I’m Award Winning!

Extraordinary stories about travel and the human spirit have been the cornerstones of our books since 1993. With the Solas Awards we honor writers whose work inspires others to explore. We’re looking for the best stories about travel and the world funny, illuminating, adventurous, uplifting, scary, inspiring, poignant stories that reflect the unique alchemy that …


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The Sunday Penguin

In case you’re curious about how they sound. And as always, TravelWild sponsored my trip.

The Shipping Blues

“Seasickness: at first you are so sick you are afraid you will die, and then you are so sick you are afraid you won’t die.” — Mark Twain “It’s the price of admission.” Clemens, the penguin guy, and I were talking about crossing the Drake. He’d told me that his daughter gets seasick something terrible, …


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Zodiac Ride

I shot this with a Pansonic Lumix. I was on my knees on the floor of the Zodiac, hanging my arms over the edge of the boat. Video misbehaving? Here’s a link.

On Amazement

a·maze·ment /əˈmeɪzmənt/ [uh-meyz-muhnt] –noun 1. overwhelming surprise or astonishment. 2. Obsolete. a. stupefaction; frenzy. b. perplexity. c. consternation. “You’re going to need to new adjectives.” This is (again) Dennis Mense, a veteran Antarctic expedition leader to me, prior to my trip south. He was right, and I hear him again, in my head, often, as …


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Seven

My travel expenses to Antarctica were covered by TravelWild, a Seattle area travel operator specializing in adventure cruises.  I slumped back into my chair, overwhelmed. My seat at the window faced the stern, we were sliding past giant blue glaciers, their cracked faces a wall above the blue black mirror of the Lemaire Channel. I …


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