Santiago is a long way from the US. We'll arrive after an overnight flight and plan to spend the first day relaxing and just seeing a bit of the city. Then, once we get our travel legs, we'll do some more exploring, maybe a day-trip or two, and then head for Easter Island.

Being nearly 4,000 km west of Santiago, Easter Island is what we call 'a little out of the way'.

Why Easter Island? We want to visit this volcanic island to see, first-hand, the stone moai standing watch across the island.

Update : Easter Island remains closed due to COVIS as of Dec 15, 2022.

From Santiago (San Antonio), we next begin our Holland America 14-Day South America Passage cruise. From the Osorno Volcano near Puerto Montt, through the Strait of Magellan and Beagle Channel, we'll round the southern tip of South America and head for Buenos Aires.

Along the way, we'll get a chance to visit isolated towns, including Ushuaia and Puerto Williams, the two southernmost cities in the world. We'll also see tons of wildlife and broad vistas of natural wonder.

After navigating through some of the most desolate and rough waters in the world, we'll stop in the Falkland Islands before heading to Montevideo and Buenos Aires. This two-week cruise should be exciting, interesting, and unusual.

As our cruise ends in Buenos Aires, we'll be moving on to our next adventure!

Parque Nacional Los Glaciares in Argentina and Torres del Paine in Chile are the epitome of what Patagonia is about. Rugged mountain terrain, glaciers, alpine lakes, and natural beauty.

Buenos Aires

We're going to be seeing a bit of Buenos Aires. There's gonna be a city tour, an evening learning how to cook Argentine beef, and some time in local museums. Then the plan is to fly to El Calafate, the gateway to Parque Nacional Los Glaciares.

El Calafate

Perito Moreno Glacier has become a favorite Patagonian destination thanks to its impressive expanse, accessibility, and continuous movement. On our first day, we're taking an easy hike along park pathways for diverse views of Perito Moreno’s 200-foot-high, blue-tinged walls. We hope to witness giant slabs of ice detach from the glacier and slide into the surrounding lagoon.

On day two we'll enjoy croissants and hot drinks served on board our comfortable boat as we glide among icebergs, past the stunning scenery of snow-covered peaks. Sailing to the western front of the Upsala Glacier, we'll then cruise along Cristina Channel to Estancia Christina.

After lunch, an off-road trip takes us along a scenic mountain trail, following a route of great geological interest, until quite recently covered by glaciers. Reaching a mountain refuge, a 20-minute walk over terrain eroded by glaciers will bring ius to the Upsala Glacier.

Torres Del Paine

For two days we'll experience the surreal natural spectacle of Torres del Paine National Park. Splintering glaciers, iridescent lagoons, and snow-capped spires of the Andes Mountain range abound during our exhilarating excursion into the wild. We'll explore 'the darkened depths of Milndon Cave with a knowledgeable guide; visit a gushing waterfall near the Nordenskjold Lake, admire the shimmering surface of Sarmiento Lake, and trek amid the frozen enchantment of the Grey Glacier during this astounding adventure.

On the second day, we hope to explore the frozen enchantment of the Balmaceda and Serrano glaciers on an exhilarating full-day tour from Puerto Natales. The plan has us experiencing the surreal beauty of the Patagonian landscape from the deck of an elegant ship while sipping premium whiskey or hot tea as we admire the spectacular natural scenery. I imagine we'll have plenty of vivid memories as we return to our hotel at the end of the day.