Antarctica bound: Vermonters embark on bucket-list adventure

January 24, 2024 | By Sandy Yusen | Correspondent 

Many New Englanders choose to go south for weeks or months to escape the dark, cold days of winter. But this week, a group of 14 adventurous Vermonters are heading just about as far south as you can get – to Antarctica.

Promotional poster for the trip by Milne Travel.

The trip, which runs from January 24 through February 5, begins with an overnight flight from Burlington to Buenos Aires, Argentina. The next day, a private charter flight carries travelers to Ushuaia, Argentina, a coastal city at the southernmost tip of South America. 

From there, the adventure kicks into high gear when the group boards the World Navigator, a cruise ship holding 196 passengers that operator Atlas Ocean Voyages bills as an “intimate yacht.” For two days, the ship crosses Drake Passage, the expansive waterway between South America and Antarctica, before arriving at the South Shetland Islands, just north of the Antarctic peninsula. The group will then spend four days exploring the Islands and peninsula, docking for on-shore excursions before heading back north.

The Antarctica journey is the latest in a series of trips offered by Milne Travel and the Radio Vermont Group. According to Steve Cormier, Radio Vermont Group’s general manager, the trips were originally conceived by Scott Milne, CEO of Milne Travel and recent investor in the Radio Vermont Group, and Eric Michaels, WDEV’s previous general manager and morning show host who worked at the station for 30 years before departing in 2017. 

For each trip, Milne Travel handles the travel logistics, and the Radio Vermont Group promotes the trips through its stations. Scott Milne recounted, “WDEV has been a great partner for decades. We’ve probably done close to 20 trips.” Past excursions have included Iceland, Cancun, Puerto Rico, Disney World, Alaska, several European trips, a cruise from Boston to New Orleans, and numerous Red Sox fan buses. Antarctica is a first.

Last year, Milne and Cormier began discussing the possibility of reinstating the trips, and proposed Antarctica as the next destination. Milne had observed that interest in Antarctica was growing, and he was able to secure a good deal on a trip with a relatively affordable price point. 

The Antarctica trip’s big draw is its local celebrity host – well-known Radio Vermont Group meteorologist Roger Hill. Milne shared that past trips have also involved WDEV hosts. “As we work through it, often we’ll have a personality that can build a cult-like following,” he said. For this trip, Hill was the perfect fit. Cormier agreed: “If you’re going to a place like Antarctica it would have to be Roger Hill.” Hill, whose wife is joining him on the trip, has also been the enthusiastic voice behind the trip’s radio promotion. 

In an interview before the trip, Hill chuckled at the fact that the trip is “built around this crazy weatherman,” but shared that the opportunity to travel to Antarctica is “exciting for him on several different levels.” He views the trip’s itinerary and conditions as “very Vermonty,” appealing to locals who stay active into their retirement years. “People here appreciate cold weather,” he added. “There’s something vigorous that gets you through.” 

The climate change aspects of the trip also interest Hill. In the last few years, Hill shared, Antarctica has experienced “big fast changes,” with warming temperatures at the poles resulting in a significant loss of ice. He described how marine heat waves from global warming have devastated the penguin population because of the loss of krill which feeds ocean wildlife in the area. Cormier underscored the impact of climate change, stressing that “now is the time” to experience the beauty of this region. 

A bucket list destination 

A Zoom call held last week brought the travelers together on screen to introduce themselves and connect with representatives from Milne Travel, Radio Vermont, and Atlas Ocean Voyages. The group is a mix of men and women, and as Milne said, “It skews toward the baby boomer demographic.” Group members hail from all over Vermont, and none have traveled with WDEV before. “For not actually being able to be together live, the group has good chemistry,” Milne remarked.

According to Cormier, group members all had different reasons for signing on, but most called it a bucket list trip. For some, Antarctica was part of a goal to hit all seven continents, while others cited the changing climate, unique landscape, and abundant wildlife. Hill reflected that Antarctica’s appeal is “the opportunity to set foot on a continent that not a lot of people have visited.”

The cost of the trip, starting at $10,000 per person, may have been a stumbling block for some, but Milne and Hill called it a great value for the experience. “It’s a pretty penny, but worth even more than what you’re paying for,” Hill stressed.

The excursion also will benefit the radio station. For each fare booked, $500 is dedicated to “underwrite the good works” of Radio Vermont Group, according to the promotional flier. Cormier said the funds will support station operations.

Judi Byron

Duxbury resident and adult program librarian at the Waterbury Public Library, Judi Byron said she was sold on WDEV’s sponsorship and Roger Hill’s involvement. “It was still…oh my gosh, that is a lot of money, and then I thought, ‘If not now, when?’” Byron said she has traveled extensively through her involvement in the World Harp Congress, an nonprofit that brings together harpists from around the world, and Antarctica will be the sixth continent that she’s been to.

Byron is saving costs by doubling up with a fellow traveler to share a cabin. “I called Milne Travel and said ‘Hey, if you know anybody that is a single, I would really be happy to share,’” she said. “The next morning I get a call and I have a roommate. She’s from Rutland, the same age, and we’ve been getting along famously.”

Milne has seen an uptick in single travelers. He recognizes that solo travelers often pay more, but the Antarctica trip offered a good value on pricing for singles, and noted those like Byron who saved by pairing up to share rooms. “I was surprised at the interest of people who are at a point in their lives where they are single and really want to do this,” Milne said. 

Drake Passage: A walk on the wild side

The trip is not without some potential perils. Travelers to Antarctica must brace for traveling through Drake Passage, “the world’s stormiest passage on the planet,” according to Hill. Drake Passage is where the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans come together, and the climate differences between north and south often create strong currents, high winds, and turbulent waters. 

Google map with Drake Passage marked

Byron was unphased by the potential challenges. “That kind of adventure – I know it sounds crazy – appeals to me, just to be in that kind of wildness,” she said. “I don’t mean that there’s not danger, because there could be storms and squalls, but I feel like we’re on a boat where they have a routine and they’re going to teach you all the drills. I feel like I’m in good hands with the captain and the crew.” She also credits Milne Travel for supporting the group every step of the way.

“Surviving the Drake…it’s going to be wild probably,” Hill speculated. He emphasized that while travelers may pay the price to get there – he cites seasickness as a common affliction – they reap the rewards. Within the passage, travelers are expected to encounter humpback whales, dolphins, albatrosses, penguins, and giant petrels, a marine seabird. And on the Antarctic peninsula, visitors will experience a majestic landscape and abundant wildlife. According to Hill’s on-air promotion, “We’ll see rugged mountain peaks, black sands and expansive tundra while enjoying shore landings led by expert field guides. We’ll get up close to nature, paddling next to icebergs, seals, whales, and of course the emblem of Antarctica, the penguin.”  

Byron said she is hoping for good weather, and was most looking forward to hiking and seeing icebergs and penguins. She was also excited to learn from Hill’s meteorological expertise and from nightly lectures and on-shore outings. “There’s biologists, ornithologists, historians and more, so it’s really interesting,” she said.

The group is likely to enjoy some warmer weather than current Vermont conditions. It’s the peak of meteorological summer in South America, where weather forecasts in Buenos Aires, Argentina, show sunshine and temps in the mid-80s. In Antarctica, temperatures are expected to be more Vermont-like: in the 20s and 30s, with a mix of sun, clouds, and precipitation.

Bringing the experience home

Roger Hill was working right up until his departure this week forecasting the messy weather expected in Vermont. But as of Jan. 24, those who follow Hill and are hoping for regular forecasts or a mid-trip check-in will likely have to wait. Pricey data rates, slow wi-fi, and a two-hour time difference mean it will be difficult for Hill to stay in touch during the trip. Hill’s regular forecast will be covered by the National Weather Service while he’s gone. His online weather blog, Weathering Heights, has a headline promising to be “Back on the 6th of February.”

Byron said she plans to work around technological issues by capturing trip highlights on pencil and paper and taking photographs. She has been invited to host a program at the Waterbury Public Library sharing her experiences once she’s back. “Probably April I’m thinking…that will give me time to get back and get settled,” she said.

Byron, who is originally from Massachusetts but has also lived in Hawaii and Alaska, said she hopes her adventures inspire others. “I guess I would just say ‘carpe diem.’ So many people are afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone and that is the only way you grow. Do it. You only live once. You have this life, and if opportunity knocks, look it in the face. You can always say no, but don’t say no before you examine. Just be open to opportunity,” she opined.

As departure day neared, Byron said she was looking forward to experiencing all that Antarctica has to offer and getting to know her fellow trip-mates.  “It feels like this extended family that I’m going with – even though I don’t know anyone. A group of Vermonters are going to Antarctica – how cool is that?”

Sandy Yusen is a freelance writer and Waterbury resident.