Any Place “Polar”
From Antarctica to Zeiploddden, Nome to Nunavut, it ALL works for me! Way up north or far down south, the more remote, the better. Take me anywhere with ICE. (My husband finds this totally ironic since I’m always asking him to turn up the heat in the house!) I just can’t seem to get enough of the unique shapes and colors of frozen landscapes. Bergie bits, brash, pancake or tabular, floe ice or just an iceberg that has broken loose and set sail to destinations unknown—it’s all gorgeous to me. Some of my favorite polar wildlife sightings are whales, Arctic fox, reindeer, and if I’m lucky, the weirdly whimsical walrus. I still get excited every time I see a polar bear in the wild. Truth is, I’m happiest when I’m ankle deep in penguin poo.
Greenland, Scoresbysund, Bear Island. GIANT iceberg
Churchill, Canada
Norway, Svalbard, polar bear
Baby king penguin
Alaska, Nome, muskox
Norway, Svalbard, Zeipelodden
Antarctica, chinstrap penguin
Antarctica - King Penguin
Rockhopper Penguin
Subantarctic - Macquire Island - Royal Penguin
Adelie Penguins
Emperor Penguins
Subantarctic - Erect-crested Penguin
Snowhill Island - Emperor Penguin
Snowhill Island - Emperor Penguins
Emperor Penguins
Snowhill Island - Emperor Penguins
North Pole
Antarctica
King Penguin
North Pole
Churchill, Canada - Male polar bears fighting
North Pole - Polar bear mother and cubs
Norway, Svalbard, reindeer
Norway, Spitsbergen, walrus
Arctic fox
South Georgia, Southern elephant seals
Norway, Svalbard, Nordaustlandet, Austfonna Ice Cap waterfall
South Georgia, St. Andrew's Bay, King penguins
South Sandwich Islands
Ancient Cities and Sites
I cannot get enough of Turkey! (Preferably with mashed potatoes and cranberries, but I digress…) Mount Nemrut, Ephesus, Göbekli Tepe, Harran, Trabzon, and Cappadocia are just a few of my favorite spots on a very long list of sites in a country filled with history, mystery, and Turkish delights aplenty. Stunning mosaics, ancient architecture, marble sculptures, biblical cities…the entire country is one big archaeological adventure, with the traveler’s advantage of great infrastructure, food, and accommodations. For me, being seated on a beautiful carpet drinking mint tea, surrounded by ancient ruins and the exotic smells of a local spice market nearby, is just the beginning of another picture-perfect day.
Zambia
I adore all things Africa, but the country of Zambia tops my list. It’s not visited by your typical first-time safari tourist. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I like it so much. I lead photo safaris, with fellow photographer Sue Flood, in South Luangwa National Park, which is teaming with wildlife. It’s quiet. Secluded. Off the beaten track. Unlike Kenya or Tanzania, you can go for days without seeing another jeep. Unfortunately, you also won’t see any rhino within the park, as they were hunted into extinction in the 1980s, but you will find the second rarest animal on the continent, the African wild dog.
White-fronted bee-eater with moth
Marabou Stork fishing
Thornicroft's giraffe, endemic
Hippo mother and baby
We Asked Cindy...
Where is your favorite place in the world?
Wherever I am today! That’s the truth. I feel blessed to wake up every morning, regardless of where I am. However, if I happen to find myself in some exotic locale, that’s an extra-added bonus.
What's your Kryptonite?
Exotic food. I love to photograph it. I love the way it looks. I love the way it smells. I even love the way it tastes. I just can’t eat it! I always say that I have the heart of a world traveler, but the stomach of a meat and potatoes farm girl! I can fly OVER India and feel the need for Imodium. Thanks to sampling local cuisine, I’ve been on IV fluids in China, hospitalized in Turkey, and repeatedly lost my lunch along a mountain trail in Bhutan. That being said, it certainly doesn’t keep me home. (After all, I even got food poisoning at my local Colorado Springs airport. Not a great way to start a 36-hour journey to Africa!) So, over the years I’ve learned to choose my food very carefully. If you can’t peel it or cook it, I don’t eat it.
