We stopped early this morning at Palmer Station, US Station here in Antarctic.

We traveled into Lemaire Channel and the views were spectacular.

Yes,that is Brad in just a long sleeve shirt while every one else is in winter clothing.  Doesn’t the ice behind Brad look like a heart.  So appropriate for Valentine’s Day.

On our return trip we cruised the Bismarck Straits and saw two other ships:

Below you will have to look close but there are people walking around in the Antarctic. Click the picture below and then look closely in the middle on the top of this little Island:

Then the ship had a Penguin Plunge party and several people went into the pool for five Grand Dollars (Dam Dollars in the past).

The expression on Thom’s (Cruise Director) says it all! 

Above are some of the passengers that jumped into the hot tub following their plunge.  This is an activity neither Brad or Gloria have any desire to do even for grand dollars. 

The people from Palmer Station had emailed a wish list for fresh vegetables which of course the Prinsendam was happy to accommodate.  One of the men went to the spa to get a hair cut.  His name is Paul from Washington State.  Paul has spent three seasons on Palmer and is the IT person.  He said they had clippers on Palmer and usually someone that has some talent in doing hair.  Also, one of the women bought some moisturizer from the spa.  Gloria thought there would be a lot of lotions and things the women would want to have to be sure they had with them.  The station has two cooks during the summer months, but during the winter when only a maintenance crew of about thirteen living on Palmer, the people do their own cooking. 

Brad has a copy of a video one of the passengers, Sue, took of the presentation by the crew from Palmer.  So perhaps if you are visiting, you can see it.