2025, Can You Believe We're Still Alive? Travels Far & Wide From a Year That We Survived

Well, well, well; w-e-l-l. You know, that’s one of those phrases I picked up somewhere along the way that I return to again and again, but for which the source material is lost to the ages. Where the hell did I get it? Just like the number of licks it takes to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop, the world may never know. But can you guess what the world is about to know? That’s right! The deepest, darkest, most intimate thoughts, recollections, and reminiscences on the year that was right here on All Things Wanderful.

General TravelLogan T. HansenJanuary 6, 2026travel, travelogue, travel blogging, travel guide, travel recommendations, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel ideas, travel writing, travel reviews, travel tips, travel appreciation, travel diary, travel planning, year-in-review, Universal Studios, Universal Studios Hollywood, Jaws, Steven Spielberg, Kai Ryssdal, Marketplace, NPR, Las Vegas, Sin City, Luxor Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Cajun, Beauvoir, Jefferson Davis, Biloxi, To Kill a Mockingbird, Nelle Harper Lee, Harper Lee, Monroeville, Monroe County, Old Monroe County Courthouse, Gregory Peck, Mrs. Teresa' Homemade Treats, Los Angeles, City of Angels, Santa Monica, Santa Monica Pier, Hollywood, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Dodger Stadium, Freehand Hotels, Freehand Chicago, Freehand Los Angeles, Freehand, hostel, hostel stays, Boston, Boston Calling, Harvard, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, All Time Low, The Maine, Cage the Elephant, Avril Lavigne, Fall Out Boy, all-nighter, Disney World, Orlando, Florida, Tron, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Tower of Terror, Guardians of the Galaxy, Expedition Everest, Alice in Wonderland, Euro trip, cheap airports, cheap travel, Canada, Minnesota, Northwest Angle, Alert, Canadian Forces Station Alert, All Things Wanderful, Chicago, Miami, New York, George Washington Hotel, Flatiron District, Bourbon Street, French Quarter, Ruby Slipper, The Natchez, Oklahoma City, Dorothy Gale, Beverly Shores, Michigan City, Gary, Indiana, Michiana, Chicagoland, West Michigan, Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, South Shore Line, Maycomb, Maycomb County, Truman Capote, Confederacy, 2026, 2025, ten-year anniversaryComment

New Orleans: Four Days of Beignets & Foul Play(s) in the Big Easy, Pt. 1

Of all the iconic cities in the good ole U.S. of A. — New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville (to name a few) — New Orleans was one that I had yet to check off my list. That was rectified in the spring of 2025 when I ventured once more to the Deep South with my parents and two of my siblings for a little family vacay in the Big Easy.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenApril 29, 2025travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, New Orleans, Louisiana, Big Easy, French Quarter, travel recommendations, travel reviews, travel tips, travelogue, travel ideas, travel itinerary, travel diary, travel blog, New York, New York City, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Nashville, Deep South, The Natchez, Blue Bayou, Blue Bayou Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Creole, Cajun, Creole cuisine, Cajun cuisine, jazz music, architecture, French architecture, Spanish architecture, Creole architecture, Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras, Henry Clay, Lafayette Square, Canal Street, Bud Light, hard seltzer, Nesbitt Corner Store, The Scooby-Doo Show, Scooby-Doo, New Orleans Steamboat Company, Gray Line, Gray Line tours, Mississippi River, seafood, jambalaya, plantation tour, swamp tour, ghost tour, cocktail tour, city tour, Duke Heitger, Steamboat Stompers, Orleans Parish, St. Bernard Parish, Musical Legends Park, live music, Cafe Beignet, Hurricane, Hurricane drinkComment

Step Into Bright Lights & Shady History at Las Vegas' Neon Boneyard

Las Vegas’ Neon Museum is in the business of preserving the stories of those ill-fated ventures, collecting and displaying the neon signs of the ghosts of casinos past — and those of casinos present — making sure their memories live on. Located near the Fremont Street Experience in downtown Las Vegas, the museum invites you to travel back in time through the decades, learning about the twists and turns that helped make Vegas what it is today.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenFebruary 9, 2025travel, travel ideas, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel guide, travel advice, travel recommendations, travel reviews, travel tips, travel itinerary, travel planning, travel photography, Las Vegas, Fremont Street, Neon Museum, Neon Boneyard, photo essay, photography, Nevada, Sin City, Downtown Las Vegas, La Concha Motel, Lake Mead, American mafia, American mob, mob history, mafia history, Herbert Hoover, Hoover Dam, Boulder Dam, American history, Eminem, Marshall Mathers, Fremont Street Experience, Plaza Hotel & Casino, The Milkman Channel, Anderson Dairy, Andy Anderson, Cam Toczynski, Palms Casino Resort, Flamingo Road, Native American, Super Bowl, Super Bowl LVIII, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Allegiant Stadium, Sassy Sally's Casino, Binions, Mermaids Casino, Ali Baba Wedding Center, The Strip, Las Vegas Strip, Moulin Rouge, Moulin Rouge Hotel-Casino, racial integration, Mississippi of the West, blackjack, gamblingComment

Road Tripping Across Arizona, from Hoover Dam to the Grand Canyon & Beyond

I had never been to Arizona — now the 35th state I have checked off my race to all 50 — so you can imagine my excitement as I first laid eyes on the sign that read: “The Grand Canyon State Welcomes You”. My main objective was to visit that gargantuan hole in the earth that has entranced visitors for centuries. So, after finally making a stop at the damn dam and a nearby overlook of Lake Mead, I instructed the Google Maps machine to take me to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenSeptember 12, 2024travel, travel diary, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel ideas, travel recommendations, travel guide, travel blog, Arizona, Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Chevy Chase, Vegas Vacation, National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation, National Lampoon, Nevada, Lake Mead, Phoenix, Glendale, Flagstaff, Picture Canyon, South Rim, Grand Canyon South Rim, petroglyphs, Northern Sinagua, Galaxy Diner, Route 66, Historic Route 66, road trip, road trips, road tripping, Dodge Challenger, rental car, Las Vegas, Sin City, summertime, summer vacation, summer travel, South Rim Trail, Grand Canyon State, U.S. Route 66, Stephen King, Night Shift, Clark Griswold, Colorado River, human remains, Village Historic District, Grand Canyon Village, Hopi House, architecture, historic architecture, Native American, Sinagua, Trail of Time, hiking, the great outdoors, outdoors, outdoor recreation, outdoor adventure, US 180, Black Canyon City, Sunset Point, Sunset Point Rest, travel photography, travel blogging, Arizona State Land Department, rock carvings, National Register of Historic Places, I-17Comment

2021 Wasn't Exactly Wonderful, But At Least Some of the Wander Returned

Starting is always the hardest part, isn’t it? Taking that leap, acting on that big idea, staring at the blank page. But after you finally get the ball rolling, a new challenge materializes: keeping it rolling. It’s not enough to simply plant the seed; you’ve got to water it, make sure it has fertile soil to work with, give it a proper amount of sunlight. It can be a lot of work, but then again, nothing worth having comes easy, does it?

General TravelLogan T. HansenJanuary 6, 2022travel, travel inspiration, travelspiration, year in review, happy new year, All Things Wanderful, travel guide, travel advice, travel ideas, travel planning, travel writing, travel recommendations, travel appreciation, travel junkie, travel blog, travel blogging, Denver, Colorado, year-in-review, Cheesman Park, Logan's Run, 2020, 2021, Las Vegas, Detroit, Detroit Tigers, Six Flags, Six Flags Great America, Gurney, Illinois, Michigan, football, football season, College Park, Maryland, Ann Arbor, St. Louis, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Missouri, Northern Illinois, Maryland Terrapins, University of Michigan, Michigan Wolverines, Sooner State, Cessna, Cessna 402C, Chicago, Manistee, Windy City, Cape Air, Manistee County Blacker Airport, Airbnb, vacation rentals, Sin City, New Mexico, Old West, Old American West, Keystone, Keystone Resort, skiing, snowboarding, Centennial State, travel injuriesComment

Vegas Vibin’: Three Days of Downright Debauchery in Sin City

It was a joke. Kind of. But as my brother’s 21st got closer and closer, my resolve grew: we were going to do it. Well, we were going to do something, anyway. I told him we didn’t necessarily need to go to San Diego; we could take a trip wherever his little heart desired. Somehow, some way, we landed on Vegas. Yes, Sin City was going to be the one.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenJune 29, 2021travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel inspiration, travelspiration, Las Vegas, Nevada, gambling, casino, Las Vegas Strip, The D Las Vegas, The LINQ, The LINQ Hotel, The LINQ Hotel + Experience, The Golden Nugget, The Mirage, Caesar's Palace, sports betting, sportsbook, sports book, blackjack, travel itinerary, travel recommendations, travel tips, travel ideas, travel planning, travel guidance, travel hacks, travel hack, travel logistics, travel bucket list, bucket list, Los Angeles, Inglewood, Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles, Sin City, Fabulous Las Vegas, The D Casino & Hotel, McCarran International Airport, Uber, San Diego, California, Anchorman, SoCal, Jagerbombs, Dean Martin, Money Burns a Hole in My Pocket, The Strip, Caesars Palace, Clark Griswold, National Lampoon, National Lampoon's Vegas Vacation, Vegas Vacation, Chevy Chase, Ellen Griswold, LINQ Promenade, Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips, Off the Strip, Virgil's Real BBQ, Pier 30, I Love Sugar, Fly LINQ zipline, zipline, ziplining, High Roller, ferris wheel, Flamingo Las Vegas, Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Harrah's Las Vegas, Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Bellagio, Harrah's, Flamingo, Forum Shops, Forum Shops at Caesars, Grand Canal Shoppes, The Venetian Resort, The Venetian, Smokin' Hot Stuff, slot machine, slot machines, slots, Madame Tussauds, Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, Zak Bagans, Zak Bagans' The Haunted Museum, Wengert Mansion, Dr. Kevorkian, Dr. Kevorkian's van, Snoop Dogg, Beyonce, Robert De Niro, downtown Las Vegas, Chayo Mexican Kitchen + Tequila, Neon Museum, Neon Boneyard, Skypod, Skypod and Observation Deck, The Strat, gondola, gondola rides, Big Apple Coaster, New York New York Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, Fremont Street, Fremont Street Experience, Hoover Dam, damn dam tour, The Little Shop of Horrors, 97.1 The Ticket, Detroit, Detroit sports, Four Queens, Golden Nugget, The Fremont Casino, Circa Resort & Casino, Banger Brewing, shark tank, Miley Cyrus, Chicago, wax museum, Nike, Volkswagen, Volkswagen van, In-N-Out, In-N-Out BurgerComment

The Other Las Vegas: A Taste of the Old West in New Mexico

“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” Isn’t that what they say? Well, what if we’re not talking about Sin City, but another town that just happens to share the same name? Does the rule still apply then? You may have thought there was only enough room for one Las Vegas in this world, but the truth, my friend, is this: there are actually six.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenApril 9, 2021travel, travel guide, travel advice, travelspiration, travel inspiration, Las Vegas, New Mexico, Santa Fe, USA, United States, Old West, out west, Plaza Hotel, Sin City, Honduras, Uruguay, Spain, Madrid, Corvera de Asturias, Comarca de Las Vegas, Old American West, 19th century, outlaws, Jesse James, Doc Holliday, Doc Holiday, Hoodoo Brown, Billy the Kid, cowboys, ranches, rodeos, Santa Fe Trail, Mexico, Mexican-American War, Taos Revolt, Battle of Las Vegas, Las Vegas Affair, U.S., New Town, Old Town, Carnegie library, Castañeda Hotel, New Mexico Normal School, New Mexico Highlands University, Wikipedia, Big Nose Kate, Rattlesnake Sam, Kathy Weiser-Alexander, Ralph Emerson Twitchell, desperadoes, Easy Rider, No Country for Old Men, Santa Fe Trail Interpretive Center, Storrie Lake State Park, Las Vegas National Wildlife Refuge, hiking, scenic drive, Mother Nature, the great outdoors, outdoors, outdoor adventure, adventure, adventure travel, adventure tourism, The Skillet, Charlie's Bakery & Cafe, Bar Castañeda, Best Western, Best Western Plus Montezuma Inn & Suites, Knights Inn Las Vegas, Airbnb, travel planning, travel ideas, Castaneda Hotel, Knights Inn, Amtrak, Southwest Chief line, TripAdvisor, TripAdvisor.com, tripadvisor.com, Storrie Lake Comment

Satisfy Your Wanderlust by Streaming One of These Excellent Travel Shows

Regardless of what you had planned at the beginning of 2020, it’s pretty likely you’ve traveled far less this year than you originally thought you would. Maybe you got a quick trip in way back in January or February, but now it’s been months since you’ve gone anywhere, and you’re about to go completely bonkers if that isn’t soon rectified.

General TravelLogan T. HansenOctober 30, 2020travel, travel guide, travel advice, travelspiration, travel inspiration, wanderlust, travel show, travel shows, streaming, Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Ushuaia, Argentina, Dennis Fidalgo, U.S. Virgin Islands, Fiji, Long Way Up, Ewan McGregor, Charley Boorman, Apple TV Plus, Apple TV+, Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Central America, Africa, Long Way Round, Long Way Down, The Motorcycle Diaries, end of the world, Travel Man, Hulu, Richard Ayoade, Istanbul, Marrakesh, Budapest, Bridesmaids, Chris O'Dowd, Vienna, Austria, Paul Rudd, Helsinki, Rebel Wilson, Jon Hamm, Anthony Bourdain, Parts Unknown, Detroit, New York, New York City, Tehran, Tbilisi, Antananarivo, Madagascar, Iran, Georgia, Barack Obama, Hanoi, Vietnam, Gaycation, Vice TV, Vice Media, Vice, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+, queer, gay, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, Kingston, Kiev, Ukraine, Jamaica, Japan, Brazil, Ellen Page, Ian Daniel, Jack Whitehall, Michael Whitehall, Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father, Travels With My Father, Netflix, Southeast Asia, gap year, Thailand, Cambodia, Buddhism, elephant polo, Australia, Jeff Goldblum, The World According to Jeff Goldblum, Disney+, Disney Plus, Hawaii, Las vegas, Las Vegas, HoustonComment

5 of the Most Romantic Places to Visit in the Midwest

As all traveling fiends are aware, sometimes getting away for a while is the perfect remedy to get you out of whatever funk you might be in at any given time. The same could be said for couples who are feeling bogged down by the daily routine.

North AmericaLogan T. HansenFebruary 6, 2020travel, travelspiration, travel inspiration, travel advice, travel guide, Midwest, couples travel, romantic weekend, romantic getaway, seasonal affective disorder, Midwestern, Midwestern U.S., Indiana, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells, Michigan, Saugatuck, Douglas, Holland, Grand Rapids, French Lick, French Lick Resort, French Lick Springs Hotel, West Baden Springs Hotel, Larry Bird, NBA, Bloomington, Sin City, Las Vegas, spa, spa treatment, massage, relaxation, hiking, outdoors, the great outdoors, LGBTQ, Lake Michigan, Kalamazoo Lake, Oval Beach, Saugatuck Dunes State Park, Hotel Saugatuck, The Hotel Saugatuck, cabin, cottage, vacation, vacation rentals, Sundara Inn and Spa, Sundara Inn & Spa, Waterpark Capital of the World, Mirror Lake State Park, sunset, sunset dinner cruise, Wisconsin River, TripAdvisor, waterpark, waterparks, Hocking Hills, Ohio, Hocking Hills State Park, zipline, ziplining, waterfalls, prehistoric caves, camping, Inn & Spa at Cedar Falls, Glenlaurel Inn, Rockbridge, Logan, Lead, South Dakota, Terry Peak Ski Area, Deer Mountain Ski Resort, George S. Mickelson Trail, cross country skiing, cross-country skiing, skiing, snowboarding, winter, summer, Spearfish Canyon, Spearfish Canyon Lodge, Black Hills, Spearfish Canyon Scenic Byway, outdoor adventure, romance, romantic, romantic retreat, Valentine's DayComment

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