Who: Dean and Shelly Christofolis of Colorado Springs
Where: Petermann Island is adjacent to the Antarctic Peninsula in Circumcision Bay and is home to Adele and Gentoo penguin colonies along with an abandoned research station. After crossing the Drake passage from Ushuaia, Argentina, on an icebreaker, seeing the new penguin chicks on our first landing day was memorable. Penguins going about their daily lives of stealing pebbles from each other, feeding their chicks and squabbling like spoiled children was fascinating to watch. We found that the natural beauty and the special animals that live there make Antarctica an exceptional place to visit.
Best meal: En route we ate at a restaurant popular with locals and tourists called Des Nivel in Buenos Aires. Beef, cooked in an open barbecue pit called an asada, was the feature here. Located in San Telmo at 855 Defensa St., the restaurant had fare that was excellent and reasonably priced. We returned twice, and another couple we met at lunch planned to return the same night for dinner.
Best deal: An abandoned British station in Port Lockroy has been converted to a museum dedicated to preserving the legacy of the early scientists and explorers. During the summer months, it is manned by the three founders, who offer Polo shirts, unique calendars and postcards (which can be posted from Antarctica). These are both good gifts and support the museum for future travelers.
Best time to go: November through February, which is the spring-summer in the Southern Hemisphere and is the only time that tours are available.
Best travel tip: Pick a cruise that offers a ship that fits your goals. Ships range in size from 10-or-fewer passenger sailboats to several-hundred-passenger cruise ships. A research ship or icebreaker carrying 100 passengers or fewer is ideal since treaties restrict the number of people who can land to 100.
