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Storm Chasing with Tempest Tours 2017
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Storm Chasing with Tempest Tours 2017

lesleyanneLeave a comment

11-24 June 2017

Storm chasing is, in relative terms, a new kind of tourism. Television shows like In Search Of… (1978) and movies like Twister (1996) introduced professional storm chasing to the wider public, and over the last twenty years or so, a number of tour companies have sprung up offering people the chance to join in with the chase.

I only learned of this possibility when a local forecaster joined a chase in 2014. I tried to get information from one company in 2015 but never received a reply. So, I did a little more research and contacted Tempest Tours, one of the best reviewed companies on the net. This time I got a prompt response and answers to all my questions. In 2017, I did Tour 6 and the Solar Eclipse Tour, and in 2018, I did Tour 3, 5 and 6 for a total of twenty-eight days of chasing. In 2019, I did Tour 3, 6 and 7 for a total of twenty-nine days of chasing. In 2020 and 2021, the pandemic kept me home but in 2022, I hope to return to chase for the month of June on Tours 5, 6 and 7.

Unlike the coach tours I’ve taken, this one has no set itinerary, no hotel list and no included meals. For that matter, it can’t even guarantee that you will get to sit down for dinner. The itinerary is dictated solely by the weather.

It was the ultimate road trip.

In 2017, we drove more than four thousand miles through Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. We watched clouds grow right before our eyes and the sun light them up as it set. We stood in awe of silent lightning under the clouds and the Milky Way above them. We listened to the hail bounce against the van and thunder split the sky. We stood against hurricane force winds by day and tried to catch fireflies by night. We bought lemonade from kids on the street and explored abandoned farms. We met wonderful people and forged friendships.

And yes, we saw a tornado.

I wrote this tale as we travelled, so it is very detailed. It starts with an Overview that describes the daily routine, the van and the hotels. I also comment on camera gear.

The rest of the tale details my travel days and each chase day. You can start with the Overview or navigate to individual pages from the Table of Contents.

All my photos can be found on my flickr page.

 

Enjoy.

 

🙂

Eldertreks: Egypt – Land of the Pharaohs
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Eldertreks: Egypt – Land of the Pharaohs

lesleyanneLeave a comment

Egypt – Land of the Pharaohs

15 February to 12 March 2017

In 1994, I was serving with the United Nations in Bosnia and decided to take my two weeks leave in Egypt. With a few rolls of film and a cheap 35mm camera, I spent time in Cairo, Hurghada and did the Nile cruise. In all, I took 118 pictures.

I’ve always wanted to go back and take 1000.

Or 5,385.

The Eldertreks tour is the most comprehensive tour of Egypt that I was able to find and it includes visits to areas I did not see in 1994 including Alexandria, the western desert, Abu Simbel and the Sinai.

I wrote this tale as I travelled and it is very detailed. You can start with the Travel Days or navigate to individual days via the Table of Contents.

All my photos can be found on my flickr page and I had a little fun replicating some of the photos I took in 1994.

Enjoy!

Eldertreks: Costa Rica – Rainforest Adventure
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Eldertreks: Costa Rica – Rainforest Adventure

lesleyanneLeave a comment

Eldertreks: Costa Rica – Rainforest Adventure

12-28 December 2016

I had been looking at Costa Rica for some time but most of the tours I had researched were only a week long. I knew Costa Rica had more to offer, so when I saw Eldertreks‘ thirteen day adventure tour for people over fifty, I knew this was the one.

I’ve been on tours that concentrated on cultural, historical or scenic elements. This one was just plain fun. Outside of the beautiful scenery, we went ziplining, river rafting and horseback riding. We also did a couple of short hikes in the rainforest, saw a lot of wildlife, bathed in hot springs, had a lunch with a local family and much more. None of the activities were too strenuous so that anyone in reasonable health could do it all.

ettd000011I wrote this tale as I travelled so it is very detailed (and might have a few typos that I’m slowly getting around to fixing). You can start with the Travel Days or navigate to individual pages on the Table of Contents.

All the photos from this tour can be found on my flickr page.

Enjoy!

🙂

Adventure Canada: Out of the Northwest Passage
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Adventure Canada: Out of the Northwest Passage

lesleyanne2 Comments

Out of the Northwest Passage

11-26 September 2016

In May 2015, I looked at the possibility of doing a polar cruise, and like many others, my first thought was to go to the Antarctic. However, with a little research, I found a selection of Arctic cruises offered through Eldertreks and operated by Adventure Canada.

Adventure Canada offers a number small ship cruises throughout Eastern Canada and the Arctic. Since I’ve seen penquins at numerous sites throughout the southern hemisphere, the prospect of seeing polar bears, visiting northern communities and seeing a part of my own country that I’ve never seen before made the Arctic cruise more attractive to me than the Antarctic.

Another factor that sold me on this cruise was the availability of single cabins on the Ocean Endeavour. For me, that meant no single supplement which can be a significant cost for a solo on any cruise. I was too late to snag a single cabin for the 2015 season, so I booked Out of the Northwest Passage for September 2016.

adv cdnIt was a long wait but well worth it. This was the trip of a lifetime, and I have to admit, I was like a kid in a candy store.

This cruise had a bit of everything – stunning scenery, hikes on the Arctic tundra, visits to communities and historical sites, wildlife sightings, northern lights, both rough and calm seas, incredible sunsets, immense icebergs and glaciers, a great on-board program and an amazing staff and crew that brought it all together into an unforgettable package.

For this tale, I’ve decided to forgo my usual format, and rather than present the tale as a day to day experience, I’ve concentrated on the ship, the landings and the sea days. This is a detailed review of the cruise and some or all of the information here could be useful to anyone taking an Adventure Canada or Ocean Endeavour cruise.

You can start with Life Aboard the Ocean Endeavour or navigate to individual pages from the Table of Contents.

All my photos can be found on my flickr page.

Enjoy!

🙂

Sneak Peek: Out of the Northwest Passage
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Sneak Peek: Out of the Northwest Passage

lesleyanne5 Comments

I am on my way home from Adventure Canada‘s Out of the Northwest Passage cruise, and as it may take me a few weeks to do a proper post, I thought I’d give you a photo preview of some of the stops on this magnificent cruise on the Ocean Endeavor.

out-of-the-nwp-2016Our first landing was at Anderson Bay on Victoria Island where we got an introduction to the rugged Arctic landscape.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe landed at Fort Ross, a Hudson Bay Company’s attempt to set up a trading post at the end of the Bellot Strait.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWithin days of the announcement that Franklin’s second ship, the Terror, was found, we made a landing on Beechey Island where Franklin overwintered in 1845-46.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWe made a stop at the Baffin Island community of Arctic Bay. A visit to the Northern Store was a lesson on the excessive cost of living in the north.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERARough seas did keep us from several landings but the experience was a reminder of what the early explorers had to deal with.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAOne landing was cancelled due to a polar bear sighting but we remained in the zodiacs and observed the bear from the sea. Another bear gave us a nice show on an ice pan.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe heavy seas gave way to pristine conditions off Greenland where the bergs were impressive.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIlulissat, Greenland, sits next to the Icefiord, a UNESCO heritage site and the source of 90% of the icebergs that calf off of Greenland and make their way to Iceberg Alley off of Newfoundland and Labrador.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAEnough fresh water leaves the Icefiord every day to satisfy New York City for a year.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAArctic sunsets are spectacular and the high latitude means they last a very long time.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAA beautiful clear blue sky greeted us for a visit to the Greenland Ice Cap and was a valuable lesson to all on the impact we have on our environment.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAnd we had a standing order to be woken up if the Northern Lights ever appeared. On the last night, we were not disappointed.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACheck back with me on October 25th for a full post on this cruise and check out my flickr page where I will shortly begin to upload all my photos.

🙂