geyser – David Kotz

Yellowstone + Teton in winter

Dartmouth Alumni Travel trip through Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park.

When offered the opportunity to serve as the faculty host for a Dartmouth Alumni Travel group tour of Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, in mid-winter – highlighting the opportunity to observe wolves and other wildlife in these majestic national parks in mid-winter – I jumped at the chance. This trip, billed as the Wolves of Yellowstone, was operated in partnership with Orbridge Travel and led by two fantastic guides from Wildlife Expeditions, a unit of the non-profit Teton Science School in Jackson, Wyoming.

A bull elk grazes beside the road in Yellowstone National Park.

New Zealand – Waiotapu thermal park

Craters, mud pools, champagne pools, and sinter terraces.

After a full day at sea we docked on the eastern shore of the north island so we could visit the inland area known as Rotorua, which sits squarely on the Taupō volcanic zone and is thus rich with geothermal activity. We spent the morning exploring the many fascinating features of the Waiotapu thermal park – deep craters, bubbling pools of mud, and the colorful landscape made as mineral-rich waters evaporated or nurtured underwater fungal life.

“Champagne Pool” at Waiotapu Thermal Park – Rotorua, New Zealand.

Iceland – Reykjavik and Golden Circle

Our week in Iceland began with a tour of some classic sights.

Our extended family loves to travel. We sought an interesting destination to celebrate a graduation and two birthdays, and settled on Iceland. So eleven of us met up in Reykjavik for a busy week of touring this beautiful country. Iceland’s northernmost point just grazes the Arctic Circle, but even at Reykjavik (on the southwest coast) and on our dates (three weeks after solstics) the days were still very long: sunrise at 0342 and sunset at 2325; it was never dark! Although Iceland is a small island, a one-week visit is really only enough to scratch the surface – we focused on the area around the capital of Reykjavik (and the crowded “Golden Circle” of nearby sights) and the remote Westfjords peninsula. This post focuses on the Reykjavik area; see the combined gallery or the location-specific galleries below. Read on!