It’s about that time! The dreaded task that all who manage to visit every national park in America must face. Ranking the best.
Continue reading “My Tops!”My Tops!
Celebrating 419 Adventures in Joy, Gratitude, and Healing – Inspired by the U.S. National Park System
Well, I did it!! I made it to every national park unit in the entire NPS system. All 419 of them! A dream 4 years in the making. A dream I set for myself during a dark time when I didn’t know what my future held and how long I’d have to enjoy it. And it saved my life. Continue reading “Celebrating 419 Adventures in Joy, Gratitude, and Healing – Inspired by the U.S. National Park System”
My Botanical Bonanza Travel Year
Summer has arrived! Time for vacays and to get out there and explore this beautiful earth! Lately I’ve been reminiscing about one of the best travel themes I’ve done to date; my “Botanical Bonanza” of a year, visiting gorgeous floral and foliage destinations in the U.S (and Japan)! The gloriousness of the earth candy that awaited me was nothing short of spectacular. What a gorgeous year… Continue reading “My Botanical Bonanza Travel Year”
An Oz-some Road Trip in Kansas!
Tacos and totos’ and… snow? Oh my! Our latest themed trip took place in Kansas, home of The Wizard of Oz! As I continue on with my U.S. National Park trek, I always make sure to see the fun and quirky highlights along the way. One of my favorite trip things to do is plan a themed trip! I could not pass up the opportunity to do a Wizard of Oz trip in the merry ol’ land of Kansas. Continue reading “An Oz-some Road Trip in Kansas!”
Oh by the way Doc, last week I hiked 6 miles in a lava field and visited a leper colony…
I have cancer in my bones. It’s going to limit me at some point. But guess what, not today! Today I’m going to reach for my goals and check off those bucket list experiences. My recent adventure island-hopping in Hawaii pushed me both physically and mentally. I did things I probably should not tell my Dr. about. But oh what an exciting trip! Continue reading “Oh by the way Doc, last week I hiked 6 miles in a lava field and visited a leper colony…”
Big Island, I Lava You!
If you follow me on Facebook, I think you probably noticed that possibly one of the best days of my life was on this island. We. Saw. LAVA!!!! We saw lava from the air, the museum had Pele’s hair. We found lava on a hike, while others took a bike. We saw lava ooze and stream, we were living my big dream! Ok, enough Dr. Seuss. I’m just so excited about this opportunity! Continue reading “Big Island, I Lava You!”
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?
You know, I just can’t resist themes. Whether it’s party-planning, activity days with my niece and nephew or traveling… I like to theme it up! When I heard about the ice castles in Utah, I thought this is the perfect opportunity for a Frozen-themed getaway! Continue reading “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”
Christmas, Lead the Way ~ Part 2
Our epic Christmas Road Trip began in Arizona, starting from our cousins’ home in Rimrock, AZ (near Sedona). What is it about the desert? I just love it! Especially during the winter, with the crisp air. One of our first stops was Petrified Forest National Park. This is where it all begins, where we learned about the National Park Passport Program. We bought a book. We stamped the book. History was made. Let the National Park marathon begin!
Christmas, Lead the Way ~ Part 1
After finishing chemo and radiation treatment, I was about 2 trips deep into my bucket-list-checking travel mania and Christmas was approaching. An excellent opportunity for a nice long Christmasy roadtrip! But, it’s winter and I don’t have snow-driving experience. Where can we go? Stick to the Southern states was my solution. Hello Texas! I picked Texas mainly because I wanted to see San Antonio’s river walk lit up for Christmas. So the plan was to start in Arizona and head towards Texas. As I was planning the stops and assessing the attractions available to us on our path, I discovered a true holiday treasure – Santa Fe.
My Rainbow Road Trip
Who knew the desert was so colorful. This barren wasteland, sprinkled with bursts of color and nothing else around to distract from it. Between the red rocks, pink canyons, painted car art, Vegas Strip, Christmas lights, rainbow sliders, rainbow lattes and good ol’ painted sunrise skies… it looks like Lisa Frank threw up on my Facebook wall. I couldn’t be more pleased.
This rainbow-colored road trip was a two-week loop around upper Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Late fall, early winter is actually a pretty good time to visit this part of the country. Temperatures are cooler, crowds have lessened and a 4-day Thanksgiving weekend helps you cover more ground in remote locations where there is no wifi for you to travel-work from.
Continue reading “My Rainbow Road Trip”
The Time Traveler 