Winter Park, Colorado || Don’t Sleep On Small Towns
This past June, our family took a trip to Winter Park, Colorado. It was a short, 4 day trip but we packed as much as we could into our time out there. Although this wasn’t my first trip to Colorado, it was my first trip as an adult which is a totally different experience when you get to make the plans. I’m ranking this as #5 because we went during ‘mud season’ to a skiing/mountain biking resort. Our family is very ‘outdoorsy exploresy’, which was tough to do when there was snow on the top of the mountain and mud on the bottom. None of the lifts were working, so we were not able to take the Gondola to the top, but we did have an incredible time visiting the following places:
Rocky Mountain National Park:
This is a no-brainer, if you’re in a state with a National Park, ya gotta go. It was way chillier than I anticipated so we spent quite a bit of time in the visitor center buying everyone sweatshirts, but the drive to the top was absolutely breathtaking (as long as you don’t look down the side). At 11,796 feet elevation, you could see for MILES. We saw Elk, Deer, and even a Moose!
Hot Sulphur Springs:
We spent an entire afternoon enjoying the benefits of the natural hot springs in Hot Sulphur Springs, CO. The pools are rated from hottest (at the top) to coolest (at the bottom). Being we brought our 1-year-old, we were advised not to go past level 9 of their 14 hot springs. Our brother-in-law sat with her while we snuck up to get a peek at the top. With icy blue, shower hot water pouring down the mountains and filling up this rock-pool, you have this peaceful sound of a waterfall while soaking in the benefits of sulfur, magnesium, and other natural minerals. The locals said they typically come here after a long day of skiing to relax their muscles. This is a MUST DO, for sure.
Local Hikes:
Although we only had time for the two day-long adventures, we were still able to sneak in quite a few hikes, bike rides, sunsets and such from the resort. Colorado has no shortage of natural beauty. Whether you drive to a trailhead for a snowy walk or stick to the paved path through the resort, we were able to follow rivers and bends and see the mountains from all of it!
Colorado will ALWAYS have a piece of my heart.
Tucson, AZ || If You’re Into The Desert
#4 on the list is Tucson, Arizona. This trip ended up being our wedding trip, but that’s a different story for a different time! I realized I am not much of a desert person, but this trip was still incredible. Here’s why:
While writing this blog, I realized this location is now CLOSED! But nevertheless, this is a HIGHLY recommended Glamping experience. If you’re unfamiliar with glamping, it is upscale camping. We had a comfy king-sized bed. They brought us coffee at our selected time, they started us fires in our wood-burning stove, it was the definition of glamourous camping.
This camp was located right next to the Saguaro National Park, where we participated in a 5-mile, guided hike. Our tent door opened up to a view of it, actually. It was breathtaking. They had trails around the campground that we solo-hiked through and, being that it was right next to a resort, we were able to get daily massages as well!
Downtown Tucson
We spent an entire day in downtown Tucson which was very charming. We rented BIRD scooters and zipped around to get a quick vibe. We ate delicious AUTHENTIC, truly authentic Mexican food that still haunts my tastebuds, nothing will live up to it. I tried Hemp Beer for the first time at a space-themed bar, we walked through some local book shops and museums. The best part to me was the street art. Almost every building was covered with some form of a mural, it was insanely gorgeous.
Although we only had three days in AZ, it was a beautiful vacation. I just can’t say enough about Under Canvas.
Florida || We Traveled Through Most Of The State
We took an extended family vacation with my siblings and their families to visit my grandparent’s house in Bradenton, FL. From there, we hopped in the car, drove to The Keys, and spun around again to head to Tampa ( The 305!)
This Vacation was geared a little bit more towards the kiddos, without hitting up Disney. Although, there were a few too many Moscow Mules & Prickly Pear Margarita’s enjoyed.
MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium
This aquarium was one of the best I’ve ever seen. They rescue injured marine life from the ocean, rehab it, study it, save endangered species, you name it. We saw a ton of different species of sharks, fish, sting rays, and turtles, which the kiddos really enjoyed! They were able to pet starfish, see baby jellyfish, and experience the winds of a hurricane! Across the street from the aquarium, there were manatees, too! We spent about 4 hours there. We got lunch on the same block right on the gulf. All within walking distance.
Everglades National Park
Like I said above, if you’re in a state with a National Park, you’ve GOT to go! The Everglades was fabulous! Every bridge you crossed, you could see an aligator. It was warm and breezy and the island vibe is present as soon as you arrive. There’s fruit stands and smoothie stands on the way there and a million trails to walk. The kiddos didn’t last long, but you get in for free with a 4th grader, so that was a perk! We loaded up on fruits & veggies (some we don’t have back home) and headed to our Airbnb from here.
Key West
It was about 2 hours down “The Highway That Goes To The Sea”, U.S. Hwy 1. It’s the most beautiful highway I have ever driven on while simultaneously being the most terrifying. We arrived mid-afternoon and went to find “The Most Southern Point” of the States. The buoy had been vandalized the week prior so we were unsure what it was going to look like, but they had it up and re-painted! The Hemmingway House was a must-do for my niece & sister-in-law, there were tons of kitties. We went to a little bistro on the water while they explored the house. There were a ton of adorable little shops to browse through as well! On the way home, we stopped in Islamorada, FL where my cousins own an art shop, JessicaAnnArt, that’s right in the heart of the art district. We drank some beers at the neighboring brewery, which is one of our favorite vacation hobbies! We also went to the beach where Bloodline took place to watch the sunset (which was the wrong side of the ocean, whoops)!
New Orleans, LA || Party Vacation
I was 21 years old, I had just graduated from Nursing School after 4 grueling years and I was READY TO PARTY! My husband, brother, and sister-in-law flew out on a Thursday to experience all NOLA had to offer and BOY DID WE.
Tourist-y Things
Bourbon Street did not disappoint! After checking into the Airbnb, we headed straight there and didn’t leave until about 3am. We drank ‘hand grenades’, absinth, alcoholic slushies, and lots of shots you could buy off of people walking up and down the street. We went to the “Museum of Death” which was full of serial killer memorabilia (terrifying). We saw a NOLA wedding walking down the street, went to the French Quarter & Frenchman Street, I don’t remember much more, but I do remember ending the night (everynight) with a PoBoy Which brings me to the second best thing to do in New Orleans — EAT!
The Food
There wasn’t a meal we didn’t enjoy. I’m not huge on seafood, but it didn’t matter. There were plenty of adventurous things to try. We ate hushpuppies, oysters, alligator bites, beignet, and every night before we’d get home, we’d offer to buy our Uber drivers a po-boy if they’d stop and let us get one. NONE of them refused. Melba’s was our favorite and was right around the corner from our Airbnb! A roast beef poboy ‘dressed’ to cure a hangover. There’s nothing like it! My husband swears that the best food he got was from a gas station on the drive home from the day we spent on the ocean
Fan Boat Tour
My sister-in-law requested a fast fan boat tour, my husband requested not to go on one at all, so we compromised and went on a 60-seater that took us slowly through the bayou. We saw a million or more alligators as our tour guide fed them marshmallows. When we turned around to look at the guide, he was holding a baby one, and let everyone take a turn holding them! It was a beautiful and wild trip
Seattle, WA || Hands Down
Seattle was my favorite stateside vacation ever taken! This one is the best for many reasons. We went in Mid-May when the weather was absolutely gorgeous, it hardly rained! We planned, a LOT of things to do, but also went with the flow if the group wasn’t into it.
Olympic National Park
Are you seeing a trend? We spent an entire day in the national park! The hikes were AMAZING. We went to the top of the mountain to start and on the way down hit up plenty of waterfalls and even one that looked like a rainforest! We ate lunch in Forks, WA. Yes, their town is still clinging to Twilight. We drove through Aberdeen, which was home to Kurt Cobain, and made it back by nightfall.
Sight Seeing
We did all the Seattle things. We went to Pikes Market, stopped at the first starbucks, rode the ferris wheel, went to the glass blowing museum, the Museum of Pop Culture, The Space Needle, & attended an art & music festival in City Park. Every single one of these things were worth it. What an incredible city!
Yacht Rental
Ok, hear me out. Grabbing a few cases of seltzers, and some snacks, pack a lunch, rent an old restored yacht where the captain drives you around and shows you all the big tech money houses on Lake Washington. Yeah, it was as incredible as it sounds. We wore our bathing suits, grabbed some rays, ate, drank, and were merry. This is a core memory experience.
My favorite thing to ask my husband when we’re leaving vacation: “Where to next?”
[Under Canvas] [MOTE]
