Wanderlust Wednesday-- Desert Southwest Road Trip

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It's no secret that I love to travel. I also every little thing leading up to a trip: the research, the planning, the decision-making, the travel books (that I end up keeping well past their due dates), the anticipation & excitement-- I love it all. Travel is essential to me & I'm always looking for our next adventure.

Aside from a quick trip to New Jersey in June, our next big adventure will be a road trip to the desert Southwest this summer & I can. not. wait. From Texas, we'll head through New Mexico into Arizona stopping at the Grand Canyon, then northeast into Utah, and then over into southern Colorado before heading back home. Here are the on my to-see/to-do list while we're gone.

1. The Grand Canyon

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Despite it's touristy (is that a word?) nature, we have decided to visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon because of it's location relative to other points of interest on our trip. Initially, we thought we'd take the time to visit the North Rim (the cooler temps sound soo appealing), but the time it would take to travel there won't quite work with our schedule.

2. Horseshoe Bend

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Is this not one of the most stunning images you've ever seen? The rich colors of the canyon set against that brilliant backdrop? I seriously cannot wait. Speaking of brilliant, did you hear about this? Too, too cool.

3. Antelope Canyon

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This slot canyon is the one stop I am most excited about. Located just outside of Page, Arizona on sacred Navajo land. I'm dying to see it. Torn between the upper & lower canyons (I don't think we'll have time for both), I'm leaning more toward the lower canyon.

4. Monument Valley

Located on the Arizona/Utah border, this region of Navajo land is studded with gorgeous sandstone buttes. I'm looking forward to driving the 17-mile road through the park & taking it all in. I've heard the road is in terrible condition & extremely bumpy, but I can't wait to hear my girl giggle going over the bumps.

5. Durango Mountain Resort

With all sorts of fun activities to do during the summertime (alpine slide, horseback riding, mining, ziplining, etc),  this place looks like an absolute blast for my girl.

So there you have it, my top 5 to-do/to-see things on our 2014 Summer road trip. What have I missed? Where should we stay/eat? What else MUST we see? Tell me!

Bucket List

Do you have a bucket list?

I was able to cross a big one off of mine a couple of years ago when my little family of three took a trip to Boston, Massachusetts. We fell head-over-heels in love with the city; it's charm and it's weather were incredible.

My favorite part of the trip was attending a game at historic Fenway Park. My husband is a huge Red Sox fan and it warmed my heart to see his eyes light up when he took in not one, but two games while we were there. He was like a kid in a candy store and it was incredibly cool.

Most of my bucket list revolves around travel-- there is so much out there I want to do and see. My main travel goal is to see all 50 states. You see, I'm not one of those people that yearns to travel to far off places. I have zero desire to travel abroad. I'd much rather explore everything this beautiful country has to offer. That's not to say that I haven't been out of the country, though. As a couple, my husband and I have taken several cruises and of all of the ports we have visited, Jamaica is at the top of our list. As soon as we got off the boat in Montego Bay, Jamaica, we ignored all of the warnings the cruise line gave us and hailed a cab. I was petrified at first, but it ended up being an incredible experience. The cab driver took us all over the city, showing us the magnificent sites, buying us Red Stripe and treating us to an all-day experience we will never forget. And all for $40! Well worth it.

There are lots of experiences and places remaining on my bucket list. Here are a few:

Attend a football game at Lambeau Field:

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See the Northern Lights:

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Visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:

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See the lights of Marfa:

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Rock in a rocking chair on the front deck of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI:

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Tour the Hawaiian Islands via the Pride of America:

See Niagara Falls:

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What fun things are on your bucket list?