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BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON November 30, 2014

5 Fun Boomer Women Winter Travels

Women Winter Travels

We boomer women love to travel whatever the season, don’t we? And when we do, experiential travel ranks high on our list. Adventure travel has its place. But you don’t need to heli-ski down mountain slopes or sign up for the Iditarod to engage with the local culture – unless you want to, of course.

Here are 5 fun boomer women winter travel experiences to help you make the most of the season, whether traveling solo or with loved ones:

1) Stay cool at Quebec City’s Ice Hotel.

Ice Hotel Quebec City

Enjoy magnificent snow sculpture displays set within the incandescent beauty of a winter wonderland. Sure, you can simply stop by the hotel bar or take a guided tour of the site. But for an unforgettable experience, stretch your comfort zone with an overnight stay. Soak in the outdoor hot tub under a canopy of stars, then spring for a themed suite of myths and legends from around the world. While your bedding rests on a block of ice, you’ll keep plenty warm inside the sleeping bag and liner provided by the hotel.

2) Get out and play at Quebec City’s Winter Carnival.

Quebec Winter Carnival

After your stay at the Ice Hotel, head into Quebec City where you can celebrate winter with sleigh or dog-sled rides, snow tubing, snow shoeing or ice-skating among the Quebecois. For the real party hardy, try the ice slides or a snow bath in your bathing suit. Three dips in the snow does it for bragging rights to friends. Naturally you’ll want to check out the local food scene while strolling through Old Quebec. Add a guided walking tour to take in the city’s architecture, history and culture, including stops at the Citadel and newly renovated Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac.

3) Follow the Okanagan, BC Wine Trail.

Sumac Ridge Okanagan, BC

Why not plan a winter wine festival getaway where you can wander through an alpine village for a progressive wine tasting after a day of skiing? Or settle in with a glass of mulled wine after your moonlight snowshoe tour? Discover which wines pair best with the season’s ultimate comfort food, like grilled cheese sandwiches and chocolate. British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley hosts three seasonal wine festivals – Winter, Spring and Fall – each with its own signature events.

4) Go chase the Northern Lights.

Northern Lights

Photo courtesy of Beverly & Pack, flickr

For one of nature’s most magical aerial displays, the Aurora Borealis (commonly known as the Northern Lights) paints a spellbinding scene. Imagine shimmering skies brushed in palettes of pale yellows and florescent greens with shades of blue, red and violet. For best viewing, head to remote regions away from city lights, like Fairbanks, Alaska, Northern Canada, Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden. There’s no guarantee you’ll catch the ephemeral lights show, but you increase the odds when you book a visit December through March.

5) Cruise the Galapagos Islands.

Blue-footed Booby Galapagos

If your idea of winter fun doesn’t include snow, cold or ice, consider a cruise to the Galapagos, one of the few remaining sites on planet Earth where it’s possible to not only observe, but to walk among wildlife in their natural habitats, both on land and sea. Remote. Pristine. Other-worldly. While there’s no better or worse time to visit the island chain off the coast of mainland Ecuador, water visibility is at its peak December – March. Snorkel with hammerhead sharks and sea lions, go whale watching for humpbacks, or marvel at the wonder of blue-footed boobies and marine iguana on shore.

For more information:

Quebec Winter Carnival

Ice Hotel

Okanagan Winter Wine Festival

Northern Lights Packages

Galapagos Tours

Wander on!

Nancy

Thanks to Tourisme Quebec, Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Quaser Expeditions for hosting.

What’s your favorite winter getaway, wanderboomers? Where are you head this winter?

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Cruising, Culture, Destinations, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: boomer women, Galapagos, Ice Hotel, Okanagan Valley, Quebec City, Quebec Winter Carnival

BY Nancy Mueller 4 Comments ON April 26, 2013

W is for Whale-Watching!

QuasarExpeditionsWhale-Watching (450 x 299)

If you have ever had the opportunity to  spot humpback whales off the tip of a ship’s prow, then you know how thrilling it is to watch these megaton mammals thrust themselves skyward, at times spiraling in an out-of-water ballet. While several theories abound about why whales breach, for those of us watching on the sidelines,  it simply looks like a moment of inexpressible joy.

WhaleSightingGalapagosIslands (450 x 321)

 

For today’s Photo Friday, here are a few pictures from my whale watching adventure  in the Galapagos Islands hosted by Quasar Expeditions.

WhaleSightingwithQuasarExpeditions (450 x 287)

 

WhaleSightinginGapapagos (450 x 321)

 

For more fun Friday photos, be sure to check out Delicious Baby.

Have you ever been on a whale-watching adventure, wanderboomers? Please share your story with us here.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Galapagos Islands, Travel Experiences Tagged With: ballet, breaching, Galapagos Islands, humpback whales, humpbacks, Quasar Expeditions, whale-watching, whales

BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 8, 2013

G is for Getaway to the Galápagos Islands

BlueBooby(600 x 399) (450 x 299)

The fragile, moon-like landscape of the Galápagos Islands lures more than 100,000 visitors each year despite the archipelago’s remote location 600 miles off the west coast of mainland Ecuador. Ever since Darwin‘s famed visit aboard the HMS Beagle in 1835, travelers have been enchanted by its history, exotic vegetation and wildlife.

GiantGalapagosTortoise (450 x 299)

In order to protect the eco-system of this UNESCO World Heritage Site as much as possible, the Ecuadorian government restricts the number of cruises that can visit each island at any one time. But you don’t have to worry about missing out: each of the 13 major islands, from the oldest in the East (Española) to the most recent (Fernindina) in the west, offers unique flora and fauna diversity for an extraordinary experience.

MarineIguanaGalapagosIslands (450 x 282)

To plan your own escape to the Galápagos Islands, choose from among a variety of tour options, including 8-day small-ship cruises, shorter-stay lodge-based day trips, and combined land/islands packages. Visit Ecuador’s Ministry of Tourism site or discovergalapagos.com for more information.

In case you missed the travelogue of my own 2011 journey to the Galápagos,  you can catch up on my stories here:

http://bit.ly/12CrGLs                 http://bit.ly/10Bvo84                   http://bit.ly/Z4pXhV                         http://bit.ly/XoJd9q

http://bit.ly/10BvTyT               http://bit.ly/XoJiK8                        http://bit.ly/Yc8o0H                        http://bit.ly/Zxc8vt 

http://bit.ly/10Bx0ia                http://bit.ly/16J79ae                     http://bit.ly/XzY4Ai

MVEvolutionGalapagosIslands (450 x 338)

What about you, wanderboomers? Have you visited the Galápagos Islands yet?

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: archipelago, cruises, Darwin, diversity, eco-system, Ecuador, Espanola, Fernindina, flora and fauna, HMS Beagle, landscape, small-ship cruises, the Galapagos Islands, UNESCO World Heritage Site, vegetation, wildlife

BY Nancy Mueller 10 Comments ON June 26, 2012

R.I.P. Lonesome George

I’m feeling a little blue, a little out of sorts today. All because of a 200-pound tortoise, estimated to be between 80 – 100 years old, who passed away in the Galapágos Islands on Sunday.

At first glance, you might wonder at the world’s affection for such a slow-moving, plant-chomping, independent-minded creature. But Lonesome George was the last of his kind, a member of the Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni subspecies. Sadly, much of the tortoise population dwindled in the 19th century as they became easy prey for whalers, sailors and fisherman who prized their fresh meat.

I had the good fortune to “meet” George on my trip to the Galapágos last summer.  In a previous post, I wrote that he had been living in his enclosure on Santa Cruz Island since the 1970’s, after being discovered alone on Pinta Island. Over the years, park officials had introduced potential female mates in the hopes that George would be able to procreate, saving his subspecies from extinction. But it was not to be.

Never mind, Lonesome George. We loved you all the same. While you don’t leave a biological legacy, your passing does serve as a poignant reminder of other endangered animals on our planet, such as the Sumatran Tiger, Giant Pandas and Polar Bears. Will we also witness their demise in our lifetime?

What are your memories of Lonesome George, Wanderboomers? Share with us here.

Filed Under: Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Travel News Tagged With: Chelonoidis nigra abingdoni subspecies, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Giant Pandas, giant tortoise, Lonesome George, Pinta Island, Polar Bears, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz Island, Sumatran Tiger, tortoise

BY Nancy Mueller 12 Comments ON December 31, 2011

Favorite Travel Photo 0f 2011

Galapagos Tortoise with Visitor

For the final travel post in my “Best of 2011” series, I’m sharing my favorite personal travel photo of the past year.

A few moments before the shot was taken on the island of Santa Cruz, this giant tortoise had been munching away on a few apples nearby.  As it raised its head, the tortoise extended its leathery neck toward fellow visitor, 10-year-old Jesse. The curiosity of the tortoise toward its human visitor and Jesse’s surprise to be the object of that curiosity captures the wonder of my Galapagos Islands adventure.

What was one of your most memorable travels moments in 2011, Wanderboomers?

Filed Under: Activities, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Ecuador, Galapagos Islands Tagged With: Galapagos Islands, giant tortoises, photo, Santa Cruz, travel

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Hello fellow wanderboomers! I’m a Seattle-based travel journalist, specializing in fun travel adventures for the young at heart. My articles have been featured in Hemispheres, AAA Highroads Magazine and Northwest Travel & Life Magazine where I'm a frequent contributor. When this Wanderboomer isn’t traveling, I help global executives polish their personal and professional brand for long-term results.
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