I went on a trip by myself to Santiago and Patagonia in November .. it was amazing. This is Puerto Natales, Chile -- it is a three hour bus ride from Punta Arenas and is the jumping off point for tours to Torres Del Paine.

Puerto Natales, town square

Puerto Natales, town square

Aboard the "21st of May" in Puerto Natales. The ship was named after a key 1879 naval battle between Chile and Peru.

AboardThe21st of MayinfrontofPuertoNataleswaterfront.boatwasnamedafterakey1879NavalbattlebetweenChileandPeru.

I joined an 8-hour trip into Bernardo O' HIggins national park to see glaciers and the mountainside .. and we're off ...

We cruised by a family of sea lions

This is the Balmaceda glacier -- in the last 10 years it has retreated from sea level to 1/3 of the way up the mountain.

Close up of the glacier's blue ice ...

Me and the Balmaceda glacier, self-portrait

The Serrano glacier. Our boat docked and we went hiking in the mountains on a short hike to the Serrano glacier .. I traveled here in late November, which is late spring for the region. The ice was still melting as you can see along the shore ..

Once we ot off the water and started hiking, it got warm fast

Torres Del Paine

After seeing the glaciers, our boat docked at an Estancia (a ranch) where we enjoyed a traditional Chilean barbeque

What appens when you tell an Aggie joke to a horse

Sailing back to Puerto Natales