Happy New Year 2024

Happy New Year! It feels like 2023 just started and now it's a whole new year. Usually, we try to travel during this time, but we've been doing so much local stuff, that it has felt like a mini vacation. Plus, there weren't any flight deals for the places we were thinking of going to, so we just skipped it this year.

As you know, the majority of my resolutions are travel-related, non-specific, and pretty easy to achieve, because making resolutions like "going to the gym" or "losing 10 lbs" or "calling people more often" are boring and I know I won't do them, even if I want to. Let's look at what I said last year: 

Be kind - this has been a relatively easy one, especially when you surround yourself with like-minded people. I've done a lot of volunteer work with PDXpelliarmus, our local chapter of Fandom Forward, making sure our LGBTQ+ members of the Harry Potter community feel seen and heard and cared for.

Go somewhere new - this year we went to Palm Springs, which neither of us had been to. It was a lovely break and at some point we will go back, because the city may be small, but it's wonderful and full of amazing food and architecture. 

I halfway add that we went to Vancouver, BC. I have previously been to Vancouver island and we had a long layover in Vancouver before, where we went to lunch, explored the conservatory, went to a salt room, and then went back to the airport. We were there for much longer this time, though still not long enough, and did quite a bit in and around the city. This year we plan to hit up Nashville.

Keep masking in crowded areas - We went to several events, rode on planes, and went to multiple theme parks this year. We wore masks in all these places. It's an easy thing to do to keep ourselves from getting sick and spreading it to others, whether it's Covid, the flu, a regular cold, or something else. I probably won't stop masking on planes, as I was trying that out before Covid came along. Not being sick on vacation is wonderful and I highly recommend it.

Encourage people to go to new places - I hope that through my own travels and tips for saving on things, people plan new adventures. I had the opportunity to give a lot of advice for places to friends in real life, from London to Las Vegas, so I know they did fun things once there. I also encouraged a new friend to come check out Portland, and she did!

Revive Destination Potlucks - Okay, we tried this for Mardi Gras and it went over okay, but not well enough for me to keep it up. It's much easier to plan a Destination Date Night for the two of us and I feel like the amount of work I put in is worth it, so we will continue to strive to get some of those in where we can. (Give me suggestions for places you want to see/read about! Hit me in the comments.)

What would I add for this year? 

• Do more local activities and events - We spent a good chunk of December exploring the city's holiday markets, pop-ups, attractions, and events. It was pretty great and I hope to continue finding things to do the rest of the year. In February, we'll be attending a tea tasting and lantern viewing for Lunar New Year at our Chinese Garden. 
• Meet up with more friends on my travels - If you're like me, you have a lot of social media friends you've never met in real life, but you know they are awesome. We met up for meals with some last year and I look forward to doing it again. I usually ask for recommendations for places to eat and get coffee before I travel and our trip to Vancouver was no different, except that when people gave me recommendations for their favorite places, I asked if they would be willing to come eat with us, and they did, and it was fantastic.
• Try something new - I don't know what this will be. Maybe it'll be an activity, maybe it'll be a hobby, it'll definitely be food. The more new things I can try, the better. I'll keep you posted as I'm able to achieve them. 
• Bring back 48 Hours on a Budget series - I love this series, but it takes a lot of work to do each post, so it often gets put off and then I haven't done any and I am disappointed in myself. 
• Do more holiday/month-specific posts - I hope to bring you more specific posts like for Women's History Month, and travel for holidays/events. 
• Create more reels for Instagram - I don't know that I am great at them, but I hope to do more and get more creative now that I know what I'm doing and can do it all within the Instagram app. Let me know if this is something you care about (you can see my latest one at the bottom of this post) or if you just like stories and regular posts.
• Support more local and small artists - As someone who purchases a lot of Harry Potter and magical things, but doesn't want to buy branded merchandise whenever possible, I have been buying things from artists I love. It helped a lot going to 5 or 6 holiday markets in a month. I plan to continue this into the new year, because without artists, what is life even? 

We started out 2024 on a high note though, working on that last resolution, and I hope my whole year goes the same way. A local(ish) artist opened up her home on the 1st and gave tours of her collection of devil and Krampus pieces. It was truly amazing and then we came away with a new piece of pottery she made. I'm excited to see what things I find for myself and others this year at more things like this.

Here's hoping for a prosperous, adventurous, and delicious 2024. I hope the start of the year is already good for you. Let me know your resolutions for the coming months, no matter what they are. I want to read all your comments!

2024 Travel Resolutions

Can you believe it's already 2 days to the new year? Crazy! Everything feels like it went by so fast. I both don't remember what was this year and last, and also feel like I did a ton of stuff this year (which I did). This December has been a whirlwind of activity, while we tried to get to a lot of the special holiday markets, pop-ups, and other activities we usually miss. It's been awesome.

We did 5 holiday markets, a few pop-ups, checked out the winter ice rink they set up downtown that will run through January (we didn't skate), stopped to enjoy the indoor snow at the mall, got our photo taken with TWO Santas, we drove through a big light display, saw this year's gingerbread castle at a local hotel, set-up, attended, and took down Yule Ball, and supported a ton of local artists during this. The month isn't over yet. We had a friend in town and visited two dining spots that we rarely get to, and today we're headed to Peacock Lane, Portland's Christmas street. 

Gingerbread Castle at the Benson Hotel

So, let's get on to 2024 then: On the first, we'll be meeting Krampus. A little late, but that's okay. He'll be at a home museum of an artist I really enjoy, where we'll be taking a tour. On the seventh, we'll be doing brunch and having our annual White Elephant with friends. 

As for the rest of the year, a lot of it is kind of up in the air, which is odd for us. We had planned to go to The Big Island next month, but the stars did not align and there didn't appear to be any good flight deals at all this year like last year. Other factors also came into play. It's okay though, we will get there eventually. 

In March, the Travel Goods Show is returning to Vegas. I don't know what happened to Chicago, but it doesn't appear on their website anywhere. I won't complain, because Las Vegas is much easier and cheaper for me to get to. I'll hit that up, see some family and friends, eat a bunch of delicious food, and, hopefully, come home with a bunch of great stuff to tell you about.

In July, LeakyCon is coming back to Portland, so the first weekend we'll be there. Later that month, we're heading to Sacramento for a short week to do some sightseeing and go to a family reunion. This'll be the first time we've actually spent any significant time in the city. 

We just decided that we'll be hitting up Nashville in September. It'll be the first time I've been back in decades, so it's basically like my first time visiting. It seems like it'll still be summer weather, which is different than where we usually travel at the same time. 

We might try to get back to British Columbia sometime in there, but that'll be something we decide later. 

We're going to try to get back to Destination Date Nights if we can. We tried to bring back Destination Potlucks, but they weren't that popular, so we'll get back to doing them alone. 

As always, I'm hoping to do some new things, eat new foods, meet new people, and just generally enjoy life, whether that's at home or on my travels. Those are my resolutions for 2024 and beyond, because they bring me the most joy and they are important for me to accomplish. 

Do you have resolutions for the coming year? Whether or not they're travel-related, tell me in the comments. 

Planning Your 2024 National Parks Visits

A lot of people love to visit National Parks when they travel, and I know some people who specifically travel for National Parks. If you're one or both of these types of people, then I've got free admission days, the best parks for winter, and more.

I'll readily admit that I'm not an outdoorsy person. I don't like hiking or enjoy wandering around in the woods, even for a cool view from the top. I like outdoors when I'm in the city and sightseeing and can pop into a coffee shop or café and use an indoor bathroom. I appreciate that others are different, so I've pulled together some things for you:

Free* National Parks Days for 2024:

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• January 15: Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• April 20: First day of National Park Week
• June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day
• August 4: Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
• September 23: National Public Lands Day
• November 11: Veterans Day

*Fee-free days include entrance, commercial tour, and transportation entrance fees. Reservations, camping, tours, concessions and fees collected by third parties are not included.

Not sure what National Park you should go to? Matador has curated a list for you based on what kind of traveler you are. For instance, as an animal lover, I should head to the Everglades. Unfortunately, I'm not traveling to Florida until they become more friendly for all travelers, but I have seen some great wildlife while I have visited in the past.

Looking to get away soon? There are parks that are at their best during the winter, so visiting one of those can give you a magical cold weather escape. Pack warm layers and a fully charged camera for the stunning views. 

Do you love hiking? If so and you're hoping to get in some good trails this year, then you'll want to check out these 3 trails that have been newly added to the National Park system. They have been added to the scenic trails already on the list that cover thousands of miles. So, if you're just a person who likes to see the scenery from the car as you're driving through, or you like hiking long distances, or a combination of both, check out the Ice Age, New England, and North Country Trails.

National Parks aren't all hiking and paddle boarding and rock climbing. Some have really unusual activities, like a roller rink. These are things I would travel to National Parks for. If you would, too, here are 10 unusual things to do/see in parks.

I travel for food, and if you do, too, Food Network has pulled together some of the best restaurants in/near National Parks that you must eat at. If you don't want to spend your whole trip eating food you brought in a cooler from home, this is a must-read list. 

There are a lot of parks that are just always super popular. While you may still want to visit them at some point, this year maybe you'd rather visit ones that are a little under the radar. Here are 11 alternative parks to check out instead.

If you have a lot of time on your hands and want to spend 25 days traveling, Amtrak has a train journey that takes you on 4 different trains and 12 National Parks. It includes tours and free time, so you can explore each park as much as you'd like. A shorter journey will take you on a 14-day trip to 5 different parks. 

As much as I love the train, I'm not sure I'd want to spend weeks on one. If you agree, then maybe try one of these National Parks train rides instead, where you'll only go tens of miles instead of hundreds and range from 2 hours to 2 days. 

Also, did you know a train could be a National Park? Through the Trails & Rails program with the National Park Service and Amtrak, those scenic rail journeys are actually putting you on a moving National Park with a park ranger who will give you a guided tour of your trip. Pretty cool, right?

Some National Parks have "attractions" that are so popular, you can't just get in to see them. You have to enter a lottery to win the chance to see them in person. Know before you go with this list of these places that require a special tour.

Traveling with your pup? Lots of National Parks are dog-friendly. Here are the top 10:

1. Arcadia National Park (Maine)

2. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

3. Yosemite National Park (California)

4. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

5. Zion National Park (Utah)

6. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

7. Olympic National Park (Washington)

8. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

9. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

10. Mojave National Preserve (California)

The United States isn't the only place that has National Parks. They can be found worldwide. If you're taking a trip outside the country, here are the top 20 National Parks and the best time of year to visit each one.

If you will be traveling to the parks, then make sure you are a conscientious traveler who enjoys and respects the land you're visiting. Here are 5 things not to do in the parks, which seem like common sense, but people still do them, so clearly not. Here are also 10 rules you must follow if you're there to view the wildlife.

I hope this helps you get outside and do all the outdoorsy stuff you love to do. Let me know in the comments what your favorite National Park so far has been or which you hope to get to at some point...