Our 50 State Travels: Memorable Trips and Favorite Moments

Our 50 State Travels

Memorable Trips and Favorite Moments

Our Honeymoon: San Fran and Hawaii (Waikiki, Honolulu, Oahu, Maui, Kauai, Big Island)
Our honeymoon will always, always, always be my favorite trip. We started in San Fran, then stayed a few nights in Waikiki before boarding a cruise that took us to all the islands. It started a new chapter in our lives and it's freakin' Hawaii! Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to spend my honeymoon in Hawaii. That's how I knew Richard was the one… he had the same dream. [This is when you say "awwww".] Awesomely cheesy right? Right!

Favorites trip moments for Hawaii included staying in a cruise suite that was larger than our apartment (not just our NY apartment . . . our Dallas apartment) while visiting all the Hawaiian islands, having a butler (a real butler!!! and we didn't know what to have him do, so we just chatted), golfing on a scenic course with DUCKS, zip lining through a mountain, biking down a mountain (this is memorable, but it's up for debate if this was my favorite since I thought I was going to die), learning to surf - we both stood up!, snorkeling - and watching Richard flail like a crazy person, swimming with dolphins - watching Richard get nosed in the crotch by a dolphin at full speed, being pulled onstage during a luau and learning how to make martinis behind a bar! As for San Fran, we loved trying our first Irish Coffees at Buena Vista, experiencing Alcatraz and walking to the center of the Golden Gate Bridge!

Alaskan Cruise (Seattle and Juneau, Skagway, Ketchican, Victoria, B.C.)
For our 4th anniversary, we sailed to Alaska! This was such a fun trip for us because it was something very different and we had Richard's best friend and wife with us which made it really special. Since Alaska is such a unique place to live, I had a great time chatting with the locals about everyday life, how they got to Alaska and struggles of living in Alaska. Crazy fact - you are required to have air flight insurance in the event that you have to be flown back to Seattle for a full-service hospital. This only insures you for one flight - so if you have to be flown twice in one year you are easily looking at over $100K! Ekk!

Favorite trip moments for Alaska included climbing a mountain… by far one of the most difficult things I've ever done! Eating fresh, cheap and delicious sushi. Seeing glaciers everywhere and breathing in the crisp, clean air. Watching the Dallas Cowboys beat the Giants on NFL opening day in the atrium of our cruise ship (thanks to Richard, this went up on the large screen and men quickly filed in…). :)

Northeast (Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire)
I had no idea just how much I would fall in love with the Northeast. Not a clue! This is a trip I would do over and over again, and will certainly take my kiddos one day! We went in the Spring which was beyond beautiful, with perfect temps. Side note: There is also nothing else that compares to the Northeast in the Fall. The colors are so vibrant, it is scarf and coffee weather… and everyone is outdoors, everyone!

Favorite trip moments in the Northeast included taking photos of all the beautiful foliage, tasting our way through the Ben and Jerry's factory (and visiting the flavor graveyard!), staying at the most adorable and quirky Bed and Breakfasts, creating our own lobster roll tour (and eating at SIX restaurants in one night… yep, SIX) and driving through the Kancamangus pass.

Disney World (Orlando, FL)
For our first anniversary, we kicked it into kid mode and took ourselves to Disney World! Everyone says you should experience Disney three ways - as a kid, without a kid and then with kids of your own.   There is such a fun "adult" side to Disney while still letting your inner-child roam free. I'd go to Disney again in a heartbeat. In fact, I could stay at Epcot the entire time.

Favorite trip moments in Disney included falling asleep on hammocks in the sand at our resort, going to the Disney castle (inner-princess coming out!), eating and drinking our way through the international food and wine festival at Disney (I've never tried such a variety of food!), and I've talked about the cobb salad at the Brown Derby for years now. It's that amazing.

Chicago, IL
If I could live in Chicago during the warmer months, I would. The city is so clean, interesting and there's a ton to do, see and eat! We spent almost an entire week lounging around the city together and it was fabulous. The Chicago Marathon just happened to be going on at the same time and it was so neat to experience the excitement and see people "prep" the night before with dinner - hello, Italian dining.

Favorite trip moments in Chicago really surround all the amazing food we ate (Carnivale, Lou Malnati's, Giordano's, Wildfire). Our favorite bar, Watershed, was hidden under another bar and it was laid-back with quite the selection of unique local spirits and brews. We were also introduced to Garrett's Popcorn and proceeded to down an entire bag in one sitting. Richard loved the Architecture Tour and I loved people-watching in Millennium Park.

Pacific Northwest (Portland, Seattle and Vancouver)

This trip is so memorable because it was quirky, relaxing, and the weather was perfect! We took the train to hop from one spot to the next (which made me feel like a true backpacker!). One of my favorite memories from this trip is the afternoon we spent walking around the Portland neighborhood in which we stayed. We love seeing the daily routine of other's lives, and it was so fun to stroll through the quirky houses and get lost in the day.

Favorite trips moments in the Pacific Northwest included eating oysters on the water at Elliott's Oyster House (we've been back since!), unique drinks at Zig Zag Cafe (we felt like we were back in the 1920's), watching a movie in a couch-style cocktail theater while in Portland, and the excitement of exploring Vancouver and learning more about Canada!