For the past 15 years Don Hudson and Greg Shute have been leading small groups of travelers North to explore the wilder regions of Quebec, Labrador and Baffin Island.

Over the years they have had a number of incredible wildlife encounters, contacts with Native people and opportunities to travel through some of the wildest landscapes on earth. We've heard many of you speak of your interest to join us although we've also heard that perhaps sleeping in a tent no longer holds the attraction it once did.

With that in mind here is your chance to travel north in comfort and still experience the most breathtaking scenery the Arctic has to offer. We have partnered with Cruise North Expeditions and have reserved berths on their September 2010 High Arctic Cruise.

Cruise North Expeditions is an Inuit owned company that has been offering educational cruises in the Canadian Arctic for the past six years and has been named one of National Geographic Adventure's Best Travel Company's.

We choose to partner with Cruise North because like Chewonki, they are educators first. They place a high priority on safety and as an Inuit-owned business, the guiding and interpretation is not something added as local color. They have a strong commitment to the environment and the native communities through which we pass.

We have gotten to know a number of people who support nature-based tourism in the north over the years. The Arctic has always held an appeal for Don, and a vessel with a capacity of 122 passengers (35 of them Chewonki friends) seems to be the right fit for us. There are bigger Russian icebreakers and other vessels that ply these waters from time to time, carrying more passengers, but they cannot match the appeal (and the price!) of Cruise North.

Don has agreed that we describe the cruise as a sort of Swan Song, as he launches into his retirement from 34 years at Chewonki. It is expensive to travel in the Arctic and Cruise North has worked hard to provide a memorable educational experience at a reasonable price.  One of the benefits of going in September is that the days will have shortened enough to see northern lights, and the wildlife and landscape will be spectacular from start to finish.

You have all witnessed "Don the Educator" but only a handful of you have experienced Don truly in his element on his hands and knees, enthusiastically describing the fine points of an arctic wildflower!

We hope you will join us on this trip of a lifetime as we visit the High Arctic at a time of great change.