Flagstaff's Wayne Ranney leading world tour of northern locales

Today's mail brought a slick brochure from Smithsonian Journeys offering a private jet tour next June around the world of northern locales hopping from Seattle to, among others, Mongolia to Siberia to Svalbard, Greenland, and Iceland before returning home 22 days later. The Boeing 757 private jet seats up to 78 passengers in "two-by-two, VIP-style leather seats."


And it's being led by Flagstaff-based geologist and fellow geo-blogger, Wayne Ranney [photo credit Smithsonian Journeys]    The Smithsonian bio for Wayne says in part:

Wayne Ranney is a veteran of expedition travel, and has lectured on and journeyed to all seven of the Earth’'s continents. With a lifelong interest in the natural and earth sciences, Wayne specializes in making the fascinating story of our planet come alive for fellow travelers. His travels have taken him to all areas of South America including Patagonia; the Polar regions from Antarctica to Iceland, the desert lands of Africa and the American Southwest, and most of Earth’'s outstanding landscapes. He was elected to the Explorers Club and has visited more than 80 countries. Wayne is a retired professor of geology but still teaches an occasional honors course at Northern Arizona University in his hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona.

Now, I have a schedule conflict next June, so I won't be able to join Wayne and the other trip participants. The trip cost of $64,950 per person is also a bit daunting for someone on a state salary.