Starting off summer vacation with a trip to New York City is becoming something of a tradition for me. Two days was plenty of time to explore the city and see a few of the sights on my list. And of course, enjoy some delicious food while I was there!
Duluth, Georgia. Not exactly on my bucket list, but there is a reason for my second visit to this northeast suburb of Atlanta. The Gas South Arena played host to this year’s SEC Gymnastics Championships and it was the perfect place for my March stop in the Year of Travel.
Live a great story. That’s my motto for 2023; to have a great story to tell about how I spent the 365 days of 2023. And how can I tell a great story without a lot of travel? Back in 2018, I did a “Year of Travel”, where I traveled somewhere every month of the year. I’m planning to make 2023 another Year of Travel and my first stop was none other than America’s oldest city, St. Augustine, Florida.
I did very little on my last day in Oregon. I hadn’t yet been to Voodoo Doughnut, and although I know they aren’t the best donuts in the city, I still wanted to visit the iconic pink-trimmed building in Old Town for a breakfast treat. I walked over from my hotel and with no early morning line yet, I was able to walk right up to the takeout window and get my donuts (a buttermilk bar and a “Viscous Hibiscus”).
Continue readingRecipe for a perfect day: 1. Dip your toes in the Pacific Ocean; 2. Eat fried cheese curds. And of course I did both of those things on my day trip to the northern Oregon coast today.
Did you know that one of the most iconic active volcanoes in the United States is less than 100 miles from Portland, Oregon? Mount St. Helens last erupted in 1980, but the effects of that eruption are still visible today. Don’t worry… the volcano didn’t erupt while I was there!
I’m back! Let’s just say that what I thought was allergies wasn’t allergies after all and I’ve spent the last few days by myself in my hotel room. I was finally able to get outside yesterday and today and I’m determined to make the best of my extra few days in Oregon.
I’ll admit to doing very little today and spending several hours lounging in bed (a luxury I never allow myself to indulge in at home). One word: allergies. I have no idea what it is that I’m allergic to here, but my three allergy medicines are having a tough time keeping up. I spent the entire day outdoors yesterday, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. All of that to say I felt pretty congested and tired all day today. It didn’t help that the skies were overcast most of the day so my motivation was on the low side. Nevertheless, I did manage to do a few things.
Continue readingEverything’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.
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Traveling with Laura 