Take a cruise if you dare
Photos by DEVIN WEEKS/Press Myriam Emery, 8, inspects a ghoulish decoration as she boards the Moonlit Monster Cruise on Thursday evening. The cruises are $10 with advance tickets and will be held each night from 5 to 9 p.m. through Halloween.
Magdalene Emery, 10, reacts as “Michael Myers” (12-year-old Zachary Zaagsma) creeps his way to the main level of the Moonlit Monster Cruise early Thursday evening. The spirited cruises are taking place from 5 to 9 p.m. every night through Halloween.
Halia Bruce, 13, in her Winnie the Pooh costume, and her cousin Andrew Pielli, 13, as Christopher Robin, have a laugh Thursday evening as they exit the haunted house onboard the Moonlit Monster Cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene. The cruises are family-friendly and for all ages. (DEVIN WEEKS/Press)
COEUR d’ALENE — A menacing Michael Myers stiffly turned to walk down the cruise boat stairs … until he caught a whiff of fear.
The young man in the “Halloween” mask was 12-year-old Zachary Zaagsma, who stayed in character as he quickly turned and gave Angie Brustad of Coeur d’Alene a reason to playfully shriek and shrink back from his blank stare.
“I don’t watch horror movies because they seem to come to life,” Brustad said as she eyed the masked man from afar.
’Twas quite the Thursday night for a fright on the Moonlit Monster Cruise on Lake Coeur d’Alene, a hair-raising excursion presented by Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises.
Zachary truly ramped up the monster factor on the first sinister sail of the night, peering over railings at unsuspecting victims and popping into the visual periphery without a word, much like his creepy movie counterpart.
“The kids love any time they get to dress up in costumes,” said Zachary’s mom, Anita Zaagsma. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Otherworldly sound effects — creaking doors, organ music, disembodied laughter — played throughout the nearly hour-long cruise, which was shrouded in a spirited Halloween ambiance entire families enjoyed.
Angels, bears, superheroes, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and Winnie the Pooh and company were among the costumes worn by cruise guests.
A claustrophobic haunted walkthrough was set in the dismally lit cabin among spider webs and flickering lights, spine-tingling screams erupting from behind its mysterious walls.
"It is super fun," said Magdalene Emery, 10, dressed as a student of the "Harry Potter" Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
"We went in the haunted house like 10 times because it started to get less scary," said her little sister Myriam, 8, in her cat costume.
Megen Lilly, deckhand vampire with the Lake Coeur d'Alene Cruises, said Halloween is her favorite holiday.
"The fact that we get to take people out on boats and spread that Halloween joy for as long as we can, I appreciate it," she said.
The cruises are from 5 to 9 p.m. each night through Halloween. Festive guests are invited to enter the costume contest by taking photos onboard and uploading to Facebook, #MoonlitMonsterCruise, to win a grand prize.
"We can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds," said Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises sales director Kelly VanDewerker. "Cruise if you dare."
Advance tickets are $10 and kids 3 and younger cruise for free but still need tickets for admission.
Tickets and info: 208-292-5670 or www.cdacruises.com