Travel Wish List – 2021

It’s hard to have hope that we will travel this year. But, if we don’t have hope, what do we have? A little dreaming is good for the soul! As we all know, COVID-19 is still with us. We don’t really know at this time what kind of traveling will be possible later in the year. Will the cruise lines be back in business? Will every state remove its travel restrictions? Will foreign travel be back? Unfortunately, I don’t have answers to these questions, only time will tell.

My husband is calling this, “The Year of Miracles”. He is definitely a glass-half-full kind of guy, but, I hope he is right! Here is my Travel wish list. These are destinations that we are hoping to visit this year(and maybe into the next). Even though we don’t know what will happen in the months to come, I’m still going to dream big!

This is an unusual and diverse list. I wanted to give you some interesting places to consider when planning your 2021 Travel plans. In 2020, we had to stay close to home and only travel within our own state of North Carolina. With the vaccine right around the corner, we are hopeful that we will be traveling by summer or fall.

As I’m sure it is with most couples and families, there are destinations and attractions that my husband would like to see and others that I would like to see. I will attempt to include places that most people would enjoy.

We will start from our home in North Carolina and head in each direction.

Famous Hwy 42 leading to Gills Rock, Dasparag / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)

Travel Wish List by Direction

I believe that every state has something to offer the traveler. My Travel wish list includes places my husband and I have not visited, but are planning to visit this year. You might just find your dream vacation at one of these destinations!

*If you want to check off the states one by one, click HERE to join our email list. You will receive several free printables that will list each of the 50 states and 3 great destinations within each state.*

Traveling North

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is a state with a lot of great destinations. Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are the 2 largest cities in PA and great places to visit. However, I prefer to visit more “out of the way” locations, places that maybe you have never heard of. Some of my favorite places are small towns, like Punxsutawney, these towns are sometimes overlooked as we travel through them on our way to bigger cities.

There are 45,000 square miles to explore in Pennsylvania. It has been split up into 11 different regions. Each one has something different to offer, check them out HERE. We have already been to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and the Pocono Mountains so we wanted to see something different.

Dutch Country Roads
Laurel Highlands
Lehigh Valley
Great Lakes Region
Philadelphia & surrounding area
Pittsburgh & surrounding area
Pocono Mountains
The Alleghenies
Upstate PA
Valleys Of Susquehanna
Pennsylvania Wilds

Elk — Largest free-roaming herd of elk in the Eastern US

Pennsylvania Wilds

Pennsylvania Wilds region takes up most of northern PA. This area of the state has millions of acres of unspoiled forests and mountains. It’s a great area for outdoor activity, hiking, kayaking, fishing and so much more! It is divided into 6 Landscapes for you to explore;

Elk Country – home to one of the largest herd of elk east of the Mississippi
Cook Forest and the Ancients – known as the land of giants due to the ancient & very tall trees
Dark Skies – this is one of the best areas in the US to stargaze
Allegheny National Forest – it covers over 500,000 acres and is PA’s only National Forest
I-80 Frontier – so many small towns and attractions to explore including Punxsutawney!
Pine Creek Valley and PA Grand Canyon – the eastern gateway to the PA Wilds

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Things to do in Punxsutawney, PA

6 Comments / Travel / Cathy

Small Town Series – Pennsylvania

There are many unique small towns across the United States. Many times we just drive right through them on our way to somewhere else. In this series, I will highlight small towns in each state. If you take the time to stop, shop, and eat in these towns, I think you will be pleasantly surprised! Small towns are “hidden gems” among the big, bustling cities!

Punxsutawney

Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania is a small town located 84 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. Their claim to fame is the Groundhog day Celebration held there every February 2nd. The most recent census shows the population is about 6000.

Have you heard of Punxsutawney Phil? He’s a famous Groundhog! He lives in Punxsutawney, PA. On February 2nd, he becomes very popular because he can predict the weather! Although, sometimes we don’t like his predictions!

History

The first settlement was in 1772 when Rev. John Ettwein, a Moravian church missionary, arrived with 241 Delaware Native Americans. Swarms of gnats plagued the early settlers and their livestock. The name, Punxsutawney, comes from the Native language and translates to “town of the sandflies”. These gnats eventually drove the Native Americans away.

Punxsutawney is situated halfway between the Allegheny and Susquehanna rivers.

Settlers were drawn to the town by lumbering and mining opportunities. To make this land more inhabitable, they drained the swamps in the area and exterminated the insects. The Borough of Punxsutawney was incorporated in 1850. When the mines were active, the Town was bustling, with a population of over 10,000 people, but eventually, the coal mines closed down and the people left.

Today, it’s a quiet little tourist town except for once a year, on Groundhog Day, when as many as 40,000 people make the trek to Gobbler’s Knob to see what Phil has to say!

Things to do in Punxsutawney, PA

Mahoning Shadow Trail
Gobbler’s Knob & Trail
Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center
Phantastic Phils
Phil’s Burrow
Punxsutawney Historical & Genealogical Society
The GHC Headquarters
Groundhog Festival

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The Best of 2020 – 6 Safe Travel Adventures

20 Comments / Travel / Cathy

The year 2020, started just like any other year, January and February were uneventful. It was when we hit March that things changed. We all learned about a new virus, the coronavirus, which seemed to have started in China. It was spreading fast so we had to go on lockdown which meant staying home as much as possible. Businesses and schools were closed. Restaurants could no longer serve customers for dine-in. Only “essential” businesses would be able to stay open. It was a very scary and confusing time! It was sometimes hard to know where to turn for the most accurate information. We got our information from the CDC since it’s their job to identify & control contagious diseases.

We learned that the cruise lines were closing down, international travel was banned, and even some states had travel restrictions. It was a mess! It still is a mess 9 months later. Some restrictions were lifted and then reinforced again! In some ways, now, in December, things are worse than ever! The only hope is that the vaccine is on the horizon. We can see a light at the end of the tunnel. As a traveler and travel blogger, this is good news!

Once we got through the first several months of the Pandemic, some things started to open again, with restrictions and safety precautions in place. Some of these were; campgrounds, hotels, dine-in restaurants, Disney World, and domestic flights. When we thought about venturing out again, we decided it would either be camping or cabin rental. Most of our travel was kept to our own state of North Carolina. In that way, we didn’t have to figure out the state restrictions, in some states you were required to quarantine for 14 days!

My husband and I were able to have 6 travel adventures in 2020.

6 Travel Adventures

Camping at Raleigh Oaks RV Resort
Cabin rental at Cherokee, NC
Cabin rental #2
Florida vacation – housesitting for my son & daughter-in-law
Fall cabin rental with my Mom
3-day weekend, Airbnb in Wilmington, NC

1. Camping at Raleigh Oaks RV Resort

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Unique Experiences in Washington state

20 Comments / Travel / Cathy

Washington became the 42nd state in 1889. The cascade mountain range runs north-south and splits the state in two. The two halves are commonly known as the “Westside” and the “Eastside” or the “wet side” and the “dry side”. Forests cover about half the state’s landmass making it a leading lumber producer. The diversity of the state makes it a great choice for an awesome adventure!

Seattle & Beyond

Seattle

**FUN FACT: Seattle is sometimes referred to as the “Emerald City”, this has nothing to do with The Wizard of Oz as some people may think. It is due to the city and surrounding areas being filled with greenery all year round, even in the winter, due to all the evergreen trees in the area. It also refers to Washington’s nickname “The Evergreen State”.**

*This is an updated post originally written on June 3, 2019. With current COVID19 restrictions, some of these places may have changes to times and occupancy, please refer to their websites for more information*

The city of Seattle is situated on Puget Sound and is surrounded by water, mountains, and evergreen forests. Seattle has a population of nearly 4 million people, it is situated on an isthmus between Puget Sound and Lake Washington. It is located about 100 miles south of the Canadian border. The city is broken into many neighborhoods, each one is unique and has lots to offer its residents. It’s hard to write about Seattle without mentioning all the places that tourists like to visit. I have tried to add some places that you may not have thought of. Seattle has many great parks & beaches. Here is my list of must-see places in the city of Seattle;

Discovery Park – Discovery Park Lighthouse
Space Needle
Pike Place – Public Market
Hiram M. Chittenden – Ballard Locks
Argosy Tours
Fremont Troll
MoPOP – Museum of POP Culture
MOHAI – Museum of History and Industry
Lake Union

Discovery Park

Discovery Park is the largest city park in Seattle. It is located on Magnolia Bluff overlooking Puget Sound. It offers spectacular views of both the Cascade and Olympic Mountains. This secluded park includes two miles of protected tidal beaches, an open meadow, and the West Point Lighthouse. Be sure to check out the Discovery Park Environmental Learning Center.

Parking: there are several parking lots throughout the park, but your best bet is to park at the Visitor’s Center

West Point Lighthouse – Discovery Park Lighthouse

West Point Lighthouse is also known as the Discovery Park Lighthouse. It is an active lighthouse built to protect Seattle’s West point which juts out into Puget Sound at Elliott Bay. The Lighthouse is surrounded on 3 sides by a beach. The 23-foot high lighthouse began operation in 1881. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Parking: is located about 1.5 miles away from the lighthouse in the Discovery Park parking lots.

Space Needle

The Space Needle is a landmark for the Pacific Northwest and an icon of Seattle. It was originally built for the 1962 World’s Fair, whose theme was “The Age of Space” it continues to symbolize Seattle’s forward-thinking spirit. The Space Needle is 605 feet tall and is the most photographed structure in the world! It offers 360-degree indoor and outdoor panoramic views of downtown, Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, and the Cascades, and the Olympic mountain ranges.

The Space Needle is open 365 days a year.

The winter hours are; Monday – Thursday 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Friday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm, Saturday 11:00 pm – 7:00 pm, and Sunday 11:00 pm – 5:00 pm.

Regular admission tickets are $35

Parking: You will find parking in several nearby parking garages which are about 2 blocks away

We didn’t go up to the top the day we were there, but you can bet I will go next time we’re in Seattle! Check out the Webcam!

*If you would like to receive our weekly newsletters directly in your inbox, please sign up HERE and receive your free printable, “My Bucket List”. We would love to share our adventures with you!*

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