Happy New Year! Wow, what a year – right? For me, 2014 was a year of exciting highs, challenging lows and most of all big changes. It was a year that seems to have flown by (wasn’t Christmas 2013 like a month ago?), but when looking back some of the things I experienced this year seem to have happened ages ago. Can anyone else relate?
Since we talk travel here at Peaks and Passports, come with me as I recap the highlights of my 2014 travel experiences…
It all started in January with a fabulous getaway to Telluride, CO. I had the pleasure of staying at a true luxury hotel in one of my favorite towns in Colorado, plus finally skiing that amazing mountain.
Then, I spent most of February and March traveling back and forth between my home in Colorado and Phoenix, Arizona for work. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Phoenix. In addition to making some new friends on my travels, I snuck in some gorgeous hikes amid even more beautiful sunsets.
And toward the end of my Arizona stint, I spent a truly fabulous girls weekend with my mom and sister in Scottsdale and Sedona. In Scottsdale, we stayed in what is now one of my favorite hotels.
Then it was on to Sedona, which totally charmed me. Between the ridiculous red rock views…
… Delicious food, boutique shopping and friendly locals, we just loved the town. Then we literally took it to a whole new level with a jaw-dropping hot air balloon ride.
In between and after all of that Arizona sunshine, I managed to sneak in a truly spectacular ski season. I soaked up glorious powder days and snowy shenanigans with my friends.
After saying goodbye to ski season, I had a packed spring travel schedule. I kicked it off the way I usually do, with a weekend getaway to visit my parents in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. There’s no better place to go after a long, cold winter!
Then I headed off for a weekend in San Antonio, Texas, where I experienced the Riverwalk, saw the Alamo and ate lots of delicious food.
After returning from Texas, I headed north to Minneapolis, Minnesota for a friend’s wedding, where I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved the city. One of the highlights of the quick trip was an afternoon spent cycling around downtown on rented bikes. It was the perfect way to experience the city.
Then, the summer flew by in a flurry of trips back to Williamsburg for weddings…
Outdoor concerts…
And of course, plenty of hiking.
Much to my own surprise, I even got back on my mountain bike for a few glorious rides. Cheers to conquering fears!
My final big trip of the summer was to a ranch in Montana, where a group of friends and I celebrated a friend’s 30th birthday with a rodeo, hiking, hot springs and a couple of lazy floats down the Yellowstone River.
Summer bled into a busy fall, starting off with a mother-daughter weekend in Colorado Springs. We stayed at the gorgeous Broadmoor hotel and hit all of the Springs highlights – Garden of the Gods, Pike’s Peak, Air Force Academy and the Olympic Training Center.
Of course, I took advantage of my favorite hiking season and spent plenty of time frolicking among the golden aspens.
One of my best friends came to visit with a great group of girls and I had the best time hanging out with them and doing fun touristy things, like riding the gondola to the top of Vail mountain for views like this.
While the weather was still warm, I visited a friend in Fort Collins for a fantastic bike and beer tour of the city. Located less than 3 hours away, Fort Collins and its craft beer scene have been on my must-visit list for a long time. Neither the location nor the brew disappointed!
I took the (very) scenic route home from Fort Collins, meandering through Rocky Mountain National Park by way of the town of Estes Park. It was a fantastic, photogenic road trip that I should really share more about. Soon, I promise!
Autumn in my world was dominated by the longest stretch I’ve spent outside Colorado since moving here 7 years ago – my whirlwind East Coast tour. I spent time in my hometown of Williamsburg, visited my sister in Great Falls and roamed around Washington, D.C.
Great Falls, Virginia
Then, I visited one of my best friends and her adorable family in central Virginia, where we spent a gorgeous day tasting wine in the mountains.
Next it was up to New York City for a fun and fast-paced girls weekend.
Followed by a weekend in Boston with my dad, where we celebrated my grandmother’s birthday and toured Fenway Park, among other things.
From Boston, I headed to Saint Augustine, where I stayed with one of my best friends and fell in love with the gorgeous Florida city.
Leaving St. Augustine, I drove straight to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, where I spent a few weeks studying and lounging on the beach. It wasn’t a horrible way to spend early November. Not horrible at all.
Then, I finally headed back to Colorado, where I enjoyed some truly fantastic early-season skiing. It was some of the most fun and the best conditions I’ve experienced in ages.
Now, I’m wrapping up a relaxing holiday spent with family and friends in Virginia.
If I’m allowed to measure the past year based on the quality, quantity and variety of travel I accomplished, then I’ll call 2014 a total success. But as always, I’m looking forward to making the year to come even better than the one I’m leaving behind. Here’s to a happy, healthy new year filled with joy, beauty and adventure!
