Category: Nature

 

I love experiencing the great outdoors and sharing my photos and stories.

Fun Under the Midnight Sun – Experience 25 Summer Fairbanks Activities to Inspire Your Next Alaska Itinerary

Explore all the many Fairbanks activities on your next midnight sun adventure in Alaska.

You could say that Fairbanks, Alaska, is a location of extremes. Winters may be cold and dark, but it is exactly those conditions that lead to perfect northern lights viewing.

Summers are just the opposite – they are not cold or dark; in fact, I think they are nearly perfect. With average temperatures in the low 70s and low humidity, it is my ideal climate. Good thing that there are two months of constant daylight because it gave me plenty of time to experience the long list of Fairbanks activities under the midnight sun.

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My Ponant L’Austral Review – French Sophistication and Elegance at Sea

Sharing my detailed Ponant L’Austral review after cruising for 18 days in Antarctica and South Georgia Island

My dream trip to Antarctica was on the beautiful Ponant L’Austral, a purpose-built French expedition ship designed to provide the highest levels of luxury while exploring the southern and northern polar regions.

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My Favorite Things to Do in Ushuaia, Argentina, the Gateway to Antarctica

I discovered plenty of things to do in Ushuaia during the three days I spent there before an Antarctica cruise

Despite being at the “End of the World” in South America, the city of Ushuaia, Argentina, gets a lot of traffic during the warmer weather season. It’s the jumping-off point for cruises to Antarctica, arguably the more accurate end of the world.

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My South America Cruise Port Excursions – An Introduction to Wildlife and History

These are the various things I did on the port stops on my cruise around South America

I’ve been fortunate to combine trips to South America and Antarctica twice. My first trip was on a Princess Itinerary that sailed around the southern tip of South America with 4 days in Antarctica. This was an easy way to visit many ports along South America’s coast, combined with some scenic cruising in Antarctica.

My second visit started with a three-week Patagonia exploration, followed by an 18-day sail on Ponant’s L’Austral from Ushuaia to Antarctica, South Georgia Island, and the Falkland Islands. The ship then headed north to Puerto Madryn, Argentina, and finished in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

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My Independent Patagonia Itinerary With a Side Trip to Iguazu Falls

Sharing all the details of my independent Patagonia itinerary combined with a few days at Iguazu Falls

I planned a three-week trip for my husband and me to Argentina and Chile to see Iguazu Falls and the highlights of the Patagonia region. Not knowing if we would ever go back, we took our time exploring each area. Many tours offer similar, shorter itineraries, but it was easy to see the sights independently, and it allowed us to do it on our own schedule with some built-in downtime.

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Discovering Things to Do in Puerto Natales, The Gateway to Torres del Paine in Chile’s Patagonia

We found a lot of different things to do in Puerto Natales, Chile during the week we stayed there.

Puerto Natales is the closest gateway town to the popular Torres del Paine National Park in Chile’s Southern Patagonia region. After our three days inside the Torres de Paine park, we stayed another week in Puerto Natales to explore more of the region and to give my husband time to do some fly fishing.

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Three Days in Torres del Paine From A Non-Hiker’s Perspective

With three days in Torres del Paine we had plenty of time to take in the sights at a leisurely pace

Chile’s Patagonia Region is known for its impressive mountain landscapes. It also draws the adventure-loving, trekking crowd. For me, those backpacking and hiking days are behind me. I like a bed and a warm shower at the end of the day. That did not stop me from exploring and enjoying the breathtaking beauty of Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park in luxurious comfort.

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Two days with the Punta Arenas Penguins

We went to Punta Arenas, Chile specifically to see the two penguin colonies nearby

On our three-week Patagonia trip, my husband and I side-tripped to Punta Arenas for the sole purpose of seeing penguins. For those who don’t want to go to Antarctica, this is a (relatively) easy way to see penguins up close and personal in their natural environment.

Two penguin colonies could be visited as day trips from Punta Arenas. The king penguin colony on Tierra del Fuego was a very, very long day trip. Somewhat closer on Magdalena Island was a colony of gentoo penguins.

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