Trapper Chic At Basecamp Svalbard Spitsbergen
If you're sick of the standard Paris, Cabo, or Vegas trips, consider heading out to the Svalbard Archipelago of Norway -- specifically to the island of Spitsbergen, a former base for whaling in the 17th and 18th centuries, now settled by both the Nords and the Russians.
It's in the Arctic Circle, so there's continuous sun from April to August -- and according to its Wikipedia entry, "November to the end of January there is civil polar night, where it is so continuously dark that artificial light must be used 24 hours each day."
It's also home to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. In the event of a doomsday scenario, the world can re-sow all of the world's plant life from a cache of seeds, currently being held in an secure underground cavern.
So when you're there, whether dogsledding, snowscootering, climbing glaciers, exploring ice caverns, fossil hunting, reindeer spotting, or checking out the Russian settlements, cozy up at the Basecamp Svalbard Spitsbergen.
This wilderness camp lodge and its 16 rooms, composed of driftwood, sealskins, corrugated iron and slate, is the epitome of "trapper chic."
There's a Cognac Loft-Room where you can, well, have cognac or other booze to warm your insides. Check out the very non-PC polar bear skin in the dining room. After watching the Northern Lights on their observation deck, step into the a sauna (to shake off those sub-zero temperatures). There's also a Boat in the Ice with ten cabins, with food and a fully tricked out bar (with an awesome wine list to boot).
The lodge takes online reservations, but it's entirely in Norwegian. It's best to e-mail them directly.
[Photo: cyberdockdude]
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