Arizona
I visited Arizona when I was younger on a trip to the Grand Canyon with my family. This time, in the summer of 2017, I got to road trip from Flagstaff to Page and then along the scenic highways into Utah. There's nothing like seeing the red rocks of the southwest of the USA from the road!
I visited Page, Arizona when I was 12 years old. My experience back then took me to a resort on the shores of Lake Powell. This experience influenced my decision to see Lake Powell again this summer. I am so glad I did!
In my last post, I wrote about visiting Antelope Canyon off Rte 98 on my second day in Page. On my first day, I visited a different location called Horseshoe Bend. Horseshoe Bend is so photogenic it's worth walking through the heat of the desert to see it. Unlike Antelope Canyon, there's no cost to go there!
Later in the day, I went to the lake. A hefty park fee almost kept me from experiencing the epic beauty of Lake Powell again. Thanks to my Airbnb host, I was able to swim in it's clear, blue waters once again—and also for free!
It's a secret that was only exposed less than 90 years ago. Before that, Mother Earth had been busy painting waves into stone with water. The result is a photographer's dream location.
And the photographers show up in herds. This is why you need to know how I got to see it before all the crowds got there and without paying premium ticket prices.
In this post, I use my first-hand experience to answer everything you need to know about Antelope Canyon.
I am writing right now from Utah!
I will be here for another few hours and then I am heading back to Arizona to celebrate our nation's Independence. There really has been no better way to celebrate the USA's birthday than to visit some of our nation's most spectacular national parks (and more).
During this trip, I have also had the chance to reflect on what Independence Day might mean to other groups in America, such as the Diné (Navajo people) and other local tribes indigenous to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.
Soon I will write all about my experiences road tripping from Flagstaff to St. George and back. But before I do, the following is a little photographic teaser. In two weeks, look out for a regular post about this trip (with all the trappings)!
California
My best friend moved to the San Francisco Bay Area back in 2006. So I've spent a lot of time traveling back and forth between New York and California. Inevitably, on my return flight to the USA, I stopped over in California to visit Erin and her husband. We climbed to California's Mission Peak before I left home for New York.
Fremont, California's popular hike to Mission Peak boasts gorgeous views over Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. The mostly exposed trail rises steadily through cattle farms before reaching the summit. There, a summit pole doubles as an art piece and artifact emphasizing environmental and social awareness.
I had never hiked to Mission Peak before, but my best friend has made it her yearly ritual ever since she moved to the area from New York. This time, we would hike to Mission Peak together. With me at the close of my travels and her at 6-months pregnant—we were both celebrating milestones in our lives and preparing for the next chapter to come.
Colorado
When your friend moves to another states—it becomes an opportunity.
My bestie and travel-inspirer, Dasha, moved to Denver in 2018, sparking a series of visits to
the gorgeous Rocky Mountain state and city with all its artsy, outdoorsy beauty!
For the last few hours of my last day in Denver, Dasha took me to explore the River North (RiNo) Art District. We drank cider, took in street art, and played with bike shares. It was a simple and fulfilling way to kill some time before my flight back to Miami.
RiNo Art District is a part of a non-profit art collective focused on uplifting local artists and small business owners. The district also represents a prime example of the erasure of Black history, culture, and prosperity. And how white visitors can contribute to that.
It’s Black History Month, and so I kick off this post with a bit of education about one of our country’s most gentrified cities right down to its most gentrified neighborhood—what was once considered The Harlem of the West.
Perhaps this is why they call it COLORado. I planned a trip to Denver to hike the Rocky Mountains. What I didn’t know is that one of the most gorgeous views during my trip would be the trees right in my friend’s neighborhood.
We took a short drive through Baker and other Denver neighborhoods to visit a farmer’s market on my last day in Denver. It was a perfect Fall day and the colors of the trees were more vibrant than this Floridian has ever remembered Fall being!
Apparently, the right combination of conditions in 2021 allowed for one of the most colorful Falls in Denver in a long time. I’m so glad I got to see it as we browsed the local farmer’s market. I couldn’t stop taking photos! Read on to see more photos of just how gorgeous it was!
I was a major horror film buff growing up and I still am. That’s why I agreed to take up Dasha's suggestion to check out the Stanley Hotel while in Estes Park, CO. Especially since it was the weekend before Halloween!
If you don’t know, the Stanley Hotel was famously the inspiration for Stephen King's thriller novel The Shining. After Dasha and I hiked Rocky Mountain National Park, we made a stop to experience all its spookiness.
What we discovered was a lot of people, a blustery day, and some unexpected facts about this iconic resort inn.
Back in late October, before the omicron COVID-19 variant was in the news, I took a 3-day trip out to Colorado. I had 2 goals while there—to spend time with my bestie, Dasha, and to hike some mountains!
I have absolutely no mountains close by to hike in Miami. So Dasha and I chose a hike that would take us to about 10,000 feet in elevation and end with two gorgeous mountain lake views.
This hike took me higher than my hike up Mount Ngauruhoe (aka Mount Doom) in New Zealand! While, I hiked Hunter Mountain in New York back in August, this was going to be my first time hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park.
This week has been a busy and challenging one for me. So I am going to simply share with you all a sneak peak into my trip to Denver, CO back in late October. I went on a whim and had an amazing time!
This short photo essay is like a trailer to feature length posts I plan to write about my time out there.
Three things I love: unique art, colorful lighting, and amazing food. I managed to experience all 3 in the second half of my last day with Dasha in Colorado.
Little did I know, this was going to be my last few hours of true domestic travel for a while. With physical distancing about to hit the United States a week later, I am so grateful that I had such an amazing experience the night before I flew back to Miami.
In this post, learn all about the Ice Castles, take in some of my favorite photos from the experience, and drool over the amazing meal we had in a small Colorado town on our way back to Denver. All around this was a 10/10 experience and I’m so excited to share it with you!
Right before the COVID19 pandemic hit the United States I traveled to Denver, Colorado to visit my friend, Dasha. I now feel so lucky that I got to see her before the shut down. I even got to check off a bucket list item—snowshoeing!
After my first winter living in Florida, I was craving some craggy, snow-topped mountains!
I had a full 3-day weekend in February to explore the mountains with Dasha before travel restrictions went into place. We hiked Mount Falcon park and we explored Breckenridge and the surrounding area. Read and see all the glorious photos from my last major trip in this post.
There's nothing like spending time with a close friend in a new city and seeing new sights together.
For the last 2 days of my trip to visit Dasha in Denver, I saw psychedelic art, celebrated her birthday with more of her friends, and explored some iconic parts of the Denver area.
We visited the Natura Obscura art exhibit, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and checked out a little western mining town called Golden. Read on to hear about and see all that we did before I departed back to New York!
You know what's awesome? Having friends as adventurous as I am—friends who aren't afraid to travel across the country to try on a new lifestyle. That's what my friend Dasha did over a year ago when she moved to Denver, CO.
A hiker like me, Dasha left her Brooklyn life seeking higher elevations. When I visited for her birthday weekend back in April, I had the privilege of experiencing some of Denver's gorgeous mountain views.
We also had the chance to explore a bit of Denver's nightlife and restaurants. I did a ton with Dasha in just the first 24 hours in Denver—but there's more! This 3 day weekend in Denver is in 2 parts. Here is part 1...ready, set, go!
Florida
I grew up visiting parts of Florida as a child and again as an adult for work-related travel. I returned for a few visits and then full on moved to Miami in 2019! Living there throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic meant lots of local trips around Florida and tips to share for visitors and locals alike.
St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the continental US. The city was settled by Spanish colonizers in 1565!
In 24 hours, Kim and I had a whirlwind, self-guided tour of the main walking part of the city called “Old Town.” We ate delicious food, explored shopping, observed various opportunities for museum visits and tours, and so much more!
In this post, I give twelve recommendations for various experiences you can have. Each suggestion is accessible along the main tourist street or just beyond it.
I don’t do paid tours all that often but sometimes they are worth it! When Kim and I visited the town of St. Augustine, we decided to also check out the famous lighthouse nearby.
The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum have been there for almost 150 years! It’s a beautiful, actively working lighthouse overlooking the East coast region just across from St. Augustine.
This was a great activity to do during relatively clear skies—there were no thunderstorms to keep us from climbing to the top (unlike our first visit to the Castillo Del San Marcos the day before)! I also learned a bit about maritime archeology, which I loved to see as a SCUBA diver!
While up north in Seyville, I could not pass up the opportunity to visit St. Augustine. St. Augustine is the oldest city in America founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers.
One of the most famous tourist attractions in St. Augustine is Castillo de San Marcos. I decided to do this very typical tour because castles are just cool!
Along the way, I discovered that accessing one of the coolest parts of the castle is only an option when the skies are clear of lightning! This meant that I went back to visit twice in 24 hours—worth it!
During our stay in Seville, Florida, my friends and I were looking to venture off premises to see a bit of the area. Our Airbnb host suggested we check out some of the natural, freshwater springs in the area.
She mentioned Salt Springs as one of her favorites because of the freshwater pits that we could explore. As soon as I heard we could free-dive into them and that there were even some little creatures we would find there, I was hooked! We had to go!
We packed up my car with snacks and headed there on our second day in Seville.
When I moved to Miami, I thought my food adventures would center mostly around Cuban cuisine. I quickly realized how wrong I was!
Cuban food happens to be one of my least favorite and most infrequently tapped into cuisines here in Miami. Instead, I’ve satiated my foodie desires through this pandemic with a vast diversity of not only Latine foods but cultures from all over the world.
Being in a big city means I can still find some of my favorite types of food as well as some of my all time favorites for a tropical climate with a huge Latine and Caribbean population. In this post, I introduce all of my favorites, as well as giving some honorable mentions and acknowledgements to the Miami standards.
While visiting Orlando for a conference, I decided to take a little detour for a nature fix. Wekiwa Springs State Park is one of many parks with springs in the area surrounding Orlando. It looked like the perfect place to enjoy a couple of hours in the sun.
This park has much to do including camping, swimming, kayaking, and what I decided to do on my trip—get lost hiking!
Well, I didn’t exactly get lost, but I did end up going down a trail that was once a trail but is no longer! I went literally off the beaten path. Oops! I guess Google maps isn’t always the most accurate about its park trails.
I learned a new word this past weekend—Agritourism! Who knew there was a whole word for all the farm stays, farm stands, and farm-to-table dining?
This new word came across my path quote literally as I rode up and down Krome Avenue in Western Miami. This stretch of road is one of several popular bicycle paths, better known for its access to farmed goods and supplies.
I enjoyed a few hours ride in the afternoon sun, visiting different farm vendors. From homemade breads to roasted corn on the cob—this was an agritourism experience I’d like to taste all over again soon!
What’s the safest way to enjoy music during a pandemic? Outdoors!
Recently, my friend Kim took me for a late birthday present to my first concert in years. The concert was held outside at Miami’s North Beach Bandshell.
Nu Deco Nucleus is the ensemble that performed, covering a variety of music. The central allure, at least for me, was their tribute covers of a few hits by Daft Punk. The entire setting was decorated in candlelight, making it an incredibly atmospheric setting. In this post, I share video and photos highlighting this spectacular experience.
I love discovering new hobbies. Even more, I love finding little adventurous experiences not far from home. Both of these loves defined my day trip to the Florida Keys a couple of weeks ago.
Different from another time when I took a day trip to the Florida Keys, I finally went paddleboarding for the first time on this trip! With my experienced paddleboarding friend Meli, we rented paddleboards and explored mangroves and even a tiny island.
All in all, this was a perfect little getaway day trip and now I can’t wait to paddle board again!
Wow! I had an amazing time visiting the new, immersive art space in Miami called Superblue.
After going to the Van Gogh exhibit in May and Artechouse earlier this year—I was already hooked on these types of spaces. But this one totally takes the cake!
The experience is reasonably priced and not so popular that it can’t be enjoyed safely as we continue to experience high cases of COVID-19 in South Florida. You’ll just want to follow some of my “pro tips” in this post to have the best experience possible!
I now live less than an hour drive from Key largo in the Florida Keys. With such close access, I can actually SCUBA dive gorgeous waters and reef more easily—an activity I usually reserve for long-distance and international travel.
This increased access opened up my mind to the idea of enhancing my SCUBA certification. I’ve always wondered about Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) diving and so I decided to take the “plunge” so to speak! In doing so , I signed up to take the course and pre-paid for 6 dives with Rainbow Reef dive company in Key Largo. Whenever I feel like going, I can drive down, hop on a boat and go diving!
It has been 5 years since I last dove with Rainbow Reef and it was amazing once again! The visibility was great for diving 2 wrecks and encountering 2 sharks!
After my friends visited Miami, my friend Kim invited me to spend Memorial Day weekend in Orlando at her Airbnb.
Happenstance led me to eating a bunch of Asian cuisine from 3 separate countries in one day. We also visited a gorgeous botanical garden and kayaked lakes connected by canals.
This was an awesome, post-vaccination weekend and one I’d definitely do again sometime to see more of Orlando.
The vaccine for COVID-19 changed a lot of things in the last few months. Places all over the USA are opening up, including New York City this past weekend for Pride events. And Miami has been opened up for a while.
I didn’t feel comfortable going out fully until about one month ago when two of my friends visited. In anticipation of their arrival, I put together an itinerary of activities based on their requests. We were all eager to not only spend time together but to also go out like “normal" and explore a city—the city of Miami!
For me, I am basically still new to Miami since the pandemic hit only a few months after my arrival. So this was a really awesome 4-day adventure around Miami including a hotel stay at Miami beach, tons of great food, awesome rooftop bars, and so much more.
Our experience serves as a guide for any vaccinated visitor or staycationer in Miami!
I missed pre-pandemic visits to art exhibits and museums. Especially as a newcomer to the very art-centric city of Miami, I couldn’t wait to dive back into the art scene here. As people get vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, there’s now more opportunities to get together with friends and see art safely indoors.
Two weeks ago, my friends visited from New York and Denver. I took them to the immersive Beyond Van Gogh exhibit. The exhibit made me feel like I was inside of Gogh’s paintings. It was awesome!
In this post, I share some background about the exhibit as well as photos and a video depicting our absolute joy during this experience.
My friend’s birthday was coming and I wanted to gift her an experience. Artechouse in Miami had COVID-19 restrictions that made me feel safe enough to visit—so I bought tickets to take her there for their current exhibit.
Aqueous is a cool, blue, ocean-inspired multi-media art experience at Artechouse. Far from art hanging on a wall, Aqueous is video production and atmospheric audio. This art makes you feel it emotionally and interact with it in a physical way!
I loved this exhibit and feel lucky to live in a city like Miami with access to art like this. Sometimes, you don’t have to go far to experience something new and creative!
Who knew there was a top beach with insanely soft, white sand within short distance from my Miami home? Rated the #1 beach in the USA, Siesta Beach did not disappoint on this last night of my Gulf Coast trip.
After a weekend of solo adventuring, I felt so fulfilled by this opportunity to safely chill with some friends and eat a great meal while relaxing at this beach.
The bonus was discovering what is now my favorite beach in the world! Learn more about why in this post!
After a morning at Myakka park, I was ready to get in the water!
Kayaking was on the schedule next. This would be my 2nd adventure on the 3rd day of my Gulf Coast trip. I was excited to experience what Sarasota Bay had to offer in the way of mangroves!
This time I would get to be physically distant by not socially distant. My friend was coming in from Orlando to join me on this adventure. We indulged in much-needed friend time while remaining responsible outdoors and with masks.
The mangroves in Sarasota Bay turned out to be the best I’ve ever experienced! We had an amazing time exploring them and having some wonderful laughs as friends.
I found my way to Saratoga county for day 3 of my trip on Florida’s Gulf Coast. I started my day off with a visit to Myakka River State Park.
I became a little obsessed with wooden observation towers in parks after visiting Tree Tops park in Davie, Florida a few weeks before. The observation tower there was so cool that I started searching Florida for other structures like it.
This research brought me to Myakka. This enormous park had so much to explore that, while I went to see the park’s famous canopy walkway, I stayed for its other features.
There are few experiences where you can interact with wild marine animals on their terms. I tried it with humpback whales in Niue without much luck. I tried it with seals in South Africa to no avail. I was determined this time on my trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast to snorkel with manatees—Florida’s gentle, herbivorous, “sea cow.”
I was ready to get in the water with them after kayaking near them on not one, not two, but three occasions,. The city of Crystal River is the only place in the United States that allows people to be in the water with them.
Through self-guided means only and maintaining my ethical animal tourism and COVID-19 standards, I managed to kayak to and snorkel near manatees at Three Sisters Springs. Learn how I did it all on my own in this post, complete with photos and a video of these awesome marine mammals!
I love it when travel activities fall into my lap unexpectedly. By sheer circumstance, I stumbled across Rainbow Springs State Park. This park has some of the most gorgeous crystal clear, aqua blue water I’ve ever seen!
Only a 2 minute drive from my Airbnb, I decided to spend my morning exploring the park. I thought I might check it out by kayak but the chilly air of the morning and a tight schedule led me to hiking the park instead.
I had no idea I’d end up enjoying this park as much as I did. Sometimes the best travel moments happen without prior planning!
The surprise in this blog post is in the title—I got to go diving on my last minute trip to the Gulf Coast! Who knew that an dirty Airbnb and a rainy day would lead to my first dive experience in over a year?
My trip started out a bit uncomfortably. I arrived at my Airbnb to find it only half cleaned in the middle of a global pandemic. I also saw that rain in the weather report for the next day. Both could have put a real damper on my plans and my spirit. But they didn’t!
I managed to turn a piece of coal into a polished gem! It just took demanding what I wanted and not letting circumstances hold me back.
I barely traveled in 2020—to New York, Denver, and then little trips and experiences around Florida. Once January 2021 arrived, I was feeling apprehensive but also hopeful as COVID-19 infection rates were growing and vaccines were about to be rolled out. I thought to myself that I should really plan a trip. But I also wanted to be safe.
I wanted to go on a trip like to my tiny house trip last summer. I wanted it to be far enough and different enough to feel like I was truly away.
After hemming and hawing my way through January, I finally made a decision to take a mini 4-day road trip down the Gulf Coast of Florida. My next few posts are going to be all about this trip. In this post, I talk about what went into planning it! Planning something so last minute came with a few road blocks—but it all turned out great in the end.
This past weekend I discovered a new and truly magical park! While I visited in rainy weather, I can’t complain because it was still so warm out!
I feel so grateful that I moved to Florida in time for the COVID19 pandemic to hit. Family and friends are dealing with snowstorm after snowstorm in the Northeast. Meanwhile, I am to be able to go outdoors and explore nature in comfortable temperatures.
I’ve explored parks near and far during this pandemic. But Tree Tops Park might be my favorite discovery yet! Ant here’s still so much more to explore.
Many people have taken up new hobbies during this pandemic in order to quell boredom. Or they have revitalized old hobbies that they left in the past.
I am happy to say I finally revitalized an old hobby and bought myself a bicycle! I’ve been imagining getting my own bicycle for a while so it’s really exciting for me that I have one now.
I’ve been getting myself more comfortable on the bike and exploring some neighboring areas and parks. It’s been a great way to cover lots of ground and see new places right in my Miami backyard. In this post, I share a couple of the rides I’ve taken locally and explore other hobbies I’ve taken up since the pandemic started.
As I write this, we still don’t know the results of the 2020 presidential election. But it’s definitely going to be close. Has your anxiety been skyrocketing over the last few weeks? Months? Years?
Well, you’re not alone! I went on a little local adventure to calm my nerves this past weekend and I am so grateful that I did. I guess local snorkel trips are one benefit of living in a tropical region during a pandemic and a tumultuous election year.
The weather was beautiful on Sunday. I wanted to do something that would make me feel like I was spending time in the Caribbean. I managed to get that feeling, even though it was fleeting, even though the reef wasn’t too spectacular, and even though I was interrupted by some unwelcome, furry visitors.
I thought I might stop posting since I am all out of travel content. Then I thought about how everyone is going through the same thing right now. Every traveler is stuck at home. So how are we getting through this life without travel?
In this post, I share some of the little adventures I take locally around Miami. I take my kayak out. I go for walks through an absolutely stunning Jungle forest. I cook from home. Sometimes I meet up with a friend for a socially distant hang out. Other times, I just hop online for some family bonding time inside a virtual, post-apocalyptic video game world.
Here’s a look at two parks I’ve explored as I’ve been staying local during 5 months of quarantine!
Sometimes we just need to get away! Taking care of your mental health is so important especially when locked down in quarantine during a global pandemic. I decided to do just that for my birthday a few weeks ago—and it was so wonderful!
I decided to spend my quarantine birthday in a tiny house North of Miami. I took a short drive there from my South Florida residence so I could try out this living experience for a few days.
I was also interested in checking out a nearby wildlife reserve. I had my inflatable kayak with me. I was ready to spot some manatees and view the blue glow of bioluminescent plankton in the water at night.
I managed to experience all of this and so much more during my tiny house stay in July. Read on for the full story!
Society has changed drastically in only a few short weeks. We all now need to reduce our contact with other people in order to “flatten the curve,” or lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this moment, I am focused on protecting my mental health and encouraging others to do the same. We can do this by eating healthy, going for walks, or socializing with friends and family over WhatsApp video. These are some of the things I have been doing recently to stay centered and healthy.
But I also realized early on that this situation is completely conducive to my solo travel lifestyle. Solo adventuring is not canceled! Nature is not canceled! And kayaking with manatees is definitely not canceled! In this post, I tell my story about hitting the water less than 2 weeks ago to socialize with manatees instead of people.
I've been living in Miami for over 8 months now. While I definitely do not know Miami like I know my home city of New York, I am starting to get the hang of this place.
Beaches and nightlife are what Miami is most known for. But I present in this post some of the other parts of Miami that you should explore.
I know quite a lot about Miami culture at this point—from its predominantly Cuban culture to its unexpectedly large Jewish community. In this post, I explore some of my favorite places to go from restaurants and bars to street art and nature.
The first time I visited the Florida Everglades was an epic fail when it came to seeing any alligators. After moving to Miami in Summer 2019, I was determined to go using the right method during the right weather and finally see some gators.
I revisited the Shark Valley Visitor Center shortly after my move, this time ready to rent a bicycle and withstand inclement weather. I managed to spot a few alligators on my first couple of visits. But it wasn't until the winter that I saw so many I lost count!
Now as a local, I have all the secrets to maximizing your chances of seeing alligators in the Everglades.
Hawaii
The first time I visited Hawaii was for my best friend's wedding on Maui. I returned 3 years later to explore Oahu. Between the amazing beaches, beautiful waterfalls, surfers, diving, and hikes, I am a huge fan of the Aloha State and all it has to offer!
There's a lot to see and do around the Waikiki area that will drain your bank account. But there's also a lot to do for those on a budget!
You can certainly lounge on the beach all day for free. You can even visit Pearl Harbor for free! But there's tons of other cultural, physical, and food-related activities around Waikiki that I find a lot more interesting!
In this post, I outline the best activities in the Waikiki area that won't break the bank!
![The Weirdest Wreck Dive Ever in Oahu, Hawaii [Videos]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/53b6ec86e4b09a1fb529c6b8/1495503689897-GKNBIMA33QOT3WMKPMHN/P1211051a.jpg)
I have never had a dive experience quite like the one I had in Hawaii this past January.
I've logged over 30 dives around the world. This has included incredible sights at the Great Barrier Reef, lightning storm dives in Florida, and a near-fatal fight against currents in Bali. After so much diving, I am still having new and unique experiences under the ocean's surface.
This dive tops them all! From shipwreck-dwelling sea turtles to a sunken airplane, I was already incredibly fulfilled on my dives with Ocean Legends in Honolulu. But then a most unexpected arrival came sweeping through: A submarine! Read on—and watch the videos—to re-experience it all with me!
When people think of Hawaii, they don't often think of hiking. They think of beaches, and snorkeling, and surfing. Getting all hot and sweaty walking up mountains is not most people's idea of an island vacation. Even so, Hawaii has some topnotch hiking.
Most tourists who visit Oahu only know about the Stairway to Heaven. A 24/7 guard blocks entry to the hike because it's so dangerous it's actually illegal to hike it. They will fine you up to $1,000 or 6 months in prison if caught. Trust me. You do not have to risk your life or a fine to experience amazing hikes on Oahu. I learned Oahu in particular has some of the best hiking in all the Hawaiian islands. Below are 3 of my favorites with photos highlighting the best features of each.
I love adventurous eating and local cultural food. Hawaii has opportunities for both. Mainly, there’s a wonderful combination of both native Hawaiian foods and Asian cultural influences on Oahu. The Hawaiian food is reminiscent of some of the Polynesian dishes I had in Niue. And the Asian influences come from the large population of Japanese, Filipinos, Chinese, and Korean people living on Oahu. I start with an in-depth description of some of the traditional Hawaiian cuisine I ate. Then I mostly list all of the other must-try foods and places to eat them.
There once was a traveler named Rikka and all she dreamed about was being in a wonderland filled with pineapples. She wished for pineapple-shaped plush toys, pineapple-landscaped fields, and pineapple-infused and -flavored everything! Then one day on her trip to Hawaii her dream came true.
I found all I had ever hoped for and more at the Dole Plantation on Oahu. Fulfilling yet another long-time fantasy, the Dole Plantation also has the world's largest maze on its property! And so, I devoted this entire post to my citrus-packed maze exploration at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii.
My Airbnb location on Oahu was literally steps from the North Shore beaches. And I took full advantage!
While staying near the town of Haliewa in January, I had the perfect vantage point from which to explore the many beaches of the North Shore. I easily fell right back into the island, beach-bum lifestyle that I had grown to love while exploring Ko Tao, Paihia, Niue, Bali, and other locations around the world.
The North Shore of Oahu is yet another location I have fallen in love with. The only conflict is that there are almost too many beach options! To help with this "problem," I've put together a list of what I think are the top 10 North Shore beaches, including their highlights.
View My Interactive Map of Oahu to easily locate all of these beaches and more!
Before I traveled to Oahu, I did something I hadn't done since my trip to Iceland in 2014. I made a map. And I am super excited to share this map with you all! Why A Map? Because it's a thorough, visual guide to things to do on the island of Oahu. A few weeks before my departure, I perused the internet for the most epic hikes, the prettiest beaches, the top dive and snorkel locations, the most interesting cultural attractions, and the best local foods to eat. This map includes all of the places I found that I thought were worthy to check out. Even if I ran out of time to do it all, it's all there. There are nearly 100 activities listed. I certainly did not have time to do it all, but I did do A LOT. So allow this map to be an introduction of what I will be covering in my upcoming posts about my trip to Oahu.
A few weeks ago, I visited the island of Oahu in Hawaii while a transition of power took place back on the mainland. Former President Obama gave way to the Trump administration. On the day that followed, over 2.5 million people marched for women's rights, human rights, and more across the world.
I marched with Hawaii.
In the middle of my vacation, I drove to Hawaii's state capitol to join over 8,000 others marching. The woman who created the original Facebook invite calling for a march after the election back in November is from Hawaii. So I felt being present at this particular march, the birthplace of the idea, was extra special.
Below, I share photos and video from the march and the rally afterwards which included messages unique to Hawaii and its culture. I also share my perspective as a world traveler participating in this worldwide protest that united cities and even some political opponents.
In February of 2014, I visited Maui for my best friend Erin's wedding. Three years later, I am currently traveling around Oahu! I am super excited to have the opportunity to explore another Hawaiian Island this week.
So, in anticipation of sharing my Oahu adventures on the blog, I wanted to take a look back at the experience I had in Maui. I was maid of honor at the time, so I was mostly busy helping out with the wedding. But, in between wedding plans, I had the opportunity to see a lot of the island. I drove the road to Hana, swam in a waterfall, drove up a volcano, hiked a bamboo forest, explored caves, went whale watching, attended a Hawaiian luau, and lots more.
It was during a time before I had my nicer camera, but I still took tons of photos with my Windows Phone and received some great shots from the friends I was with. Regardless, this photo-centric post will show you what Maui is like and the types of activities that can be enjoyed on a Hawaiian vacation.
Kentucky
A one-day trip over the border from Tennessee took me and some friends to see some bison and elk! We left the state feeling energized after a picnic on Energy Lake. I hope to explore more of this state some day.
I've decided to hold off on writing more about Nashville this week in order to honor the bison. If you haven't heard, President Obama signed a bill this past Monday to make the bison America's first national mammal!
I was lucky enough to see this incredible beast (and over 40 of its bison friends) roam the open prairie one state over from Tennessee last month. We saw them while on a day trip to Land Between the Lakes which stretches across the border into Kentucky.
A two-hour road trip outside Nashville brought us across the border for a very close encounter with these historic symbols of strength and intimidation. Let me say that again: A very close encounter. I'll let you decide for yourself just how close you would get!
Louisiana
I traveled with Jono (my partner from New Zealand) to New Orleans for the first time in July 2016. This city is now a favorite of mine in the USA! I loved all of the food, music, and simply walking the streets lined with colorful homes with lattice-word terraces. Such a unique and culturally vibrant city!
Compromising my ethical values is something I do not do very often. And it never feels good doing it. But my bestie was coming with me to NOLA for the weekend. So I said yes to a swamp tour I had warned would likely be unethical to the animals. I've never been so upset about being right.
The last time I was in NOLA, I "broke into" the local zoo. Although I didn't pay to get in, walking around there reinforced my ethical standards around animal tourism. I've written about this before, such as with the Monkey Forest in Ubud. Basically, my standards are don't support it unless it's highly regulated and the interaction is as natural as possible.
The Bayou Tours in Louisiana broke these rules. And I say the plural word "tours" because it's more than just the one we went on. While I learned a lot about the wildlife and swamp ecosystem on the tour, I cringed as the tour guide fed marshmallows to the animals. That only scratches the surface. Read on to learn more about why I'll never support tours like this again!
The verdict is in! I finally tried the two most famous fried chicken dishes in NOLA to determine which is better: Willie Mae or Dooky Chase. Which will it be?!
The last time I was in NOLA was summer 2016. I went to Dooky Chase's with my then-boyfriend from New Zealand. We gobbled down a buffet of Dooky's best, including her famous fried chicken. We loved it. But then we went to the airport later on and a fellow traveler told us Willie Mae's was better. Talk about #regrets!
So, upon arriving in New Orleans for a second time, Willie Mae's had to be on my agenda. I checked into my accommodation and I hopped in an Uber and sped over to the neighborhood of Treme. Now I can tell you which I think is the better dining experience.
I love myself a little deviance. I mean, where do you think this blog title came from, really? New Orleans is definitely not in short supply of queer, sexy, nighttime fun! And so I'm going to bring you the sampling I tasted back in November.
I had one night during my work trip to New Orleans to experience the nightlife. The other nights I had to behave. A bender on bourbon street would not have boded well for my conference presentations the next day. So I was very happy to have Saturday night to get a little wild with my bestie, Erin!
Our night included tons of queer, sexy, funny entertainment—and also some horse poop. Allow me to explain.
The last time I visited New Orleans was in July. I didn't make it to NOLA's City Park then because July happened to be the worst month of the year to visit NOLA. It was so hot.
November in NOLA was a totally different story. It was not only the perfect weather, the city was also buzzing with the upcoming holiday season. So I saw all the exciting lights being strung and holiday decorations going up everywhere—including in the park.
The comfortable temperature and holiday atmosphere are why visiting NOLA's City Park in November was such a great experience. It was so great I had to write this post all about it! As always, I have lots of photos to share, including beautiful art, nature, and a surprise holiday lights display!
I love doing these lists. They are a good way to sum up some of the extra stuff I did in a location that is good enough to share but does not warrant a full blown post.
So here's a bunch of photos with descriptions about stuff I did that's totally worth doing in New Orleans. This includes going to the French Market which was full of all kinds of excellent treasures (and giant watermelons) as well as taking my Atheist self to church on Sunday morning. Say what?!
You'll also recognize some emblematic experiences I've talked at length about elsewhere. Enjoy!
Last week, I shared stories from a cemetery tour of New Orleans about its burial processes, dead bodies, tombs, and vandalism. In this post, I share more unsettling stories from a ghost tour I took through the French Quarter.
When I was little, I loved to read Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark illustrated with those horrific drawings by Stephen Gammell. Today, I love to watch thriller movies, dress up for Halloween, and learn every story I can about the supernatural, even though I don't actually believe a word of it.
If you enjoy this stuff, too, then you'll love this post even more than the last! I include lots of in-depth stories and lore about murders, hauntings, suicides, and monsters, so you'll get your fill of everything from real-life horrors to silly (but eerie) myths.
The summer is officially over, the leaves are starting to fall, and all my favorite kitschy Halloween stuff is showing up in stores. This is, hands down, my favorite time of year to be in the United States.
In New Orleans this past summer, I went on a free cemetery tour and a free ghost tour where I learned historical and present day tales of the dead and other spooky happenings. What I learned easily qualifies New Orleans as one of the creepiest cities in the country!
With October only a few days away, I am excited to finally share the chilling history of New Orleans in two installments. In this post, I share what I learned from my tour of the city's oldest cemetery.
It's been almost 2 months since I visited New Orleans and I can still feel it. That city had such a lasting impression on me, it's as if the symbolic elements of the city left a permanent imprint on my mind.
When I think of New Orleans, there are several iconic features that stand out to me.
If I had to paint a picture representing the Big Easy for you, it would not be complete without the following.
I have a confession: I accidentally broke into the Audubon Zoo while visiting New Orleans.
Well, perhaps breaking in is an exaggeration. I wandered in through the exit without realizing I was bypassing the admission fee.
Sometimes people make honest mistakes in their life. Sometimes they take advantage of loopholes. My situation fell somewhere in between. And I'll tell you why I felt guilty about it. No, I did not feel guilty that I didn't pay. I felt guilty because I had an epiphany: The caged animals in that zoo are a mirror image of the human race.
Allow me to explain.
I think I picked the worst month to visit New Orleans: The month of July.
When I booked my trip there, I did not realize that July is when many iconic experiences of the Crescent City completely stop for the month. Crawfish season is over, second line parades do not pick up again until August, and many more activities cannot be fully enjoyed as a result of the heat and excessive rain.
Despite these downfalls, I still had an awesome time in NOLA.
In the midst of posting about my visit to New Orleans last week, I neglected to acknowledge the tragic flooding happening in Louisiana.
The effects from the flooding continue to devastate.
So I'm going to take this post to express something I communicated on social media in the last few days. I will go back to my regularly scheduled posting next week!
At the end of 5 days in New Orleans, I felt like I had gained 100 lbs because of all of the eating we did. I regret nothing!
New Orleans is considered Americas "food city." There is literally something for everyone including some serious cultural eating you cannot get anywhere else. Yes, I'm talking about the Crescent City's famous Cajun and Creole influences.
In this post, I give a short review of all the traditional foods you cannot miss and the best places to order them. You'll also learn about the current BBQ craze and up-and-coming Vietnamese trend. Catch them both before they go out of style!
The music culture is one of the main reasons I decided to take Jono to New Orleans this summer.
Trumpets, tubas, and trombones lead the culture of this Louisiana town. It's where parades of brass instruments blare down the streets at the start of a new day and jazz processions commonly mark the end of a life.
From a famous, 20-year old brass band recognized by the Grammy's to simple street performing artists, I saw the Crescent City bring strutting jazz, indie funk, hip-hop attitude and old school swing together under one melodic genre that is uniquely New Orleans.
This is an introduction to New Orleans from the perspective I saw it: From the streets!
Aptly named the Big Easy, I comfortably explored the majority of downtown New Orleans by foot and street car last month. Jono and I were staying in an Airbnb that put us right at the cross section of several different neighborhoods within walking distance of the famous and lively French Quarter district.
Historic black culture, hurricane damage, enormous mansions, blaring brass instruments, drunken tourists and beignets—each of these characteristics define at least one of five neighborhoods in New Orleans.
This is going to be a quick post. I've run out of time to write something more extensive this week because I just returned from my trip to New Orleans and the Florida Keys!
I had an awesome time exploring these two parts of the USA with Jono who has been visiting me from New Zealand this summer. We spent 5 nights in New Orleans and 7 nights in Southern Florida. These places were vastly different from each other and incredible in their own separate ways.
Instead of going into a deep post this week, I've decided to share with you a few of my favorite photos from these two places. I think these photos best capture both locations in their individual glory.
Oregon
In late June of 2014, I traveled to Portland, Oregon to attend and present at a conference. I extended my stay so that I could soak in all that Portland and the surrounding area had to offer. From witnessing the artistic subculture of Portland to white water rafting down the Deschutes River in the small town of Maupin, these posts make up The Oregon Tales.
When I looked out over Portland at Council Crest, the craggy, snowcapped Mt. Hood beckoned. That mountain felt to me like my ticket to an adventure—and I was right but in a most unexpected way. I booked a 24-hour car rental with my friend so we could drive to the Mt. Hood Adventure Park at SkiBowl in Government Camp, Oregon. Just an hour and a half outside of Portland, the park offers a series of activities: zip-lining, hiking tours, bungee jumping, horseback riding, and more. I figured it'd be a good place to find some fun. Once we arrived, we decided to do a water-related activity. I had my sights on stand-up paddle boarding but it was the day after July 4th. "Sorry, SUPs have been booked for weeks," the apologetic SkiBowl employee told us. She handed us their book of activities to flip through to find something else. White water rafting caught our attention.
A common experience while walking around Portland was coming across the uncommon. The city had some completely weird and random art displays spread throughout. Portland seems to breed or attract inventors and creators who think up the most interesting visuals and entertainment spaces. This post highlights just three aspects of the city that I felt "keep Portland weird"— street art, people's yards, and the Kennedy School.
To give you an example of what I mean by street art, I don't mean your typical mural found in Brooklyn, NY. I mean seeing that someone spilled a bucket of blue paint on the sidewalk and that then decided to make the best of the spill and use the excess paint to draw a blue smiley face right next to it. I wish I had gotten a photo of that one. Instead, here's a picture of a fire hydrant with eyes.
For many people, vacations and trips out of town are a chance to sample the destination's food. My trip to Portland was no different—food took on a central motif. I am an avid foodie who believes that tasting the food of a new destination gives you insight into its culture. If the ingredients alone don't tell you, the conversations that happen about the food allows for an understanding of how natives and food relate. I had some amazing things to eat while I was visiting Portland thanks to suggestions from locals and seasoned Portland foodies who led me to some delicious endeavors. If you're headed to Portland soon, or if you're just a foodie like me, this post should get your mouth watering.
“I just witnessed the most amazing thing on the way here this morning,” my graduate school friend said to a group of us on the second day of the conference we were all attending in Portland. She had a gleam of wonder in her eyes as she described her AM commute. A female bus driver had sang a ballad over the loud speaker to all the passengers on board. When she finished the final note everyone clapped and cheered. The driver was in such good spirits, my friend said, that when she pulled up to one of the transfer stations she took the stage again and quipped over the speakers about the available color-coded MAX options. “Blue, red, yellow, green—takes you to your dream!” she chimed.
I like beautiful scenery and a taste of adventure. So here are my top 5 outdoor experiences from my trip to Portland, Oregon this summer.
Forest Park is not the kind of place for an inexperienced hiker. We came prepared with water and snacks because if you don't know where you're going you can easily get lost there. Forest Park is big. Really big. And even though we saw stray locals wandering through, there were long stretches of time when we were completely alone. You can feel totally disconnected from the city and avenues below in there and not know which trail will take you out or turn you deeper into the woods. At times, our hike felt a bit like the hobbit and the dwarves' trek through Mirkwood.
It was only my second day in Portland when I realized that I was experiencing a mild case of culture shock. I have internalized so much of New York City after 6 years of living there. My instincts as a pedestrian have been developed to either follow the crosswalks or make a run for it.
Impatient people are both behind the wheel and on foot in New York. Cars zip through red lights at the last second like the mother with 2 kids in the backseat who hit a friend and I at an intersection on my first day scouting for an apartment. Meanwhile, people scamper across the street long after the orange hand has stopped blinking. It’s a game of Frogger, but with real lives and driver's licenses on the brink of ending.
"Wait, today is what day?" I found myself asking this question on several occasions during my 2-week trip to Portland at the end of June. Perhaps this is the meaning behind "summertime." Summertime is when school lets out and, for most young people, time loses all relevance or meaning. Unfortunately, the freedom summer affords usually changes when you reach adulthood. For most adults, it's business as usual working a 9-5. As a graduate student, it's the same deal: "Summer? What summer?" I'd often say to my family when they asked if they would see me more now that it was May or June. "HAAH!" I would laugh, and they would learn rather quickly that I no longer had summers off like I had in the past.
What I love about Portland is that actually knowing the day of the week in the summer means something fun is planned. In fact, if you're not paying attention to the time--you just might miss out on the most fun ever.
Massachusetts
For years my queer friends have been telling me "You gotta go to P-Town." I understood why—Provincetown, MA is a famous queer destination—but I didn't really know how it would feel until I got there.
There are few places in this world that I feel like I can be absolutely 100% myself. P-Town is now one of those places.
This post is about my experience in P-Town for Memorial Day Weekend and how it shot up to the top of my list of favorite towns to visit in the USA.
New York
I have spent the majority of my life living in New York State. Originally from the Hudson Valley, I spent 6 years living in New York City before I began traveling around the world. I will always consider the Big Apple "home" no matter where I am in the world. There's much to tell about New York and, now that I'm back in the Empire State, I plan to tell it.
When in quarantine, you have to find things to do to keep sane and socially distant! This is what I am doing with my parents now after driving (safely) up from Miami to New York to spend the holidays with them.
This past weekend, dad had a great idea to drive around looking at the Christmas lights neighbors put up around the area in upstate New York. One of these neighbors happens to be a Guinness World Record holder for their lights display.
In celebration of the holidays this week, I am sharing a few of the photos and a video I took while visiting this world famous light display. I also include a few tips for visiting in case you happen to be in the area and want to see it for yourself.
I made it! My quarantine trip from Miami to upstate New York was a success! I drove up the Saturday before Thanksgiving and managed to keep my 14-day quarantine in tact.
It was tough but everything went smooth and it was so worth the trip. I’ve now been spending time with my family for the last week. I’ve been eating way too much food, having a ton of laughs, and appreciating the quaint beauty of rural New York in late Fall.
This post is a quick overview of my trip and what I’ve been up to since my arrival.
I have spent a lot of time in Brooklyn over the years.
Recently, I've been visiting friends there and getting to know the place from a local perspective. And my favorite time to be in Brooklyn? It's got to be the Spring! Between the warmer weather, the flowers popping up, and the cheerier vibe, I love Brooklyn in the Springtime.
The following are some of my favorite activities for when all the flowers start blooming. But don't worry, I share some activities for other seasons, too.
The last time I posted about a hike in upstate New York it was when I hiked Stissing Mountain. That was shortly after I returned form the trip around the world. Since then, I have been meaning to hike more around my hometown area.
The day after Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law, Kate, and I decided to digest our turkey and stuffing with a local hike! I searched for a hike with the following features: in the Dutchess County region, challenging enough to burn some significant calories, short enough to accomplish in a few hours, and able to deliver some spectacular views.
Brace Mountain (2,316 ft) matched all my criteria! And it was a beautiful, late autumn day for a hike.
In my last post about things to do in New York City, I focused mostly on what to see as first-timers to NYC. I featured mainly the places and activities I chose to show my then-boyfriend from New Zealand.
In this post, I cover different things to do in the Big Apple. You could say these suggestions are suited for second-timers! But really, you can pick and choose from this list or the last list and be totally fulfilled during your visit!
Included are activities I've experienced on my own and with others. As a former resident and frequent commuter to the city, I've included all kinds of recommendations from my New York adventures.
In late May of 2017, my cousin Lisa and her partner Christoph visited me in New York from Germany. One of the top travel experiences on her list was to see Niagara Falls during her visit. When she told me this, I started planning our 8 hours drive from Long Island to Niagara on the western border of NY.
With stops at my parents', relatives', and brother's house along the way, I strategized our visit to Niagara Falls so that it would fall on a weekday. The weekend we were traveling upstate was Memorial Day weekend. The last thing I wanted to do was wind up on long lines again like I did the year before on July 4th weekend. No way would I put myself through that again!
But I wasn't completely certain that our visit would be without crowds. On a Tuesday attached to a holiday weekend, I thought others might have the same idea. I discovered they didn't. Like I pro, I got to show Lisa and Christoph the beauty and exhilaration of Niagara Falls without the long lines and wait times. I'm happy to say I had an amazing time there, completely making up for the horrible experience I had previously!
The Jones Beach Air Show (aka Bethpage Air Show) is coming up this Memorial Day weekend. On May 27th and 28th, military aircrafts, civilian jet teams, and aerobatic pilots will take to the skies on Long Island's south shore.
I moved an hour east of New York City for a new job last year. Since then, I've been living about 20 minutes away from Jones Beach on Long Island. The Air Show was my first major introduction to my new location. And it was quite the spectacle.
This post marks my 1 year anniversary since landing my first "real" post-graduate job. This post also marks 1 year since living solo for the first time. I've been loving every minute of my new life! So it's about time I take a break from writing about Hawaii to introduce a local highlight.
I was so delusional last summer. I had a 4-day weekend off from work and Jono was visiting me here in New York. "I'll take him to Niagara falls on independence day weekend," I thought. "What could go wrong?" I thought. Rule number one for travelers who want to avoid crowds, long lines, and over-spending is to never visit popular destinations and landmarks on a holiday. And the last thing you want to do is pay for a tour at such a time. In all the traveling I did abroad, you would think I would not have made such a rookie mistake—in my own state of New York! Alas, I did. And that’s how I was reminded of the consequences when you do not deviate the norm. Warning: I’m going to rant about how awful the tourism industry can be in this post. Get ready for it.
I'm taking a break this week from my New Orleans posts to share a bit about my home city!
While Jono was visiting me for 5 weeks this past summer, I took him on a tour of New York City. Although we did not get to do everything we wanted to, what we did do represents a really good outline of "must-do's" for first-time visitors to the Big Apple.
Lists like these have been done before. But what mine includes is a lot of insider tips you won't get elsewhere.
I discuss some of the most typical experiences you should try to have while in New York with tidbits on the best way to do it. These are experiences only a life-long New Yorker comes to know how to navigate—but now you'll know it, too!
I went to school in the quaint little one-traffic light town of Pine Plains, New York. For years, I drove up Route 82 with a single mountain protruding out from behind farmland to the West and I never once climbed it. Stissing Mountain was an icon of my youth, the namesake of my high school, and I still never managed to get up there.
My motivation to finally climb Stissing came when I returned from my 15-month trip abroad. Discovering the wonders of the world in other people's backyards made me want to discover the wonders I have neglected in my own backyard! As it turns out, Stissing Mountain is quite the unique and unexpected natural wonder because of its significance in nature. It's importance has even been recognized with a display featured in the American Museum of Natural History!
Once I landed back in New York, I did like all New Yorkers do: I hit the ground running. I began flitting around the city, catching up with old friends, and eating my favorite American foods. Then I shot upstate to spend time with my family and reacquaint myself with American consumer culture.
In this post, I'll give you a fast-paced run-through of my arrival back in New York. But then I'll slow it down a bit, as it wasn't until I was tucked away in upstate New York that the full impact of my travels settled in.
Inevitably, I returned with knowledge of languages, cultures, people, and foods that have all become a part of my every day thoughts. Most importantly, I have returned with the challenge of integrating lessons from my travels with my lifestyle back home. During my travels, I learned how to resist planning ahead and allow my innermost wants to guide me. Now it's time to apply these same lessons to the chapter ahead.
It's Christmas! And I'm in New York! I'm home spending the holidays with my family in upstate New York. I thought I'd share a few of our family traditions in addition to my own tradition of seeing the holiday sights around The City.
In between upstate shenanigans, I was in New York City a couple of times over the last few weeks. I got to check out Rockefeller Center, view the decorated Macy's windows, and watch people fall on their faces ice skating in Bryant Park (my favorite!). But now I'm home, baking up a cookie storm with Mom and preparing for our family tradition of opening presents on Christmas Eve.
Before departing for my Year of Deviation trip, I hiked and camped in the Catskill Mountains in upstate New York with four friends from New York City. This weekend trip was the perfect experience to have right before leaving my home country for a year. I am sitting here writing this story in Reykjavik, Iceland, my first Year of Deviation stop. Many adventures await, I am sure of it. But I am still in awe of what we encountered in the Catskills, proving that some adventures can be found in the places we take for granted the most—our own back yards.
Nestled deep in the forest off the main highway surrounded by the Catskill mountains, Woodland Valley campground is run by New York State Parks. Like an outdoor hotel, reservations are needed and made online where you can choose which designated campsite you want to reserve on the grounds. We arrived shortly after check-in at noon.
Tennessee
Tennessee is one of those "fly over states" I never thought I'd actually make it to. But when my friend decided to celebrate her 30th birthday in Nashville, I became very excited about my visit. From its food to its music to its random architecture, this city had lots that I loved and more that I didn't even know I would appreciate.
The USA continues to surprise me with its natural beauty, innovative architecture, and multiculturalism. The Parthenon and its surrounding park in Nashville, Tennessee are perfect examples of all three of these.
The Parthenon is a replica of ancient Greek ruins still found in Athens today.
But you don't have to fly all the way across the Atlantic to see what remains of it! Head to Music City in the USA and make a detour to Centennial Park to find a replica of the construction as it would have appeared over 2400 years ago.
Nashville is "Music City" for more reasons than its famous country roots. I mistakenly assumed country music was all Nashville had to offer when, in fact, Nashville has historically been and still is the city of a diversity of musical tastes.
In this post, I describe a variety of musical options available for exploration when visiting Nashville, Tennessee including several I had the chance to check out with my friends.
From hipster jams and punk rock to honky tonks and symphonies—these are the must-do's for music-loving tourists.
Nashville is well-known for two things: It's music and it's food. I'm starting with the food this week since it's such an important part of every culture I've encountered in my travels.
The striking thing about eating in a new location in my own country is both the similarities and stark differences across state lines. America gets the reputation around the world for being the home of the hamburger and also for doing fried chicken and breakfast (especially pancakes!) very well. Nashville takes all of these American staples (and more) to a whole new level!
The down side to my food experience in Nashville was that I had only one weekend to enjoy it! Four days is simply not enough time to eat at all of the amazing restaurants. The following are the foods I did have time to try. At the end of this post, I'll suggest some of the others I missed!
There’s something incredibly meaningful when your friends and family make a special effort to stay connected to you when you’re apart. This is true for relationships you leave behind back home and in the places you visit after you move on or return home.
I lost touch with many people after traveling or while traveling because I was traveling. But there are many individuals with whom I remain very closely bonded. How did those close bonds stay close? Reciprocal gestures of loyalty—large and small—sustained those relationships.
Drawing on an example from my recent trip to Nashville, this post explores when loyalty is revealed especially as a traveler and after travel.
I went to Nashville in late April for my friend Dasha's 30th birthday! There was 7 of us altogether and we had a stellar time exploring this southern city and the surrounding area.
But before I dive into our adventures in great detail, I want to share with you what I found most unexpected about Nashville. Nashville is known for a lot of things. Its excellent live music, its delectable food, and its ancient Greek architecture are a few of its most prominent attractions.
What I didn't expect was a dance party on a street corner, architecture to rival other cities, and a stereotypical country theme that is unafraid to laugh at itself.
Utah
While visiting Arizona in the summer of 2017, I made sure to check out the national parks across the border in Utah. I've been all over the world and seen some amazingly beautiful scenery. Still, Utah blew me away. I always knew the USA is extraordinary. I had no idea how extraordinary.
In this post, I show you the best random extras from an afternoon I spent in Zion National Park. This week is very busy for me with Thanksgiving and other family events happening. So now is the perfect time to share some photos and video without many words!
I include my refreshing dip in the icy cool Virgin River after hiking Angel's Landing. This was much appreciated as the temperatures were rising above 90-degrees that day.
I also captured my stroll along the famous Checkerboard Mesa formation. Have a gander at all the beauty and enjoy!
I kept hearing about the "most dangerous" and "most popular" hike in Zion. Angel's Landing is beautiful, thrilling, and inevitably crowded.
I woke up at 4AM to hit the trail solo at 6AM. I drove into the park from my Airbnb in St. George, Utah, and managed to be one of the first to the top!
I am so happy I planned this way. So I want to tell you how to plan similarly! In this Q&A-style post, I describe my entire experience. I explain everything including when to go and how dangerous it is. Then you can decide if it's a hike you'd like to do, too!
I was traveling solo again. Erin had left for the West Coast early that morning. I was off to find a new Utah adventure to call my own.
Most people don't realize how huge Zion National Park is outside its main gates. For no park fee, I found dozens of trails around the Kolob Canyons area of the park. One of these trails took me down a lesser-beaten path where I rarely met another hiker.
As a solo traveler, I appreciated bumping into the few travelers I did. But I also basked in every moment I had alone to reconnect with the wilderness.
There's nothing like a National Park introduction that challenges you. Erin and I were about to embark on our second National Park and second hike of the day. Little did we know, we were about to face many difficulties on top of our exhaustion.
In this post, I outline some of these difficulties. This shows that sometimes planning ahead is necessary. There are some stunning views and features to see on this hike. We got to admire much of it, but we missed other parts and could have enjoyed it even more.
Now we are better informed—and you can be, too!
Deviating often means taking a different path. But sometimes the best way is to deviate down the same path backwards.
I found this out when I took an alternate trail to hike into Bryce Canyon National Park this past summer. I went by instinct. I skipped the main park entrance and found an alternate trail. The trail cut a path to the main trail that looped backwards around the park.
I avoided the $30 park fee and was gradually introduced to the scenery rather than forced to view it up front. This way, the epic views at the halfway point served as a hard-earned, well-deserved reward.
This past summer, I road-tripped through Northern Arizona. If you've ever been to this area, then you know about interstate highway 89A.
This is not the small, state highway 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff. Interstate 89A runs from Bitter Springs, Arizona to Kenab, Utah. It's known by the state of Arizona as the the Fredonia-Vermilion Cliffs Scenic Road. Why? It passes right by those cliffs and through the town of Fredonia—clever!
There was much to see along this 2-hour stretch of road. There were gorgeous views of rivers and deserts, forests on fire, and rural towns. In this post, I describe these and more of the most notable parts of the drive.
I am writing right now from Utah!
I will be here for another few hours and then I am heading back to Arizona to celebrate our nation's Independence. There really has been no better way to celebrate the USA's birthday than to visit some of our nation's most spectacular national parks (and more).
During this trip, I have also had the chance to reflect on what Independence Day might mean to other groups in America, such as the Diné (Navajo people) and other local tribes indigenous to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah.
Soon I will write all about my experiences road tripping from Flagstaff to St. George and back. But before I do, the following is a little photographic teaser. In two weeks, look out for a regular post about this trip (with all the trappings)!
This past summer, I road-tripped through Northern Arizona. If you've ever been to this area, then you know about interstate highway 89A.
This is not the small, state highway 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff. Interstate 89A runs from Bitter Springs, Arizona to Kenab, Utah. It's known by the state of Arizona as the the Fredonia-Vermilion Cliffs Scenic Road. Why? It passes right by those cliffs and through the town of Fredonia—clever!
There was much to see along this 2-hour stretch of road. There were gorgeous views of rivers and deserts, forests on fire, and rural towns. In this post, I describe these and more of the most notable parts of the drive.