Since I was 6 years old, I have wanted to travel across Siberia on the Transsiberian railroad. In the wintertime. And now, finally, 6 decades later, I'm going to cross this one off my bucket list! And make it an Around The World Trip to boot.

On January 2, I'm flying to St. Petersburg, Russia. From there I'll be taking the train to Moscow where I catch the Transsiberian Express Railway across Siberia with multi-night stays in Irkutsk, Lake Baikal, Harbin and Beijing, before flying home on January 31. Highpoints of my trip will include the amber room at the Peteroff Palace near St. Petersburg, the Bolshoi and Kirov Ballets, the Russian Circus in Moscow, and a visit to the Ice and Snow Festival at Harbin, China. See my full itinerary below.

Watch my blog for daily updates and photos from my adventure and feel free to add your comments along the way.