Elsa Bailey, 100, pictured with Natural Habitat Adventures staff member Andrea Reynolds. The adventurous centenarian was able to cross 'seeing wild polar bears' off her bucket list after going on the Tundra Lodge and Town Adventure tour. (Credit: Natural Habitat Adventures)

It took 100 years to make her dreams a reality, but centenarian Elsa Bailey was finally able to see polar bears in the wild and the experience was just as exciting as she'd hoped it would be.

Bailey is an adventurous and energetic 100-year-old who celebrated her birthday in May by skiing at Arapahoe Basin, just as she'd done 10 years earlier to celebrate her 90th birthday. After reaching the bottom of the slopes, she said there were still a few things on her bucket — including seeing polar bears in the wild. When a member of the Natural Habitat Adventures tour company overheard Bailey, the company decided to offer her a trip out to Churchill, Manitoba to see the bears.

Bailey went on the Tundra Lodge and Town Adventure, spending several days in a rolling hotel that allows tourists to view the polar bears' habitat up close and personal in Churchill, Manitoba, which is known as the polar bear capital of the world.

The tour, which usually attracts a younger demographic, takes participants out on polar rovers to see the bears and educates them on conservation efforts.

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"On the trip guests learn about the conservation initiatives of WWF, our conservation partner, and they come away with a newfound respect for polar bear conservation," said Emily Deemer, marketing manager at Natural Habitat Adventures, in an interview with Weather.com.

Despite cataracts that partially obscured her vision, Bailey was able to see the polar bears when they approached the group.

"We had looked for them all week. We had seen them in the distance lying down and all of a sudden, they were real. It was very exciting," Bailey told the Winnipeg Free Press.

In addition to seeing the bears, Bailey also woke up late at night to see the northern lights and met sled dogs.

"Bailey's initiative certainly inspired the rest of the group," said Andrea Reynolds, a Natural Habitat Adventures staffer who assisted Bailey during the trip. "They thought it was phenomenal that someone her age would not only dream about it, but actually go," Reynolds told the Huffington Post.

Even before this trip to see polar bears, Bailey has led an exciting life. She's traveled to India, Africa and Brazil, and been hiking, whitewater kayaking and scuba diving, reported the Denver Post.

"You don't want to sit and do nothing and die," Bailey told the Winnipeg Free Press.

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