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After breakfast we packed sandwiches we were off to Black Canyon.   This canyon is roughly 2,000 feet deep and at its narrowest  point it is 1,000 feet across at the rim and only 40 feet at the bottom.  Since it is difficult for the sun to reach all of the walls because of the angles, it got it’s name “Black Canyon.”

On our way to the South Rim Visitors Center, we had some road traffic-free range cattle!

Once in the park, we stopped at the first pull off to get our initial glimpse of Black Canyon.   I could tell right away that we were going to enjoy exploring this place.  At the visitors center we watched an orientation film about the park’s geology and wildlife. I was surprised to learn that early in the 1900’s they made a tunnel in the canyon to divert water from the Gunnison river  to irrigate the surrounding  arid land  to allow for farming and cattle grazing.It took over 4 years to build the tunnel; it was completed in 1909 and is still in use today.

There is a trail called Gunnison Point at the center that offers stunning views of the canyon.  There was a Ranger tour at 10 about the geology of the park.   We decided to go with Ranger Kim on the hike.   While I wasn’t that excited to learn about rocks, Kim did a great job of pointing out the different rocks of the canyon.   The steep walls of the canyon are about two billion years old.   Her talk gave you an idea how our presence here on earth is just a mere dot in the timeline of the earth.

 

We then took the seven mile road through the park, stopping at various view points along the way.   We ate our sandwiches at one to the picnic tables.   It was really hot and we were glad that we brought along lots of water.  In fact before going on our last hike to Warner’s Point, the very last stop along the road, we drove back to the Visitors Center and refilled all of our water jugs.

 

 

 

We loved our day at Black Canyon.   Taking the two ranger led hikes were a highlight. The views from the various stops were all different yet awesome.   What a spectacular park!  And to think we had never heard of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison  before our  national park map.  Second national park off our check list!  We will sleep well tonight!

 

After packing our lunch and getting breakfast, we went back to the park.   We went in the Fall River Visitors Center.   They had a lot of the wildlife found in the park on display.  I really enjoyed the taxidermied badger.   Don’t think I had ever seen one before except for the kid’s book with Frances the badger.

Next we headed to Bear Lake which is one of the most photographed places in the park.  This alpine lake sits below Flat Mountain and Hallet Peak.   Armed with our trekking poles we walked around Bear Lake and then took the trail that leads to Nymph Lake, Dream Lake and on to Emerald Lake.   All told round trip it was about three and a half miles but with the elevation gain of 605 ft. we were very glad we had our poles.   The lakes were beautiful and different, so we stopped for a while at each one.

 

 

We stopped in a picnic area for lunch.  I tried to get a picture of a Stellar Jay, which is a much larger version of our blue jays.   Once again, this bird would not cooperate, so no picture.  That jay was beautiful to watch but very illusive!

On the way to the Trail Ridge Road to our next stop, we saw lots of cars stopped along side of the road.   “Frank, stop the car.  There must be wildlife.”   Sure enough, down by a creek was a large bull elk with the biggest rack I have even seen.   He was munching away on the branches of a tree.  For a good bit of time all I could see was the branches swaying and horns.  A lot of female and younger elk were behind him.

Our next adventure was driving the Old Fall River Road.   This  one-way dirt road is over  100 years old,  14 feet wide,  does not have guard rails, and goes for eleven miles before ending at the Alpine Visitor’s Center.  Frank was agreeable to take the challenge, so off we went.   Our first stop was to view Chasm Falls.

 

When we finally reached the top our Jeep Grand Cherokee was covered with dust and so were we.    It was sunny so the views from the visitors center were awesome.   We also climbed the path to the summit.   I felt slightly nauseated from the high elevation, but I was determined to make it to the top.  I took several breaks and I am happy to report that I made it!  Of course as usual, Frank felt fine.

By this time it was almost five so we headed to the west entrance to the park.  We were staying in Grand Lake, a small town with a population of 471 in the 2010 census.   There is a huge lake there and a small town with restaurants and shops.   We had quite a time getting around since the Main Street was closed due to construction.  We found a place to eat called Sagebrush Saloon which had quite the western flair complete with peanut shells all over the floor.

The next morning we went to check out the lake for which the town was named, Grand Lake.

After our exploring by the the lake, we  went back into the park through the western entrance.  We stopped at the Grand Lake Lodge which was established in 1920.  It sits on the hillside overlooking Grand Lake. From this viewpoint you could really see how “grand”  Grand Lake really is!  There were two antique cars sitting right in front of the main lodge; the red one  was a fire engine.

Next we stopped at the Kawuneeche Visitor’s Center.   I wanted to hike a little on the Continental Divide Trail which daughter Kate had thru-hiked in 2013.    I knew that it went through the park.   The ranger showed us where to find the trail that would intersect the CDT.  It was only four miles from the visitor’s center.   So off we drove to the Onahu Trailhead in search of the Continental Divide Trail.   We took lots of pictures to document our historic trek.   Once on the trail we walked to a stream with a bridge and a meadow hoping to see some wildlife.  While the ranger had said he often saw moose there, we did not.   But at least we can say we hiked ON the CDT!

After our exhausting hike, we ate our packed lunch in the park before heading south.   Our next stop is Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, to the south and west almost 6 hours driving time from RMNP.   We were on the road by 1 and got to Montrose, CO by suppertime.   Can’t wait to see Black Canyon tomorrow!

 

 

Off again!   This time to Colorado.  Why?   Last Christmas daughter Kate gave us a poster of the United States with all 60 of the National Parks marked with tree symbols.   We thought we had been to many of the National Parks out west and we were able to put on 23 stickers.    Can you believe there are 60 in all!   “Well, Frank, you know what this means!”  Of course he sighed.

Then last January when we were on our Antarctica trip Frank received a Rocky Mountain gold aspen leaf tree ornament at our gift exchange event.   “Rocky Mt. National Park?  I wonder what that’s like?” I thought.  So here we are driving to Philadelphia for our four hour flight to Denver -off  to see three National parks in Colorado that we have yet to explore- Rocky Mt. National Park, The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and The Great Sand Dunes.  (We had already explored Mesa Verde in 1994)

Our flight out of Philadelphia was right on time at 8:15 and we arrived in Denver by 10:30 MT.   The Denver airport is NE of Denver and it was really easy to take the car rental shuttle and get our Jeep Grand Cherokee.   We were off for Estes Park, about an hour and a half north west from the airport and  located at the eastern end of Rocky Mt. Nat. Park.

After checking in at our hotel and getting lunch, we were ready to start investigating the park.   We headed to the Beaver Meadows Visitor’s Center where we saw a orientation movie and got  maps and suggestions of what to do for the remaining part of the day.   We headed to the Sheeps Lake area in hopes of seeing some wildlife.   By now it was around 4 and usually late afternoon and dusk are prime times to catch elk.

 

No elk but beautiful scenery at Sheep Lake – these lakes were formed long ago from melted glacier water.

Our next stop was at the Alluvia Fan which is a 42 acre area of rocks and boulders which were left behind when a earth dam broke in 1982.  There sure were a lot of boulders everywhere.

There was sign warning about bears in the park.   Frank’s reaction below.  What can I say?

Not seeing any more wildlife we drove back to our hotel.  Just as we entered Estes Park, sure enough we saw a herd of elk along the side of the road.   Of course, I had to get out and snap away.  

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All in all,  not a bad first day of our trip to explore the national parks in Colorado.   Stayed tuned for more adventures tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This morning we headed back to the falls, but to the Argentine side. You might be thinking, why go again? Actually, seeing the falls from Argentina offered a very different aspect of the falls. Also the national park on this side had three trails which went through a tropical rainforest. That’s why both the Brazil and Argentine National Parks have been declared UNESCO Sites.

We took a train to the first trail that led us along the falls and ended at the Devils’s Throat. We saw two toucans from the train but they were too quick for a picture.

 

Of course, the first thing we encountered on the trail were coatis partically jumping on two tourists!

There were two other trails in the park.  One was a rainforest hike through the jungle.   After lunch we took a boat tour to see the falls from the water level.  At the end of the trip, the driver of the boat gave us a shower under one of the lower falls three times. To think we even paid extra for this! It was like a wild rapids ride at an amusement park!  Since we were so hot, it certainly cooled us off.

When we left the park, it was late afternoon. We were exhausted. I looked at my fitbit – wow! 18,089 steps! We showered and I had a much needed beer. After a short rest, we took a walk to the Triple Frontier Park near our hotel. Besides an overlook to see the rivers there were some souvenir shops that I checked out. Frank was thrilled!

After our dinner at our hotel with our group, we packed up. Tomorrow we were leaving for our flight back to Buenos Aires, then another flight in the evening back to Atlanta! Today was exhausting but full of firsts!

Our flight to Iguazu, Argentina took an hour and 50 minutes.  Our local guide, Nannie, met us at the airport and escorted our group to an awaiting bus.   Today we were heading to the Brazilian side of the Iguazu Falls.   The falls is on the Iguazu River that forms part of the northern border between Argentina and Brazil.  It is also very close to where it joins the Parana River at the Paraguay border.

In order to enter Brazil, all of us had to get Brazilian visas before our trip.  Nannie collected our passports and at the border she provided the necessary documentation. Once we were cleared, off we went.  We stopped for a quick lunch then entered the Brazilian National Park of Iguazu.

Can you imagine 275 falls at one place? That’s how many are at Iguassu Falls! There was an observation tower at one of the biggest falls, the Devil’s Throat. Here is a picture of the falls from that viewpoint.

Our guide, Gonza took a panoramic picture at one point on the walkway.

Several folks in our group took a helicopter ride over the falls before we left Brazil. The Argentinian side discontinued them because of the negative effects on the ecosystem. While we waited I bought a few souvenirs from a local who had her wares spread out on a blanket.

Our hotel was the Amerian in the town of Iguazu in Argentina.It was very close to the three borders where the Iguazu River joins the Parana River. From the observation deck of the hotel you could see the three countries separated by the rivers. In the picture below, Brazil is to the right back, Argentina is in the foreground and Paraguay is across the Parana River to the left.

Wow! We saw lots of awesome sights today! And for an added bonus- my fitbit read over 12,000 steps!

Leaving the ship bright and early, we were bussed to the Ushuaia airport for a three and a half hour flight back to Buenos Aires.  Some of our group of 25 would be going back home on an overnight flight.   About 18 of us were staying for the post trip to Iguassu Falls.  That flight there was scheduled for Monday at 9 am.   Once we got back to the city, we all went  back to the Panamericano Hotel where we had stayed our first two nights of our trip.  Frank and I even had the same room, 512.  This time our key worked on the first try!

Our group went for a late lunch at an Italian Restaurant near our hotel called Broccolino Italiano.   Most of us ordered either pasta or pizza.   It was tough figuring out prices.   Argentina uses peso which are 16 to a dollar.   When you see 240 pesos it is hard to mentally figure out the price.   Thank goodness for the calculator on my phone!

We had free time in the afternoon.   It felt great to relax at the hotel for a while. Later,  we explored the pool and the observation deck which offered great views of the city.

 

We also went for a light supper at a nearby McDonald’s.   Boy, what a time that was trying to get the gal who did not speak English  to understand our order even though we were pointing to the picture above the counter.   Fortunately, a man behind us told the waitress in Spanish that we wanted a Big Mac and French Fries combo!

Since our luggage had to be out by 6 and we needed to leave by 7:15 am, we decided to skip the tango club (Frank really wanted to find that dancer!)  and called it a day!

 

 

 

Nine! We had nine shore excursions on our stay in Antarctica which is about as many as possible. We were lucky that we had sunny and relatively warm days. Sadly it was time to head back to Ushuaia. Of course, that meant crossing the Drake Passage again. Putting on a new patch, I was ready! Fortunately, the waves were milder than our previous crossing. I could even eat this time, but I did stick to a lighter diet, just in case. (Frank of course ate heartily! No seasickness for him!).  I was even getting better at weaving back and forth in the hallways and on the deck.

Again there were various programs in the lounge. On Saturday when we were in the Beagle Channel and almost at Ushuaia, we met with our program director for debarkation instructions. For Sunday morning, we needed to have our luggage in the hallway by 6:30 am, be breakfasted and ready for disembarkation which would start at 7:15 am.

One of the ending activities on Saturday was viewing an apple movie put together by the four program directors of pictures they had taken of all of our excursions and of the passengers throughout the week. Those pictures I missed like the albatross, a whale shot with it’s mouth open, and the penguins porpoising were all in that movie. We were given a copy of the video as well. (Frank and I have watched it several times already now that we are home. What a great souvenir!)

Here are some of the great pictures that I missed:

The Corinthian can hold 100 passengers. We were divided into 4 groups for our tour. We rotated by group who was going first, so for tomorrow we will be the second group to leave.  Time to pack our bags.   We have had an amazing experience in the white wilderness of Antarctica making memories for a lifetime!

This morning we went by zodiac to Mikkelsen Harbor and got off on the southern side of Trinity Island. There was a breeding colony of Gentoo penguins and an Argentine refuge hut which is used by researchers for overnight stays.

Whale bones were scattered on the shore and there were the remains of a old wooden boat left over from the whaling days. There were also a lot of seals lying on the beach.

The Gentoo penguins lay two eggs and sit on them for about a month. After the chicks hatch, both Mom an Dad take turns bringing back food while one stays with them. Many of the penguins were molting. That means they shed all of their old feathers for new ones. You can tell because their back looks shaggy. This takes about three weeks.

Once summer is over all of the colony will go back to the ocean where they will winter. Mating, nesting and raising the chicks takes place in the warmer summer months.

After lunch we went out again in small groups for a zodiac tour of Ciera Cove on the Dansco Coast. We went close to a huge iceberg that recently calved.  We went by a research base and of course we saw penguins and seals too!

After dinner we were treated to a whale feeding.  Several humpback whales made a circle out of bubbles.   This circle traps the krill and then the whales can gulp mouthfuls of them.   They put on a feeding show for us for about 20 minutes.

Every night when we come back from dinner our cabin steward, Tito, has a surprise for us.   The first night I was very  shocked that I let out a scream when I opened the door.

Tonight was a prettier scene.

This morning the boat was rocking from one side to the other. Yes, we were now in the famous Drake Passage.  This body of water is between South America’s Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands just  off the Antarctica Peninsula.   It is where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans meet, the currents cross and is noted for its rough seas.

Since we were traveling the cruise director encouraged everyone to go on deck to look for wildlife.  Two albatrosses followed our boat most of the day.  This bird has a wing span of  12 feet!  Sorry, I didn’t get a picture.

 

While I went with Frank to the dining room for our meals, I tried to stick with bland items.   I was feeling slightly nauseated.    Diet Coke and  crackers seemed like safe choices.    Frank on the other hand had no problems and enjoyed the breakfast and lunch buffet items, especially the desserts.

When we walked on the ship we looked like drunken sailors!  The waves were about 14-16 feet and caused the boat to  rock and sway. We tried to hold onto railings whenever we could.   Walking with our feet wide apart like a duck seemed to help.   All of the other passengers were having the same problem.   Often in the dining room the waiters would put our their arms and help me to  a table or carry my food.  The crew all were very sure footed.  They must have  earned their sea legs from previous crossings.  We are told that on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the roughest crossing, we were experiencing a moderate crossing at about a 4.  I was certainly glad it wasn’t any higher!

During the day there were several different presentations in the lounge.  I went to one on photo tips.  Another program was about whales and dolphins.  These programs were very informative, at least the parts I heard when I wasn’t sleeping! I kept nodding off!

By Sunday morning the waves were calming down and by afternoon we had reached the South Shetland Islands and had our first shore excursion. We landed on Aticho Island. We had to put on our long underwear, our regular clothes, our water proof pants and parkas. After getting on our boots, we boarded a zodiac raft. They hold about 10 passengers. As we traveled in the rafts, there were penguins swimming on either side. It is awesome to watch them arcing out of the water and diving back again. This behavior is called porpoising.

I don’t think I can describe in words what landing on the island was like. There were penguins everywhere! Penguins congregate together in a nesting area called a rockery. At this point, the babies are almost the size of their parent but because of the gray plumage, they are easy to distinguish. While we aren’t allowed to get closer than 15 feet, if you just stay still, the penguins come to you. They are not afraid of people since this is a nature preserve. We must look like large red penguins to them!

Hey, everybody!   Listen  up!

I got a picture of an adult feeding his/her fledgling. Both parents gather krill from the ocean. When the chick pokes his beak at the adult, the parent regurgitates the food into the chick’s beak. Sound appetizing, doesn’t it!

An elephant seal was conked out on the ground. The naturalist explained that the seal probably swam all the way from South Georgia Island and was exhausted. The mother seal abandons her pups at three weeks. This seal was a young one. When full grown, they can weigh up to a ton!

I am sure I will never forget the sights I saw on our first landing. It was truly amazing!