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.
Continue readingSo, just what can you accomplish with a mere 48 hours (or less) in the Big Apple? As it turns out, quite a lot. You can enjoy an indulgent Italian dinner, have a leisurely breakfast/brunch, tour the largest art museum in the United States, visit an iconic holiday market, eat a Neapolitan pizza, have another leisurely breakfast/brunch, and wander aimlessly through Central Park.
Driving above the clouds with the windows down. Hiking to a 360 degree view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Eating apple pie à la mode at a historic apple orchard for lunch… Day 2 in Asheville was completely different from Day 1, but no less enjoyable, and was spent on the Blue Ridge Parkway north of Asheville.
Where can you tour the largest home in the United States, visit lavish formal gardens, hike miles of forested trails, do a wine tasting, and choose from more than a dozen restaurants, all on the same property? Of course, it’s none other than George Washington Vanderbilt II’s Biltmore Estate, where I spent the entire day today.
My “nothing planned” day turned into a pretty great day. I did a lot of walking (again) but also made a few fun stops along the way. Had I chosen a different dinner restaurant, the day would have been even better.
I walked forever today. Or at least it felt like it. It was really about 7 or 8 miles. The only two places I went were the Lincoln Park Conservatory and Zoo. The rest of the day was spent walking/wandering. I avoided the foot of my bed at all costs last night, so no stubbed toes affected my ability to walk today.
I did a lot of walking today, which was good because it helped to combat the significant number of calories I consumed. But it was also bad because I stubbed my toe(s) TWICE on the oversized bed frame in my hotel room last night. The leather covered corners of the wooden frame provided insufficient cushioning for my poor pinky toes and walking was a little difficult today.
The Windy City. Chi-Town. The City by the Lake. Whatever you call it, Chicago is one of my favorite cities. Since I’ve only been to Chicago during the winter months and I’m not quite ready to brave international travel again, this seemed like the perfect destination for another summer getaway. This is also another “no rules” trip where I plan to do whatever I feel like doing in the moment (though I do have a general itinerary planned this time). Which is why I decided to drop my stuff off at my hotel, enjoy the amazing river view for a few minutes, and then take a 30 minute train ride to try the pizza at Spacca Napoli in the Ravenswood neighborhood.
For so many reasons, today was a pretty great day…
Sunrise at Schwabacher Landing – This iconic location is a pretty special place to watch the sunrise as it illuminates the Teton range to the west. I arrived just as the tall rocky peaks were turning pink with sunlight. A short walk from the parking area provides hundreds of great vantage points, many with a reflection of the mountains in a series of beaver ponds. I even saw a couple of elk on the way out of the parking lot!
Continue readingDo you ever have a day where things don’t go exactly as planned but it ends up being a great day? Today was one of those days.
My plan for today involved hiking to Taggart Lake (and maybe adding on Bradley Lake). Well, *somebody* didn’t check the weather forecast for today. And that same somebody didn’t look outside before leaving the hotel for the day.
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Traveling with Laura 