7 Sites I Love: Where I’ve Been and Want to Go Back To

I haven’t been to any of the 7 wonders of the world, but I want to share 7 of my favorite places with you.

I wish I had been to more of these places for fun, but traveling for work has its perks for sure. I know where I hope to go back to and where isn’t worth my free weekend. So I wanted to share 7 sites, almost all visited for work, that I would love to go back to for fun.

I think one of the biggest perks of traveling for work is the expectations of a location. I don’t go in with goals for the social time, I’m too lost in schedules and budgets to think about how nice the sunset may look. So when I escape the ballroom, sneak out of the exhibit hall, and stare around at the pieces of the city I can see over my drink - I can take it all in for what it is and not what I was wanting it to be. The freshest, most unbias eyes I’ll have for a city - since part of my job is to literally judge them.

Starting with the lovely and amounting to the spots that most took my breath away, enjoy some of my favorite United States travels!

Seven: Adirondack Mountains, New York

Where I’m from, the neighboring location. The mountains and lakes and beautiful leaf peeping season. I feel blessed to grow up with this as a backyard. From countless refreshing lakes in the summer, to the Lake Placid Olympic grounds under a light snowfall in the winter - one of the best.

Six: Niagara Falls, New York

So this one became sealed in my top list through a helicopter ride over The Falls. The Falls cannot be explained, only experienced. The power of them, you understand how they indeed changed the world. Make sure to soak in this one, pun sort of intended, when you go!

Five: San Diego, California

Standing on a cobblestone street in the Gaslamp Quarter and having the warm, salty breeze hit me after leaving work was truly something out of a movie. I escaped to the beach with coconut water for a 30 minute vacation the week I was there, and I hope to go back for much more.

Four: Portland, Maine

Quaint, cute and outright lovely in every way, I hope to go back and spend a relaxing summer vacation with a book on the shores of Portland, Maine. I was lucky to host an event on Peak’s Island, and get to take the ferry along to coast, and then following relax at the harbor with a drink. The village is amazing and the perfect place to wander peacefully but still enjoy the bustle of a downtown.

Three: Nashville, Tennessee

I left pieces of my heart on the dancefloors along Broadway in almost every place I went. The music, culture, history, the street-long party. I enjoyed eating insane breakfast food at all hours, while enjoying amazing covers of country, rock, and hits from all ages. This place is always on my mind for when travel happens again and I can’t wait!

Two: Coeur d’ Alene, Idaho

When people ask me some of the best places I’ve been, I always blurt this one out and receive strange looks in return. I too was surprised, but the mountains here were unlike anything I’d ever seen. I hope to go back and hike, kayak, and enjoy the peace. Please Google better ones than that from my hotel room window - and when you go try everything Huckleberry!

One: Maui, Hawaii

This probably involved a couple long plane rides from wherever you’re from, but there couldn’t be a palace more worth it. This is where the word ‘paradise’ refers to. Unbeatable sunsets like this one, picture perfect beaches, warm breezes, and fruit growing on trees everywhere. I’m blessed to have been more than once and I can’t wait to go back and survive the Road to Hana again.

So if you’re ever in the area or making plans, I hope there is time to enjoy these places the way I did.

What do you look for in a place when you travel? It is to escape it all and find somewhere peaceful to hide and unwind? It is to experience a new blast of life and soak in new experiences?