travel Archives - Mark Marchand blog

Plunging into Antarctic waters. (Photo credit: Quark Expeditions)

‘The plunge,’ and the final days of my Antarctic expedition

Post published:April 12, 2026

Nov. 21, 2025: I was standing in line wearing a fluffy white robe with just a swimsuit on underneath, inching along as loud music played and people hooted and hollered. After turning a corner in a narrow passageway, I saw my destination: a set of steps leading from the third deck of our ship down to some of the coldest water in the world. I detected a slight wind, which grew stronger over the next few minutes as my position became more exposed. I started to shiver but I told myself that…

Panoramic view of Antarctic Peninsula bay

Off to Antarctica; Chapter Two

Post published:March 25, 2026

(Editor’s note: This is the second of three posts about my experiences traveling to and from Antarctica in November 2025. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream. I’ve also included some of the over 500 photos I took in this precious yet largely inhospitable land.) I’m sure noted ornithologist Noah Strycker gets this question all the time. As one of the world’s most famous birdwatchers and researchers, he can easily answer just about any inquiry related to one of the few remaining descendants of dinosaurs. Still, he’s patient when we…

Land ho!. First sighting of Antarctica land.

Off to Antarctica, the Seventh Continent!

Post published:March 14, 2026

(Editor’s note: This is the first of three posts about my experiences traveling to and from Antarctica in November 2025. It was the culmination of a lifelong dream. I’ve also included some of the over 500 photos I took in this precious yet largely inhospitable land.) As our ship rocked wildly in 25- to 30-foot waves in one of the world’s most treacherous ocean passages, I bounced from wall to wall in my shower. After about 10 minutes, I adapted. I held onto a chest-high rail with one hand while washing…

Sitting directly on top of the U.S.-Canada border in northern Vermont, the Haskell Free Library and Opera House has been serving readers, visitors, and show-goers for over a century.

A library and opera house on the international frontier

Post published:December 7, 2022

Visiting the only library that sits atop an international border. The Haskell Free Library and Opera House sits directly on the U.S.-Canada border in northern Vermont.

The route I took last summer, between Saratoga, N.Y., and Oshkosh, Wisconsin. (Credit: Google Maps, and my drawing.)

Road tripping west in post-COVID(?) summer of 2021

Post published:August 4, 2022

Last summer I set out from my home in upstate NY to search for an America readjusting to life as the COVID wildfire slowed down. Just as I was about to depart on a celebratory, wandering road trip through seven states the Delta variant began sweeping our country. I went anyway. Below is the first chapter of a four-part series on my sojourn. Like many of my road trips across America, it was a fun excursion— but the worsening news about COVID was an overhang on my mood, haunting me each mile along the way.