The Galapagos Islands

The foundation for Darwin's famous theory of evolution. The Galapagos Islands in general are a great assortment of islands to explore that may just evolve into a pretty spectacular vacation. Just off the coast of Ecuador the Galapagos Islands are probably most well known for Darwin's study of evolution in the 1830's on what is today known as Darwin's finches, a species of 15 finches with distinct beak adaptations. Okay, enough about birds and onto why this archipelago of islands makes a nice trip.

Eighteen major islands make up the Galapagos chain. All of which are a chain of volcanic islands quite different from one another. First discovered in the early 1500's the Galapagos even today only have 25,000 inhabitants more than quadrupling it's population since the 70's. As of today the islands see a pretty impressive number of tourists with nearly 145,000 annual visitors. So well known for the giant tortuous that live on the islands that the islands themselves were even named after them. "Galapagos" meaning tortuous in Spanish is a animal that will continue on living long after you leave the island. The giant Galapagos tortuous can live in excess of 170 years. Another interesting fact about the islands are that it is inhabited by 13 other unique species of animals.

Baltra is one of the main islands in the chain and up until recently was the only island with an operating airport. Today there are two airports servicing the islands. One on Baltra and the other on San Cristóbal Island. Even with both airports on the islands today much of the travel between the islands are done through ferries. It wasn't until 1969 that the first tours began traveling to and from the mainland to the islands. Today there are about 85 yachts and cruising vessels operating from Ecuador to the chain of islands. As well as day boats that can also be arranged to take you there.

The next major island is Bartolomé, situated next to Sulivan's Bay, named after a close friend of Darwin's, a lieutenant on the HMS Beagle. What makes this island so unique is that on this island there inhabits the only known species of penguin living on the Equator. The Galapagos Penguin is an endangered species of penguin and lives on Bartolomé Island. It is, a strange sight to see a penguin living in near tropical conditions.

Finally, I'm sure everyone wants to know what kinds of things there are to do besides seeing some of the unique animals that live there. There are also many aquariums to visit here as well as beautiful secluded beaches great for snorkeling and taking a dip. Beaches such as Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay or Concha de Perla, a great place to snorkel. If you are looking for a real adventure you should look into taking scuba diving lessons in any one of the 85 locations on the chain of islands. Try places such as to Kicker Rock, a landmark and an exciting place to snorkel where you are sure to see some sharks. Make sure to bring an underwater camera to capture the moment. Explore each of the 18 major islands or charter a boat and explore some of the minor islands in the area and see what you can find.

North To Alaska

On to the greater north, home to the Iditarod, the northern lights and a vacation waiting for you. Alaska or also known as the last frontier, is a journey's end for the passionate travelers both domestically and internationally. Cruises from all over the world come to port in Alaska each year and for good reason. Alaska offers some of the most untamed landscape in North America and throughout parts of the world.  

Starting from the most well know tourist attractions in Alaska, to the lesser known excursions, that await you is Katmai National Park at number one. Boasting the highest bear population in the world, Katmai Park sees tens of thousands of visitors each year. Among the top reasons tourist choose Alaska when vacationing is to catch a glimpse of the great grizzly bear. Bears are very wary of people and you can often time travel throughout the state and not spot a single bear on your trip. With Katmai's unusually high concentration of bears it’s a pretty good chance you can snap their picture here in Katmai National Park.

One of these most well known and visited places in Alaska is Denali National Park, famous for many memorable sights but the of the most significant of those are Mt. McKinley. Rising to a height greater than 20,000 ft (6096 meters) it's a sight to be remembered and the tallest mountain in North America. You can explore Denali on your own or charter a bus where you will be likely to see many different types of wildlife including grizzly bears, caribou and many others along the way. Always make sure to have your camera ready to go! 

This next place is a little cold but still seems to attract nearly 300,000 visitors each year. Glacier Bay, Alaska sees a lot of visitors by cruise lines such as Yankee Trails and Carnival Cruise to name a few. You can also charter a day boat from Gustavus where you can also find lodging and park facilities available. Here you can view large tide water glaciers and an assortment of different wildlife species from the comfort of a charter boat. The charter will take you in through the little coves and inlets that surrounds these massive glaciers. 

A not necessarily overwhelming amount of people come to visit this next place but should be duly noted. The Museum of the North features historical artifacts of Alaskan history, culture, and art. The museum is located on the Fairbanks State University grounds and has a interesting display on the mammoth and mastodons. Including a large display of gold nuggets found in Alaska during the gold Rush of the late 1800's. It's definitely worth taking the time to stop in and see the displays at the Museum of the North.

Finally, many people worry when visiting Alaska about the road conditions and prices. In the past traveling around on your own using a rental car was pretty rough. Especially for those of us who enjoy going off the beaten path and in a way this is still true today. Today Alaska has nearly half of all it's roads and highways paved but it still stands true that many back country roads are still dirt. It's not uncommon to find yourself turning around a few times either from a fallen tree or a large bolder blocking the road. The back country roads are still left to be taken care of by the small town which they lie within and most of those towns leave it to the property owners that live on those roads to maintain them. So even though roads have improved over the years a great majority still remain the same. Lastly are the prices in Alaska. Things in Alaska do cost more but it all depends on where and what you are buying and where you are from. While slightly higher in some parts of Alaska than in others it isn't anything to fret about. Think of it as if you were visiting a large city and this will give you a good idea what to expect. Here's an average Alaskan price list but it will vary depending on where you stay. An example is that the north of Alaska tends to be on the higher side of the scale.

Price per gallon of gas- $3.83 (and currently rising) 

Avg. Range Milk (regular), (1 liter) 1.06 $ 1.00 1.19 Loaf of Fresh White Bread (500g) 2.76 $ 2.40 3.00 Rice (white), (1kg) 4.10 $ 3.95 4.25 Eggs (12) 3.38 $ 3.00 3.90 Local Cheese (1kg) 10.34 $ 7.99 12.00 Chicken Breasts (Boneless, Skinless), (1kg) 8.82 $ 7.69 10.78 Apples (1kg) 6.14 $ 5.51 7.17 Oranges (1kg) 6.37 $ 6.37 6.37 Tomato (1kg) 6.04 $ 5.49 6.59 Potato (1kg) 2.43 $ 2.20 2.84 Lettuce (1 head) 2.32 $ 1.89 2.55 Last update: April, 2014 April, 2014

(http://www.numbeo.com)

I hope this little bit of information helps you on planing your trip to Alaska. There are several ways to go about planning a trip to Alaska whether it's by car, train or a cruise. Make sure to keep all options open and pick the best one after reviewing them all. A cruise is however my suggestion to you, a little bit more expensive but a lot less hassle. 

Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland

(An awesome postcard!!)

From Warsaw to Wroclaw and everywhere in between lies a city unique in its own entirety. This rather small city in comparison to the capital of Warsaw comes complete with dynamic views of rolling hills, unparalleled to that of a Warsaw city skyline. Jastrzębie-Zdrój is the city and Jastrzębie-Zdrój is our next travel destination!

(Spa Park) 

While it's not a large city you might find

yourself on an elevator one day heading

to your hotel room and may find this helpful

hit useful. Here is a quick simple fact to

keep in mind while traveling through

Poland. In Poland the elevators start at

zero instead of one as they do in the 

U.S. So in order to go to the second floor

you must push number one. The first floor is 

"ground zero" and the second floor is the 

first floor. A simple but kind of funny fact 

that might have you going up and down 

in an elevator a few times until you realize 

what you are doing wrong. I know for a 

fact I would be that person taking a few 

trips on the elevator before I realized how 

to get to my hotel room. These little differences 

are what make traveling so fun and exciting.

A city called home to its approximate 100,000 residents is not a Polish city to overlook on your next travel adventure to Poland. This city offers many recreational facilities but not so many that the natural beauty which surrounds the city is clouded by amusements and city noises. The city is spectacularly clean and well taken care of. While you are here make sure to visit this wonderful park you see just to the left. Spa Park is located not far from the city center and will make an excellent place to take a stroll on a nice sunny day! Situated close to the Beskids Mountains there is more than enough places to let your adventurous side run wild.

Another great advantage to Jastrzębie-Zdrój is it's location to other cities of interest as well. Cities such as bielsko-biała are nearby and offer lodging and other amenities during your stay in Jastrzębie-Zdrój just a short drive away.

   

Here you can watch a video that is 

only a mere glimpse of what you will 

see on your visit to Jastrzębie-Zdrój, 

Poland. This video will take you 

through the outer most parts of the

city to the inner most parts from a 

birds eye view. Take a look and

enjoy what is Jastrzębie-Zdrój,

Poland! What are you waiting for?

Go buy your plane tickets now or 

if you're my friend from Poland just 

look out your door and know that 

you live in a pretty amazing place!!