Antarctica: Shackelton
The triumph of man over nature celebrated in 2002's A & E series is drawing some travelers to the ice-bound continent, according to Kristy Royce of the cruise wholesaler ExpeditionTrips.com. The company books 20-day voyages of South Georgia, the Falkland Islands and the South Orkney Islands, including an optional trekking excursion following part of the explorer's overland route. Australia's Rosemary Rayfuse felt it was as much a mental revelation as it was a physical one. "The final walk from Fortuna Bay to Stromness was one of the most 'spiritual' experiences I have ever had," says Rayfuse, who did the trek in 2001. "I suddenly developed a deep respect for what they had done."