Everything’s coming up roses! I have a few fond memories from my last visit to Portland, but none so fond as visiting the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. That was the location where I took the photo that would become the symbol for my photography business. Visiting again was at the top of my list of things I wanted to do in Portland.
People often ask me how I choose my vacation destinations. Honestly, I don’t have a bucket list or anything like that (except for New Zealand and South Africa). I usually just choose places that fit my mood at the time. April was my first vacation since last summer and I wanted an equal mix of adventure and rest. Hence, Zion National Park. This time, I was drawn to a place I visited almost exactly 10 years ago: Portland and the Oregon coast. On my previous trip, I covered much of eastern Oregon. However, my travel style has definitely evolved since then and I now find myself more inclined to visit just one or two places and really get to know those places as opposed to moving around a lot during a vacation. On my last visit to Oregon, I loved the relaxed, laid back vibe of Portland and the gorgeous scenery along the Oregon coast. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, then, that I settled on Portland and Cannon Beach as my two destinations for this vacation.
Continue readingWhere to go for a long weekend in June? Since I hadn’t thought this one out too far in advance, and given that summer vacation starts in less than a week, I settled for a quick trip to New York City this weekend. I’ve been to NYC several times in the last few years, each time seeing a different part of the city and doing different things (for the most part). I can handle the city in small doses and having just a few places to visit each time has made for some great trips. This one was no exception.
In the mood for fresh seafood, historic lighthouses, and quaint fishing villages? Head to MidCoast Maine and you will have all of those in abundance. Which is exactly what I did over the long Memorial Day weekend, spending three days in the beautiful Camden and Rockland area!
I decided to combine my last two days into one blog post since neither are overly exciting on their own. Yesterday ended up being a pretty low-key day, given that my legs were very sore from my hiking adventure the day before.
Often called one of the most dangerous hikes in the U.S., Angels Landing is not for the faint of heart, nor for those with a fear of heights. I’m not usually much of a thrill seeker, but guess what I did today? Read on to learn about what is probably my most adventurous vacation experience to date.
Where can you visit a ghost town, hike to a secluded waterfall, and drive through a mile long tunnel carved through sandstone, all within a few miles of each other? Zion National Park, of course! And that’s exactly what I spent my day doing.
6:00AM. Flashlight? Check. Warm layers? Check. Camera? Check. While I’m always an early-riser, it’s not usually to tie on my hiking shoes and hit the trails in the dark. But that’s exactly what I did this morning as I headed out to witness the sunrise over Zion Canyon from the Canyon Overlook Trail.
I’ve visited Zion National Park twice before, but my last visit was well over 10 years ago. My best memories of my previous visits were the oasis of green in the middle of a desert landscape and the soaring rock walls overlooking Zion Canyon. I spent several years’ worth of vacations exploring the American southwest in the early 2000s, then started focusing my travel on Europe. The pandemic has helped to renew my interest in visiting the U.S. National Parks.
I arrived on Amelia Island rather blindly, without having done much research and having only a vague agenda for my visit. I chose Amelia Island for a short post-Christmas trip since it is only a couple of hours’ drive from my parents in Central Florida (where I spent Christmas) and is close to the airport in Jacksonville for my flight home.
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Traveling with Laura 