2013: Year in Review

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Over 5,000 miles driven. Six new states. Five national parks. One government shutdown.

These are just a few of the numbers that represent my year in travel. In 2013 I was very fortunate to explore many new places across the United States, cross items off my bucket list, visit friends and family, have the honor of friends come to see my me and my city, have new experiences, and meet plenty of interesting people. As I look back at the past year, I’m flooded with wonderful memories of all of the destinations I traveled to and can’t wait to see the adventures that 2014 holds!

I had a great year of travel all across America, here’s a look at the destinations I had the chance to visit:

Austin

My year of travel began a bit earlier than normal with a trip to Texas in mid-January. As I rang in 2013, having not been on a trip for a few months, that familiar restless feeling kicked into high gear. I frantically searched for the cheapest destination for a few days and a state that I had yet to visit, with my research ultimately leading me to Texas. My time was short in Austin, but I was fortunate to have my first Airbnb experience, see the beautiful Texas State Capitol Building, have some fun interactions with people, explore the University of Texas at Austin campus, and behold some breathtaking views.

 

San Antonio

There was no way I could be in Texas and not plan a little time in the city that is home to the Alamo and Riverwalk, so my last full day was set aside for San Antonio. I made the hour drive south, with a generous bag full of fresh biscuits provided by my Airbnb host, and packed in as many of the essential attractions as I could. Tower of the Americas, providing panoramic views of San Antonio, was my first stop followed by a leisurely stroll along the beautiful Riverwalk, a history lesson at the iconic Alamo, a delicious Mexican lunch at El Mercado, a long wait atop a parking garage for blue hour skyline photos, and ended with night photos of San Fernando Cathedral. My visit to the Lone Star State only lasted three days, but as an older gentleman in Austin told me, “If you’ve been to Austin and San Antonio, you’ve seen Texas.”

 

Washington, DC

As always, spring brought my yearly pilgrimage down to America’s capital for the blooming of the cherry blossoms. I’ve become a bit fanatical over the years about checking the five stages of bud development leading up to the short window known as Peak Bloom, and this year was no different. I was rewarded by my preparation, as my journey to DC fell on the exact day deemed as peak bloom. Not a cloud in the sky, unseasonably warm, and the cherry blossom trees proudly wearing their brillant colors, the day was a perfect introduction to the spring season.

 

Philadelphia

In late April/early May I had the joy of two long-time Twitter friends coming to Philadelphia for visits. Since I had paid a visit to Kris in Florida last year, it was clear that she owed me a visit in my home state. We had an awesome three days of exploring the historical side of Philadelphia, checking out Magic Gardens on South Street, enjoying our fair share of delicious food at several different restaurants, and playing with Malcolm the Cat at our Airbnb rental in Old City.

The day after Kris left, my friend Jen made the journey to the City of Brotherly Love from Portland, Oregon. Although I didn’t get to spend nearly as much time with her, we did have the chance to enjoy a few beers at Monk’s Cafe and Khyber Pass Pub and I also made sure she went to her very first Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. Even though I love showing off my city to visitors, this time around I had the opportunity to play more of a tourist role and enjoy some sights and restaurants that I had put off for far too long!

 

Denver

In May I flew to Colorado to begin a roadtrip that would start in Denver and end in Phoenix. I stayed with a college friend, that I had not seen since we graduated, and had the chance to finally meet her husband and adorable six year old daughter. We had a great two days catching up and she was an awesome tour guide — taking me for a tour of the Google offices in Boulder, a walk around downtown Denver, another tour of the Celestial Seasonings factory, a drive through Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park, and a fun time exploring the stunning Red Rocks Amphitheatre. I also roamed around on my own, making sure to enjoy a Rockies game at Coors Field and snapping a few photos of the Blue Bear peeking into the Convention Center.

 

Moab

After a tour and beer tasting at the Coors Brewery in Golden, it was on to Utah. My trek across Colorado brought me past towns called Rifle, No Name, and Parachute and, after experiencing a snow squall and a traffic jam due to a rockslide, I finally rolled into Moab four hours later than I had originally planned. Having only one full day in Moab, I rose early and spent nearly all of my time at the city’s main attraction — Arches National Park. The park was filled with magnificent sandstone arches and the many hiking trails allowed me to see Courthouse Towers, Balanced Rock, the North & South Windows, and the day was ended with a 3-mile hike to stunning sunset views of Delicate Arch. I can say without a doubt, Arches is my favorite national park thus far!

 

Arizona

Arizona had me in several different cities in just a few days. I passed through Monument Valley, where my trusty camera of seven years decided to kick the bucket, on my way to Page. I purposely rerouted my trip to spend a day in Page for one reason — a photo of Horseshoe Bend. Do you think it was worth it?

Next on the agenda was a day at the Grand Canyon. But a day, unfortunately, was quickly changed to only a few hours. A sinkhole in the middle of the direct route to the Grand Canyon caused a major detour and took up a large chunk of my time. Despite this unexpected turn of events, I took in the majesty of Grand Canyon National Park from several different viewpoints and ended the day watching the sunset. When I asked a ranger for the best sunset locations, I received this reply, “It’s the Grand Canyon, my friend. Anywhere is good.” Boy, was he right!

After staying one night in Flagstaff, it was off to the red rock nation known as Sedona. I can’t even begin to describe all of the beauty in this city! I think I got a good feel for Sedona in two days, as I saw the awesome architectural feat known as the Chapel of the Holy Cross, explored the shops and restaurants in Uptown, took a safari jeep tour up Schnebly Hill Road for incredible panoramic views of Sedona, and cooled off in the shade at the Tlaquepaque Arts & Crafts Village. My visit to Sedona would not have been complete without also checking out the many rock formations, with a few humorous names I might add — Cow Pie Rock, Coffeepot Rock, Snoopy Rock, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock, the most famous formation in Arizona.

Ending my roadtrip in Phoenix, my time here can be summed up in two words: hot and baseball. I only had half a day in PHX and my first stop was Chase Field to take in a Diamondbacks game and escape the temperatures that were hovering above 100°. It was in Phoenix that I also had my third Airbnb experience, as I stayed at a place called ‘The Nest’. The host was incredible, stocking the room with wine, snacks, bottled water in the refrigerator, and a binder full of maps and recommendations in the Phoenix area.

 

Minnesota

September brought another roadtrip, this time focusing on the Midwest. I chose a Minneapolis start point, knowing I’d have the joy of finally being able to visit my cousin Judy and her family, who live a little west of the Twin Cities. Naturally my first stop had to be to the Mall of America, but I also checked out the Lake Harriet Elf House, the Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, an abundance of roadside attractions, and stuffed my belly with the famous Jucy Lucy burger at Matt’s Bar.

 

Rapid City

The next stop on my tour of the Midwest was to Rapid City, after a nine hour drive across South Dakota that included stops at South Dakota’s Original 1880 Town and Badlands National Park. I have always wanted to see Mount Rushmore for myself, but the real reason for traveling at this specific time of year was to participate in the Crazy Horse Volksmarch. Only a twice a year do they allow visitors to take the 3-mile roundtrip hike up to the arm of the enormous mountain sculpture to stand face-to-face with Crazy Horse himself. It was an experience I could not pass up! I also enjoyed my time in the beautiful Rapid City area, where I drove the Needles Highway in Custer State Park, interrupted a filming for Jeopardy at Mount Rushmore, met several presidents on the City of Presidents walking tour, saw all sorts of animals during my drive through Bear Country USA, and managed to replicate several of my grandfather’s photographs. Despite visiting the Badlands on the first day of the government shutdown, I was very lucky to have a few ours to explore the park before finally being kicked out by a ranger.

 

Fayetteville

November presented itself with an unexpected trip to Fayetteville, North Carolina. Graciously invited by the Fayetteville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, I had so much fun walking around downtown, enjoying nature at the Cape Fear Botanical Garden, stuffing myself at the many restaurants and breweries, exploring the Airborne and Special Operations Museum, and ziplining for the first time at one of the Top 10 ziplines in the United States.

What were your favorite travel memories in 2013? 

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