2021 Travel Recap

There are few things I enjoy more than travel. From the time that I got my first “big girl” job, I had money set aside for travel. It’s something I prioritize and am so glad I do.

When I turned 30, I made a promise to myself to see a new state every calendar year and obviously 2020 put a little wrench in that plan. I kind of, sort of, saw Mississippi but really didn’t count 2020 as a year that I got to tick another state off my list. So, naturally, I had to go to two new ones in 2021!

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania/Steubenville, Ohio

We kicked off our 2021 travels with a very cold Valentine’s Day trip to Pittsburgh, a city that will always have a special place in my heart because my college town of Steubenville is a short drive away. It was obviously low key because of Covid, but we did get a romantic little weekend away.

Marco Island, Florida

Marco is the best and I always relish in a chance to visit. My grandparents bought a place there in the mid-1970s and my family has been “wintering” there ever since. I *think* I only made it there once in 2021 but am not entirely sure… I’m there so much usually that it all kind of blurs together.

Port Clinton and Put-In-Bay, Ohio

Obviously this is not a unique place for me to go (I do own a little condo there) but I was so thankful to have had the opportunity to spend a good chunk of the summer there. Summers in Northern Ohio are perfection.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Let me tell you a thing or two about patriotism– there is nothing more “all American” than a 4th of July in Philly. Surprisingly, I had never really been to Philadelphia before this trip.. and I’m frankly not in a rush to go back (the city is beyond repulsive). However, celebrating the nation’s birthday there was fantastic! We saw the final resting place of Benjamin Franklin, Constitution Hall and the Liberty Bell… And, you know, cheesesteaks are insanely delicious.

San Diego, California

For as much as I try to hate California, I can’t help but love San Diego. It’s super laid back and slightly more right-leaning, thanks to the local military (bless…). Jim lived there many moons ago and always loves a chance to go back. We saw a few friends there, sailed, played tourist (we even did a ghost tour!) and ate some uhh-mazing Mexican food. It was delightful, as always.

Los Angeles, California

I got recruited to do a bit of consulting for a startup so I flew out to LA for a long weekend to work with everyone. The trip was an exhausting whirlwind but we did get to have some fun!

Kiawah Island/Charleston, South Carolina

I surprisingly hadn’t been to South Carolina until 2021 so this was a new state for me… And I couldn’t have loved it more. Jim’s parents recently bought a place on Kiawah Island, which you might recognize from PGA tournaments. Being there felt so decadent. The island is gorgeous.. Like, one of the prettiest beaches I’d ever seen! Loved it.

Because we were there for Halloween, we naturally had to do a ghost tour of Charleston, and it was one of the best ghost tours I’d ever been on! Being a fan of Southern Charm, I was surprised to learn that one of Thomas Ravanel’s ancestors might just haunt a local cemetery and that she had a connection to Edgar Allen Poe! And that maybe, just maybe Annabel Lee was written for her.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Last but certainly not least was another new state for me–New Mexico! This particular trip was a girls’ weekend and we had a blast. Prior to this trip I thought Houston had the best Mexican food.. and I was dead wrong. Santa Fe beats it by a lot. The St. Francis Hotel had the BEST margarita I’d ever had–it was smoke sage flavored.. Yummm. Also the chile rellenos were top notch at both Pasqual’s and La Fonda. We did some sight-seeing, a little bit of shopping and spent upward of five hours having drinks by the fire at Bishop’s Lodge.. We made a few friends there, in fact!

If there’s one thing that 2021 has taught me it’s that we really do have a gorgeous country. I would have loved to travel abroad but, until other countries loosen up on Covid protocol, I’m going to be staying put and enjoying the amazing things that we have here!

I have to see a new state or two in 2022.. Which should it be? What I have left are:

• Alaska
• Connecticut (I’ve driven through several times but don’t count it)
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Iowa
• Maine
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• New Hampshire
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• South Dakota
• Vermont
• Washington
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

I’m thinking a New England trip is in order, but we shall see!

Thanks for taking this little trip down Memory Land with me!