Coloring Outside the Lines: A St. Patrick’s Day Travel Tale ☘️
In our monthly pop-up shops, I’ve been reminded of something important about travel:
There is no single way to explore the United States.
Sure, there are the classics.
The road trips.
The bucket lists.
The national parks.
But sometimes the most interesting journeys happen when people decide to color outside the lines.
And I met a few travelers doing exactly that.
The 5x50x500 - A Perfect Trinity
A couple walked up to my booth and told me about their travel milestone.
Not just 50 states.
Their journey was 5 × 50 × 500.
Their 5th wedding anniversary
Their 50th state
Their 500th geocache
And the place where all three aligned?
A Trio of Mountaintops behind an Alaskan Coal Train
Alaska.
For anyone unfamiliar with geocaching, it’s essentially a worldwide treasure hunt. Travelers hide small containers called caches and others track them down using GPS coordinates. Some people find a handful.
These two found five hundred✨ ✨ ✨
Imagine reaching your 500th cache while standing in your 50th state, celebrating 5 years of marriage. Maith sibh!
Luck of the Lure 🍀
Another traveler had a brilliant idea:
“I want to catch a fish in every state… and draw the fish on my shirt.”
Simple. Personal. Perfect.
Imagine the stories that shirt will tell someday.
Jenny Lake, Nestled under the Grand Tetons, Wyoming
An Atlantic Salmon from Maine — the same silver traveler that fills the rivers of Ireland
A Cutthroat trout from Wyoming
Maybe a Humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa from Hawaii (because that was super fun to type!)
Will he document the one that got away? I can’t wait to find out!
May the Road Rise to Meet You
Then I met a young guy rolling through the festival with his longboard.
His idea?
To document the journey he’s carved into pavement, drawing the routes he’s criss-crossed through America.
Sometimes the best adventures happen when you ignore the lines altogether and create your own path.
Your Journey Doesn’t Have to Look Like Anyone Else’s—Céad míle fáilte
Speaking of many journeys and welcomes…
March brings St. Patrick’s Day, and here are a few from my archives. Much of my family immigrated from Ireland just 4 short generations ago. Celebrating this holiday in different parts of the United States always feels a little like following a Kelly Green thread across the country.
Here are a few of my favorite places where the St. Patrick’s Day spirit truly shines.
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah hosts one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in the United States.
The entire city turns green — literally.
The fountains run green, the squares fill with music, and the celebration lasts for days.
If you love historic cities, Spanish moss, and a parade that feels like a festival for the whole town, Savannah is hard to beat.
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago takes things to yet another level.
Every year the city famously dyes the Chicago River bright green.
Add a massive parade, The Shamrock Shuffle, and Irish pubs on every corner, and you’ve got an unforgettable celebration.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston’s celebration is deeply rooted in heritage.
With its large Irish-American population, the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade in Southie is legendary.
While you’re there, walk the Freedom Trail, learn about the Famine, and raise a glass to the struggle of those that have come before.🥃
Hollywood, Florida
The sound of bagpipes rolling through the Florida sunshine is unforgettable. Palm trees and Irish jigs is a combination you don’t expect, but its completely perfect.
Another unexpected treat— inspecting the historic plaques on the buildings and finding my uncommon yet very Irish maiden name jump out, denoting the site of one of the first legal slot machine stops after prohibition.
New York City
If you want sheer scale, New York City’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is the granddaddy of them all. Dating back to 1762, it’s one of the oldest and largest parades in the world.
Marching bands, bagpipes, Irish dancers, and generations of families celebrating their heritage.
Travel Is Personal
Meaningful travel stories rarely come from guidebooks. They come from people, our history, and the history we are making.
Whether you’re:
Caching
Catching
Carving - or
Celebrating
There are infinite ways to explore this country.
So this month, raise a glass, chase an adventure, and try coloring outside those lines.
