Facebook ads are no joke, Zuckerberg’s crew is fully aware of my affinity for flowers. While not technically on my way from Joshua Tree to LA, I made a little field trip to the Carlsbad Flower Fields which happened to be in full bloom. Millions and millions of ranunculus on fifty of the most festive acres I’ve ever seen. Pasadena, home of the Rose Bowl and Rose Parade was no slouch in the floral department either. I wound up in the Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, and strolling around a sculpture garden and fantastic impressionist collection at the Norton Simon.

Third time’s the charm for me and Joshua Tree. My first two visits were very brief (under three hours in the park) while I was in the vicinity on business. This time I had every intention of camping in the park because I just wanted to see the stars over these crazy Seussical trees. I didn’t wind up overnighting in Joshua Tree, but I got to explore Pioneertown and finally see the park after dark. If I find myself in the general area, I will always try to find my way there, it will never get old, and I will shout from every mountain top that if you can find a way, you should find yourself there for as long as you possibly can.

I found myself with a week off between my housesit in Flagstaff and San Francisco. With rental cars ringing in at $1600 and a UHaul clocking in at $350, I decided to organize another van-venture. My friend Lori had just moved from LA to La Quinta and my aunt and uncle live in nearby Palm Desert. I decided to start heading west with stops in the land of mountains, palm trees, stunning sunsets and delightful doors.

Is it weird that I did a house sit in a city and I barely saw it? I spent plenty of time with locals and no one could refer me to any specific must see sites. All the usual sources, suggestions, and round ups pointed to must see excursions outside of town. I got plenty of food and beer suggestions, but all roads let outside of town for the adventures. My eyeballs had the most fun in Sedona, Page, Grand Canyon, Phoenix, and Monument Valley, but there was fun for my tastebuds in town.

Red Rocks just make me happy. I didn’t know I could love any of them more than Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver, but Arizona has more than it’s fair share of wonderful red rocks. Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and the Grand Canyon set the stage for the rugged ride south. Sedona is surrounded by gorgeous rock formations, Slide Rock is a natural red rock swimming hole, Vermilion Cliffs/Marble Canyon let you drive all along the edge of the grand canyon, and the painted desert is home to the petrified forest where 217 million year old trees became rocks.

Middle ground isn’t a place I spend much time. I pretty much love or hate everything. If I find something I’m passionate about, I plan plenty of adventures around it. If there is a Frank Lloyd #WrightSite nearby, I’m going to check it out. If Dale Chihuly does a gardens and glass exhibit, I will figure out how to get there. While Sedona and Antelope Canyon were the natural draws to Arizona, I was searching the house sit page every week for sits in Arizona before June 21,2022 to catch the Chihuly in the Desert exhibits at the Desert Botanical Garden and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.

I’ll never understand the people that call the Grand Canyon “just a really big hole.” I’m always captivated by the massive scale, how tiny and insignificant it makes me feel, and it never quite sinks in that all of that used to be under an ocean. It also serves as a great reminder of all the work we have to do to protect the oceans that make our planet habitable, because we aren’t in good shape if the less outdoorsy of us have to live in those inhospitable conditions. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon a couple times, once on that cross country road trip with my dad, once on a really cool Maverick Helicopter tour on a business trip to Vegas, the Horseshoe Bend visit on my trip to Page, but what I really wanted was to see the sunrise over the canyon.

If you’ve ever seen Britney Spears sing about Not Being a Girl (But Not Yet a Woman,) or if you watched Will Smith play chicken with an alien spaceship, you are familiar with the natural wonders of Page, Arizona. Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, and Horseshoe Bend are the most stunning sandstone collection in America. Page is fairly easy to visit from Las Vegas, Flagstaff, the main Utah parks, and it’s near the borders of Colorado and New Mexico. It’s a simple detour from a host of Southwestern adventures, but it’s worthy of its own special trip, no nostalgia necessary.

I’m on a mission to soak up as many iconic views in the Wild West as possible. My dad is a massive fan of Westerns. I’ve never been a big fan of the flicks, but the sweeping vistas and mesas left a lasting impression. There is nothing more iconic than Monument Valley and the majestic sandstone columns. I absolutely had to fit in a visit on my way to Flagstaff and Grand Canyon Country.

My very first house sit of this adventure was in Taos, New Mexico last spring. My fantastic hosts invited me back to watch their cat colony while they took their honeymoon, and so I could pick up my custom 6 Hand Hat. It seriously felt like coming home cutting back through the canyon and making my way to their mountain retreat . I made repeat visits to Sante Fe, wandered around the plaza, and made three terrific trips to Abiquiu.

I made a repeat trip to Sacramento to help a friend I met on my first house sit, and offered to sit for the family that originally brought me there. Covid caused some travel issues and I found myself with some free time between my Sacramento sits. I booked a last minute short sit in Sebastopol, then took a field trip up north to Eureka. I’m a huge fan of big beautiful trees, gorgeous old victorian houses, and craft beer so this was a field trip for the ages. I didn’t do much research, just asked for recommendations everywhere I went and I had the time of my life.

No matter how long I plan to be in NYC, it’s never long enough. Not enough time to see all the shows, visit all the museums, or eat all of the deliciousness the city has to offer. My NYC Map is color coded with notes on all of my favorite places to eat, what they are famous for, and what I can’t get enough of. These are the places I’m loathe to leave the city without, and regularly recommend to anyone that asks.

I’ve wanted to move to New York city since I was a little girl. It’s mecca for my first loves. Art museums, live performances, street art, interesting buildings, people watching, and arguably the best F&B in America. Paris, London, and Chicago are cleaner versions, but there is just something about those bright lights and big personalities that makes me overlook the mountains of garbage, rats the size of house cats, and the ick factor of public transit.

Holidays are traditionally for family time, so I rarely sneak away for field trips at the end of the year. For the past several years, I have made Austin my home base between Thanksgiving and Christmas to spend quality time with my family. A couple years ago I decided to fly from a business trip in LA straight to Germany to cross a few of the famed Christkindl markets off my bucket list before heading home for the season. It was the first time I’d ever planned a big solo trip beyond an extended business trip or quick overnight away, and it was probably the true beginning of the adventure I’ve embarked upon as a solo female traveler.

I went to Stars Hollow on my way to Pennsylvania and Sleepy Hollow on my way out to NYC. Not at all hollow, both field trips were filled with fun seasonal activities. They really were a perfect way to ring in Halloween and finish up my Autumn Adventures. A full moon, clear skies, creepy cemeteries, pretty pumpkins, and smiling faces made for an incredible trip. I highly recommend going to Sleepy Hollow/Croton, but not on a Thursday like me.

It’s an unwritten Lyssa Law, that if you are driving from Boston to NYC, you most pop into Washington Depot, CT. Andrea took me from one biz trip in Boston to a biz trip in NYC one year, and we fell deeply in love with the town that inspired Gilmore Girls and Stars Hollow. It was a glorious fall day, and Connecticut cemented a soft spot in my heart. I try to visit anytime I’m passing through and the third time was the charm this year! I finally timed it right to pop into the places prompted the iconic haunts of the Hollow.

I really don’t know that you can beat New England in the fall, the leaf peeping is prime here. I will drag my butt up mountains and down valleys in search of yellow, orange, and red trees. Vermont and New Hampshire are famous for their incredible foliage and the peepers come out en masse for good reason.

I didn’t have set plans for this #soulSabbatical. The general idea was to work my way down the West Coast, head to New England in the fall and do my best to spend late autumn/early winter in New York City. I was so glad that it worked out for me to spend so much time with family in San Diego, Chicago, Michigan, and Buffalo before working my way to friends that feel like family.

My best friend from college is a Boston native, my dad lived here for a few years in my teens, and I’ve had friends and family here most of my life. Aside from being home to some of my favorite people, there are plenty of reasons I try to visit every year. Who could resist New England charm, an abundance of historical activities, more museums than most anywhere else in America, and natural beauty beyond compare? I made arrangements to come stay with Andrea for almost three weeks so we could do some quintessential New England fall fun activities

Bet you didn’t see a Travel Blog on Buffalo coming. I’m almost positive you didn’t put Buffalo on your 2021 Bingo Card, but I went twice this year and had a really great time exploring. My dad has called Buffalo home for over 20 years, and after a quick trip in February, most of my stuff does too. This year, my darling dear dad picked me up from one sister in Chicago, facilitated shenanigans with the other in Michigan, and drove me to Buffalo to regroup before my Boston excursion. While most of my trips involve family time, movie marathons, and the famed wings; I made the most of my week in Queen City and crossed some terrific touristy things off my list.