Lisa Niver's Blog: We Said Go Travel, page 136
March 18, 2019
Ol Doinyo Lengai. Tanzania
1/1000 F4.0 iso160. Canon SX710HS. Edited with Snapseed. Early morning.
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Happy 10th Anniversary Sandals Foundation!
Recently I was able to visit the Flanker Resource Centre in Montego Bay which is supported by Sandals Montego Bay and the Sandals Foundation. The after-school program provides children with hot meals and many resources including a computer center and an X-BOX room. I was thrilled to learn that over the last decade, Sandals Foundation has assisted nearly one million people in the Caribbean.
Guests at Sandals Resorts or Beaches Resorts can donate in support of a particular project, or participate in the Pack for a Purpose® program and bring needed supplies to local schools, purchase merchandise and items from Caribbean Artisan Collections available in the Sandals and Beaches Resort Shops or get hands on through unique voluntourism excursions, such as the Reading Road Trip, that take them directly into local communities.
Sandals Foundation is “the philanthropic arm of Sandals and Beaches Resorts which is committed to investments that create a positive and sustainable impact on the people’s lives, their communities and the environment. Founded in 2009, the Foundation focuses on programs and initiatives in the areas of Education, Community and the Environment and 100% of donations goes directly to support the people and communities we support in the Caribbean.”
Some key examples of the Foundation’s projects to-date include:
Education: Worked with 578 schools across the region providing capacity building for teachers, awards scholarships to deserving students, initiatives to promote literacy and technological advancement in schools.
Environment: In partnership with CLEAR Caribbean, established restoration programs inside Saint Lucia’s Soufriere Marine Management Area and trained local stakeholders to build, install and monitor two coral nurseries. So far, over 2000 corals have been propagated.
Community: Launched the Women Helping Others Achieve (WHOA) program, an initiative aimed at positively impacting marginalized women across the Caribbean and helping them find the inspiration to transform their lives through vocational training, counseling, agricultural programs and more.
Across the 19 Sandals and Beaches Resorts, they support hundreds of different projects. I wanted to share 10 of them here in honor of the 10th birthday of the Foundation. The sustainable projects include school improvements, restoration and conservation of marine habitats as well as training and community development programs across Antigua, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Jamaica, St. Lucia and Turks & Caicos.
Sandals Foundation Projects
Flanker Resource Centre (Montego Bay, Jamaica)
The Flanker Resource Centre aims to increase the level of awareness of residents of the Flanker community through education, life skills, parenting and skill training and increase the literacy and numeracy levels of residents to aid in reducing unemployment. The Sandals Foundation has been supporting the centre for several years, investing in the centre’s After-school Care and Extended Support (ACES) Programme which provides a safe, structured environment in which at-risk youths from the community can benefit from dedicated counselling and mentorship, guided support with their school work and assignments, and participation in supervised afternoon activities which encourage positive social behaviour. The Foundation has also supported the Flanker Marching Band, providing them with instruments, theory books, stipends for the band coordinator and teachers, uniforms for performances and payment for music exams. The Sandals Foundation also constructed and outfitted the second floor of the centre which has offices, recreational space, a kitchen and has an Xbox room which serves as an incentive for the kids that participate in the Centre’s programs.
West End Infant School (Negril, Jamaica)
The Sandals Foundation, in partnership with Ministry of Education, Youth & Information (MOE) and The CHASE Fund constructed and opened the state of the art West End Infant School in 2017, providing 160 children between the ages of 3-6 from Negril and neighbouring communities with a new and conducive learning environment. The institution graduated its first cohort of students in June 2018. This is the third Early Childhood Institute constructed by the Sandals Foundation.
Sandals Foundation: West End Infant SchoolProviding Access to Continued Education (PACE) (Nassau, Bahamas)
PACE is a programme for teen mothers to ensure that they have the opportunity to complete high school, reduce the incidence of repeat pregnancy among teen mothers, improve the quality of life for the mothers and their babies and ensure that teens are fully educated on the negative impact of repeat teen pregnancies. The Sandals Foundation, over several years, organized major fundraisers and brought on significant partners such as Coca Cola to construct a multi – purpose building to provide the teen moms with a conducive space to continue their education. The Foundation has also donated computers and funded skills training programmes for the teen mothers.
Grenrop “Women in Agriculture” (Grenada)
This program is a partnership with the Grenrop Group which supports women farmers to expand their business and become competitive participants in the value chain. The Foundation has provided capacity building for these female farmers through training, purchase of seeds and equipment, construction of a shade house and assistance for the farmers to develop successful and sustainable agricultural enterprises supporting the local industry and improving their quality of life. The Foundation helps to create linkages for the farmers with the hotel sector as a means of creating a sustainale market for their products.
Sandals Foundation Project: Grenrop “Women in Agriculture”Hurricane Relief (Turks and Caicos)
The Sandals Foundation invested over $200,000 in the renovation of three Turks and Caicos schools damaged by the passage of hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017. Repairs to the Enid Capron Primary school included roofing, electrical work and other infrastructural improvements to the Stubbs which houses the school’s sick bay, the school kitchen, the computer room and teacher resource room. Construction of the new library at Clement Howell High School, funded by the Sandals Foundation was well underway when the hurricanes hit in September 2017 and the newly refurbished structure suffered some damage. The school also suffered damage to its canteen. The Sandals Foundation completed construction of the state of the art library and made the repairs to the school’s canteen which included replacing the roof, patio, doors and windows. Ianthe Pratt Primary School received repairs to their kitchen, library, hallways, classrooms and had a new stage constructed for their performing arts area.
Sick Kids/ Sandals Foundation Partnership
In 2017, the Sandals Foundation became a Catalyst Donor to the Sick Kids vs Limits campaign, committing to donate US$600,000 to the programme over five years. The Sandals Foundation had already donated US$400,000 to the SickKids-Caribbean Initiative which seeks to build local capacity to advance the study, diagnosis and treatment of paediatric cancer and serious blood disorders across the region. The Foundation funded a two year fellowship for Barbadian Dr. Chantelle Browne-Farmer who became the second paediatric haematologist/oncologist in the Eastern Caribbean. Funding from the foundation also provided training for nurses from the Caribbean in paediatric oncology. In 2015 Sandals Foundation and SickKids also came together to open a Telemedicine Room at the Victoria Hospital in St. Lucia part of a program to link Paediatric Oncologists throughout the Caribbean to each other as well as to the Sick Kids Hospital.
Mount St. John’s Medical Centre Paediatric Ward (Antigua)
Pre-term babies born in Antigua were given a greater fighting chance following the gift of two comprehensive Infant Care Centres from the Sandals Foundation. The units valued at almost US$20,000, provide critical care such as temperature control, monitoring of vitals, weighing and respiratory assistance, to preterm babies when the need arises. To date, 397 preterm babies have utilized the machines. In 2018 the foundation made a second donation of medical equipment to the paediatric ward. This donation included vital sign monitors, electronic scales, paediatric beds, hand held pulse oximeters and cardiac monitors and is set to benefit almost 1000 children per year.
Sandals Foundation: Mount St. John’s Medical Centre Paediatric WardGreat Shape! Inc./ Sandals Foundation EyeCare and Dental Programmes
Since 2009, the Sandals Foundation and Great Shape! Inc. have provided free eye care and dental services to over 240,000 people in Jamaica, St. Lucia, Grenada and Turks Caicos. Sandals Resorts and Sandals Foundation provide accommodation, funding for transportation/clinics and on the ground logistics for iCare and 1000 smiles. Through the iCARE programme, Great Shape! Inc. has provided prescription, reading and sunglasses, free cataract surgeries, and laser surgery to save the sight of patients with open angle glaucoma and PRP diabetic retinopathy. Through the 1000 Smiles dental programme, they have provided dental services of sealants, dentures, extractions, fillings and blood pressure screenings, Oral education in schools is also promoted through the distribution of toothpaste and toothbrushes and teaching children how to properly care for their teeth. The program also aims to build the capacity of local dental students and help outfit rural clinics with equipment and supplies making ongoing dental care possible.
Marine Sanctuaries/Coral Nurseries
The Sandals Foundation manages two marine sanctuaries and supports an additional four in Jamaica, helping to protect the islands’ depleting fish stocks and strengthen the resilience of their coral reefs. In 2017, The Boscobel Marine Sanctuary became Jamaica’s first rotating fish sanctuary, which allows for sections to be open periodically throughout the year, increasing the benefit of the sanctuary to the surrounding community by not only expanding its boundaries, but also allowing fishermen to benefit from the increase in fish biomass. The Sanctuaries in Jamaica also contain coral nurseries, helping to replenish the coral reefs. Investment in Coral Nurseries has now expanded to St.Lucia in a 3 year partnership with CLEAR Caribbean to increase coral health and train locals in coral restoration. To date, 6000 pieces of corals have been planted.
Youth in Sports
The Sandals Foundation has proven that engaging youths through structured sporting activities is an effective way of teaching life skills and providing opportunities for the young people to secure a better future. Through its Care for Kids Junior Golf Programme in Jamaica, Game Changer Football and Basketball Programs in Barbados, Grenada and St.Lucia, Swalings Football Partnership in Antigua and Tiger Tennis in school program in St. Lucia, the Foundation has engaged hundreds of young people across the Caribbean, providing opportunities for international exposure, providing and securing tertiary scholarships and improving the capacity of local coaches to effectively train and guide the youngsters.
Remember, “the Caribbean Sea connects more than 700 islands and coastlines, which is a source of livelihood for thousands of people. The role we all play in supporting protected areas and teaching the next generation the importance of caring for their precious environment is crucial now more than ever,” said Heidi Clarke, Executive Director of the Sandals Foundation. “The Sandals Group of companies and Sandals Foundation have intensified our efforts by reducing plastic pollution through our operations and in our communities as well as ensuring we engage all the key stakeholders in our efforts.”
Last year, in partnership with Oceanic Global, a non-profit focused on providing solutions to issues impacting our oceans, all 19 Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts eliminated the 21,490,800 single-use plastic straws and stirrers used across the resorts each year, along with plastic laundry bags and plastic bags throughout gift shops. As of February 1, 2019, all resorts have eliminated Styrofoam. The company is currently exploring opportunities to eliminate other plastic across its resorts by September 2019.
For more information on the Sandals Foundation, including how to donate to any of its programs and projects, please visit www.sandalsfoundation.org. To view the Foundation’s latest annual report, please visit https://sandalsfoundation.org/Sandals-Foundation-201-Annual-Report.pdf.
I loved my visit to Sandals Montego Bay and cannot wait to visit another one of their beautiful resorts and see more of the Sandals Foundation projects.
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March 17, 2019
Volcan de Augua, Guatemala
Iphone 6+
No alteration of photo
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March 16, 2019
Let me hold the sun before it sets.. Philippines
I used iphone7 and didn’t alter the image aside i did adjust the color to saturation .25, contrast .16..
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March 15, 2019
Happy Birthday to Notorious RBG
Thank you to the Female Quotient
for publishing my article:
IN HER WORDS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE NOTORIOUS RBG
When RBG started law school in the 1950s, women were
less than 3% of the legal profession in the United States.
Here is how she blazed her own path.
Happy Birthday Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. You have inspired our nation. Thank you for your commitment to change the world by fighting to end gender discrimination under the law.
I have seen the documentary, Notorious RBG, the movie, On the Basis of Sex, the Skirball Center exhibit twice and read her book. I am grateful to Ruth Bader Ginsburg for her willingness to never give up. I am thrilled that now change.org has a petition with more than 86,000 signatures (she will be 86 today) and the idea to rename a building after her in honor of her life of service and being a trailblazer.
When she was young, there were no women judges and certainly none on the supreme court. But now there are. Life has changed.
In her book, My Own Words, Ginsburg writes: “Contrast the ancient days (the fall of 1956) when I entered law school. Women were less than 3% of the legal profession in the United States, and only one woman had ever served on a federal appellate court. Today about half the nation’s law students and more than one-third of our federal judges are women, including three of the nine Justices seated on the U.S. Supreme Court bench. Women hold more than 30% of U.S. law school deanships and serve as general counsel to 24% of Fortune 500 companies. In my long life, I have seen great changes!”
She has helped change the law and our perception of what it means to be a lawyer. Ginsburg’s mother and her teachers encouraged her to read, to be independent and to find her own way in the world. In celebrating her birthday, we must remember that we still have work to do. Ginsburg says: “Most people in poverty in the United States and the world over are women and children, women’s earnings here and abroad trail the earnings of men with comparable education and experience, our workplaces do not adequately accommodate the demands of childbearing and childrearing, and we have yet to devise effective ways to ward off sexual harassment at work and domestic violence in our homes. I am optimistic, however, that movement toward enlistment of the talent of all who compose “We, the People,” will continue.”
Ginsburg shared in her book, My Own Words, what the first woman on the Supreme Court of the United States, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor told her:
“For both men and women, the first step in getting power is to become visible to others, and then to put on an impressive show. . . . As women achieve power, the barriers will fall. As society sees what women can do, as women see what women can do, there will be more women out there doing things, and we’ll all be better off for it.” Justices Ginsburg, O’Connor, Kagan and Sotomayor are doing something that was unthinkable not that many decades ago.
In her book, My Own Words, Ginsburg shares that she was drawn to the stories of Nancy Drew because she was “a girl who did things. She was adventuresome, and daring”…and Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, also captured her imagination. When she was 13 and editor of the school newspaper, she wrote a column about “Eleanor Roosevelt the head of the UN Commission on Human Rights, the Ten Commandments, Magna Carta, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and United Nations Charter.” From her childhood writings to her supreme court dissents, Ginsburg is a champion of woman every where.
Ginsburg also reminisces about “the women in the Senate and the women at the Court” dinner in her book. She tells us that: “The first time, in 1994, there were two Justices and six senators. In 2012, we were three, and seventeen women held Senate seats.” But for the next dinner, there will be 3 in the court and 25 from the senate. There are more women at the table but there is more work to be done.
I loved walking through the exhibit about her at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. Normally a retrospective like that shows someone who is no longer alive. Thank you to the curators and the museum for honoring Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg during her lifetime. I wonder what she will do next.
Ginsburg lived in Sweden when she was a young lawyer and learned the word, “vägmärken, which translates literally as “pathmarker” or “waypaver.” Her hard work has created changes in gender equality for all of us. She is truly a way paver!
When she left law school, she could not get a job as a lawyer both because she was Jewish and because she was female. She was hired as the first tenured woman law professor at Columbia University Law School and created the first class on gender and law.
In her book, My Own Words, the editors explain that due to her “twenty-five legal articles chronicling and critiquing the unfolding law, constitutional and otherwise, on gender equality, her twenty-four briefs for Supreme Court cases, her six appearances before the Court to present oral arguments,” she earned the honorific “the Thurgood Marshall of the women’s movement.” Ruth Bader Ginsburg deserves to be an icon known as Notorious RBG.
On June 14, 1993, President William Jefferson Clinton chose Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg as his nominee for the Supreme Court. In her book, the editors shared Clinton’s reasoning, and quoted him saying: “Quite simply, what’s in her record speaks volumes about what is in her heart. Throughout her life, she has repeatedly stood for the individual, the person less well-off, the outsider in society, and has given those people greater hope by telling them that they have a place in our legal system, by giving them a sense that the Constitution and the laws protect all the American people, not simply the powerful.”
In a graduation speech shared in her book, Ginsburg told students:
“AS YOU LEAVE HERE AND PROCEED ALONG LIFE’S PATHS, TRY TO LEAVE TRACKS. USE THE EDUCATION YOU HAVE RECEIVED TO HELP REPAIR TEARS IN YOUR COMMUNITIES. TAKE PART IN EFFORTS TO MOVE THOSE COMMUNITIES, YOUR NATION, AND OUR WORLD CLOSER TO THE CONDITIONS NEEDED TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OF YOUR GENERATION AND GENERATIONS FOLLOWING YOUR OWN.”
Thank you to Supreme Court Justice Ginsburg for leaving tracks, repairing tears and being a way paver. I wish her a happy and healthy birthday and many more years on the Supreme Court.
Lisa Ellen Niver is an award-winning travel expert who has explored 101 countries and six continents. Her website, We Said Go Travel, was read in 212 countries in 2018. Find her talking travel on KTLA TV and her YouTube videos with over 900,000 views. Lisa has written for AARP, American Airways, Jewish Journal, Ms. Magazine, Smithsonian and Wharton Magazine. She is writing a book, “Brave Rebel: 50 Adventures Before 50,” about her most recent travels and challenges. Look for her underwater SCUBA diving, in her art studio making ceramics or helping people find their next dream trip.
Read my article about Notorious RBG on The Female Quotient
Happy birthday #RBG! You know that RBG is a champion for women, the LBGTQ community & diversity at large. But did you know that she was only one of 9 women who graduated from Harvard Law in a class of 500? Read more on this change-maker: https://t.co/lyjY3Ot8u8 @wesaidgotravel pic.twitter.com/veZmFux1xn
— The Female Quotient (@femalequotient) March 15, 2019
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by The Female Quotient® (@femalequotient) on Mar 15, 2019 at 9:23am PDT
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Peggy’s Cove, Canada
This photo was taken using my Canon D80. I resized the photo and brightened it a tiny amount. The photo was nearly perfect due to the beautiful scenery!
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March 14, 2019
Surrender to Nature, India
Used Nikon D3100 DSLR with 18-105Vr Kit lens
Edited by Adobe Photoshop CS 5 Extended
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Join me to explore the NEW YORK TIMES TRAVEL SHOW 2019
Every year I like to visit new places and go to new conferences. In January 2019, I went to the New York Times Travel Show for the first time.Who did I meet? Where do I want to go?
Watch my video to find out!
VIDEO: Where to explore in 2019?
As the show says: “Set your wanderlust free, with over 550 exhibitors representing more than 170 destinations. Travel smarter, with globe-trottting tips from a huge variety of experts. Watch unforgettable cultural performances, savor tastes from the world’s most delicious destinations. And make yourself comfortable, anywhere you roam.”
Thank you again #NYTTS I loved media and trade day!
Thank you Visit California for the lovely luncheon.
I enjoyed the speakers, keynotes and having time to reconnect with good friends.
I look forward to traveling to many new places in 2019.
Who did I see? #NYTTravelShow
Aggressor Adventures: did you know they have a dive boat in Oman and a safari expedition in Sri Lanka?
One Ocean Expeditions to explore the Arctic and Antarctic
PADI: Do you scuba dive? I love to go scuba diving!
DK EyeWitness Travel books: I used many of their books in my classroom. I love their maps and beautiful color photos. I cannot wait to go back to Portugal.
Curacoa: I met Miss Curacoa and learning to say bye-bye Papiamento which is the creole language spoken in the Dutch Caribbean.
There are so many destinations at this show! I loved wandering the aisles to dream of where to go next.
Quark Expeditions: I want to travel to Greenland and Antarctica for the first time. I have never been to either place. Have you been yet?
Sandals Resorts: all inclusive resorts in the Caribbean! I am going to JAMAICA IN Feb 2019 to check it out!
Chernobyl Tour: Would you do it?
Bhutan! This country with a focus on happiness is on the top of my bucket list. I have not been yet but I hope to go sometime soon!
Azores: Another location that is on my list! I have not been yet.
Tahiti: I love the beautiful islands of French Polynesia. I hiked in Moorea and went diving in Bora Bora. There are so many more islands to explore.
Brazil: One of the few places in South America that I have not yet seen. I want to see the beaches, the cities and the samba!
G Adventures: small group adventures all over the planet. I want to go to Uzbekistan and Iceland. Two countries I have not been to YET!
Thank you NEW YORK TIMES TRAVEL SHOW 2019 #NYTTravelshow
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March 13, 2019
Winter’s Yukon Feels Like a Cool Secret
From my first greeting in the territory’s capital of Whitehorse – airport signage reading, “We welcome the world to our home, our land, our Yukon, our people” – to the final farewell, this top-of-Canada destination is a universal surprise. Located a two-plus hour flight from Vancouver, due north toward the Arctic, my draw to the region was for a better-than-just-about-anywhere chance to see the Northern Lights and my hopes were pinned solely to this once in a lifetime light show.
Winter’s Whitehorse is like a colorful painting on a white canvas
More Whitehorse
And moreHowever, it was much more. So, bundle up and follow me through winter’s Yukon. Full disclosure: this is cold country. With temps reaching double digits (below zero, that is), my concern as a native Texan, now San Diegan, came from the perspective of Southern comfort. But with easy access to a full spectrum of cold weather rental gear (thus the sea of identical red jackets around town), keeping warm is no problem if you keep some guidelines in mind – dress in layers, use toe and hand warmers, wear a wool toque, cover your face with a balaclava and rent an insulated parka and winter boots.
Winter attire is mandatory for the Yukon, as Cynthia is dressed.Ready? Let’s go. A Northern Lights experience is most likely accomplished when arranged with an experienced, in-the-know company like Arctic Range Adventure. Our designated night served up perfect conditions – clear skies, dark location facing north, extreme cold (I was told this increases your odds, though perhaps it was to lessen my frigid fears) and mid-winter timing.
Cynthia and the Northern Lights. Photo by Arctic Range Adventure.Picked up in the hotel lobby at 10:30 p.m. and adequately attired for below-zero temps, we were driven about twenty minutes south of Whitehorse. The setup included two teepees and a large heated yurt, outfitted with seating and snacks – both within steps of the outdoor viewing area equipped with numerous tripods and roving camera-savvy guides.
View of the Northern Lights at the site of Arctic Range Adventure. Photo by Arctic Range Adventure.The first of my three sightings on this evening began subtly. Initially looking like a flashlight-like glow near the horizon, it soon morphed into an abstract dance across the sky. Appearing mostly white to the naked eye, with typical tints of green (my sighting was enhanced with the rarer color magenta), it was an exciting display of one of the region’s most cherished natural treasures.
Evening with Arctic Range Adventure didn’t disappoint. Photo by Arctic Range Adventure.However, should braving the weather and departing your toasty guestroom not appeal, my stay at Northern Lights Resort and Spa, especially in one of its three recently debuted aurora chalets (located almost walking distance from the Arctic Range site), in addition to its private cabins (all facing north), would appeal. Here, each chalet featured 180-degrees of floor-to-ceiling windows facing north and automated, customized shades that operated from floor to ceiling, giving simultaneous privacy and prime views. The luxury lodge, anchored by its main lodge, also had an on-duty staffer whose job was to watch for the lights and awaken guests if requested.
The Northern Lights Resort and Spa serves up a Northern Lights opportunity, luxury style.
Meals at Northern Lights Resort are bonding and delicious.
Chef Cameron Dafoe in the kitchen.Cue the dogs. Winter also welcomes the Yukon Quest, the region’s celebration of the canines. Noted as the “World’s Toughest Race,” 2019 was its 36th year. A 1,000-mile dog sled race, this was the deal. Teams of eight to 14 dogs (the musher’s strategic choice) crossed four mountain ranges and hundreds of miles of frozen terrain in route from Whitehorse to Anchorage, reminiscent of transportation of the Gold Rush era to excitement that was unabated.
Starting line of Yukon Quest
Yukon Quest dogThe countdown – five, four, three, two, one – marked its start. When I asked Bryan Wilmshurst, a musher from Dawson and veteran of the Quest and the Iditarod to equate the two, his response was definitive: “There is no comparison. The Yukon Quest is colder, darker and longer with half the check points. Plus, the Quest is like family.”
Dogs of the Yukon Quest are ready to go.
And they’re off!The following day was the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra, called the toughest ultra in the world (do you see a pattern here?). It’s an international competition of fat biking, cross country skiing and running from Whitehorse to Dawson over a 14-day period. Set on a day when local temps were below those in the South Pole (Whitehorse: -25°F versus Antarctica: -23°F), “hardy” seemed to be the name of the Yukon game.
Challengers in the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra travel as far as Spain like this participant.
It may say “Finish” but this is the starting line of the Montane Yukon Arctic Ultra.For a hands-on mushing experience, we traveled to Muktuk Adventures – located at the home of Yukon Quest champion and legend Frank Turner. Greeted with a bevy of barking dogs, after a tutorial on sled control and the assignment of two-person teams (one a passenger, the other a musher), we were off with the cautionary reminder to never let go of the sled – even if slipping from its foot rests. Exhilaration, concentration and, yes, concern described my trio of emotions, but there was no apt description for the free-as-a-bird-like happening of speeding atop snow while propelled by five powerful pooches.
View of dog sledding.
Dog at Muktuk AdventuresContinuing north on the Alaska Highway to Haines Junction, I learned that the best way to get an area overview was from overhead – glacier flight-seeing aboard a Rocking Star Adventures Cessna above Kluane National Park (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), moose included. Our overnight at Mount Logan Lodge, operated by husband and wife team David and Roxanne Mason, is at one with Yukon’s outdoor amenities. A beckoning wood lodge, it was comfortable and cozy, with every room different. My personal favorite (and my room) was the at-the-top-of-the-stairs suite – accommodations so inviting very little could lure me away. The exception occurred before our raclette meal, a traditional Swiss dinner centered around melted cheese, when David led a team of snowmobiles for a pre-sunset/pre-dinner ride – a high-spirited prelude to a gourmet meal (similarly, breakfast featured eggs benedict).
Soaring above the glaciers of Kluane National Park.
My upstairs suite at Mount Logan Lodge was so cozy, I almost didn’t leave.
David Mason, owner of Mount Logan Lodge, is a welcoming host.Further immersing us into this pristine area, our final day was with James Allen, a former Chief of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations, who guided us to Shakat Tun Wilderness Camp (once again via snowmobile) for ice fishing, a trapline tour and a traditional meal of stew and bannock (of course).
James Allen, former Chief of the Champagne and Aishihik First Nations
Snowmobiling to ice fishing.
Ice fishing in a lake through 4 feet of ice takes special equipment.
Here’s to seeing you again, Yukon!In closing, I borrow from Allen’s culture in which there is no word for “goodbye” but rather a phrase that translates to “see you later.” In the same spirit here’s to meeting you again, Yukon.
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Waiting for the Bus (Japan)
Taken with Sony Alpha 6000. No filter. Size reduced for submission with PhotoScape.
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