Antarctica

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  • I must correct a previous post. I have only been to 49 states. I have never been to West Virginia. My wife does not like ‘cold’, but she has been a skier and wants to do that again when my knees are fully healed. In the past I was a ski racer, but I will be starting on the bunny hill with my new knees. I think going to Antarctica will be thrilling. Just the thought of being there excites me.

  • Yes, but remember, "new" knees on an old body- will only take you so far! :o:p:p

  • cathyandsteve...Antarctica is a GREAT trip. Such pristine beauty & the cutest little curious penguins that come right up to say hello

  • Looks as if your tour will be cancelled too.

  • Sealord - I also have been to ONLY 49 states with North Dakota the lone culprit. Let's swap ND for WVA and were are good to go !

  • Virginia Travelers - If you make it to North Dakota, I hear that Fargo has some great bargains on wood chippers. :D

  • I also have 49 states and am missing ND. My husband has 50 on what I would call a technicality. He was flying cross country on his company's jet which needed to refuel. When they landed he got out and walked on the runway. We haven't thought of any travels that we would like to make that would get us to ND. Any ideas besides the Fargo experience?

  • We used to stop in Fargo for fuel when flying to the East Coast in one of my Uncle Sam's "private" jets. :)

  • I still have both of the Dakotas to go. Though several of the rest were drive thrus or short airport layover (Alaska). I want or see Mount Rushmore at some point.

  • I've been to 45 states. The other 5 I have no desire to visit (including ND).

  • BKMD - You can't leaving us hanging. What are the other 4 you have no desire to visit?

    For those asking about North Dakota here's a link to some Only in North Dakota things.

    https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/north-dakota/things-only-in-nd/

  • Reminds me of the Chevy Chase movie "Family Vacation," when the Grizwalds had to stop to see the largest string ball in the US! :)

  • How about the opposite, places in the US you'd like to go to or back to if it's been awhile???I

    My list includes:
    New Orleans - not in the summer or Mardi Gras
    Mackinac Island - was once back in the 70s
    New England - Leaf peeping, Cape Cod, Boston

  • If you have already been to Cape Cod, I would recommend Cape Ann ... I was born in Boston and lived in Rockport, and Gloucester in Cape Ann. My parents at one time ran a charter boat (42 foot yawl) from the T-wharf at the Sandy Bay Yacht Club in Rockport Harbor.

  • I have 46 states. Missing Alaska, Hawaii, Washington and Oregon. I traveled thru North Dakota on the way to Canada after the annual Sturgis, SD Motorcycle Rally back in the late 80's.

  • I lived in ND for ahear and a half, people are very friendly and helpful there. In the eastern 2/3 there is little to see as it is very flat with a lot of farming. In western ND, it gets hilly and the badlands are there. TR National Park is in western ND, worthwhile seeing

  • I just received an Antarctica ad from Ponant for tours commencing on November 2, 2020 and including our scheduled tour on/about Jan 16, 2021. These are not ‘full boat’ charters. It is nice to see that at this point Ponant thinks they are going.

  • Sealord, cathyandsteve - One thing you might do as your dates get closer is go to the Ponant website, select the ship you will be sailing on for Antarctica and see where it is 'On the Map'. If Ponant is repositioning the ship, that's a good sign. It the ship is just docked in France or some other strange port, that isn't such a good sign. I did that for Le Lyrial and found the following map. It is still docked in Southern France. As your dates get closer, if you do this for the ship you will be on, like I said you might get a good or bad feeling.

  • cathyandsteve - Keep monitoring it. If they start to reposition it, then it is a good sign that they are preparing for a cruise. Prior to my Iceland tour being cancelled I monitored my ship. It started moving from the Caribbean towards the North Atlantic. I kept out hope, but unfortunately it turned towards France, where it is harbored now, instead of towards Iceland. And the pandemic blues started.

  • Our ship is Le Soleal and it is currently in Papeete.

    Here is the link to Ponant’s ad:

    https://us.ponant.com/offers/flight-credit

  • edited June 2020

    cathyandsteve - I don't think it is either good or bad news. It is simply stating their June 9th policy, where they moved the final payment due date from 30 days prior to 45 days prior.

  • Unfortunately, I don’t think that means a thing. Our Covid record is terrible and so is South America right now. I’m comcermed because I have experienced sudden lockdown in another country and I’ve experience rioting and being tear gassed in Chile, so I know what it can be like, literally happening with no warning. I would feel safer with Tauck, I admit. The tear gas incident happened on our gift of time stay at the beginning of the tour, we hadn’t even met our directors or other guests.
    One thing to be careful of in Buenos Aires, do not wear any jewelery at all not even a watch when you are outside there. Our Tour Director warmed us multiple times before we arrived there. As we were arriving on the bus, she said, I still see jewelry and watches, take them off. Carry a bit of money and one credit card, nothing else. So when we went to the lovely craft market near the hotel, that’s what we did and felt safe. It was quite liberating. Don’t even wear fake jewelry or cheap watches.
    I don’t think most Tauck customers will accept Ponant Covid details. If the Antarctica tour goes this year, it’s likely the only one or go ahead.

  • Yup. I have our medical forms ready to email to our doctor. I had a ‘zoom’ appointment with her a few days ago. I just checked our lodge at Yosemite, and they are totally sold out. The park itself is running at about 50% capacity, with special entry permits required even if you have a life long pass, which we do. Our lodge is only a mile from the Hetch Hetchy entrance, but it still takes about an hour to get to the valley floor. Looking forward to a cocktail at the Ahwahnee if they allow non-guest inside ... perhaps at the pool. Anyway, Yosemite is spectacular even if it is just a drive through. We go several times per year.

  • New England is beautiful in the fall.

    Connecticut, NY, NJ have a formal quarantine if you come from certain states.

    Other states (e.g. MA,RI) say that you should quarantine for 14 days,but I don't know how well enforced it is

  • If you watch the Tauck videos you might see that his first trips included the ‘Mohawk Trail’. When I was a kid we did it every year on our way from Chicago to Gloucester/Rockport ... my original home. It is a great drive.

  • https://www.facebook.com/TauckTravel/videos/tauck-an-american-story/10153102705599685/

    The above link is to the Tauck video on Facebook. I could not find it on the Tauck website. They had a number of videos that I can’t find now. The video refers to the Mohawk Trail and the Wigwam Restaurant that I have been to many times. I have a picture somewhere of my sister and me in front of the Wigwam when I was perhaps five.

  • Yup. We first did the trip in a 1950 green Chevy. It was before the interstate system, so the trip took three days each way. We stayed mostly in bed and breakfast places before they were considered ‘cool’. We never had reservations cuz you never knew where you were going to be when everyone got tired. You just looked for ‘vacancy’ signs.

  • oh that's amazing $69...everything included!!! lol

    Smiling Sam's grandfather was booked on that trip, but it was cancelled duye to the influenza pandemic of 1918. His trip was cancelled, and when he rebooked it the following year, he complained the price went up to $79.

  • cathyandsteve In addition to the waterproof pants, Merino Wool base layers will be your friend. I purchased a few different weights of the leggings, jackets and tops from the Ice Breaker and Smart Wool brands. Both were very comfortable. A warm hat, neck gaiter and of course good waterproof gloves are a must. I hope the tour is a "GO"!

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