Lockbox key leads to adventure of a lifetime visiting all 7 continents, wrapping with Antarctica
HUGO, Minn. — For a Hugo woman, traveling with the other women in her family was a long-standing tradition, but losing one of the most important people in her life pushed her to make it to the most extreme destination on her list.
If you pick out a spot on any map, odds are reasonably good Allison Niendiek has been there. Growing up in a small town in Illinois, her dreams always seemed a little outsized.
An unexpected treasure left by her grandfather, a key for a lockbox, was discovered shortly after his passing by Niendiek's grandmother.
"We went to the local bank and opened it up. We found a letter and all of these stocks and bonds," she said.
That turned the dreamer into a world traveler.
"It said in there, 'Mary, I was never healthy enough to go to all of the places in the world you wanted to see. I want you, Linda and Allison to see the world together. Use these funds and go to all the places I couldn't take you to,'" she said. "And so that's exactly what we did."
The trio, along with Grandma Mary, pushed the pedal to the metal, plowing through countless countries, side by side
"For me, I love history. So there had to be museums for my mom. She loves shopping. And grandma, she seemed to find a casino every country we went to," Niendiek said.
Through African safaris and trips through the Panama Canal to reach Colombia, Grandma Mary never held back. As she reached her 80s, the travels turned into a quest to reach all seven continents. Time allowed for six. Just before Grandma Mary passed in 2022, she too left something, just as her husband did decades before.
"She had a conversation with my mom," Niendiek said.
The message: sell the house and finish what they started by visiting Antarctica.
"She knew it was one last continent for mom and I to accomplish and to see, and she really wanted that for us," Niendiek said.
To get there it took a flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta, from Atlanta to Buenos Aires. From there, a charter plane to the southern tip of South America, and two days through the rough 15-foot waves of Drake's Passage. But they made it, reaching that seventh continent for their grandparents.
"It was just so amazing to see all of this life and the landscape it was nothing I anticipated," Niendiek said. "We saw her and reminisced every meal of, 'Oh, what would Grandma have thought of this?'"
And they'll tell you they've come a long way as travelers, with fewer bags, fewer souvenirs, and more experiences.
