An Art Teacher in Antarctica
I’m thrilled to introduce my big sister, Breanne, to the blogging world! She recently had the incredible opportunity to explore Antarctica, and I couldn’t resist getting her to share her amazing story.
Need help planning your adventure? Here are Breanne’s top tips and must do adventures in Antarctica.
Hi there! My name is Breanne and I am Shannon’s big sister.
Thank you so much for having me as a guest contributor, girl! I do not travel nearly as much as you but when I travel, I go BIG. A little background on me: My husband and I live in Northern Wisconsin on the property of a 1900’s schoolhouse. I am a rural school district’s K12 art teacher and department head. Travel is not always the easiest to coordinate on a teacher’s schedule.
In September 2024, I received an unexpected phone call from my friend Blair Braverman. Blair is an all-round fantastic human, author, survivalist, hardcore adventurer, dogsledder… the list goes on. You can learn more about her here.
Blair casually asked me…
“Oh, I was just wondering if you wanted to come kayaking with penguins and travel to Antarctica with me and Lindblad?!”
Umm… was she serious?!
Blair quickly got to work, sharing the details of the trip, the timeframe, and the possible sights, smells, and sounds we might encounter on the expedition. I was in! Thanks to my connection to Blair, I was invited to attend her sponsored press trip on the 10-day Lindblad Expedition through National Geographic, Antarctica Direct: Sail and Fly the Drake Passage.
I spent the weeks before our expedition organizing supplies, obsessively weighing my luggage, gathering information, researching, designing lesson plans and excitedly preparing myself for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel with a close friend to the fringes of our planet. I am thrilled to share some of my outstanding Antarctic experiences with you here, including excursions, wildlife, dining and an overall review of the Lindblad/National Geographic travel experience.
Best places to stay on your journey to Antarctica
Getting to Ushuaia
Lindblad coordinated all of our flights for the entire trip, which was a considerable feat. The flight itinerary started in Green Bay, Wisconsin, then to Chicago, Illinois, Miami, Florida, Buenos Aires, and finally Ushuaia, “The End of the World,” Argentina. Without my weighted sleep mask, Tevas moccasins, and a trusty travel pillow, I would not have survived the journey.
Blair and I learned the relevance of the phrase “hurry up and wait” during layovers and extended airport visits, which would be one aspect of the expedition that was not my favorite. However, when traveling to the southernmost inhabited city before Antarctica, it takes a while to get there! On November 19th, bleary-eyed and stiff from our flights, we settled into our hotel room at the Arakur Resort and Spa and freshened up for our first expedition group meal.
Before dinner, Blair convinced me to explore downtown Ushuaia. My highlight from our mini excursion was Paseo de Artesanos, a market for local artisans to share their handiwork, including ceramics, wood carvings, leather work, jewelry, and painted postcards. Ushuaia was a fascinating, dynamic and beautiful city. I loved the street art and the mix of old and new architecture on its hilly streets, which Blair said reminded her of Alaska. Ushuaia is officially on my “must visit again” list!
Preparation for Departure from “The End of the World”
During orientation/dinner, we enjoyed a delicious buffet-style meal that included local specialties (crab salad, Chilean beef, smoked salmon, freshly harvested fruit, and vegetable dishes) while giving us the agenda for our next 24 hours. Lindblad provided clear instructions for luggage handling, travel expectations, amenities, and even an updated weather forecast for the Drake Passage. We learned when and how to apply our optional, but encouraged, Scopalomine motion sickness patches and were introduced to our expedition leaders.
There was a collective feeling of confidence and an understanding that this was an expedition, not a typical cruise. We were explorers bound for potentially extreme conditions and… cute Weddell seals sleeping on icebergs.
Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fuego, and the Beagle Channel
Departure day began in Tierra Del Fuego National Park with a bus tour and the Beagle Channel. One could easily spend many hours exploring this coastal city, the National Park trail networks and the scenery. Before boarding our cruise vessel, the National Geographic Explorer, Lindblad graciously hosted a private luncheon and tour on a catamaran through the Beagle Channel, allowing us to see wildlife and the beautiful scenery surrounding the port city. When we returned to shore, we were expertly shuttled to the Explorer and began preparations for departure and sailing across the Drake Passage and, finally, to the Antarctic Peninsula. We settled into our cabins, enjoying complimentary Lindblad and National Geographic gear and listened for announcements on our cabin’s speaker system.
Crossing the Drake Passage
The Drake Passage is the 500-mile length of colliding oceans and fierce currents that stretches from the southern point of South America (Ushuaia, Argentina) to the Antarctic Peninsula. The unpredictability and ‘moodiness’ of the Passage have earned the Drake the nicknames Drake “Lake” or Drake “Shake.” A Drake Lake is a smooth crossing with low swells between one and four meters and is sought after by all Antarctic cruise voyagers. Drake Lake conditions provide prime wildlife spotting, ship exploring and an opportunity for us recuperate from the extensive journey to Ushuaia.
On the other hand, a Drake Shake can send even the most experienced sailors and travelers retreating to their cabins, with swells from five to eight (or more!) meters rocking the ship along the corridor. Thankfully the ship was lined with railings, safety netting for loose gear and guide ropes to hang onto while passing through the decks and hallways. We thankfully experienced a mild and uneventful Drake Lake and crossed relatively quickly in under forty hours of sailing.
When we did hit rockier seas throughout the expedition, Lindblad’s crew were attentive and easily available for a cup of tea, a ginger candy, or a bracing glass of something stronger. There was also a practicing physician on board who was available for seasickness treatment or any other medical need that arose.
An Open Bridge For All
One of the most appealing aspects of traveling with Lindblad was the “open bridge” philosophy for all guests. This allowed passengers to view the controls and command bridge of the ship while traveling and during prime sightseeing opportunities; like when the Explorer spontaneously sailed next to a pod of orcas hunting in the Gerlache Strait. The open bridge also meant room for exploration on the other decks of the ship. By the end of the first day on the Drake Passage, the Explorer truly felt like a home away from home on the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.
Exploring the Seventh Continent
Weather conditions gifted us with an additional day of exploring the peninsula, bringing our Antarctica ‘landfall’ total days up from three to four of our ten-day trip. At a lengthy ship orientation, all passengers were sorted into their boarding groups to divide the number of people into manageable numbers for landings.
Lindblad and National Geographic were careful to point out ordinances and protections that existed for our itinerary destinations before the beginning of each day’s activities. I was eager to experience as much as I could on and off the ship. I closely listened to all the rules and regulations at each meeting and briefing to make sure I was a model guest and a proactive Antarctic Ambassador.
Daily Activities Were the Best Part of the Expedition by Far!
I was amazed at the choices provided by our crew and guides, who were ever mindful of individual limitations, interests, and expectations. I always chose to attend excursions to encounter wildlife or learn about the geography of the land surrounding us.
My goal as a guest was to be present and attentive and to actively gather as much documentation as I could to bring my adventure home.
Bre’s Three Favorite Expedition Activities:
❄️ Zodiac Cruises (Daily): Zodiacs were small dinghies (man boats) manned by an expedition guide and a crewmate who ferried ten or more passengers from the ship to the shore. If you were not on a Zodiac, you were invited to attend informative guide-led talks in the Lounge and learn more about the fascinating history and/or fauna of Antarctica until your boarding group departed. (You could also opt to rest in your cabin or possibly schedule a massage to work out the knots from your plane rides.) The chance of seeing wildlife and miraculous views of Antarctic ice was always higher at the bow of the Zodiac.
❄️ Danco Island (Day 7): Danco Island was a ‘good stretch of the legs,’ and we were invited to climb a switchback trail to the top of the island. Gentoo penguins greeted us and followed the guests up and down the paths, forming ‘penguin highways’. We were required to maintain a safe distance between us and any wildlife, but these penguins were curious and on a mission to be where we were!
❄️ Deception Island/Whalers Bay Landing (Day 9): This marked the last landing we did during our expedition, but not before boasting its status as one of the only places in the world where a ship could sail ON TOP OF an active volcano. There was a particularly steep and admittedly challenging hike up to Ronald Hill. But the view at the top was well worth the strain on the leg muscles.
One Cannot Forget the Food, Food, FOOD
One major highlight from the expedition was that throughout the cruise and the events bookending the trip on shore, Lindblad was directly connected to local chefs and consistently provided an elevated dining experience. The chef and dining manager on board the Explorer masterfully crafted menus from different countries for each day of our voyage which was an exciting change of pace.
Some of the standout meals for me were the heirloom beets and brie cheese, Chilean sea bass, braised lamb chops with roasted potatoes with mint vinaigrette and the desserts were too delicious and numerous to choose favorites (though anything with raspberry in it was always at my table spot!). I could write an entire article just about the food served on this expedition. Honestly – it was all so fresh, delectable and unique.
Back to the Midwest
Unfortunately, all trips must eventually come to an end, and the farewell from the Explorer was bittersweet. After gathering our belongings, Lindblad again handled our larger luggage and prepared us for boarding our final Zodiac cruise to King George Island. I remember waiting for our Puerto Natales, Chile-bound plane to arrive at the tiny airport – a specially requested penguin-themed plane.
Again, the hurry up and wait mentality went into effect. But we were eventually all seated in the most comfortable plane on the whole trip! Blair and I stayed one night at the Remota Patagonia Lodge, which was thoughtfully decorated with live-edge woods and textiles from the region. I could have stayed there for a week! (I would love to go back!)
On our final night traveling together, Lindblad hosted a private farewell dinner for the press and their plus ones (plus one club, right here!) at a phenomenal restaurant called The Singular Patagonia, which we learned was a converted meat packing plant. There our bellies were filled with course after course of mouthwatering cuts of Chilean beef, lamb, seasoned vegetables, and sweet fruity desserts. I was introduced to the Pisco Sour cocktail and sipped locally-sourced flawless Chilean wines. It was a perfect sendoff to an already wonderful expedition, and I was sad to be leaving.
The Long Way Home
Arguably, the least glamorous part of the expedition was the long way home. The first flight was from Puerto Natales to Punta Arenas and then Santiago, Chile, by the end of the day. Our overnight flight was from Santiago to Atlanta, Georgia, which was not too bad as we had befriended author Caroline Eubanks and her sister. They had appointed themselves “travel guides” for our short Atlanta airport stint. After leaving Atlanta, Blair and I shared our last flight to Detroit, Michigan, where we split off to separate parts of the Midwest for our final destinations. Again the nearly two days of travel were exhausting, but the memories and the connections made were well worth the wait on either end.
Final Thoughts
I am immeasurably grateful to Blair, Lindblad, and National Geographic, who provided a truly life-changing opportunity to explore this remote and vibrant landscape from the perspective of land, air, and sea.
I can highly recommend this tour to anyone who wants to Zodiac cruise with feeding humpbacks, waddle behind surprisingly socially evolved penguins in search of the Perfect Rock, or enjoy a bite of the ship’s Cheesecake of the Day amidst new lifelong friends. If you can budget for the travel time and expense, I encourage you to consider Antarctica as an avenue to boundless adventures.
