Finding my Freedom on the California Coast

The last time we drove the California coast, we were headed north on our 5-week trip and we trekked from LA to Napa with only a single night stopover. It was incredible, but there wasn’t enough time to really absorb it like we had wanted to. We have a music festival in San Diego at... Continue Reading →

Oklahoma—Tornado Shelters and Trivia

Our mission to find a tiny road with which to enter the state of Oklahoma proved successful. Defying GPS orders to stay on Route 40, we veered off track and took Route 59 north that wound through a small patch of the Ozark National Forest and some tiny Arkansas towns. We knew we would have... Continue Reading →

Southern BBQ and my 39th State

Visiting the civil rights museum was a heavy portion of our Memphis trip, so we decided to end our visit with some southern comfort food. I had been waiting eagerly to eat good ribs since I was in Texas 3 years ago. I knew that Memphis was known for good BBQ, and like any city... Continue Reading →

Memphis Blues and Heavy History

We rolled into Memphis around dinner time to a hotel called The Exchange, which ended up being half apartment units and half “hotel rooms” (full service apartment-style). For $85 and a downtown location, we were surprised to see a full working kitchen complete with pots and pans and a separate living room area. I wish... Continue Reading →

Nashville—Leaving my City Roots for Boots

The last time I was in Nashville was exactly 3 years ago, when we circled the country. I was a typical anti-everything country New Yorker who had no idea what I was walking into. The initial shock of hearing pants referred to as “britches” and swerving through a sea of cowboy boots and whiskey wore... Continue Reading →

Fire Island—NYC’s Serene Neighbor

I have been going to Fire Island since I was 5 years old, to a lesser known community called Davis Park. In the last few years, I haven’t had as many chances to get out there with my family as I used to, but this summer I vowed to change that. Davis Park wooed me... Continue Reading →

Hawaiian Haze and History Trips

The very first thing I saw when I opened my eyes in the morning was the ocean, stretching beyond my window curtains. If that doesn’t ground you, I don’t know what will. Today was going to officially be the laziest day of our trip, and possibly of any trips we’d taken before. We decided to... Continue Reading →

Honolulu Bound—Bluer Beaches and Brighter Berries

It was hard to leave the little island of Maui, which had won my heart with rain forest-like drives and sunsets that looked like they were from paintings. Our next stop would be Honolulu, a more urban-style Hawaiian island and also the most densely populated island of them all. We hopped aboard a full-size Hawaiian... Continue Reading →

Maui: Hula Pie and a Sunset Luau

The next morning, we woke up early to prepare for our day-trip to the town of Lahaina, which is the “touristy” section of Maui and boasts some awesome beaches. The drive to get there took about 45-minutes, but it ran along a single road for nearly the length of the trip. The road snaked along... Continue Reading →

A Whole Lot of Aloha

Getting to Hawaii was the real goal of this west coast adventure. It would be state #45 for Katie and #39 for me. We gained another 3 hours through the time difference and sat through another 5 ½ hour plane ride between San Francisco and the island of Maui. We managed to cram our 7... Continue Reading →

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