Head out West for a weekend getaway to California, a visit to breathtaking Kenai Fjords in Alaska, or an outdoorsy adventure around Denver. Browse ideas in states including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
Southern California always surprises me with something new to discover each time I visit. Most recently, I learned about other California wine regions besides Napa and Sonoma, with the Temecula Valley home to 40+ wineries. With travel time from the San Diego airport just over an hour, and a similar drive from other cities and…
Imagine being surrounded by hundreds of massive hot air balloons of all shapes and colors, waiting with anticipation for the balloons to take off into the morning sky. It’s no surprise that the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico is a bucket list item for many, myself included, and I can now say…
Sometimes, a short getaway is just what the doctor ordered, and Southern California has a lot to offer, with its beaches, outdoor activities, and moderate temperatures. The San Diego International Airport boasts non-stop flights to dozens of cities in the U.S., and it’s a popular destination for visitors, especially in the spring (before the foggy…
Have you heard of beautiful Estes Park, Colorado? Its proximity to Rocky Mountain National Park—just minutes down the road—makes it the perfect place to stay when visiting the park. Even if you don’t plan to enter Rocky Mountain National Park, there are plenty of things to do in Estes Park. Getting there from Denver is…
Have you been to Denver lately? It had been a while since we visited, and the Mile-High City did not disappoint! We spent five days exploring Denver and the surrounding area and discovered it’s the perfect base for city adventures and outdoor recreation. The weather in mid-October was mild with sunny skies and moderate…
Alaska is a big place and certainly overwhelming when planning a first visit. When we started putting together our first, big empty-nester Alaska trip back in late 2019, I decided to reach out to Alaska Tour & Travel for assistance. It made sense to turn to a local company to put together our Alaska vacation…
I recently got back from a fall girls trip to the Seattle area. It had been quite a few years since our Pacific Northwest family road trip, so I was excited when my friend invited me to tag along on her visit to see family in the area. We stayed in a house on the…
Travelers to Hawaii always face a tough question – which island should I visit? For us, it was a tough choice to decide how we wanted to spend our first family vacation in paradise. While we ended up with Maui being our primary destination, I knew we couldn’t travel all the way to Hawaii without…
Hawaii has always been on my travel bucket list. But with a family of five and the long distance from the DC area, there were many reasons to put off the trip. Several months ago, I realized that time for our family vacations together was dwindling, so my husband and I made the decision that…
Planning a trip to Hawaii can be a bit overwhelming, especially for first-timers. Researching what island(s) to visit along with must-do activities can be very time consuming. During all my trip research and conversations with friends, Maui kept popping up as the island that offered the perfect mix of activities (several free or low cost)…