It’s hard to believe how much ground I covered in 2015! Two “poles,” a World Wonder, and historical landmark #1000! I’ve got a lot of energy, but just looking through all of these memory cards again has left me panting! It was truly an extraordinary year, and I am so grateful to be able to make these adventures possible! Enjoy these best photos of 2015!

1. Gold Panning at Sutter’s Mill!

Sutter’s Mill just might be the most important of California’s historical landmarks! It launched one of the largest human migrations in history and made California the place that it is today! I had a great time exploring Marshall Gold Discovery SHP in Coloma, which houses the Mill I’ve heard so much about! There’s also a spot across the river where you can pan for gold, and I can’t say I came away empty-handed!

2. The Superintendent’s Desk at the Empire Mine!

This just isn’t a picture you can normally get! Empire Mine SHP was closed when I visited, but super cool rangers, Michelle and Kevin, gave me a behind-the-scenes tour because they were bored and I was interested! This is the office of mining genius, George Starr, which is normally kept behind glass! Don’t worry! I was super careful around the paperwork, and because I was here, the rangers discovered a door left open by mistake! They quickly closed it.

3. The Harding Ice Field Hike!

It’s easy to forget how amazingly lush Alaska can be in the summertime! I love looking at this view! It was a little past fireweed season, but the cloudy day really brought out the greens! Clean air, beautiful scenery… This trail is a must if you visit Alaska!

4. Harding Ice Field Overlook!

Whipping winds, high elevations, and the ever-present threat of rain were not enough to deter this beaver from gazing out over the magnificent Harding Ice Field, mother of glaciers! It is beautifully stark up there with the ice and rocks, but even amid this harshness, there were little pink flowers growing out of what seemed to be bare rock! Amazing!

5. The Aurora Borealis!

It was 3:00 in the morning, and the wind was gusting up to 60 miles per hour, but dag gum it, the Aurora Borealis was making an appearance over Seward, and I had to see it! It took a lot of tries before I could snap a clear photo in the lull of the wind, but voila! Patience is the photographer’s best friend!

6. Puente de la Mujer!

Lots of guides told me not to go wandering in Buenos Aires after dark, because I was sure to be mugged! Not only was that not the case, but I felt very comfortable visiting the Puente de la Mujer at 2:00 in the morning! So did lots of other people! This is a truly beautiful bridge whose twin, the Sundial Bridge, I visited last year in Redding, California! A glimpse of home in a faraway place!

7. Penguins and Icicles in Antarctica!

This picture has it all! Icicles, icebergs, glaciers, penguins! What an incredible experience it was to stand on the shore of Paradise Bay in Antarctica this November! There is no picture of this place that doesn’t make me think “WOW!” It is a powerful place, both in its fury and its calm, and every footstep upon it is humbling!

8. Señor Castorieti in Antarctica!

Señor Castorieti came back, bigger than ever! This time, he appeared on the most beautiful of the three days I spent in Antarctica, and together we frolicked around the Almirante Brown Research Base in Paradise Bay! I love the lighting in this picture and the fact that it’s the one photo session that Señor Castorieti has survived! He took my snow hat and ran away into the ancient ice of the Deep South! Will we meet again? Who knows?

9. Cristo Redentor!

It’s my second Wonder of the World, and what a marvel it is! The statue is humongous and extends its hands out over a notoriously scary city! I like the simplicity of this photo. You’d never guess there was a whole busload of people posing just behind the corner of the railing!

10. Beach Bumming in Rio de Janeiro!

After a lot of running around, it’s nice to lie down and relax for a bit, especially when you’re at the famous Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro! If you don’t mind the crowds and machine gun toting police, it’s a really great place to soak up the sun and sleep away the afternoon!

Have yourself a wonderful New Year, and I’ll see you in 2016 when I finish my historical landmark quest! It’s hard to believe that it’s been five years already!