2018 Top Travel Moments

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Wow, 2018 exceeded all my travel expectations.  We were blessed with so many amazing experiences this year that I simply couldn’t rank them. Instead, I am going to break down my 2018 top travel moments into categories.

A couple of these are actually from our most recent cruise this month, so I’ll be working on full posts for each.  I hope you will check back in for those.  For moments that made my list from earlier in the year, I have linked to the full post in case you’d like to check out of the details.

Be sure and let me know which category is your favorite.

2018 Top Travel -Hotel

Holiday Inn, Lido Beach.

My favorite hotel was a difficult pick.  If you’ve been on the blog recently, you’ll know that just this month I reviewed the beautiful InterContinental, San Juan.  While it was spectacular, as I reflected on the year as a whole, I had to go back to the Holiday Inn, Lido beach for one BIG reason.

Location!

• Directly across the street from beach access
• Walkable to St. Armands Circle – (in nice weather) We were there in January during a crazy cold snap.  One of the days it was in the 40s.  Brr!
• Convenient to downtown Sarasota – If you haven’t visited the Sarasota area of Florida, I highly recommend it.  There is something for everyone.

Throw in the onsite amenities of pool, bar, restaurant – it’s a win!

2018 Top Travel – Beach

Ok, I cannot profess to be a complete beach bum and not have my 2018 Top Travel Moments include my 2018 pick for a favorite beach!

Honeymoon Beach – St. John, USVI

Not accessible by car, this hidden paradise is accessible by hiking trail…or dingy ride ($5 per person return to Cruz Bay). And, let me tell you…it’s a hiking trail.  Yes, it was a rainy morning, but this trail was not a paved path down a wooded coastline.  Oh, and apparently horses also frequent this trail.  You’ve been warned!  But, the payoff was crystal clear ocean bliss.

Despite the rugged entry, there are several amenities right there including food, beverages, changing rooms, kayak rentals, picnic tables and more.

A perfect day in paradise!  We love the island of St. John so much.  If we ever win Powerball, we will be packed and ready to move there!  If you’re a cruiser and you go to St. Thomas, PLEASE spend a day in St. John.  You won’t regret it.

If a short taxi ride and paved parking are more your speed,  check out  Trunk Bay  Equally as beautiful and a little more comfortably accessed.

2018 Top Travel – Cruise Port

 St. Maarten/Sint Maartin

I surprised myself when this port came to mind as my favorite port for 2018. I typically want to highlight new adventures, and we have been to this port of call several times. However, for our 2018 experience, we branched out and explored the French side before ending the day at the beach.

We were also lucky to meet a great couple at the beach (Hi Carol!), and I laughed until my stomach hurt.  Arent’ those the best days?

Full blog post coming on our day in St. Maarten. But, here’s a little preview.

• Exploring the French side by taking the local bus! (Stay tuned for that story)
• Baguette and puppies!
• Fun afternoon on the boardwalk.

Have you been to Sint Maarten?  What’s your favorite thing to do?

2018 Top Travel – Good for My Heart

There were many places this year that for various reasons touched my heart.  But, two places stood out that my mind has gone back several times and reflected on the experience.  The experiences have adjusted my way of thinking and opened my eyes to something unique and special.

Panama City, Florida

I wrote a post on visiting Panama City, Florida, following Hurricane Michael.  If you missed it, you could read the full post here. I have to admit that visiting an area immediately after a hurricane seems like an odd choice for my 2018 top travel moments.

The entire experience of driving down to Florida with my husband, trying to serve others, meeting some exceptional people along the way, is one I’ll never forget.

It tugs at your heart to see the tremendous divide between the “haves” and “have-nots” when it comes to natural disasters. I think it’s a common comment to make, “Why don’t people just leave?”  Well, as we should have learned years ago with Katrina, many people simply do not have the resources to leave. And, regardless of your resources, sometimes it’s just too hard to leave your home and your community.

But once the storm passes the hearts that come out to serve are all the same. Any time you have the chance to be of services to others, please do it.

Dominica

What a beautiful place.  This small nation jam-packed with raw and natural beauty is full of might.

Having suffered great devastation during Hurricane Maria, this little island is steadfast in their quest to rise up and carry on.  It always amazes me that the people in the world who honestly have a right to feel down and bitter always seem to be the ones with the best attitudes.  I know I could certainly learn from their excellent example.

Read my full post on the beautiful island of Dominica but for now, I will share a couple of images and tell you that if you are looking for a  natural beauty a little off of the beaten path, check out Dominica.

Cruise Ship – Allure of the Seas

This year we FINALLY sailed on an Oasis Class Ship.  I’ve wanted to for several years, but there was always a price issue, schedule issue or something that kept us booking other ships.

Additionally, Brian was sure that it was going to be too crowded. Crowds typically throw me into anxiety-land, too, but I love cruising so much that I usually manage. 😉

We loved it!

Yes it was massive, yes there were a ton of people but there were also so many fantastic places to explore and relax as well.

My Top Spots on Allure of the Seas –

• Central Park
• Solarium
• Aqua Theatre – the entertainment in all of the venues was spectacular but the Aqua Theatre is so unique.

Check out my full list here.

We enjoyed it so much that we book her again for 2019 for our extended family vacation in March. Need help planning YOUR cruise, check out my FREE Travel Printables and planning boards on Pinterest.

2018 Top Travel – An Unexpected Surprise

Fort Myers Beach

While this didn’t make the cut as my 2018 favorite beach, it fit the bill for a nice surprise!   We planned a somewhat last minute trip to the Fort Myers area…the week of 4th of July.  Having a bit of a “Spring Break” reputation, I was expecting Fort Myers beach to be a little less than a family-friendly experience.  But, we planned accordingly and were happily surprised!

I was expecting chaos. Knowing that my worrier-brain does not do well with “chaos,” we took some little steps that mitigated 90% of the crazy, and we had a fantastic time.

On the 4th, we arrived very early and “set up camp.”  Within an hour or so, the parking lots were full, and the beach became crowded.  But we had all we needed – food, drink, the Gulf of Mexico…and even a parade!

If you missed the full post, you could find it here.  Fort Myers has a great little airport and is a relaxed town to get around.  From Fort Myers, you can check out Naples and even head down to one of our personal favorites, Marco Island.  Next time, we are interested in checking out The Key West Express.

There you have it -my 2018 Top Travel moments.

I feel fortunate to be able to travel more and more each year.  It’s a true gift that many cannot have, and I try not to take one minute of it for granted.

What was your 2018 Top Travel moment?  I hope you will share in the comments below and join our travel community on Facebook. 

Travel and exploration can grow your heart and mind in so many ways.  I hope that in 2019 each of you has the opportunity to travel and explore.

When you do, let me know.  I can’t wait to hear about it!

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