V is for Vancouver Island

When my family took a vacation in Washington to hike the Wonderland Trail (which I am super excited to write about for W!) my parents wanted to include a trip to Vancouver Island in Canada to visit one of their friends.

We were told what a great time we would have because it would be on the beach and it was a very beautiful place. This is what convinced us to take the 13 hour drive from my uncle’s house in Washington to Vancouver Island (not that my siblings and I really had a say anyway).

When we arrived it was bitter cold, windy and rainy. Our 13 hour drive led us to this:

U is for Utah

I am a day behind the A to Z so here is my catch-up post! I went to Utah on one of my family’s western U.S. vacations and we did a lot of hiking as well as camping in Arches National Park. I don’t know where our pictures are from said vacation, so I got some from the web to share since it truly is an incredible park to visit.

T is for Tennessee

My high school band got to take a big field trip every other year and Florida happens every 4 years while the other trip changes location. The trip my class went on was to Nashville, Tennessee. We got to visit and see a show at the Grand Ole Opry, listen to an Elvis impersonator, and visit many more historical and musically relevant places. Unfortunately, I was in high school so most of my pictures are me being silly with my friends…. oh well, I will share some anyway! 🙂

S is for San Diego

In my C is for California post I talked about how Kevin’s family and I snuck his pug Shy Ann into a hotel via travel bag. Part of the same vacation we visited a dog beach in San Diego because we thought Shy Ann would like that. Thus, an epic romance unfolded…

R is for Rensselaer County

Rensselaer County in New York is a special place for me because it’s where my sister has lived for the past four years or so. She lives in Troy currently and I get to visit her pretty frequently so I’d like to tell you about a few cool places to check out if you ever happen to be in the area.

Oregon: Part two!

If you missed the first post or just want a refresher go here: O is for Oregon.

When we last left off I was just waking up and foolishly thinking the “Oregon Bear” had stolen our food. After my sister mocked me for a bit she went back to sleep a bit more, but I knew I couldn’t sleep with the cold and the pain from my feet.

Q is for Quebec

Really this story took place in Montreal, but that’s in the Quebec province so it still counts!

In 2007, my family took a vacation in Canada. We went in April and it was right around Easter time. We did a lot of shopping, saw some cool museums, and, of course, visited Tim Horton’s. But the most memorable day in Canada was actually on Easter.

P is for Philadelphia

In 2006 I went to Philadelphia on a mission trip to help grow a community garden and work in a rehab center for addicts. Part of our group also worked in a daycare center for preschool children. We also got to see a Phillies baseball game and eat Philly cheese steaks! I really enjoyed working in both the garden and rehab and it was definitely an eye-opening experience. I wrote a song after that trip, feeling inspired, and I thought I’d share the lyrics here:

O is for Oregon

Two summers ago I met my parents and sister in Oregon as they were hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail. I was only able to spend a week with them because I wasn’t 25 yet and the rental car fee was already astronomical. (Over $600 for one week.) We met at Crater Lake which is absolutely beautiful…but can get old when your father wants to stop at every single viewpoint, especially when those viewpoints are not even a minute drive away from each other.

N is for New Hampshire

New Hampshire.

Summer sun and family vacations.

A younger time,

A lighter time.