Trip Planning (Hint Hint... I use Pinterest!)

I get a lot of questions from my friends and coworkers on where I go to find travel deals and how I plan my trips.  Travel "deals" are relative -- depending on your budget and your willingness to compromise on any number of things. I will address my favorite "deal" finding techniques in another post, but for now, let's talk about travel planning.

So how does one figure out what they want to do, see, eat, drink, and explore?

Most of the time I travel, I'm headed to a "bucket list" location, so I usually have a pretty good idea of what it is I want to see -- there are usually the big, touristy things that call out to you (like monuments, museums, etc.) and the rest is just exploring during down time between the big things.

But for a trip to a place I know very little about, like my recent trip to New Mexico, I've found that Pinterest is an excellent planning tool.  I am a visual person, so being able to see pictures of places is a great way for me to start putting a list together. I create a new board for each place I'm planning -- like this one for New Mexico or this one for Pittsburgh. Then, I'll just use the search feature within Pinterest or start googling for cool restaurants, neighborhoods, breweries, and the like and I start pinning away! Of course, I work my way through reviews and recommendations as I am pinning so I have a fully curated, ready to use board before I leave.

And use the board, I do -- the Pinterest app for your smartphone allows you to take your travel plan on the road with you, with all of the addresses, opening hours, and admission fees info on hand as you need them. As a tourist who often likes to avoid looking like one (for safety and other reasons), I love that I have my guidebook on hand, right there in my phone, so I'm not pulling out a giant book or map and calling attention to the fact that I am lost and confused!

There are a ton of other ways to find things to do and places to see when travelling -- what are your tools of choice?

Flashback to New Mexico

Every so often (or maybe more often that I'm willing to really acknowledge), I get the urge to run. Not run as in, "Oh, I think I'll go jog a few miles" kind of run, but as in, "Good lord, I need to get out of this town NOW before I go bananas crazy."

It has been happening for as long as I can remember, this urge. I blame my mother for moving us all hither and yon when I was a kid, and then continuing our travels throughout the US when I was in middle and high school.  In college, I would combat the urge by getting in the car with a friend, one of us picking a direction, and just driving. Gas was cheap, and it was a way to escape the every day without having to spend any great money on an actual trip.

This past summer, the urge was STRONG. After my mom passed, it took some time for the true grieving and depression to set in, and once it did, I really had no idea how to handle it. I have long known that my desire to run away was related to minor depression -- a desire to have some sort of control in a world where I was feeling very little control.  As the depression really set in as I grieved my mom, I knew I needed to do something. I hadn't had a chance to take much time off from work during the summer due to an extremely busy schedule, but an opportunity came up for me to get away, and I jumped on it.  On a Tuesday in early August, I booked a flight to Albuquerque for early Saturday morning, returning on Monday evening. Haven't you always wanted to do that? Just book a flight and go? I started to feel better just in that act of booking a flight alone.

So why New Mexico? That was the biggest question I got. Well, after that it was, "And you're going by yourself?" but I'll tackle solo travel in another post.  New Mexico had been calling to me for awhile.  I can't really explain why -- it has held this mystery over me for so long. I knew that Santa Fe would be an interesting art town, and that I would enjoy driving around, but I really knew very little about things to do and see until I started googling.  And boy, did I find some pretty amazing things to do!

On arrival, I got my adorable little rental car (a tried and true companion over the next few days!), and immediately hit the road for White Sands National Monument. White Sands is about a 3-3.5 hour drive from Albuquerque, and worth every single mile.  On the way, you drive through mountains, arid plains, cattle ranches, lava fields, and... missile ranges. I was often the only car on the road, and more than once wondered if the drive was worth it.

But let me tell you right now -- White Sands is maybe one of the coolest things I've seen in the US. In the middle of nowhere comes this beautiful white sand dune park -- hundreds of square miles of white gypsum sand that each year moves further and further across the desert. You drive out into the dunes and it is like a whole different world.  You can walk along the ridges, see how the wind creates lovely ripple patterns, and even go sledding down the slopes.  Truly incredible, and totally worth the 7 hour roundtrip drive!

Back in Albuquerque, checked in to my (cheap!) hotel, I ordered some room service and went straight to bed.  I had grand goals of checking out a nearby tap room, but was just too tired.  The next morning, rejuvenated from a great night's sleep (and the adrenaline rush travel always gives me), it was time to head towards Santa Fe.  Instead of taking the interstate, I drove along the Turquoise Trail, which leads you on the eastern side of the Sandia Mountains. I drove along the winding road all the way up to the peak of Sandia Mountain, which is over 14,000 feet, only to have to drive right back down as the parking lot was full :(  But from there, I continued north toward Santa Fe, going through great little towns full of adorable art galleries and stores.

Santa Fe, known for its own art galleries, held a number of great things for me to see -- I went to the Georgia O'Keeffe museum, wandered around a lovely arts fair, and ventured into a restaurant to get my green chile fix for the day.  I also went to one of Santa Fe's local breweries, Second Street. Since I was driving, I was only able to try one of their brews, but it was delicious!

I left Santa Fe with a close eye on time and the weather, keeping my fingers crossed I could get to the Sandia Peak Tramway in time to catch the sunset. The tramway is on the western side of the mountain, so this time, I headed south down the interstate. The tramway was absolutely gorgeous - but no luck on the sunset -- August is monsoon season in New Mexico, so instead of the setting sun, I watched storm clouds roll in over Albuquerque.

Those monsoons are pretty intense -- I didn't get caught in too many, but if you are planning to be there and out on the road during that time, be cautious!! They come in fast & furious and you cannot see a thing!

Monday morning, I checked out of my hotel and ventured north again, this time to Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument.  Located about an hour and a half northwest of Albuquerque, the Tent Rocks are this really cool geological formation that are remnants from one of the many volcanic eruptions that happened in New Mexico millions of years ago. To get the best view of the Tent Rocks, you have to hike through this beautiful slot canyon for about a mile.

I have to reiterate my warning about monsoon season here -- as I drove in to the site, the gate agent warned me very seriously from entering the canyon. Should a monsoon come in while you are in the canyon, there is a high risk of flash flooding, and there is NO WHERE for the water to go other than through that canyon. Depending on the amount of water, you will get washed away. I was a bit foolhardy and entered the canyon anyway, figuring I could just keep an eye on the clouds... which you can't see at all once you are in there.

Once you make it through the canyon, the climbing begins. Now, I'm not one for heights, and I'm not exactly the model for physical fitness. And I have a pretty horrible history of sprained ankles. That being said, I took things slowly, let people pass me, and took plenty of breaks to admire the view and have some water.  And once I made it to the top... well...

TOTALLY WORTH IT!  In total, the hike through the canyon and up to the top of the mesa took me about an hour. I enjoyed the view for about 15 minutes and then all of the sudden noticed some pretty nasty clouds not too far off.  Not wanting to be stuck either 1) on top of the mesa or 2) in the canyon during the monsoon, I rushed a bit on the way back through, getting a little confused on the path on the way out... as in, definitely got off the path on the way out.  Luckily, that monsoon never did show up, and although I wondered a bit off track, I could always hear other people, so I just walked in their direction.

Big, giant safety warning:  I got pretty lucky in that scenario above -- I had plenty of water, I could hear other people, I didn't encounter any rattlesnakes or other wildlife, and I didn't get stuck in a monsoon.  But it is very possible those things could have happened.  DO NOT go into the desert without water. Pay attention to trail markers and the weather. Don't overestimate your physical skills or mental capacity, especially if you are in a situation where you run low on water.

After my hike, it was time to head to the airport.  Such a short, but wonderful trip! It was exactly what I needed to get out of my "I'm going bananas crazy" funk and re-focus on the good things in life.  And, I got to try a flight of local brews before my flight back to MSP!  The one on the far left is green chile beer -- amazing!

Want to go yourself? Here are my tips:

• You will definitely need a car -- although there are buses in Albuquerque, most of the sights are out yonder.
• Albuquerque was a good place to put my head. I wanted to explore more of the bars/tap rooms/nightlife, but I was exhausted, and then a little creeped out when I tried to walk to one. 
• Fitting in all of the things I wanted to see took a bit of planning - I could have used more than just the 3 days I had for prep time.
• I definitely could have used one more day in New Mexico -- I didn't get to Roswell, or the Great Array, or the Petroglyphs. There is SO much to see there!
• Eat as much green chile as possible.  It is so good, and it isn't the same anywhere else!

A Weekend in the District

I love Washington DC. I mean LOVE. I could go there over and over again and it never gets old -- even going to see the monuments gives me this lovely sense of patriotism and pride in my country, and I come home feeling rejuvenated and so very AMERICAN.

I was lucky to find ridiculously cheap airfare on Frontier Airlines - like $160 roundtrip! I have friends that live in College Park who were gracious enough to let me stay with them, which really makes a weekend trip a total no-brainer.  I flew out Friday morning and had an early Monday return, allowing me to get a quality 60 or so hours in one of my favorite places.

Just an FYI to all you deal hunters out there, Frontier does have a few drawbacks -- you pay to check a bag, carry-on any bag larger than a backpack, choose your seat, and for pretty much everything else. I traveled with just a backpack so I didn't worry about any of the bag issues. And they fly in & out of Dulles, which can be a deal breaker for some.  However, the new Silver line with the Dulles bus made it super easy for me to get into the city -- probably 45 minutes after landing.

My dear friend Alexis was at work when I got into town, but I am always good to keep myself occupied!  I had been to DC a few years before and hadn't had the chance to get to the Holocaust Museum, so that was priority #1 on my list. I took the Metro right to the Smithsonian stop, got my first glimpse of the Washington Monument (my fave!), and walked right over to the museum. Bonus, they have a nice bag check so I could ditch my backpack (which was more because it was really warm carrying it around!).  The museum did not disappoint -- in fact, I did not have nearly enough time to devote to it before the museum closed.

I had a bit of time after the museum before meeting Alexis, so I took myself up near the White House. I'm a big Scandal fan, so it was nice to get a wave in to Fitz & Mellie (Barry & Michelle, too, but man do I love me some Fitz & Mellie!).

Friday evening Alexis & I ventured out on H Street, having drinks & dinner at Boundary Road. It was totally my kind of scene -- great menu, fantastic cocktails, and a great vibe with exposed brick and industrial furniture and lighting.  We ventured a little bit further down H Street to have another cocktail and ended up at Chupacabra.  It's more of a walk-up taco stand than an actual restaurant/bar, but it had a good patio and we were up for an adventure. And adventure we did! We ordered sangria, thinking we'd get the usual pitcher of wine & boozy fruits... TOTALLY wrong on that one! A giant, head-sized glass appeared with two straws. Our first taste confirmed it was likely boxed wine sangria... but you know... no complaints.  We drank that sangria and then drunkenly took the train back to College Park for some much needed sleep!

I did pretty minimal research going into this trip, because I feel like you can't really go "wrong" in DC. Stick to the right neighborhoods, review a menu, try some local brews, and you'll be fine. And I pretty much knew that I just wanted to go see the monuments & the National Archives and any other excitement would just be icing. Saturday's brunch was definitely icing -- we ended up at GBD - Golden Brown Delicious, not too far from Dupont Circle.  Now let me tell you - I love me some fried chicken. And doughnuts. You open a restaurant that has both of those at the same time, and call it brunch?? Well, you've won me forever.  It was A-MAY-ZING.

Fortified from brunch, Alexis and I wandered our way down to the National Mall and grabbed bikes from Capital Bikeshare. While the monuments are easily walkable, it makes for a pretty long, hot day if you do it all on foot. The bikeshare is the perfect solution to get you from one end of the Mall to another (and all the way around the tidal basin!). We used the bikeshare the last time I was in DC as well, which was great for exploring some of the neighborhoods on our way to the Eastern Market. Grab a 24 hour pass, download the app so you can track down stations, and go check out the city!

After a lovely afternoon of visiting our favorite monuments, we ventured to the National Archives. Now, I am a GIANT history geek, so going to see the Declaration of Independence and Constitution is my only "must-do" when I go to DC. Like every single time. It never gets old, seeing the documents that gave our nation its' start. I get goose bumps just writing about it!

Funny story: I was gazing (really, drooling) over the Declaration when this lovely elderly British couple comes up. I make some room for them to get a look, and I overhear the couple -- "It's rather faded, isn't it? You'd think they'd touch it up so you could read it a bit better!" and "What year does that say? 1779?" It was a such a great "duh" travel moment for me -- we, as US citizens, know the date of the signing of the Declaration (or at least I hope we do!), and it was a nice humbling moment to remember that not everyone in the world would know the date.  And they were just so cute.

After the Archives, we ventured back towards the White House -- I had read that there was a rooftop bar at the W Hotel that had a fun view of the White House from above, something you really don't get to see! It was absolutely packed, so we ventured back down the elevator and found a lovely Parisian-style sidewalk cafe just next door to have a few drinks and some appetizers. After the sun had set, and the lights were turned on, we walked back to the National Mall to get a view of Washington Monument at night. I know I keep saying it, but the view really doesn't ever get old. (*Traveler Tip* -- if you're taking a cab anywhere after dark and near the monuments, have your cabbie take you for a spin around to see them all lit up. It's cheaper than the tours!)

Sunday, we decided to go catch a Nationals game -- I love baseball (and so do my gracious hosts!) and it is always fun to see a new ballpark. We grabbed brunch at Bluejacket before, over near Navy Yard. Bluejacket is also a brewery, so we took advantage of the "build your own flight" and got to try nearly all the beers they had on tap (good thing we had a lot to eat as well!).

The Nats game was a ton of fun -- we left a little early to beat the crowds and later found out it ended up a no-hitter!

After heading back to College Park to grab my bag, we ventured off toward Virginia to drop me at my hotel for the evening.  Since my flight was so very early the next morning, I found a great Hotwire deal at a hotel near Dulles with an airport shuttle so I wouldn't need to have my friends drive me in the middle of the night. 

Going to DC yourself?  Here are my tips:

• Buy a Metropass! I made the mistake of buying a stored value card and then kept it too close to my cell phone and it got erased.  Buy the Metropass that you can reload at any station - the value left doesn't expire, so I just have it in my wallet for the next visit.
• If I hadn't stayed with friends, I would have used Hotwire for a hotel somewhere just outside of the District itself, as long as it was walkable to a Metro station. Or, I guess for a really good deal, I would have stayed in the District.

Next time, I would:

• Try for a Capitol Building or White House tour. This takes some advance planning, as you need to write to your Senator or Representative to request the tickets (and go through the background check).
• Take a walking tour of the National Cathedral. 
• More time to see a Smithsonian Museum (or two).  There are so many options, and they are all free!
• Make my way to Georgetown. Tons of great shopping and bars. And preppy kids.
• Venture to the Eastern Market and get a crab cake sandwich while perusing the antiques. (These last 2 are things I did on my trip a few years ago, and they were tons of fun.)

What I love the most about DC is that you can return over and over again, and even if you are going to see the same things (*cough* National Archives *cough*), they are different each time because you are a little bit different each time you see them.  I can't wait to go back!