Travel Journal: DESTINATIONS

My overarching theme for this blog is supposed to include subjects that I'm "geeky" for.  A seemingly endless category, there are many things that I geek over, from a good soup recipe to the sexy Ian Somerhalder.

But one of my long-standing passions is travel.

Before memories could even take hold in my little baby brain, my parents were taking me too different Floridian beaches, the country-western tourism of Branson, Missouri, and flying me on a plane all by myself to see my grandparents in Indiana.  For some of my trips, I had the good sense to write journals or memoirs of some sorts.  For others, all I have are leftover memories stuck in my brain and some pictures.

I want to shelf some of my better chronicled adventures here.  Before I do so... a walk down "Memory Lane," wanderlust style!

U.S. Travel Destinations:

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

• Wyoming - In 2011, my husband and I drove out to Grand Teton National Park around my birthday.  We camped in the park, explored the beautiful mountains, lakes, streams, and hiked to an amazing waterfall.  We drove out to Yellowstone and saw all of those gorgeous sights, as well.  It was seriously gorgeous and the weather was equally excellent (especially for August).

• Key West - When our cruise ship only gave us several hours here during our honeymoon, it was a teaser.  We managed to find a killer bloody mary, some high-grade steampunk gear, and a shop that instantly became one of my favorites, but that was about it.  I came back to Key West with my mother and a family friend a year and a half later.  It's fun, but small.  The beaches aren't so great.  Apparently it has become much more touristy over the decades.

• Vegas - I've visited Last Vegas twice: once as a teenager, and again for my 21st birthday.  My advice?  Wait until you're 21, and take lots of money.  Otherwise, it's no fun.  Honestly, the best part (in my opinion) is the shows.  Blue Man, Cirque, we even went to a free taping of Last Comic Standing.

• Hoover Dam - That first trip to Vegas, we also drove down to Hoover Dam.  We stood at the side of a road and looked down the huge dam wall... it was terrifying.  The story is depressing.  I was not thrilled.

• Colorado - I've stopped over in Denver several times, I've been to Estes Park as part of a youth group excursion, and when I was 16 I went on a road trip through Colorado to visit Alamosa State.  I've always loved the mountains - they're so much more beautiful than any beach or cityscape.  Denver didn't really do much for me, but Boulder, Colorado Springs, Estes Park, and the places that offer the better scenery are gorgeous.

Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, as seen from our cruise ship

• Alaskan cruise - So awesome.  This is one of my favorites.  In July of 2007, we departed from Vancouver and cruised up the western coast of Canada, docking at different ports all along the little tail of Alaska that trickles down the south of the state.  We saw icebergs and forests and mountains and moose - it was gorgeous, all of it.  At the end of the cruise, we went inland to Anchorage and Juneau, rode a train with an opaque roof, and I went white water rafting for the first time in Denali! 

• Florida - I've been all over this state.  I think my mother fell in love with Florida at some point during my childhood.  Beaches and condos litter my memories.  Clearwater, Destin, Ft Lauderdale, Ft Myers... they're all kind of muddled together in my mind, but I know I've been to all of them and more.  I've visited Jacksonville and St Augustine several times, visiting my aunt and cousins.  Then my parents honed in on Marco Island and Naples quite a few years back, eventually moving there, so I've come to know that area quite well.  

• Orlando - There is a reason that this is separate from Florida.  Orlando isn't like the rest of Florida.  In fact, it might as well just secede and be a weird little district, like D.C.  I went to Disney for the first time when I was really little, maybe 5 or 6, and then again when I was 11 or so.  There are pictures, and I remember loving it.  More recently, though, we took a family trip to Universal and Epcot.  Universal was pretty boss - like a pumped up Six Flags.  Epcot was like a cruel joke from the 1970's.

NOLA, Bourbon St

• Philly - I'm normally not big on urban scenes, and stray from metropolitan activities.  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, however, has to be one of my favorite U.S. cities.  We drove to Philly in May of 2013 primarily to go to the comic con (which was satisfyingly awesome).  Turns out, we also loved the city!  Reading Market, the National Museum of American History and the Museum of Art were my favorites.  The food was pretty great, too.

• D.C. - What a let down.  We drove on to D.C. after Philly.  I don't even have any pictures from it.  We saw the White House from really far away.  Woo.

• New Orleans - my brother-in-law and his wife live in Nola, so I've been here a couple of times.  Love love LOVE the food, hate the weather.  DuMonde's is more hype than thrill, but there's lots to see and do - we didn't even hit Bourbon St the first time I went!

International Travel Destinations:

• The Bahamas - 2012 - For our honeymoon, we decided to save some cash and take a Bahamian cruise.  My experience is a bit jaded, as we were robbed of one of the islands on our itinerary due to the waters being "too choppy" to charter in.  Nassau was just depressing.  My recollection of Key West is above in the U.S. section. If there was another stop, I don't remember it.  All I can say is I don't recommend Nassau. 

  

  An amazing garden in Shanghai

• Eastern China - 2012 - WOW!  Amazing.  Seriously.  We used a tour company and saw so much!  Terra cotta warriors, the Great Wall, pandas, acrobats, gardens like you wouldn't believe, rickshaw rides... It was incredible.  Luckily, I do have journals for this one.  ;-)

• Costa Rica - 2008, 2009 - My first trip to CR was through a study abroad program with my university.  IT was a "why not" kind of thing that would look good on a resume.  I spent a month and a half in San Jose living with a host family, attending class at Universidad Veritas, and going on orchestrated excursions on the weekends.  My second trip, I had dreams of being a carefree vagabond and exploring the wonders of the beautiful country with my bestie.  She "got sick" halfway through our trip, so we changed our flights and came home early (many years and many happenings later, we are not "besties" anymore).

• Cancun, Mexico - 199? , 199? - When I was about 5 years old, and again when I was about 10, I went on big family trips with my parents and family friends to Cancun.  We stayed in resorts, did a lot of shopping, and hit the beaches/pools.  That's about it.

Aerial of London that I took from the Eye

• London, England - 2014 - This was a mother/daughter trip.  We rode the London Eye, rode around on the "hop-on/hop-off" double-decker red buses to sight-see, window shopped at Herrod's, hit the museums, ate fish & chips, etc. I even turned myself into a spectacular human battering ram (with my mother holding onto my jacket) at Buckingham Palace to get us right up next to the gate.  If my mama wants to see the changing of the guard, then, gosh darnit, she's gonna see it!  It was fun, and my first UK experience, but not altogether my speed.

• Ireland - 2015 - Dublin wasn't my proverbial cup of tea.  Very urban.  The attractions aren't clustered nicely, either, so without a cab or a rental car, it's not a very tourist friendly layout.  Food was good.  Weather was nice.  But...  And then we took a day trip to Northern Ireland.  Gorgeous!  Every moment was worthy of a picture.  Rolling hills, pastureland, coastline, grazing sheep, Giant's Causeway (! ), and castles galore... Now that's what I'm talking about!

• Edinburgh, Scotland - 2015 - Loved it.  This place is hilly like you've never experienced, and your thighs will buuuuurn.... but the food, the shops, the architecture, Edinburgh castle, the churches, cathedrals, museums, cemeteries... I loved every moment of it.



A picture my husband took of Edinburgh from the top of the Scot Monument



**All pictures taken by me or my husband.  If you want to steal random landscapes and pretties, that's what Google is for.**