The World is Your Oyster, Volume 4, Our Talk with Fran Golden and Midgi Moore, Authors of 100 Things to Do In Alaska Before You Die

100 Things to Do in Alaska Before You DieOur fourth episode brings you to the 49th state, Alaska! We are super excited to introduce you to a close friend and award-winning travel writer and specialist in cruises, Fran Golden. She and her co-writer, Midgi Moore, a native of Juneau and owner of Juneau Food Tours, join us to talk about about all the cool things to do in Alaska.

Hot off the press is their book, 100 Things to Do In Alaska Before You Die, and it’s chock full of amazing sights to see, foods to try and activities to experience. Ever dined on reindeer sausage pizza? Have you eaten Alaskan King crab legs in Alaska? Midgi can steer you to the right places! If you’re curious where to go to see the Northern Lights, go dog sledding and see 26 glaciers in one day, pick up a copy of this great book. They recommend taking at least 2 weeks to see this glorious state and trying to get a free stopover at a second Alaskan destination on Alaska Airlines so you can see the state more efficiently and economically.

Thank you so very much Fran and Midgi for participating in this episode of The World is Your Oyster and for sharing with us all the best things to do and see and experience in Alaska with our valued ActiveTravels members.

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Mass Audubon Cruises to the Elizabeth Islands

Take the ferry from New Bedford or Woods Hole to Martha’s Vineyard, where President Obama plans to vacation once again this summer, and you’ll pass the far less congested Elizabeth Islands in Buzzards Bay. With numerous coves and a strong southwesterly wind blowing 15 knots almost every afternoon, this is a favorite cruising ground for sailors in Massachusetts. The waters are inundated with yachts, Hobie cats, sunfish, schooners, even the 6’ 2” long dinghy known as the Cape Cod Frosty. Only two of the islands, Cuttyhunk, the outermost island, and Penikese, a former leper colony, now a state-owned bird refuge, remain public. This summer, Mass Audubon will bring guests on naturalist-led cruises to both islands. Leaving from Wood’s Hole, you’ll learn about the natural and cultural history of the Elizabeths, and venture on foot to find Leach’s Storm Petrel and Tern colonies.

 

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Virtuoso Travel Week Highlights, Anantara’s Elephant Camp

Jungle Bubble, ThailandWe were fortunate to spend time at the two Anantara properties in Bangkok, Anantara Siam and Anantara Riverside, when we visited Thailand early 2019. But when we heard about their new Jungle Bubbles at their resort in Thailand’s Golden Triangle, Elephant Camp, I have a feeling we’ll be back to the country as soon as we feel comfortable. These glass-enclosed pods, not unlike the ones you find in Finland for vistas of the Northern Lights, are perched on the wooden decks in the forest overlooking the elephants. Just thinking about these pods will help get me through this year!

If any of the travel ideas from this week’s content looks intriguing, please contact ActiveTravels and we’re happy to discuss further.

Shanah Tovah! Wishing you peace and happiness at Rosh Hashanah and always. Be safe, stay healthy!

Steve and Lisa

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Time to Go Whale Watching off Provincetown

Good news! Humpbacks have already been spotted off Stellwagen Bank. Located 7 miles north of Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank is one of the Atlantic coast’s largest feeding grounds for whales. The 18-mile long crescent-shaped bank ranges from 80 to 500 feet below the surface. Currents slam into the bank, bringing nutrient rich cold water to the surface. This attracts fish, which in turn attracts numerous species of whales from April to November—humpbacks, the larger fins, and smaller minkes. One gulp from a hungry humpback whale can take in a ton of fish.

 
The first trip with Dolphin Fleet Whale Watch is scheduled to go out this Saturday, when temps are supposed to be in the lower 60s. Many of these boats have naturalists on board who not only know many of the whales on a first name basis, but can list the names of their parents and children. They give an intriguing talk about the history of whales migrating up the Atlantic coast and the egregious practice of whaling that was so prominent in these parts in the mid-19th century. Naturalists also point out many of the shore birds that use the coast as an Atlantic Flyway. Rare piping plovers, least and common terns, marsh hawks, American oystercatchers (whose beaks looks like carrots), sandpipers, ospreys, even bald eagles might be spotted on these whale watching cruises. Add playful harbor seals and you have a wonderful wildlife experience. Perfect for families taking April break next week, 
 
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Head to Uganda with An Award-Winning Photographer

Few people know Africa better than Rick D’Elia. Working as a renowned photojournalist, he’s spent the past decade recording the amazing work of relief and development organizations around the continent. By all means, see his talented portfolio at DeliaPhotographic. Now D’Elia plans to share the secrets of his trade, leading a tour through one of his favorite countries, Uganda. You’ll be immersed in the important works of NGOs in Kampala, meeting, greeting, and yes, taking shots of the folks hard at work. Then Rick will take you on a wildlife safari to see Uganda’s mountain gorillas, leopards, lions, and elephants. If you really want to see African culture and wildlife, and genuinely learn about recent politics and history, it’s hard to find a better guide. Obviously, you’ll also improve your skills as a photographer as well.

(Photo by Rick D’Elia)
 

Top Travel Days of 2025, Eye to Eye with Polar Bears in Churchill, Manitoba

It was 7:30 am and still dark outside when our group of 16 entered the polar bear rover, a massive bus on monster truck sized wheels built specifically for driving atop the arctic tundra. Then the yellowish-red sun started to rise on the horizon and we stopped to get our first of many majestic photos that day. Within an hour we would spot our first polar bear strutting along in the distance and as everyone scurried to grab their long lenses, I was regretting my decision of solely bringing along my iPhone 16 Pro. Yet, all it took was another hour of anticipation before my trusty smart phone zoomed in on a polar bear sleeping blissfully on a bed of kelp. We stayed on him for a long while, until he woke from his nap and walked directly to our vehicle. If I could bottle the enthusiasm in that rover as this huge mammal waddled over to us, it would be like uncorking champagne. People were snapping photos like paparazzi chasing Princess Di. And yes, my iPhone performed brilliantly in that situation creating both photos and video that I’ll always cherish.

We were on Day Two of the 6-Day Polar Bear Adventure offered by Natural Habitat Adventures. Upon our arrival, we dropped our bags off in the Churchill Motel and soon were on a 4-hour night ride with dinner on the tundra. We would spot the rare gyrfalcon, only found in the Nordic locales, zipping by us along with a northern harrier hawk. But we only had faint sightings of polar bears long in the distance. The next day, that would change dramatically as we not only encountered our sleepy bear up close and personal, but mothers and their cubs walking and playing in the marshy terrain, dotted with the occasion black and white spruce tree.

Our guide, Giulia, taught us everything we ever wanted to know about the polar bear, including the latest number in these parts, around 600 to 700 polar bears. We were also blessed with a wonderful driver, Derek, a 5th-generation Chuchillian, who could spot a polar bear long before anyone else. I have to admit that it was a rather sedentary trip for me, spending a good deal of time in the polar bear rover. So when Giulia walked around with pen and paper asking people to write something about their experience, I penned this poem:

My Bum is Numb
I shift my weight around from left side to right
Uncomfortably squirming, shifting and fidgeting to try to make it right.
Every bump shakes my bladder, makes me want to pee, try not to drink more coffee to increase the agony.
I’d be counting steps if I were home or biking with some Peloton babe, instead I sit here and bide my time, try not to go insane.
But once I see that glimpse of fur, my body jumps to stare, no longer obsessing about petty inaction or my increasingly rotund rear.
As the white bear takes shape, my heart accelerates and my mind finally becomes still, a magical encounter that might be gone in an instant, but will take years to distill.
Then I sit back down, ready to endure another bump, knowing full well that the best things in life comes with the occasional thump.

It’s been so much fun to relive my travels of 2025 with you! Look forward to sharing more of my adventures with ActiveTravels in 2026, starting with a flight to Kenya to go on safari with the family a week from today.

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Time to Go Whale Watching off Provincetown

Located 7 miles north of Provincetown, Stellwagen Bank is one of the Atlantic coast’s largest feeding grounds for whales. The 18-mile long crescent-shaped bank ranges from 80 to 500 feet below the surface. Currents slam into the bank, bringing nutrient rich cold water to the surface. This attracts fish, which in turn attracts numerous species of whales from April to November—humpbacks, the larger fins, and smaller minkes. One gulp from a hungry humpback whale can take in a ton of fish.

 
Many of these boats have naturalists on board who not only know many of the whales on a first name basis, but can list the names of their parents and children. They give an intriguing talk about the history of whales migrating up the Atlantic coast and the egregious practice of whaling that was so prominent in these parts in the mid-19th century. Naturalists also point out many of the shore birds that use the coast as an Atlantic Flyway. Rare piping plovers, least and common terns, marsh hawks, American oystercatchers (whose beaks looks like carrots), sandpipers, ospreys, even bald eagles might be spotted on these whale watching cruises. Add playful harbor seals and you have a wonderful wildlife experience.
 

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