USA Bound
I was born a traveler. At this point, if you ask me where I’m from, I’ll probably say Earth.
A fellow traveler I met on X said that she too wandered, but to other countries. She hadn’t considered a US journey until recently, and boy did I get excited to share some travel musts! Here are a few ideas to get USA Bound!
First, lets start with the Golden Age of Travel!
This is the Jersey Shore. Bet you wouldn’t have guessed that? But it is. (Stop watching so much TV ;-) This is Cape May, and it is America’s First Seashore resort. People began coming here for rest and relaxation during the birth of this great nation, in the 1700s! The shore is lined with gorgeous Grand Victorian Ladies.
Speaking of…Here is that beautiful, natural seashore. What a view!
Travel Tip: Beaches aren’t just about suntans and Jimmy Buffet (but of course you can find that if its your thing). Beaches are a natural wonder and my favorites can be found:
In Cape May because of the incredible surrounding architecture;
A bit further south at Edisto Beach State Park, SC (State park = inexpensive beauty) where you can camp right on the sand & watch nesting turtles;
Even further south at Fiesta Key (no really, there is a Fiesta Key, not to be confused with Siesta Key) which is a Cay all to itself for motorhomes only;
The Oregon Shore, where mist and Goonies vibes abound;
And back around the horn to the east coast in Bar Harbor, Maine where fog rolls off the sea and can overtake you in minutes. AMAZING!
Beaches aren’t your thing? Well check out these beauties! You don’t have to climb mountains to appreciate them. Every angle reveals something different about our land and ourselves. The US has Fold Mountains, Fault-Block Mountains, Volcanic Mountains, and Dome Mountains, and I’ve never seen any more fascinating than the Grand Tetons. I highly recommend you scout them all and then go back at different times of the year just to see how they change! (One of these is actually a sand dune, can you tell which one?)
Looking more for culture than nature?
Well, lets talk about people and food!
I’ll never regret chasing down a Mardi Gras float just to catch a glimpse of Harry Connick, Jr. in New Orleans. Nor will I regret the 5 pounds I gained eating Beignets at Cafe du Monde and Banana’s Foster at Brennan’s (where it originated in 1951). And I’ll forever be in awe of my first experience with a Second Line that marched right through that restaurant while I dined.
Seeking out cool accents? Look no further!
I had my very own Boston Tea Party in the Public Library while I read a few Edgar Allan Poe poems. I could have went to the Harbor and dumped some in, but why waste all that good tea?
I dined at Cheers (The Cheers!), said a prayer at Trinity Church, gave blessings at the Witch Trials Memorial in Salem, and cruised by Harvard to catch a glimpse of the Wicked Smaht. How do ya like them apples?
I saw Vulcan’s bare bottom…! and re-lived one of my favorite book series from Anne George (Southern Sisters Mysteries), saddened by her passing, but so glad she gave me one more stop on my Wanderlist.
I drank wine and whiskey (sometimes, but not always spelled with an ‘e’ and I learned why) from coast to coast. I danced an Irish Jig while the New York Police Department Pipes and Drums Band marched in the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Hollywood (Hollywood, Florida not California) I even went on a hayride through a vineyard and stomped my own grapes. (Surprise, that was in Louisiana, NOT Napa)
I peeped at Ghost Rock, peered over the edge of Goblin Valley, quickly passed Devil’s Tower so as not to get half a sunburn (see Close Encounters of the Third Kind if you don’t get that reference) , dined with Sasquatch (he was stuffed), sailed through the Sphinx, stopped for a picture at Bigfoot Road, and saw a Jackalope, but no one believes me.
I marveled at Liberace’s Sequined Rolls Royce in Vegas, climbed the steps of the Santa Barbara Police Department like Shawn & Gus (Look up Psych, watch it all, then let’s talk ;-D ), Got fresh Pineapple and Mango from the Pinas Locas cart, climbed a mile uphill to rest in the Montecito Hot Springs (the hottest one is 112 degrees!). We shared a bottle of wine we brought with two guys camped out there (one an engineer, the other a jewelry maker) and got a beautiful brass ring in return; In that same spot we met a man making Ramen in the top spring (Do NOT recommend, there’s sulfuric acid in there) and realized why he thought he was living in a video game.
I drove down Lombard Street, TWICE! and I teared up as I drove across the Golden Gate bridge and saw a tribute to Robin Williams, one of my favorite all time actors, gone too soon.
Smoked Whiskey at Wood, Ash, Rye in St. George, Utah
Finally for this first post of hopefully many, I must mention our amazing National Parks, particularly those certified as a “Dark Sky Park.”
You’ll learn everything you’ve ever needed to know by looking up to watch the Ecliptic pass over you in complete darkness (which is super nice in a bean bag, with hot chocolate and a guide that is actually an Astronomer. See: Stargazing Zion), getting up early to wade through chilled streams, feeling the 7.83Hz resonating off rocks and trees, and witnessing the grace, peace, beauty and brutality of those in the animal kingdom, humans included.
There are 63 National Parks in the US and in this brief life, do all you can to visit Every. Single. One. Its your land, enjoy it, and learn from it. Travel will change you, and that is the goal. See a few of my favorite National Park Pictures below.
I have so many more to go, and I wish you the best in your own journeys. Please share, we can’t wait to see what you discover!
~Safe Travels
