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BY Nancy Mueller 6 Comments ON April 1, 2013

A is for Aurora Borealis

AuroraBorealisBeverly&PackFlickr (450 x 420)

Photo courtesy of Beverly & Pack, flickr

Now I’ve done it. I just signed up for the April 2013 A – Z Blogging Challenge. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the challenge, the idea is to post on your blog six days a week during the month of April. We get Sundays off for good behavior and score extra points if we include an overall theme to our blog for the month.

Obviously, WanderBoomer focuses on travel for active, adventurous women 45 years +, their friends and families. Under that umbrella, I’ve decided to make my blogging challenge center on extraordinary travel experiences to add to (or scratch off, if already accomplished) our wanderboomer travel bucket list.

NorthernLightsmmmavocadoflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of mmmavocado, flickr

Today is “A for Aurora Borealis,” otherwise known as the Northern Lights, a wondrous night sky view. Though the spectacle may seem like a man-made laser light show, the natural phenomenon occurs when charged particles emitted from the sun collide with gas particles in the Earth’s atmosphere. Imagine surreal shimmering skies that range in color from pale yellow and fluorescent greens to shades of blue, lilac and red (the rarest color) and you have an inkling of the dazzling vision before you.

Once on a lucky, late-night first-class flight from Cincinnati to Seattle, when the cabin lights dimmed and passengers dozed off around me, the flight attendant beckoned me forward. As she re-seated me in the front row of our cabin, she pointed outside the window, revealing a spectacular night sky pulsing in waves of brilliant green colors. The lights accompanied me most of the flight to Seattle, leaving me with an unforgettable, you-won’t-believe-what-I-saw, travel story to share with friends.

AuroraBorealismmmavocadoflickr (450 x 300)

Photo courtesy of mmmavocado, flickr

While there’s no guarantee of catching a glimpse of the Northern Lights on a planned vacation to do so, you can increase your chances by following these top 3 tips:

  • Plan your trip between late November through March when there’s the best chance for cold, clear skies.
  • Head to remote regions, away from the city lights to sites like Fairbanks, Alaska or Iceland, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Northern Canada or Russia.
  • Reserve a room at one of the best places for viewing the Northern Lights, such as the Aurora Borealis Lodge in Fairbanks, Sweden’s Ice Hotel or a Glass Igloo of Hotel Kakslauttanen in Finland. Other options for viewing include a Norwegian Hurtigruten cruise or Iceland’s Blue Lagoon.

Just be sure to dress warm and expect to stay up through the wee hours of the morning – unless you’re lucky enough to catch a flight like mine where you can marvel at nature’s wonder through the looking glass from your airplane seat, with a glass of champagne close at hand.

What about you, Wanderboomers? Have you seen the Northern Lights in person? Share your experience with us here.

 

Filed Under: Activities, Alaska, Baby Boomers and Travel, By Land, By Ship & By Sea, Destinations, Entertainment, Travel Experiences Tagged With: A - Z Blogging Challenge, Alaska, Aurora Borealis, Aurora Borealis Lodge, Blue Lagoon, bucket list, Finland, Hurtigruten cruise, Ice Hotel, Northern Canada, Northern Lights, Norway, Russia

BY Nancy Mueller 8 Comments ON February 14, 2012

Shot on Location: 7 Movie Destinations for Valentine’s Day

Romantic Movies on Location

Travelers at heart can visit any one of several romantic destinations on Valentine’s Day in the click of an eye through the magic of movies. Cuddle up with or without your sweetie and pass the popcorn and kleenex . . .

An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember

An ocean liner headed for New York City sets the stage for this Hollywood classic starring Deborah Kerr (Terry McKay) and Cary Grant (Nicky Ferrante), with Fate and Destiny in key supporting roles. As an added bonus, you can enjoy gorgeous views from the villa on the French Riviera where Nicky’s wise and loving grandmother resides. Most famous line: “If you can paint, I can walk!”

Casablanca

Casablanca

Former lovers meet unexpectedly in French Morocco during World War II when “of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world,” Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) has to walk into his, Rick’s (Humphrey Bogart). The drama includes flashback scenes to happier times when they fell in love in Paris, together with a rousing rendition of the national anthem of France, “La Marseillaise.”

Dr. Zhivago

Omar Sharif (Yuri) and Julie Christie (Lara) are star-crossed lovers in this film set in Russia (though filmed in Canada, Finland and Spain) during the Bolshevik Revolution. Any movie that can romanticize an Ice Palace in the Russian countryside in the middle of winter is worth a viewing.

Lady and the Tramp

In case you think that only we humans hold the monopoly on romance, our canine counterparts will convince you otherwise in this Disney classic. Has there ever been a more heartwarming animated scene than when our main characters discover love at the end of a shared strand of spaghetti at Tony’s (Italian) Restaurant?

Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn won an oscar for her performance as Princess Anne who rebels against her royal duties by going undercover as a commoner in Rome for a day. After a memorable chance encounter, reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck) soon realizes he has the scoop of the decade – and the love of a lifetime. Location shots include the Spanish Steps, Palazza Colonna, and Bocca della Verita (Mouth of Truth).

Notorious

Notorious

Rio de Janeiro takes center stage in Hitchcock’s brilliant tale of espionage, romance and betrayal. Cary Grant stars as Devlin, an American agent, who enlists the aid of Alicia (Ingrid Bergman) to track the Nazi ring operating in Rio after her father is convicted of treason. Love intervenes only to be pushed aside by the dutiful Devlin who throws her into marriage with Alex (Claude Rains), leader of the local Nazis group. Will Devlin find a way to save Alicia and himself by movie’s end? You’ll just have to watch the film to find out.

Sound of Music

“The hills are alive with the sound of music” while romance blooms between Maria, a young postulant at Austria’s Nonnberg Abbey, and Baron von Trapp, a widower engaged to be married. Cupid strikes when their eyes meet as the Baron leads Maria in a dance. Be still my heart . . .

Added Bonus!

I can’t help myself. I have to include one more travel film here:

The English Patient

The English Patient

Though this World War II drama is set in Tuscany and Egypt, several scenes were shot on location in Tunisia for a more realistic portrait of 1940’s Cairo. Viewing Ralph Fiennes in his role as Count Laszlo de Almasy carrying his beloved, white shrouded Katherine (Kristin Scott Thomas) across the windswept desert landscape leaves me mesmerized every time. When he recognizes that she’s wearing the thimble (You have to see the movie), her reply, “Of course, you idiot. I always wear it. I’ve always worn it. I’ve always loved you,” says it all. Sigh . . .

What about you, Wanderboomers? What travel movies would you add to my list for Valentine’s Day?

Filed Under: Activities, Africa, Baby Boomers and Travel, Brazil, Entertainment, Italy, New York, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, Russia Tagged With: An Affair to Remember, Audrey Hepburn, Austria, Baron von Trapp, Bocca della Verita, Bolshevik Revolution, Cairo, Canada, Cary Grant, Casablanca, Claude Rains, Count Laszlo de Almasy, Deborah Kerr, desert, Dr. Zhivago, Egypt, espionage, films, Finland, French Morocco, French Riviera, Gregory Peck, Hitchcock, Humphrey Bogart, Ice Palace, Ingrid Bergman, Italian, Joe Bradley, Julie Christie, Kristin Scott Thomas, La Marseillaise, Lady and the Tramp, love, Morocco, Mouth of Truth, movies, Nazi, Nazis, New York, Nicky Ferrante, Nonnberg Abbey, Notorious, ocean liner, Omar Sharif, Palazza Colonna, Paria, Princess Anne, Ralph Fiennes, restaurant, Rio de Janeiro, Roman Holiday, romance, Rome, spaghetti, Spain, Spanish Steps, St. Valentine's Day, Terry McKay, The English patient, The Sound of Music, Tony's, travel, Tunisia, Tuscany, villa

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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