Travel Articles: Staff Blog

My typical vacation includes cramming as much activity as I can possibly fit into my window of time away, so it was a rare treat that I planned for down time on this trip. We found a nice gear rental shop on the beach that let us swap out boogie boards, kayaks, paddle boards, etc all week for one set price and headed out to enjoy the waves. After …

Today, we traveled into the jungle clad mountains outside Puerto Vallarta for a day of adventure activities. We started with a series of ziplines high in the canopy. I've always been an adventure enthusiast, but it was surprising to me how much more stressful it is to bring my kids on activities that I wouldn't think twice about doing …

There is a certain breed of adventurers who cannot help but camp whenever they roam. Luckily for me, Polar Latitudes provides the opportunity on some of their departures to their more adventurous guests who want the opportunity to sleep out on the frozen land in subzero temperatures.

Camping is definitely not an excursion that everyone will want …

With the IAATO regulations only allowing cruise ships operating in Antarctica, I was curious to find out how ships that are over 100 passengers handle the flow of shore landings and daily excursions to ensure everyone is having a phenomenal trip while still complying.

After we had made it across the circle on Day 4, the real adventure began. We …

One morning, we woke to the sound of "Bing Bong" and the voice of Pablo on the intercom excitedly reporting that we had officially crossed the Antarctic Circle at Latitude 66.5 degrees South. We were all invited to wake up, grab some breakfast and prepare for a celebration on deck hosted by the Expedition Crew and Captain to commemorate …

With all the factors an expedition cruise has to consider, flexibility is key to enjoying your experience. When narrowing down cruise options early on in our search, we all tend to scour through itineraries looking for the best possible experience. But, what I learned on this trip is that the reality of improvisation is at the core of all …

Having never been on an expedition cruise to Antarctica before, I was excited and curious to see how the daily logistics really worked. How do they ensure no one missed breakfast or knows to be at a certain place on the ship in time for their excursion?

The first morning on the cruise, we sailed into the Drake Passage for our first crossing. The …

Cruises to Antarctica depart from a really neat port town at the end of the world. The southernmost “city” in the world is Ushuaia’s claim to fame. For a city that is isolated from most of the world, Ushuaia has a bustling main drag, a plethora of hotels and an incredibly busy pier. There is no shortage of ways you can fill your …

Antarctica, the big white continent at the end of the world. Likely, the majority of travelers final continent. Once you have found that perfect ship and perfect itinerary with dates that fall nicely in line with your travel window, everything starts falling into place. Until your travel adviser says, “Okay, we will want to plan at least two …

Crossing the Drake Passage is the famed or infamous crossing that many find as a rite of passage on a voyage like this. The notorious waterway is prone to some of the most severe and predictably unpredictable weather conditions in the world. The passage is a narrow stretch of water between the Southern Tip of South America and the Northern tip of …

On the last full day of the cruise, there are two cities you have the option of visiting, Frieburg, Germany or Riquewihr, France. Because of my love of all things French, I quickly chose Riquewihr and I am so glad I did! It is the only city that was completely untouched by both WW1 and WW2. Other than the city wall, the city is in the same …

I was more than excited to visit Strasbourg, France on day six of my cruise. It was nearly 10 years ago when I lived and studied abroad in Strasbourg. The city is filled with history, charm, culture and modern amenities. Strasbourg has been Germany and France many times over the century and because of this has such a unique blend of the two …

Whenever you see Mannheim or Ludwigshafen on an itinerary, you will most likely be visiting Heidelberg. Heidelberg is a beautiful city with castle ruins overlooking from the mountain. I quite enjoyed my tour of castle with our very knowledgable tour guide. After the tour we made our way down for more food tasting and exploration at the Christmas …

Wednesday morning may be one of my favorite memories from the cruise. I rolled out of bed, grabbed some breakfast and went up to the sun deck to enjoy a few hours of castle viewing. It was chilly but everyone put on their coats, grabbed a blanket and enjoyed the beautiful views. Our cruise manager, Fredericko, would pipe through the speakers and …

After cruising through the night, we arrived in Cologne on Tuesday. After all the traveling to get to Europe, it was so nice to relax on the boat Monday afternoon and evening. It really helped me recharge and be ready for our afternoon excursions in Cologne.





Cologne has 10 Christmas Markets and I was able to visit four of them. My friend …

I began my journey at 8 a.m in Missoula on Friday and arrived at 8 a.m in the Amsterdam Airport on Saturday. The journey brightened half way through as I was able to meet my best friend in Dulles and finish my flight with her.



We ended up taking a nap at the hotel on Saturday afternoon and then went out to see Christmas lights in the city and …

I’ve touched on Souks a bit in other posts, but wanted to address shopping in a separate post as it’s often an integral part of the travel experience in Morocco. Souks are small stalls within medinas that sell any number of items. Morocco is famous for rugs, lamps, silver jewelry, leather goods, slippers, argan oil, perfumes, olives, …

Easily the highlight of our trip, Essaouira has just the right amount of tourism without losing its soul or its cool. Located about a two hour drive west of Marrakesh, Essaouira is a beach town with a slight surf vibe. It's famous for being the town of Astapor in Game of Thrones and you can see why from the ancient ramparts and gorgeous …

I had heard varying things about Marrakesh from friends and clients who had been there before. People either hated it or loved it. Those that hated it commented that it was touristy, and they felt harassed by souk owners to buy things, also that the medina is overwhelming, loud and exhausting. Those that loved it, stated that it’s an …

When Ian and I travel, we tend to find ourselves trekking for at least a few days out of it, if not the entire time. We both love backpacking and get to do it frequently since we live in Montana. I have always been intrigued by the Atlas Mountains. The idea of having mountains in Africa high enough to ski on floors me. Unfortunately, we …

The Sahara Desert plays a major role in Morocco. When people think of the Sahara, they think of vast orange sand dunes as far as the eye can see. The reality in Morocco is that there are only a few smaller seas of sand dunes, Erg Chebbi and Erg Chigaga that are found within the greater desert area, which is semi-arid. Technically, the dunes …

One part of the trip I was especially excited for was to ride a camel through the red dunes of the Sahara Desert. There are a few sand dunes in Morocco – we chose Erg Chebbi near Merzouga. It’s a long 10 hour drive from Marrakesh through the Sahara. I wouldn’t suggest adding the dunes to your itinerary unless you really want to …

Medinas in Morocco vary from city to city, but share a few of the same characteristics. Chiefly, they are the oldest parts of the city encircled by stone walls. Built prior to colonization, they feature narrow winding streets great at getting tourists hopelessly lost. During the day, their streets are primarily wandered by tourists. Come 6 …

Before we left on our trip, one of my travelers told me that Morocco was easily the most photogenic place he had ever been. In fact, about two weeks before we left, I heard this multiple times from multiple people. The weird thing is that when we got there, I didn’t feel that way at all. I was expecting everything to be pristine and …