Another year in the books. Though travel continues to have some challenges for us, we were happy to get out when we can and ended up with some great trips in the books! Here are my top 10 moments of 2024. Real quick I want to give an honorable mention to Wupatki National Monument in Arizona. It was an awesome stop on that trip and it was a toss up for number 10.
10 - Wine Weekend in Southeast PA
This year, I started a podcast with my husband Steve and our friend Rob called Wine Time PA (please check us out if you haven't yet). Our goal to visit as many of the over 400 wineries in our home state of Pennsylvania and talk about our visit and the wines. To do this we sometimes have to travel further away. One weekend we dedicated to visiting some of the wineries in the southeast corner of the state. It was a wonderful weekend as we checked out amazing places such as Penns Woods Winery and Paradocx Vineyard.
9 - Craft Shows
When I was younger I loved attending a good town festival or a craft show. I sort of fell out of it but have found my groove in recent years. I think its all about going to the right one with the right people. This past year I attended the Colorfest in Thurmont, Maryland. This event occurs in early October every year and is a small town that is shut down to host this huge events. Hundreds of vendors selling everything from hand made wooden crafts, to soaps, to jewelry, to dog treats and more. There is lots of fun and food for everyone. This trip was made even better as my brother and his family flew in from Texas and the weekend turned into a family affair. Nothing better for the soul than spending time with loved ones.
I also want to mention the second show I attended for one day in Harrisburg. Its called the Pennsylvania Christmas & Gift Show and occurs early December at the farm show complex. This event was aslo filled with numerous vendors. Its a 5 day event but I recommend going on the Wednesday or Thursday when it starts; less crowds; or so I am told. My first year visiting and we went on a Thursday and thought the crowds were reasonable.
8 - Horseshoe Bend
Located just outside of Page, Arizona is a place where nature has made something beautiful. The Colorado River carved a 270 degree bend out of the Navajo Standstone. The view from above is beautiful and easy to see why this spot soar to Instagram fame in recent years.
7 - Monument Valley
Located on the border of Arizona and Utah, you may recognize this place from several movies. From John Wayne to Forest Gump, Hollywood is part responsible for making this place so famous. I am glad they did though, or this place may still be unknown. We didn't spend much time there on this trip, but the history of this are speaks to you as you explore. The formations stand tribute to those before and offer a one of a kind landscape.
6 - Halloween Horror Nights
If you love spooky season and are looking for the best Halloween celebration in the world; you need to head to Universal Studios on Orlando for their Halloween Horror Nights. This even takes place certain nights from August through October. There are scare zones, shows, Halloween themed food, and of course the famous houses you can walk through. Each house has its own theme and the details are usually impeccable.
This was our second time visiting and our horror loving friend, Jim tagged along. We only got to go for a night. Sadly I was not feeling well that night so I didn't get to do all I wanted to but still had so much at this experience. I mean look at this picture below. Can you tell if its a real person or a prop?
5 - Christmas Con
I can remember in the early 2000's would get all excited around the holidays to watch some of the holiday themed movies they would show on Hallmark. There was The Christmas Card, A Carol Christmas, and A Town Without Christmas. I remember loving these movies so much and wishing they would make more. In 2009 they launched Countdown to Christmas, fulfilling that wish. It initially seemed looked down by some; but now it has taken on a life of its own. Now other networks have launched their own holiday movies (and yes I record them all), and even Hallmark makes other seasonal movies year long.
There is an event now every year in New Jersey called Christmas Con. Its like a comic con but for those of us who love all these movies. I attended with my cousin Amanda this year and had the chance to meet celebrities such as Lacey Chabert, Andrew Walker (my personal favorite), Marc Blucas, Nikki DeLoach, Kimberly Stustad, and more. After close to 20 year watching some of these talented artists evolve, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning meeting so many of them in person.
4 - The festivals of EPCOT
Of course Disney had to make this list somewhere. I did take 2 trips to the most magical place on earth this year. Instead of just putting Disney on my list again I wanted to focus on EPCOT and its festivals. When we first visited Disney in 2019, EPCOT was at the bottom of my list if ranking the four parks at Walt Disney World. However, recent renovations to the park have quickly made it one of my favorites. Another reason I love this park so much is the festivals. The festivals bring an extra layer of magic and entertainment to the park. This year we first visited during the Festival of the Arts. I loved strolling through the park and admiring the beautiful and creative works of art on display. The other visit was during the food and wine festival. I mean its two of my favorite things; food and wine... what's not to love?
3 - Sedona, Arizona
When people talk about smaller towns in the USA that are worth visiting, Sedona comes up a lot and I agree 100%. This place is amazing and even has vortex's. The beautiful red rocks, natural landscape, and array of activities for any type of traveler is offered here. You may remember I did a blog post about a day trip we took here a couple of years ago. This time we stayed for 3 nights (post coming soon). We hiked some awesome trails, did a little shopping, tried some wine, and took in incredible views.
The downside to all this fun is that its not a secret how awesome this place is ;and it gets quiet busy. Getting places early is key here.
2 - Antelope Canyon
This place almost made number one and should be on your bucket list. I talked about it on my Things to do in Paige, Arizona post so go check that out. It is absolutely breath taking to walk down into the ground but still not be underground, as you can see the sky through the slots. Nature had carved some beautiful formations below the surface, with a fascinating history.
1 - The Grand Canyon
At the end of the day as awesome as Antelope Canyon was, its hard to compete with one of the wonders of the world. This place is usually a bucket list item for just about everyone. Any picture or video you have seen simply does not do it justice. Its one of those things you have to actually see in person. Even then its hard to fully comprehend the vastness of what you are seeing. I told Steve there was a lot of time I thought I was looking at something CGI from a movie, but it was 100% real.
There is my list for 2024. Obviously most of it came from our big trip to Arizona, but that part of the country is incredible. I highly recommend booking a vacation to this region of the world someday.
*All pictures taken by me or my husband on our travels
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