2021 Vaccinated Vacation Adventures

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It turns out that 2021 was, indeed, better than 2020 in many ways.  Granted, the endless working from home and refrigerator access probably hasn’t helped the fit of my wardrobe. Bummer. But in terms of travel, the outlook has become markedly more positive. For those of us lucky to have it, access to the vaccine has definitely opened up more vacation options! The year started with the certainty of… well, uncertainty. But a willingness to be adaptable led to a couple opportunities I wouldn’t have predicted in January.

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Sadly, I’ve written exactly zero blog posts in recent months, which means I’ve written nothing about the international trips I was lucky to experience in 2021.  I definitely should write about them, and I sure hope to do that (and spend more time on this blog in general).  But the highlights:

The Galapagos

In August, I joined a 7-night cruise with Quasar Expeditions on their Evolution yacht.  I don’t mean to toot my own horn here, but this was an awesome decision.  This company, their boat, and the destination are just flippin’ awesome.

This was a live-aboard experience, which definitely is not as affordable as the land-based options in the Galapagos.  But 2021 was a time for amazing deals for those willing to pounce on them, so I took the opportunity to fulfill one of my bucket list dreams.  And pay less, while the discount was available.

Birdy Note:  This was a birding tour for me in that I focused on seeing new birds, but it was also a standard tour offered by a non-birding company.  There are TONS of wildlife encounters on any Quasar offering, but the focus is not birding or maximizing species.  This is not the way to see all/most of the endemic birds of these fascinating islands – unless you do the full 14-night option.  (That didn’t really fit into my budget OR leave balance, though!)  For birders, I’d suggest that you must either accept fewer birds or go with an actual birding company.

Colombia

Ok, this is vacation cheating.  This was actually just a little extension of my Galapagos vacation, an extra two days to do a little bit of birding around the capital city.  I think I ended up seeing a few dozen new birds (although one ebird list seems to have been overlooked, unfortunately).  Colombia is one of the birdiest of bird destinations, so two days in the capital city isn’t remotely scratching the surface.  I’ll be happy to get back here for better birding someday.  But I did see a fantastic rail and two amazing hummingbird gardens, which was great fun.

Hummingbirds are also a wonderful test of high-speed photography skills.  I learned that I have none.

Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks

Amazing trails, fall colors, and multiple covid tests.  Plus grizzly bears!  This was my first time in Montana AND the country of Canada, which had only allowed Americans for about a month when we arrived.

This international peace park is worth a spot on anyone’s destination list, but I am grateful that we specifically scheduled our family vacation for the shoulder season.

Our adventure here taught us that we do, in fact, love Canada and will certainly be returning to Alberta someday soon.

Barcelona Birthday

Hey there, Spain!  It’s been a minute (or two decades).  I only visited Madrid and Toledo during my first (high school) trip to Spain, and I remember little of that pre-planned big bus tour.

I’d wanted to visit this particular destination city for a couple years.  When notified of some heavily discounted fares to Barcelona, which generally experiences tolerable temperatures in November, I decided it must be a sign.  I needed to celebrate my birthday in Barcelona!

This was four days packed with Gaudí, food tours, and walking too dang much.  I did kinda exhaust myself.  But… I visited Girona, explored the Gothic Quarter, and ate the best croquettes Barcelona has to offer.  Yum.

More to Come…

I’m excited to get back to my photographs and writing here, and I hope to publish more in the coming weeks.  Every trip deserves some attention, and I do love how writing about adventures allows more time for reflection and enjoying the memories.

Honestly, I wish it didn’t take me so very long to curate photographs.  I am tortoise-like in many ways, including my neck-breaking speed.  But I’ll plod along.  Glad to have you along on the (very slow) journey!