Out With the Old, In With the New

Can you believe 2015 is practically over? I can't. It's been a good year all around. We got a remodeled a bathroom, got a bunch of landscaping done and a new side fence. We've had a lot of fun parties and get togethers and had some memorable trips that we won't soon forget. I'd say we're ready to welcome 2016. 

We can't wait to see what the next year has in store, though we know for certain it brings a trip to Vegas and New Orleans. Let's look back on some travel highlights from 2015.

Eric and I in the big shoe at the Cosmopolitan in Vegas

As Wayne & Garth at Walt Disney's Halloween party

Some beautiful scenery in Diagon Alley at Universal Studios Orlando

This beautiful stairway at the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida

At Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom

We did this great scavenger hunt in Portland with family // photo credit: Anthony Botteron

I've achieved a few things this year, including being included on a few great blogging lists: 

• In January I was named as one of the Top 50 Frugal Bloggers by Grocery Coupon Network.
• February, TrekEffect named me as one of the Top 50 Travel Blogs to Follow.
• Over the Summer, I was honored by being included in a list of bloggers that TripAdvisor put together giving our tips on the best budget-friendly travel destinations.
• This month I was added to the list of Best Budget Travel Blogs to Read in 2016 by CreditDonkey.

I'm still hoping to get something published in a newspaper or magazine this year, but I've got a good feeling about my workload. I'm working with a new website called Travel-Wise and contributing monthly with my travel tips.

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So, it's a definite that we will be hitting up New Orleans in 2016, to eat beignets and seafood, listen to jazz and possibly encounter a ghost or two. We also hope to get to Disney and Universal Hollywood before the year is out and I may make it back to the Travel Goods Show for new and innovative travel gear.

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I'm looking into a solo trip (with the pup) in the spring to Montana. I've never been, but I hear it's beautiful and we'd love to take advantage of their dog-friendly cities and gorgeous outdoor spaces.

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We're also planning ahead to 2017 and have a tentative plan to visit the great city of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. We've not seen much of our Neighbor to the North, besides the very brief glimpses we've had of Vancouver and a short trip I took years ago to Victoria, BC. This is going to be a week of Canadian immersion and probably a visit to Niagara Falls.

Keep up with my achievements, extra tips and guest postings by following me on Facebook and Twitter or signing up for my newsletter (it goes out just twice per month). Get a little more inspiration by joining me on Pinterest and Instagram. I look forward to bringing you more travel tips, overviews and reviews in the new year. If there's something in particular you'd like to see more of (packing, a specific destination, car rentals, etc...) please, please, please leave a comment about it. I want to bring you valuable info that you can use. 

And if you have suggestions for what I should see or do in NoLa, I'd love to hear them!