Our cruise along Greenland’s still-frozen east coast would have been a memorable adventure on its own. But it turned into an exceptional one with the rare and amazing opportunity to spend a day at a whale carcass, beached on the ice, that had attracted an astonishing 68 polar bears. The cruise was lightly booked, with…
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Summer Travels
Last summer was a busy one for traveling. We made two trips to Europe: one in early June to spectacular Iceland before a fabulous cruise along Greenland’s frozen east coast, and the second at the end of the summer to attend the action-packed Italian Grand Prix. In addition, we took weekend trips within Washington state…
Northeast Greenland’s Unexplored Sea Ice
Our trip to the North Pole aboard Le Commandant Charcot included a brief visit to Greenland. The country was as striking as we expected, and we wanted to see more. We also learned that sea ice is mesmerizing. Le Commandant Charcot is the world’s most powerful non-nuclear ice-breaker, capable of breaking ice 15ft (4.6 m) thick,…
2024 Summary
This year we visited several new countries, continuing the adventure that began on our around-the world trip on Dirona. We also picked up two activities, one old and one new: scuba diving and rucking; made many local trips in and around the Pacific Northwest; and attended numerous live music concerts and sporting events. James continues…
Vatnajokull National Park
Vatnajokull National Park in southeastern Iceland is the largest of the country’s three national parks and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2019. The park is named after Vatnajokull glacier, the largest in Europe outside the Arctic, and contains many volcanoes, several beneath the glacier. At 5,778 sq miles (14,967 sq km) the massive park…
Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice
Iceland, “The Land of Fire and Ice”, is a geological wonder. The island nation lies atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and, as the plates move apart, magma from the earth’s core reaches the surface through thirty volcanic systems across the island. The magma also heats vast underground water…
Bainbridge Island Revisited
A couple of months after our first land-based weekend on Bainbridge Island, we made another trip, this time by car with our new rucking gear. In a busy overnight trip, we visited one of our longtime favorite pubs, tested our new gear with a ruck through Grand Forest park, enjoyed the views from the deck…
Rucking
Rucking is a form of exercise derived from military loaded marches, where solders walk for long distances carrying heavy packs. For example, one of the qualifications to earn the Expert Infrantryman Badge in the US military is to complete a 12-mile march in under three hours while carrying 70 lbs of gear. These are called…
Spring 2024
This spring was a busy one, even by our standards. Together we made weekend trips to Los Angeles and in Washington State to Point Ruston, Alderbrook Lodge on Hood Canal, Bainbridge Island, Tacoma, Everett, Langley and Port Townsend. We also took a fabulous week-long cruise along the Danube River between Budapest and Bucharest. And James…
Port Townsend
Port Townsend, WA is a Victorian-era waterfront city with a vibrant artist and maritime community. Its Wooden Boat Festival, held annually for nearly a half-century, is the largest in the continent and last year drew 10,000 attendees. We have anchored off Port Townsend many times in the past, enjoying the view to the city’s many…
