheduling an Iditarod experience? IF (big if) we go, I'd like to be there for the start, of course, maybe hit one or two of the more easily-accessed checkpoints, but also take in the finishers' banquet. The logistics of the scheduling involved, mostly where to stay and how to get there, are daunting for me. Can any of you IditaVeterans offer suggestions?

Like Tangles, we're planning for a litter of pups this winter and we have a house to sell. If the house doesn't sell, the cost associated with keeping two houses heated will bust our budget. (Anyone interested in a lovely waterfront home on the Maine coast?) But if I can find that magic wand to bring it all together, I'd like to be ready.

[fladogfan]

we're planning for a litter of pups this winter

OK fess up, what pups??
You and Tangles in same bind with house to sell.
Good luck, it's beautiful on Maine coast, wish I could buy it, but can't, so won't.

[Holly Golightly]

Emwcee, I'm not sure when they'd sell out, but that's b/c in my classic paranoid style I ordered as early as I could. I'm sorry that you weren't able to get through to the right person, either. I guess I just got lucky (though why, I'm not sure).

The pr-race tix are $65 apiece, up $5 from last year, which is part of why I say I couldn't afford it last year and can't this year either. I must be nuts, esp since this time I ordered for a friend and his wife as well; they're talking about coming up for it. No idea what the Nome banquet tix are, but I'd imagine they'd be pricey....As for how to schedule an Iditarod experience, I must refer back to the last sentence of the previous paragraph: I guess I just got lucky. I had a windfall, and a family friend in Anch was willing to put me up...I mean put up with me...for ten days, so I went to the banquet (dragged the friend with), some Friday festivities, the Saturday start (didn't stay for the whole thing--friend was bored and toes were a bit chilly after many hours) and then the Sunday restart (also didn't stay for whole thing, but got thru much more than Saturday), and then for the remaining time I kinda roamed Anchorage being a "bad tourist".

This year won't be so easy. The friend won't be there, so I'm scrambling to find lodging...plus due to one of my more boneheaded ideas, I'm coming up actually a week ahead of the race in order to (deep breath) look for jobs and housing. I discovered that I want to live up north. I must be completely insane.

[emwcee]

Holly, how exciting to hear about your experiences AND that you will be going again. I still can't believe I'm even considering going. Traveling really stresses me out, and it is going to be SO expensive, but if it does work out for me to stay with my friend's mother, it is an opportunity I can't pass up, since she is moving away from Anchorage in a couple of years.

If I do go, I hope I can meet you there!

You're really thinking of moving to Alaska? Wow! What kind of job would you be looking for? Who knows -- maybe my friend's mother could ask around.

[Holly Golightly]

Aw, it was "nothing" really--better-organized (and wealthier) people have had much more describable trips up there than I did. All I really did was just get my feet wet, so to speak; it's not like I flew to any of the checkpoints. I think it was a nifty trip b/c I don't know any better, but those who have been there before and done more just scoff at me when I start talking about it. (Yes, I do know people who have gone and done more, so I'm not just being dramatic.)

I hear ya on the cost, tho': the airline tix alone were over $100 more than last year, which is part of why I'm saying I must be NUTS to do this again. And I'll just tell you what I told someone else, last year: "If you see a small, scrawny woman with short dark-red hair and a worried expression heading your way, don't be alarmed, it's just me."

Jobwise I'd be looking for what I'm qualified for: I make a darn good secretary. I mean administrative assistant. I mean whatever they currently call people who sit in offices all day and type stuff into computers and answer phones and file papers etc....It might be harder than I thought, but I want to do it. Economically it's more viable up there than Michigan.