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Domestic travel
After my friends visited Miami, my friend Kim invited me to spend Memorial Day weekend in Orlando at her Airbnb.
Happenstance led me to eating a bunch of Asian cuisine from 3 separate countries in one day. We also visited a gorgeous botanical garden and kayaked lakes connected by canals.
This was an awesome, post-vaccination weekend and one I’d definitely do again sometime to see more of Orlando.
The vaccine for COVID-19 changed a lot of things in the last few months. Places all over the USA are opening up, including New York City this past weekend for Pride events. And Miami has been opened up for a while.
I didn’t feel comfortable going out fully until about one month ago when two of my friends visited. In anticipation of their arrival, I put together an itinerary of activities based on their requests. We were all eager to not only spend time together but to also go out like “normal" and explore a city—the city of Miami!
For me, I am basically still new to Miami since the pandemic hit only a few months after my arrival. So this was a really awesome 4-day adventure around Miami including a hotel stay at Miami beach, tons of great food, awesome rooftop bars, and so much more.
Our experience serves as a guide for any vaccinated visitor or staycationer in Miami!
I missed pre-pandemic visits to art exhibits and museums. Especially as a newcomer to the very art-centric city of Miami, I couldn’t wait to dive back into the art scene here. As people get vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, there’s now more opportunities to get together with friends and see art safely indoors.
Two weeks ago, my friends visited from New York and Denver. I took them to the immersive Beyond Van Gogh exhibit. The exhibit made me feel like I was inside of Gogh’s paintings. It was awesome!
In this post, I share some background about the exhibit as well as photos and a video depicting our absolute joy during this experience.
Who knew there was a top beach with insanely soft, white sand within short distance from my Miami home? Rated the #1 beach in the USA, Siesta Beach did not disappoint on this last night of my Gulf Coast trip.
After a weekend of solo adventuring, I felt so fulfilled by this opportunity to safely chill with some friends and eat a great meal while relaxing at this beach.
The bonus was discovering what is now my favorite beach in the world! Learn more about why in this post!
After a morning at Myakka park, I was ready to get in the water!
Kayaking was on the schedule next. This would be my 2nd adventure on the 3rd day of my Gulf Coast trip. I was excited to experience what Sarasota Bay had to offer in the way of mangroves!
This time I would get to be physically distant by not socially distant. My friend was coming in from Orlando to join me on this adventure. We indulged in much-needed friend time while remaining responsible outdoors and with masks.
The mangroves in Sarasota Bay turned out to be the best I’ve ever experienced! We had an amazing time exploring them and having some wonderful laughs as friends.
I found my way to Saratoga county for day 3 of my trip on Florida’s Gulf Coast. I started my day off with a visit to Myakka River State Park.
I became a little obsessed with wooden observation towers in parks after visiting Tree Tops park in Davie, Florida a few weeks before. The observation tower there was so cool that I started searching Florida for other structures like it.
This research brought me to Myakka. This enormous park had so much to explore that, while I went to see the park’s famous canopy walkway, I stayed for its other features.
There are few experiences where you can interact with wild marine animals on their terms. I tried it with humpback whales in Niue without much luck. I tried it with seals in South Africa to no avail. I was determined this time on my trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast to snorkel with manatees—Florida’s gentle, herbivorous, “sea cow.”
I was ready to get in the water with them after kayaking near them on not one, not two, but three occasions,. The city of Crystal River is the only place in the United States that allows people to be in the water with them.
Through self-guided means only and maintaining my ethical animal tourism and COVID-19 standards, I managed to kayak to and snorkel near manatees at Three Sisters Springs. Learn how I did it all on my own in this post, complete with photos and a video of these awesome marine mammals!
I love it when travel activities fall into my lap unexpectedly. By sheer circumstance, I stumbled across Rainbow Springs State Park. This park has some of the most gorgeous crystal clear, aqua blue water I’ve ever seen!
Only a 2 minute drive from my Airbnb, I decided to spend my morning exploring the park. I thought I might check it out by kayak but the chilly air of the morning and a tight schedule led me to hiking the park instead.
I had no idea I’d end up enjoying this park as much as I did. Sometimes the best travel moments happen without prior planning!
The surprise in this blog post is in the title—I got to go diving on my last minute trip to the Gulf Coast! Who knew that an dirty Airbnb and a rainy day would lead to my first dive experience in over a year?
My trip started out a bit uncomfortably. I arrived at my Airbnb to find it only half cleaned in the middle of a global pandemic. I also saw that rain in the weather report for the next day. Both could have put a real damper on my plans and my spirit. But they didn’t!
I managed to turn a piece of coal into a polished gem! It just took demanding what I wanted and not letting circumstances hold me back.
I barely traveled in 2020—to New York, Denver, and then little trips and experiences around Florida. Once January 2021 arrived, I was feeling apprehensive but also hopeful as COVID-19 infection rates were growing and vaccines were about to be rolled out. I thought to myself that I should really plan a trip. But I also wanted to be safe.
I wanted to go on a trip like to my tiny house trip last summer. I wanted it to be far enough and different enough to feel like I was truly away.
After hemming and hawing my way through January, I finally made a decision to take a mini 4-day road trip down the Gulf Coast of Florida. My next few posts are going to be all about this trip. In this post, I talk about what went into planning it! Planning something so last minute came with a few road blocks—but it all turned out great in the end.
This past weekend I discovered a new and truly magical park! While I visited in rainy weather, I can’t complain because it was still so warm out!
I feel so grateful that I moved to Florida in time for the COVID19 pandemic to hit. Family and friends are dealing with snowstorm after snowstorm in the Northeast. Meanwhile, I am to be able to go outdoors and explore nature in comfortable temperatures.
I’ve explored parks near and far during this pandemic. But Tree Tops Park might be my favorite discovery yet! Ant here’s still so much more to explore.
When in quarantine, you have to find things to do to keep sane and socially distant! This is what I am doing with my parents now after driving (safely) up from Miami to New York to spend the holidays with them.
This past weekend, dad had a great idea to drive around looking at the Christmas lights neighbors put up around the area in upstate New York. One of these neighbors happens to be a Guinness World Record holder for their lights display.
In celebration of the holidays this week, I am sharing a few of the photos and a video I took while visiting this world famous light display. I also include a few tips for visiting in case you happen to be in the area and want to see it for yourself.
I made it! My quarantine trip from Miami to upstate New York was a success! I drove up the Saturday before Thanksgiving and managed to keep my 14-day quarantine in tact.
It was tough but everything went smooth and it was so worth the trip. I’ve now been spending time with my family for the last week. I’ve been eating way too much food, having a ton of laughs, and appreciating the quaint beauty of rural New York in late Fall.
This post is a quick overview of my trip and what I’ve been up to since my arrival.
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I decided I would do everything in my power to still see my family but in the safest way possible. My plan is to stay with my parents in New York from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Before I go, I will quarantine and get tested. I will drive instead of fly from Florida to New York under strict conditions.
I cannot plan for every possibility and all I can do is minimize risk. But I believe I have the safest plan for making long distance travel possible this holiday season.
Following my guide may make it possible for you to see your loved ones despite the increasing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent weeks.
As I write this, we still don’t know the results of the 2020 presidential election. But it’s definitely going to be close. Has your anxiety been skyrocketing over the last few weeks? Months? Years?
Well, you’re not alone! I went on a little local adventure to calm my nerves this past weekend and I am so grateful that I did. I guess local snorkel trips are one benefit of living in a tropical region during a pandemic and a tumultuous election year.
The weather was beautiful on Sunday. I wanted to do something that would make me feel like I was spending time in the Caribbean. I managed to get that feeling, even though it was fleeting, even though the reef wasn’t too spectacular, and even though I was interrupted by some unwelcome, furry visitors.
I thought I might stop posting since I am all out of travel content. Then I thought about how everyone is going through the same thing right now. Every traveler is stuck at home. So how are we getting through this life without travel?
In this post, I share some of the little adventures I take locally around Miami. I take my kayak out. I go for walks through an absolutely stunning Jungle forest. I cook from home. Sometimes I meet up with a friend for a socially distant hang out. Other times, I just hop online for some family bonding time inside a virtual, post-apocalyptic video game world.
Here’s a look at two parks I’ve explored as I’ve been staying local during 5 months of quarantine!
Sometimes we just need to get away! Taking care of your mental health is so important especially when locked down in quarantine during a global pandemic. I decided to do just that for my birthday a few weeks ago—and it was so wonderful!
I decided to spend my quarantine birthday in a tiny house North of Miami. I took a short drive there from my South Florida residence so I could try out this living experience for a few days.
I was also interested in checking out a nearby wildlife reserve. I had my inflatable kayak with me. I was ready to spot some manatees and view the blue glow of bioluminescent plankton in the water at night.
I managed to experience all of this and so much more during my tiny house stay in July. Read on for the full story!
I was hoping to be in another country this month traveling for my birthday. Alas, COVID-19 hit and threw us all for a loop.
No, like, a literal loop. When will this groundhog day end?
Well, it can end tomorrow if you want it to. I am here to report that all is not lost in the way of mixing up your life with travel. I discovered first hand last week, after a stay in a tiny house north of my home in Miami, that domestic and mostly local travel is still an amazing option.
Travel during covid-19 just takes a little, extra creative thinking, planning, and—dare I say it?—deviating! This post includes a brief yet highly necessary overview of what your options are and the precautions you need to take to travel and stay safe.
Three things I love: unique art, colorful lighting, and amazing food. I managed to experience all 3 in the second half of my last day with Dasha in Colorado.
Little did I know, this was going to be my last few hours of true domestic travel for a while. With physical distancing about to hit the United States a week later, I am so grateful that I had such an amazing experience the night before I flew back to Miami.
In this post, learn all about the Ice Castles, take in some of my favorite photos from the experience, and drool over the amazing meal we had in a small Colorado town on our way back to Denver. All around this was a 10/10 experience and I’m so excited to share it with you!
Right before the COVID19 pandemic hit the United States I traveled to Denver, Colorado to visit my friend, Dasha. I now feel so lucky that I got to see her before the shut down. I even got to check off a bucket list item—snowshoeing!
After my first winter living in Florida, I was craving some craggy, snow-topped mountains!
I had a full 3-day weekend in February to explore the mountains with Dasha before travel restrictions went into place. We hiked Mount Falcon park and we explored Breckenridge and the surrounding area. Read and see all the glorious photos from my last major trip in this post.
