My friends, 2017 is almost over! Can you all believe how fast this year has gone?! I feel like 2017 just started, and I think a big part of why 2017 seems to have flown by is because I’ve been fortunate to have done a lot more travel this year. This year I decided that I wanted to see more of the United States and so I did.
Every year, I take some time to reflect on how that year went; and this year I wanted to do something fun. I’ve rounded up one photo per trip to hopefully inspire you to travel a little more! Enjoy!
Chicago, Illinois
The very first trip of 2017 was to the Windy City in January, and wow did I discover why this nickname exists (it was windy and cold but a fantastic city). I had such a blast and to this day, Chicago is still one of my favorite places to visit. There’s just so much to do, so much to see, and so much to eat (hello pizza!). Check out some sights for your Chicago Bucket List here, and see some beautiful views from the Willis Tower here!
Orange County, California
The next trip was actually a business trip, which are my favorite. I went to the regional conference for the Society of Women Engineers and it was amazing! I met some fabulous women, spent some time at the beach and ate some delicious cupcakes! Check out the cupcakes on the Food Bucket List here!
Tucson, Arizona (Tanque Verde Falls)
If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you that I am literally always down for a trip to Tucson. The first Tucson trip of 2017 was to reunite with some college friends to explore my new favorite hike: Tanque Verde Falls! Stay tuned for an in depth post about this place. For now, you can check out more Tucson hikes on the Hiking Bucket List here!
New York City, New York
I knew New York City would be amazing, but I was so overwhelmed with how quickly I fell in love with this city. To this day, it is one of my favorite places in the world and I can’t wait to return. One of my favorite parts about NYC was seeing Central Park, check out 10 photos to inspire you to visit here!
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This year, I was lucky to visit a couple of cities that normally would not have been on my radar and one of my faves was definitely Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before visiting, all I knew was that the cheese would be delicious and the beer would be super tasty. After visiting, I almost want to move there. There’s so much to do, so much to eat, and the people are so friendly! Also, if you are an art lover you need to check out the Milwaukee Art Museum (pictured above). Check out 5 reasons to visit the art museum here!
Tucson, Arizona (Tumamoc Hill)
Here I go again with another trip to Tucson, I told you I loved it there! This time, I returned to hike Tumamoc Hill with my friend. It’s one of my favorite hikes because it’s so steep and such a great workout which means you can eat whatever you want after! Check out more Tucson hikes here!
Fossil Creek, Arizona
I love living in Arizona because of the diversity of the weather and the nature. I live in Phoenix which is the city and although there are a ton of mountains surrounding the city (which I hike all the time), there aren’t too many streams/waterfalls. So when I need my waterfall fix, I make a trip to Fossil Creek! Stay tuned for a full post on this wondrous place!
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is my favorite place in New Mexico simply because of Meow Wolf, an Immersive Art Installation / Choose Your Own Adventure Fun House created by Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin with the help of over 100 artists. You walk into this huge building and the first thing you see is a full sized Victorian house and you are told that a family has gone missing inside. You have to explore the house looking for clues and there are so many levels and areas where you have to slide down laundry machines or climb up into tree houses. It is seriously so epic. Stay tuned for an epic blog post on this epic place!
Logan, New Mexico
During that same New Mexico trip, my cousins and I took a road trip to Logan, New Mexico to explore Ute Lake State Park. We swam, hiked, relaxed, and camped and it was wonderful. Stay tuned for a post on this place, but for now, you should know that when in New Mexico you absolutely have to put green chile on all of your food. Check out some dishes here!
Vancouver, Canada
Oh, Canada you are so beautiful. There is something about this country that just calls me every year, which is why I take a trip there every year! I’ve made it to Montreal (see a list of 5 things to do here), Montmorenci Falls (see a fun video here), and Quebec City (check out a very Mexican vacation here). This year I made it to Vancouver, partied a bit, ate a lot of delicious food, and even conquered Grouse Mountain, the tallest peak! Check out a fun video of me doing the Grouse Grind here.
Prescott, Arizona
Prescott is one of my favorite places in Arizona, simply because of how beautiful the nature is and because there are so many fun hikes with incredible views. Check out more reasons to hike here, and maybe I will meet you in Prescott for a hike!
Roseville + Twin Cities, Minnesota
Another state that I completely fell in love with had to be Minnesota. I had the opportunity to visit Roseville, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul and was almost ready to move there, it was that great! There’s just so much to do (check out the full Minnesota Bucket List here), so many restaurants to try (check out my favorite restaurants here), and so much to do. Lucky for you, I have so many posts dedicated to just Minnesota. Check them all out here!
Havasupai Falls, Arizona
This bucket list item was one for the ages. I had been wanting to make the hike down to Havasupai Falls for as long as I can remember. It was incredible, challenging, and an amazing experience. Stay tuned for a super detailed post coming soon!
Corning, New York
Didn’t I tell you that I loved New York? I loved the state so much, I decided to come back and explore a different part of it: upstate! Upstate New York was so different from NYC and I loved it! The people were friendly, the nature was beautiful, and I even ran a marathon here! Stay tuned for a full post!
Tucson, Arizona
I came back to Tucson one last time to visit the Titan Missile Museum with a friend, to hike, and to of course eat everything! I’m currently working on a new and improved Tucson Bucket List but for now, you can all check out 11 things to do in Tucson here!
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri was another place that wasn’t quite on my radar but the few days I was there I really enjoyed myself. I ate way too much BBQ but it was phenomenal and I really couldn’t stop myself. This was another business trip where I was supposed to accept an award from the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, but unfortunately life happened and I had to leave early. You can read my acceptance speech here, and make sure to stay tuned for a post all about Kansas City!
Washington D.C.
And last but not least, the last trip of 2017 was to Washington D.C.! I LOVED IT. I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING MOVING HERE. Maybe 2018 will be a year of new adventures in D.C., who knows? But seriously, I absolutely loved it. I had so much good food, got my fill of history, went on so many tours, and even ran to the Washington Monument. Stay tuned for plenty of posts!
Well, that’s it my friends. We made it to the end. It’s wild how short the list seems to me but as always I’m just grateful for the opportunity to see new places! Thanks for reading and for following my adventure, it truly does mean a lot to have you all here.
I hope this post inspires you to travel, inspires you to learn a little more about different places, and inspires you to start your own bucket list!
Thank you all for reading, and stay enthusiastic!
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-Maira