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Northern Lights Trip to Iceland (Feb 2019)

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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...
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NY Fall Hikes (October 2025)

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Bald Mountain and Mount Van Hoevenberg Impromptu decisions to do these back to back during a weekend. Turned out to be couple of best fall hikes in Adirondacks. While Bald Mountain was a shorter hike, Mt van Hoevenberg was a well paved steep and longer hike. Bald mountain hike was pretty much along the cliff side with a view of the lake all along the way with several view points. On a sunny day like that with temperature in 60s, it turned out into an incredibly satisfying hike. At the summit, there were a quite a large space for relaxing and swallowing the panoramic views of the lake. This was a hike that took us back home before dark! That helped us plan for the hike next day to Mount van Hoevenberg. Once we reached the parking lot we were a bit hesitant as the parking area was quite spacious which is unlikely in Adirondacks typically. In addition it was right where the Olympic complex is. The trail head actually starts from behind the building in an inconsp...
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Utah Mighty 5 National Parks (June 2025)

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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 ...
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