Skigoofy

More Black-browned Albatross.

More chicks at this nesting site.

Leaving late but we finally departed for West Point Island at 3:30pm.  



It's a lot of uphill walking.  For those that can't do the hike they offer limited vehicle service.

Most of the uphill is in the first 20 minutes.

Austral Thrush


Hiking in bog boots added a new twist to a hike like this.


Finally we made it to the nesting site.

Busy day in the Dallas area. 
We started the day off by stopping at AT&T Stadium. Unfortunately there were no self guided tours today and the field was not open because they are changing it out for college football next week. We didn’t want to wait for a VIP guided tour knowing the field wasn’t open. Plus Lindsay has visited the stadium previously and toured locker rooms and the field. 
Next was a stop at the JFK Assassination site. 

 Then a quick drive by Turtle Creek Lane in Dallas. This is a fun account I follow on Instagram that loves going all out with seasonal decorating.  
Next stop was Gas Monkey Garage. Terrible luck; they closed 30 minutes before we got there for a staff party. 😞 So I think we will stop in tomorrow morning on our way to Galveston so Lindsay can buy merch. 

Next stop, the Texas Motor Speedway. This was a highlight for me. We were able to book a private tour which included stops in the owners suite, trackside and 3 laps around the track. I posted 1 of my laps on IG stories.  For the money this exceeded expectations. I am going to look into coming back when I can schedule a driving experience for Lindsay and Reyd. Maybe a high school graduation celebration; who knows. They were not offering any this late in December.  

Then we were off to see Fort Worth Stock Yards with a stop at Billy Bobs. Lindsay has been here before but I had no idea what to expect.  It definitely exceeded my expectations.  So many restaurants and shops.  I said the Calgary Stampede should create something like this.  

We are back at the hotel now resting. lol 

Happening now 
The boys were good sports with our stops at Magnolia so now it’s my turn. Our next stop was at the Motorhome Specialist in Alvarado TX. It’s apparently the largest dealership in North America so we could be here a while. Lol 

There is a museum and gift shop at the landing site.
I forgot to bring cash or card so no retail therapy for me.

I have a bunch of photos beyond what I posted here but soon enough it was time to head back to the landing site.

The cliff face all around is loaded with breeding birds.

There are also Black-browned Albatross.

A short 20 minute walk later and we reach the nesting site.


The site is basically wall to wall birds.

Imperial Cormorants.

Rockhopper penguins.

Once on land they collect our life jackets and we are directed towards a trail.  We meet a guide who will escort us to the nesting site as a group.  It's pretty much exactly as they explained in the briefing yesterday.  


Our first opportunity for some wildlife up close.  First up is an Upland Goose.

And some chicks.

I'm falling behind, too many photo ops.  Gotta catch up.

Our first stop of the cruise this morning starts with our first zodiac ride.
Zodiac groups were called with around 10 minutes between groups.  Once my group number was called it was down to the mud room to put on my boots and leave my shoes behind.  





The redcoats are coming!

As predicted the winds were up and today's kayaking has been cancelled.
Our arrival to New Island:

It's such a beautiful day...

So I decided to have lunch at The Grill.


It is kind of chilly outside so they found me a table under a heater.


Petrels on patrol, Giant Southern Petrels.




I noticed something else while I was up here.

I spotted a Starlink internet antenna.


I've not seen them mounted on a pole like this.  Perhaps snow mitigation?

Zodiac groupings posted outside the theater along with some guidelines for the excursions.  



The theater where our daily briefings will take place.  Several orientations will take place today as noted in the Chronicle. 

The Silver Wind has been retrofitted with wifi access points in each suite.  I found this one behind the TV.   

We use these where I work and they are a very capable device.   Impressive.
More outlets bedside.  USB-A and USB-C on each side of the bed with an power port on one side.

After muster it was time for sail away. 
Remember how I mentioned the long days?  These photos were taken at 10:18pm.

The airport runway.


Looking back towards the town.

Luggage arrived as I was being led to my suite.  Perfect timing.  
Quick unpack and then to the MDR for dinner.  Quick dinner with the 10pm muster closely approaching.  
With our late arriving flight it was all a blur and there was little time to stop and take a break.  
Muster drill the old standard way, long and tedious after being so rushed up to this point.  I was scolded for not watching the safety video in my cabin before arriving to muster.  Oops.  Forgot (didn't know).

Compulsory balcony selfie.


 

Cabin Tour - Deluxe Balcony Suite








The red bag contained a complimentary parka.  A form for sizing was submitted several weeks ago online.  Also complimentary is a water bottle and a waterproof backpack.

Desk outlets with USB-A and USB-C charging ports.

The balcony.



The view forward.

The view aft.

As a point of reference the timestamp on this photo was 8:21pm.  Long days here in the summer months.

A short bus ride later and there was the Silver Wind.



I'm pretty sure someone was in trouble for staying out late with the boys.


Upon boarding we surrendered our passports and collected our key cards.

The complimentary lunch was a salad with a mousse.  Wine and beer were offered.

Eventually we began a deep descent into the clouds.   We popped through the clouds to see water and mountains.
 
I spotted a ship!

Unfortunately I was taking pictures through the jet engine exhaust stream and couldn't get a clear picture of the Silver Wind.


After we passed the town we did a sharp bank to come at it from the other direction.

Moments later we were in Puerto Williams.


No terminal, just a short walk off the tarmac to a sidewalk and waiting busses.

We passed through areas that were cloudy and areas completely clear.  Roughly halfway there were some beautiful snow capped mountains below us.


I spotted a hanging glacier.

A quick check of the radar before we depart.  We may have some rain in Puerto Williams.  Temps of 52°F so dress appropriately and don't pack all your jackets in the luggage as you won't see them until on board the ship.

Once in the air there was a "Silversea003" SSID on the planes wifi system.  It appears they have a media platform on the plane just for Silversea.

 

Several videos that talk to the expedition nature of the cruise and safety.

Movies and TV shows.


There is also a moving map showing the planes location. 

Thirty minute bus ride to the private hanger (FBO) at the airport.   There they had the red carpet rolled out for us.

It's a typical FBO that isn't really designed for large groups like many FBO.  You can see why they needed to stagger the arrival of busses and loading of the four charter planes.

There are restroom facilities for those that need them.  After a short wait we began boarding.   The benefit of an FBO boarding is no security checkpoint.  Instead we just walk through the hanger after having our boarding pass scanned.

Our chariot to the tip of Chile.


The BAE146 is a comfortable regional jet with more legroom than you'll find on any domestic US airline in coach and it may have had more legroom than comfort plus on most US domestic airlines.

Not only did I score a window seat, I scored an aisle and a middle too - I had the row to myself.  In fact I don't recall seeing any row with three passengers on either side despite the 3 x 3 seating.