Happy Blog Birthday! The Casual Travelist Turns 8

Well, we’ve all got another year under our belts and the Casual Travelist is now 8 years old! 2021 was an interesting year to say the least. With vaccines the world opened back up somewhat but with travel restrictions and precautions ever changing planning a trip takes more flexibility and grace than ever. Even with everything going on I managed a few trips as well as growing my latest creative endeavor. Let’s take a look back at 2021, and as always I’m grateful for all of your support and friendship. 

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I’m now a bona fide food blogger

The beginning of 2021 was much like 2020, spending time with family and sticking close to home. In 2020 I indulged in my other passion of cooking, starting a food blog at the casual foodist. In 2021 I’ve spent more time in the kitchen and that food blog has been more successful than I could have ever imagined.  Recipes inspired by by travels, like chicken and chorizo paella and Italian pistachio cookies, have been quite popular and I’m looking forward to seeing where this site goes in 2020.

I’m the cool, adventurous aunt

I am absolutely loving my role as the fun,  cool aunt. My oldest niece is now 16 and I love our one on one hangouts.  The younger crew get excited to come to my house for fun and food.  It’s such a great experience to watch all of them grow and blossom.

I ventured near

The Charlottesville area is one of my favorite quick getaways and quite easy to get away from the crowds so we ended up paying a visit a few times this year.  Whether I’m visiting some of the best wineries in Charlottesville or hiking in Shenandoah National Park there are just so many things to do in this beautiful part of Virginia.

I embraced the road trip

As things started to open back up I felt comfortable enough to finally sate my wanderlust, but this time seeing the world by four wheels. First up was a week-long road trip to Asheville and Western North Carolina. Hiking to stunning waterfalls by day and sampling some tasty brews in the evening is definitely my idea of a good time; and we certainly can’t forget the incomparable Biltmore Estate. 

Next up was the Finger Lakes in central New York which quickly became one of my new favorite vacation spots. From world class wineries to sky high adventure flying in a glider there are so many things to do in the Finger Lakes that I’ve just scratched the surface and can see myself returning time and again. 

I’m all about girlfriend getaways and solo trips

Steve landed a new job this year, and while he absolutely loves it he doesn’t get quite as much vacation time as I do. With that in mind I still got out exploring with a few of closest friends as well as a solo trip. In late summer my friend Tamara of We3Travel was kind enough to invite me up to Rhode Island and show me around her home state. We spent a weekend exploring Newport and Providence along with just catching up.

In October I flew out to Colorado to meet up with one of my closest friends who served with me in the Navy. We spent a long weekend hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park (we were quite surprised by a coating of ice on one of our hikes but luckily she had some spikes) and it was just the adventure I’d been craving. Towering mountains, endless pines, alpine lakes and pristine waterfalls just spoke to my soul and has me planning more mountain adventures.

After Colorado I set off on my own to Santa Fe, a destination I’ve wanted to visit for years and just one of the reasons New Mexico is called the land of Enchantment. To me the southwest has always had a sense of freedom and solitude; and the majority of my trips to Arizona, Utah and Nevada have been solo. Along with the unique culture and cuisine of the City Different I set off on a day trip exploring both the high and low roads between Santa Fe and Taos which I think is one of the most scenic drives in the United States.