My first roundup post! You might have seen these before as they are fairly popular. I decided to start my own not only to provide a synopsis for all of you, but also for me! I love the idea of my annual travel highlights being in one, easy-to-find location. Because I didn’t do one last December (since my blog was only 4 months old), I will squeeze in a brief roundup for 2016.
2016 was a great year that saw lots of awesome destinations and introduced the balance of travel with launching my blog. In 2016, I visited Colorado, Maine, Los Angeles, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Spain, Switzerland, Canada, Greece, The Netherlands, Tennessee and New York!
Now for this year!
Trimm Travels 2017
1. Los Angeles, California-March 2017
After taking January and February off, I was ready to hit the road, or the air, again. No better city to start with than Los Angeles. Having lived there for a few years, I truly love it and I go back annually!
Hanging out outside the Los Angeles County Museum of Art!
Read my Los Angeles posts.
2. Dallas, Texas-March 2017
A city I had been to many times, I was excited to finally get the chance to properly explore Dallas and the DFW area.
One of my favorite things I found in DFW were these giant umbrellas that look like martini glasses!
Read my Dallas posts.
3. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-April 2017
Definitely the city I only expected to love for its history, Philadelphia got the last laugh. The City of Brotherly Love showed off in all aspects and I fell in love with it!
One of my favorite photos of this trip was the Ben Franklin Bridge at night.
Read my Philadelphia posts.
4. Perú-May 2017
Perú ranks in my top 2 all-time favorite destinations! If you want diverse landscapes, friendly people and some of the best food you will find on the planet, Perú is the place for you!
This heart-shaped bin of roses I found in Cuzco sums it up nicely!
Read my Perú posts.
5. Spain-June/July 2017
I’ve been going to Fuerteventura for the past nine summers straight. The Canary Islands, particularly Fuerteventura, are a hidden gem. It’s a popular destination for Europeans, but it isn’t on a lot of Americans’ radars. It should be.
By the way, although the Canary Islands are part of Spain, they are on the continent of Africa. If you’ve ever been confused by my map on my destinations page and wondered what that 5th continent was, now you know!
On my ninth trip to Spain, I finally got to see Barcelona. Well. worth. the. wait!! This coastal, artsy city has a laid-back atmosphere with beautiful sites and fabulous architecture.
Speaking of architecture, I fell in love with all-things Gaudí. This photo is the inside of his La Sagrada Familia.
Read my Spain post.
6. Denmark-August 2017
My favorite part of Copenhagen was Nyhavn. It’s a very colorful waterfront entertainment district that dates back to the 17th century.
Read my Denmark post.
7. Scandinavian/Russian Cruise-August 2017
This summer, I got the chance to cruise the Baltic Sea roundtrip from Denmark. I visited Norway, Germany, Estonia, Russia, Finland, and Sweden.
Norway
Highlights of Oslo were seeing the Royal Palace and standing in the room where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented every year in December.
Germany
I was excited to visit Berlin because of its history. I enjoyed all there was to see in Berlin, but the remains of the Berlin wall were what I wanted to see most.
Estonia
I honestly didn’t know what to expect from Estonia as I hadn’t done much research. I was pleasantly surprised with the quaint little town of Tallinn!
Russia
Russia. Easily, the place I was excited to visit most on this trip, I wasn’t disappointed. What was supposed to be two days in St Petersburg…
turned into one day in St Petersburg and one in Moscow! It was a crazy, full 18-hour day but it was one of the best chances I have ever taken on a trip! The architecture is just jaw-dropping!
Read my Russia post.
Finland
I saw so many unique things in Helsinki, Finland from statues to cathedrals and icebreaker fleets. I really loved this view of the shoreline!
Sweden
Stockholm has one of the most interesting changing of the guards I’ve seen.
8. Maine-October 2017
Maine in the fall is a fantastic idea. I visited Bangor (home of Stephen King), Ellsworth and Bar Harbor. The fall colors were gorgeous!
9. Las Vegas, Nevada-November 2017
I returned to Las Vegas in November to participate in my fourth Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. What made this one different is my big weight loss and more importantly, remembering the tragic events that took place in Vegas on October 1st.
Read my Las Vegas post.
10. Arizona-November 2017
While in Las Vegas, I took two day-trips to Arizona.
One was my second trip to the Grand Canyon…
while the other was my first trip to Horseshoe Bend
and Antelope Canyon. While I loved all three and it wasn’t my first time to see the Grand Canyon, it was Antelope Canyon that completely blew me away!
11. Charleston, South Carolina-December 2017
I ended my 2017 travels with a trip to Charleston in early December. I see why this city is a top American destination choice.
It is beautiful and even more so at Christmastime!
Read my Charleston post.
Not only did I have fun on 2017’s adventures, but I had fun reliving those adventures while writing about them. Look for posts from the cruise, Maine, Arizona and South Carolina coming soon!
Trimm Travels Trip Totals
Continents: 3
Countries: 10
States: 8
Cities: 24
Steps: 667,635
Miles Walked: 287.3
Calories Burned: 107,059*
Airports: 28
Flights: 42
Hotels: 11
Photos Taken: 25,873**
*Excludes Maine and Charleston-my device didn’t record for some reason **Excludes my cellphone and GoPro pics
My Favorite 10 Blog Posts of 2017
Best Things To Do in Lucerne, Switzerland
Losing 40 at 40: My Weight Loss Story
The Instagrammer’s Guide to Perú
18 Must-See Locations for the First Time Visitor in Barcelona, Spain
NYE in NYC: Watch The Ball Drop Without The Crowd
2 Snow Activities For The Non-Skier in Vail, Colorado
Top 10 Things You Can’t Miss in Philadelphia
Switzerland: 30 Photos to Make it Your Top Bucket List Destination
Right or Left: Why the Plane View Matters for Photography
Finding Fort Worth: Interesting Things To Eat, See and Do
My Favorite Travel Accessories of 2017
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And that’s my 2017 Tracking of Trimm Travels! Thanks so much for coming along on the journey with me! Which of these would be your top bucket list destination? Is there a particular destination you would like to see covered in 2018?
‘Til next time and next year…
Trimm Travels,
I want to do the snow activities for the non-skier in Val. Colorado!
Have you thought about visiting Mackinac Island, Michigan?
The snow activities are definitely fun! It has crossed my mind!