Wanting to see Aurora Borealis would be in the wish list of many travelers, but the certainty of seeing one seems to be a challenge. Several factors like solar activity, clarity of skies and outside temperature (that can be bearable) all seem to play equal roles to make the sight an enjoyable one. Initially, we explored the possibility to try either in Finland or Norway, but the logistics of travel from NY to these regions made it very challenging. On the other hand, Iceland is like <5hr flight and can be done with a really cheap airfare (Luckily, WOW air was still in business when we traveled!). Iceland is probably known for its relatively warmer temperatures than upstate NY. Late February is when we went and it was certainly warmer than Albany, NY area. The entire trip is for 3-4 days and it started with a cloudy day. We booked a 2-day trip via Troll Expeditions to do the South Coast again, but this tour included a trip to Ice Caves, which we were not able to do during our s...
Exploring Utah’s Mighty 5: An Epic Road Trip Adventure Our trip to the mighty 5 National Parks of Utah started in Salt Lake City. First stop was at Moab. Right at the junction of UT191 and I70 is a rest area with a wonderful 360 view of that vast expanse that gave a glimpse of the arid atmosphere we will be invited to at Arches and Canyonland. It was dinner time when we reached Moab and found Sultan’s Mediterranean Grill right at the entrance of the Moab for a delicious vegetarian dinner. Arches National Park - Hiking Among Nature’s Sculptures This is a relatively small park in area and hence the entrance in peak periods is being restricted with advanced booking for entering between 7 AM and 4 PM. Since we didn’t have advanced booking, we started early and entered the park before 7 AM. It was rather a good weather in 60s for the time of the year and there weren’t any large number of cars lined up, but there was a steady stream of vehicles entering. Stopping only in a few ...