In October 2024, I went to Albuquerque, New Mexico and crossed an item off my bucket list by attending the International Balloon Fiesta. I spent a few extra days in the Albuquerque area and took a side trip to Santa Fe, which was about an hour away from the AirBnb I was staying in. Santa Fe was exceptional and the tour I booked through Airbnb Experiences was the “icing on the cake,” so to speak. Tour Santa Fe with me in this blog post!

Last Friday evening I attended one of the Bright Nights events at Lauritzen Gardens. If you love any of the things on this list - beautiful lights and decor, toy trains, poinsettias, gorgeous flowers, festive food and drinks, holiday photo ops, outdoor games, visits with Santa, cheerful music, beautiful plants, or just celebrating the holidays this event is for you! My family and I are going closer to Christmas but I also wanted to go early in the event to take photos. It is GORGEOUS!

For a fun and informative Halloween activity, be sure to take in the Wicked Plants at Lauritzen Gardens from now until November 12. It’s super creative, fascinating, educational, spooky, and beautiful all at once! I DARE YOU to visit!!!

In August 2024 I achieved a personal milestone (a.k.a. Bucket list) that I added to my to-do list in 2013 - more than 11 years ago. I spent one absolutely GLORIOUS full day at The Butchart Gardens near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. To me, this place is like heaven on earth. See why!

I just got home at 1 am from a wonderful trip to Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. I say this almost every trip, but this trip was one of the best trips I’ve ever had! I got to do so much fun stuff I can’t believe it. My son presented at a national conference in Seattle, so I decided to go with him (since guess who was mostly footing the bill?). 😏 I totally turned it into a “Bucket List” trip for myself though!

As I have “acquired years and wisdom” (read between the lines), I have discovered that “tiptoeing through the tulips” is actually very beneficial for my well-being on multiple levels. I now LOVE gardens, particularly botanical gardens! Not only do they encourage me to get my steps in, the flowers, foliage, and trees enhance my mental health and feed my soul. The artwork inspires me. Listening to the birds sing and watching butterflies flit around calms and fascinates me. And I always learn something new. In short, spending time in a garden just makes me doggone happy. Maybe you can relate! 😁

Last summer I spent a week on my own in Milan! I stayed at an AirBnb with the most wonderful host and arranged some wonderful tours and activities while I was there. One of them was an exuberant tour in a classic Fiat! One of the places we went was called BAM: The Library of Trees. Join me for a quick tour and of BAM and information to plan your own tour!