Chicago Weekend Getaway!

I lived in Chicago 24 years ago and was excited to show the girls my favorite city in America!

Orlando & St. Pete Beach during Covid-19...

 We haven't been to Magic Kingdom since 2014.  We were so excited to return but things looked a little different during Covid-19.  Here's what you can expect if you visit during the pandemic:

Cruising the Mexican Riviera on Carnival Panorama...

We cruised the Mexican Riviera over spring break 2020, right before cruise ships discontinued service because of Coronavirus. We left Long Beach a day late since our ship was quarantined with a sick passenger from the previous cruise.  Little bit of a fiasco but they tested negative for Covid, so we were able to cruise. 🙌 We were suppose to stop in Mazatlan, Cabo & Puerto Vallarta but skipped Mazatlan because of the delay.  

On a Rocky Mountain High in Colorado & Utah...

After a few months of isolation, we were ready for our summer vacation.  Visiting Colorado cured our Corona Blues!  😍 As a child, I lived in Colorado Springs for a few summers while my Dad worked on his cousin's ranch.  Summers were so dreamy... I remember finding snakeskin, playing on bales of hay, and a sister's obsession with a yellow polka dot bikini. 😏 I've never forgotten the majestic mountains🏔in Rocky Mountain National Park and was excited to return!  

Tortuguero & Puerto Viejo... Caribbean Coast of Costa Rica

Puerto Viejo is the perfect place to soak up the laid back Caribbean vibes and experience Costa Rica's Pura Vida.  What makes it so special is the mix of African, Latin and Caribbean Cultures.  We saw vibrant painted buildings, people sporting dreadlocks, heard reggae music and saw more beach cruisers than cars.  We started our Costa Rican adventure in Puerto Viejo and ended in Tortuguero.

Alaskan Cruise with Kids...

I turned 50 this summer and knew I would be ok if I could travel somewhere fun! 😂 I've been wanting to visit Alaska since college when I wrote a 40 page paper on it.  It did not disappoint.  We sailed from Seattle to Juneau, then onto Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan and Victoria. 

RV trippin... 7 States in the NorthWest

This summer we explored 7 States in our RV in 20 days.  This is our longest RV trip so far and we loved the relaxed life on the road.  

7 Days in Louisiana & Mississippi...

I've been itching to visit the South... I love Oak Trees, Spanish Moss, lanterns and I guess alligators. 😂 So we decided to spend our spring break getting Southern fried in Louisiana and Mississippi.  Spring is a great time to visit... the weather's perfect and we didn't see any mosquitos!  

Here's our one week itinerary in the South:

Tips for Visiting Washington D.C. with Kids!

I first visited Washington D.C. as a Senior in High School.  My mom and I visited my sister who was an Intern for Senator McCain... American history suddenly came alive and I was hooked! ♥

Florida's Southwest Gulf Coast...

We spent one week exploring the gulf coast and didn't need to go to Orlando to find entertainment for our kids. :) We found beautiful beaches and lots of activities to keep them busy.  We've never visited this part of Florida so we were excited to finally check it out!  We visited the areas between Sarasota and Fort Myers.

The Best of Washington... Whidbey Island, Seattle & Olympic National Park!

We've spent a lot of time in Washington and this is our favorite Washington Itinerary...

California's Pacific Coast Highway 1...

 My family drove the PCH in our camper when we were kids.  We drove from Arizona so it made for a really long drive for all 7 of us.  When we weren't all fighting 😊 I remember my sisters and I checking out all the surfer boys from our cool ride.  Another memory was driving down Lombard Street in our camper... We were so cool!  

Ultimate Canadian Road Trip... Banff and Jasper National Parks

We were excited to take our girls on a road trip from Banff to Jasper National Parks.  The Icefields Parkway is one of the prettiest drives I've been on.  We saw glaciers, snow-capped mountains, glacier-fed lakes, lush meadows and a lot of wildlife.  

Itinerary:

Oregon Coast...

Cape Sebastian State Park
This was our second time exploring the Oregon Coast but first with kids.   We added the Redwoods National and State Park at the end of the trip.  Here's our Itinerary: 

Chihuly at the Desert Botanical Garden...

 I'm so excited Chihuly's exhibit returned to the Desert Botanical Garden.  I'm a huge fan and even met him years ago at the Tacoma Museum of Glass at a book signing and watched him blow glass with other glass blowers from around the world.

PERU and the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu...

I'm so glad to finally check Peru off my Bucket list.  I've made several attempts to visit Peru and finally made it in May 2013.  Greg and I and 10 friends visited Puno, Cuzco, hiked the four day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu and ended our trip in Lima before flying home. 

My Packing List & Tips for the 4 Day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu...

We hiked the Inca Trail from May 11-14, 2013 and had great weather.  We used the company Llama Path to do our trek and highly recommend them!  We're glad we hired the porters to carry our belongings they are AMAZING!

Click here for my Peru and Inca Trail Travelogue.

My packing list along with a few tips...

SEDONA...

I packed my bags for Valentines not knowing where Greg was taking me.  We ended up in Beautiful Sedona and enjoyed a relaxing weekend.

Yellowstone, Grand Teton & Jackson Hole...

Jackson Hole

We spent one night in Jackson Hole, two in Grand Teton National Park and three in Yellowstone. 

 Greg and I visited Yellowstone years ago and knew this would be a fun vacation for Charlotte.  She was very excited to see all of animals, mud volcano and geysers.

Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell & Monument Valley...

ANTELOPE CANYON

Sometimes you don't have to travel far to discover beautiful places.  It's sad that it's taken this long for me to finally visit Antelope Canyon, Lake Powell and Monument Valley.  These are some of the most beautiful destinations I've seen and they are right in my backyard.