Travel Often...Preparing for New Summer Adventures

 

I love traveling, whether it's a day trip right here in my home state of Alabama or a flight across the country to one of my favorite cities in the world, Los Angeles, as soon as one trip ends I'm ready for the next to begin! On the blog, I'll show you some of the best destinations in the South and which
one of the fifty states I want to cross of my list next. As much as I would love to explore new cities and states for a week, that isn't really a possibility with my schedule. So I do mostly 2-3 day weekend trips plus show you how to make traveling work on a budget. What are some of my favorite places right now? Here's a quick look!

Pink Taco is a Must-Do in LA

I love the state of California, not sure if it's the constant sunshine and warm days or the Hollywood appeal that makes the movie lover in me pick this destination as one of my favorites. I feel like California has kind of become a second home to me the last couple of months, a few of my best college friends have either moved there for graduate school or to start jobs while I actually met my best running friend at the Disneyland Half-Marathon in Anaheim almost two years ago. We have since done several races and I was thrilled to run the 30th anniversary of the LA Marathon with her this past March. I will definitely do a whole post on Cali in the near future as I have spent many trips in the heart of Hollywood, Santa Monica and Anaheim aka Disneyland. I am super excited for May since I will be making two trips to the Golden State but more on that in future posts.

Ultimate Tourist Photo Spot
 

Speaking of Disneyland, how can I live in the South and not mention the great state of Florida? Florida is easily one of my favorite states and it has been that way since I was four years old. Of course I love the beach, my favorite just may be Seaside which is located on beautiful 30A. If you have ever seen the film, The Truman Show starring Jim Carrey then you know this place is beautiful. The shores are lined with the cutest and most colorful beach houses I have ever seen. It truly feels like you have stepped back in time, it's a lot less chaotic than places like Panama City or Gulf Shores so if you are looking for more of a party/spring break atmosphere then it might not be the best choice.

Means of transportation in Seaside? Bicycles!

But, I could not mention Florida without probably the most well known tourist destination in the world...the Walt Disney World Resort! My family have been annual passholders for years so now even in my 20's, I love a trip to Orlando. Now, I am not someone who is obsessed with Mickey Mouse or wears a princess hat around the parks but I do love all the memories my family and friends have made there over the years. If you have ANY questions about Orlando, I am the person to ask! I will obviously make more detailed posts about Orlando/Disney related trips as well as Universal Studios and all the new Harry Potter parks. Just a word of advice to all my runners reading this...if you are a fan of Disney World you MUST do at least one runDisney event, you won't regret it! Disney World is great for all ages, it's safe, clean, easy to manage and yes, it can be cheesy but that's part of the fun. However, it can get very pricey very quickly so I'll be sure to give as many money saving tips as I can!

Getting extra luck in "Japan" aka Epcot

 

Typical day at Universal Orlando

Finally, I love visiting places close to me and that could be New Orleans, Nashville, Atlanta or my city, Birmingham. Sometimes the best adventures are the ones where you can just get into your car and drive. I'll be doing research on what places are the absolute best to visit in the South (and getting your suggestions too!) and all over the country. I have a goal of visiting all 50 states so I like to try as many new cities and states as possible. I am also ready to see what all I can discover right here in Alabama!

No trip to NOLA is complete without a trip to Café Du Monde
 

This summer I am most excited to visit Austin, Texas for the first time! So, any of you Austin locals out there let me know what we absolutely must-do for an amazing weekend. What are your plans for the summer? Any big trips planned? What's your favorite destination of ALL time?

Comment below!