Less than two days before I board a plane -- well, several planes -- on my fifth trip to Antarctica. This will be my first visit to Palmer Station, and by all accounts, the perfect time to visit. Wildlife will be at its peak, and I should definitely see penguins and other seabirds, possible several species of seals, and maybe even whales. More importantly, I'll be there at a busy time of the year for polar research, joining the Palmer LTER team aboard the Laurence M. Gould, a science vessel in the U.S. Antarctic Program's two-ship fleet. Seasickness meds packed.
My route will take me from Denver to L.A. (an unusual stop, as usually people exit the country via Dallas or Miami) to Santiago, Chile, to Punta Arenas, the largest city in Patagonia. Based on the itinerary, it's about a full 24 hours of planes and airports, meaning I'll leave Saturday morning, the day after Christmas, and arrive sometime in the afternoon on Sunday in PA. The Gould and the Nathaniel B. Palmer are both in port right now, a rare opportunity to see both vessels together. Al Hickey, a sometime employee of RPSC, has promised to give me a tour of the Palmer, so I hope to get some good pics and maybe even a story before the adventure really begins.
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