2024, Won't See You No More: Closing the Door on a Year Loaded With Travel Galore

Stop me right now if you’ve heard this before, but, hand to god(s), we had another major, major year here on the blog, shattering records all over the place. I mean, are you ready for these percentages? I don’t know if you are. I think you’re gonna have to convince me. “Uhh, how the heck am I gonna do that?” you ask, staring blankly at your phone/tablet/laptop screen as you read these words. Well, it’s simple, Fred: all you have to do is read the following quotation about the subject that’s brought us all here, that lovely, glorious, worldview-expanding, cranium-opening, beautiful, wondrous, amorphous, multi-adjective-inducing thing — travel!

General TravelLogan T. HansenJanuary 8, 2025travel, travel guide, travel guidance, travel advice, travel blog, travel blogging, travelogue, travel diary, travel writing, travel recommendations, travel reviews, travel tips, travel ideas, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel planning, travel photography, travel appreciation, travel junkie, travel logistics, travel bucket list, year in review, year-in-review, happy new year, All Things Wanderful, Anthony Bourdain, No Reservations, No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach, Travel Channel, Sally Field, northernmost point, Minnesota, Northwest Angle, Ireland, England, Cork, Galway, Dublin, London, Europe, European vacation, Eurotrip, Euro trip, United Kingdom, Africa, cheap flights, find cheap flights, airports, Arizona, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Phoenix, Dodge Challenger, Sleepy Hollow, New York, Hudson Valley, Hudson River, Headless Horseman, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, The Mitten State, The Mitten State of Mind, Michigan, Michigan travel, Oklahoma, Flint Hills, Kansas, Route 66, Historic Route 66, U.S. Route 66, Hoover Dam, Clark Griswold, Wally World, South Rim, Grand Canyon South Rim, Google Maps, Google, Lake Mead, Mount Rainier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, Washington State, Crystal Mountain, Crystal Mountain Resort, Mount Olympus, North America, gondola, gondola rides, Iceland, Israel, Jordan, Longmoore Street, Westminster, Airbnb, Blarney Stone, Blarney Castle, Blarney Castle & Gardens, Wicklow Mountains, RMS Titanic, Titanic, Ed Sheeran, Merlin Castle, Chicago Bulls, Limerick, sheela na gig, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Nancy Hands, Nancy Hands Bar & Restaurant, Guinness, Guinness beer, Guinness Storehouse, Hex Girls, Sphynx Tattoo, beach volleyball, volleyball, Chicago, North Avenue Beach, Windy City, Oak Street Beach, Oak Street, beach, beach life, beach day, beaches, Lake Michigan, Barcelona, Barcelona El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport, Dublin AirportComment

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

Where to Find One of the Most Mesmerizing Views of Washington's Mount Rainier

“Is this Heaven?” No, and it isn’t Iowa either. It’s Washington, baby, and the view from up here is one of the most breathtaking ones you will find anywhere in North America. Where is “up here”, you ask? “Up here” would be the summit at Crystal Mountain Resort, where, after a brief ride on a gondola, you are afforded one of the most fantastic views of Mount Rainier that you may ever see.

The Flint Hills of Kansas Will Shatter Your Definition of Wide Open Spaces

For once in my life, I looked around, surrounded by unfamiliar territory, and though I had the greatest urge to spout that age-old movie reference — “we’re not in Kansas anymore” — the fact of the matter was that, yes, we very much were in Kansas. I mean, in the very heart of America, in that region known as the Great Plains, you have some idea of what you’ll come across, but reading about it or seeing a photo or video is truly not the same as being surrounded by rolling green hills as far as the eye can see.

2022, a Tribute to You: The Travels & Travails of the Best Year Yet on All Things Wanderful

There are so many cliché ways that a year-in-review post like this could begin. But instead of saying “another year in the books” or “isn’t it funny how time flies” — or even “what do you know, here we are again” — let’s just steer clear of all that gobbledygook, am I right? After all, this is now the sixth year (!) I’m sitting down to write this annual postmortem, and it certainly doesn’t deserve to suffer an indignity like that.

General TravelLogan T. HansenDecember 31, 2022travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel blog, travel blogging, travel writing, travel recommendations, travel reading, travel reviews, travel tips, travel ideas, travel inspiration, travelspiration, travel planning, travel photography, travel guidance, travel bucket list, All Things Wanderful, year in review, year-in-review, 2022, Caribbean, British Caribbean, Anguilla, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Logan's Run, Great Lakes, blogging, Star Wars, Wisconsin, ski trip, weekend trip, weekend getaway, weekend ski trip, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Texas, Dallas, Medieval Times, Stockyards, Fort Worth, Fort Worth Stockyards Historic District, Fort Worth Stockyards, Dutch Caribbean, French Caribbean, Chicago, Detroit Tigers, Iowa, Iowa City, Toronto Blue Jays, Michigan, Michigan football, Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, DFW, Austin, The Mitten State, The Mitten State of Mind, Great Lakes State, altitude sickness, high-altitude travel, high altitude, hiking, hiking tips, hiking safety, travel safety, travel safety tips, Say Insurance, Orient Beach, Orient Bay, Orient Bay Beach, Marigot, Jesse Pinkman, Fort Louis, Le West Indies, nightlife, island life, island adventure, island time, day trip, day tripping, daytripping, winter sports, winter activities, skiing, snowboarding, ski area, ski resort, Wilmot Mountain, Wilmot Ski Resort, Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort, Wilmot, Milwaukee, Kenosha, hit the slopes, Vail Resorts, snow tubing, Tahquamenon Falls, Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Chippewa County, Alcona County, Dickinson County, Pine Mountain, Pine Mountain Ski & Golf Resort, The Netherlands, France, Maho Beach, Princess Juliana International Airport, Kamala HarrisComment

Sint Maarten & Saint Martin: Two Countries, One Island, And a Helluva Good Time, Pt. 1

While experiencing the “Maho Blast,” if you will, provided the initial motivation to fly down to the Caribbean, we also knew Saint Martin had much more to offer than that. Some things we planned in advance; some things we left to chance, just going with the flow and seeing what the travel gods had in store for us. The end result was a trip for the books.

CaribbeanLogan T. HansenApril 25, 2022travel, travel guide, travel advice, travel guidance, travelspiration, travel inspiration, travel ideas, travel recommendations, travel reviews, travel tips, travel planning, travel photography, travel logistics, travel bucket list, bucket list, Sint Maarten, Saint Martin, St. Maarten, St. Martin, Dutch side, French side, Anguilla, Dutch Caribbean, French Caribbean, Caribbean, ocean, Caribbean Sea, Philipsburg, Simpson Bay, Cole Bay, Airbnb, SXM, Princess Juliana International Airport, Soggy Dollar, Nowhere Special, Maho Beach, Maho, Moonbar, Lotus, Roxxy, Marigot, Orient Beach, nude beach, Loterie Farm, Captain Frenchy, Fort St. Louis, Fort Louis, adventure, island life, island time, island adventure, explore, exploring, the great outdoors, beach life, beaches, Sandy Ground, Chesterfield's, Instagram, Airbus A320, caribbean, British Caribbean, adventure travel, adventure tourism, American Airlines, jet blast, cruise ship, Ft. Lauderdale, Grand Case, Grand Case-Espérance Airport, Exclusive Car Rental, Exclusive Car Rental St. Maarten, car rental, Turo, Villa Casa Blue, Latin Night, catamaran, charter boat, nightlife, Bayside Walk Beachfront Apartment, Philipsburg boardwalk, casino, Parliament of Sint Maarten, Ludmila de Weever, Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort Casino & Spa, Sonesta Maho Beach Resort, Oyster Bay Beach Resort, The Morgan, The Morgan Resort & Spa, Dawn Beach Club Resort, Kim Sha Beach, Great Bay Beach, Cupecoy Beach, Adventure Sports Sailing, St. Maarten Charters, Spellbound, Creole Rock, Île Tintamarre, Splash in the Sun, ATV, off-roading, off-road vehicle, ATV tour, snorkeling, ATV rental, Devil's Cupper, Devil's Cupper Trail, tide pool, Rainforest Adventures, Rainforest Adventures St. Maarten, Rockland Estate, zip lining, Seaside Nature Park, zip line, zipline, Burger King, KFC, Subway, Chesterfields, Chesterfields Restaurant & Bar, Réveil Matin, Skip Jack's, seafood, Aziana, Asian fusion, Rosie's Snack Bar, Mullet Bay, Mullet Bay Beach, Johnny B's, Johnny B's Under the Tree, lolo, Moon Bar, Mykonos, night club, Sunset Bar & Grill, Roxxy Beach Bar, Roxxy Beach Bar & Restaurant, Lotus Nightclub, Hollywood Casino, Paradise Plaza Casino, Tropicana Princess Casino Comments

This Small Ski Resort in Southern Wisconsin Makes for the Perfect Day Trip From Chicago

If not for winter sports, the chilliest season of the year would be downright, nonstop depressing, but thanks to the ancient man or woman who decided to strap a couple slats of wood to their feet for a simple means of transportation thousands of years ago (allegedly), we have the option nowadays to ski (or snowboard) recreationally at resorts the world over. And thank eight-pound, six-ounce baby Jesus for that, am I right?

North AmericaLogan T. HansenFebruary 28, 2022travel, travel guide, travel advice, travelspiration, travel inspiration, skiing, snowboarding, Wilmot, Wilmot Mountain, Wilmot Ski Resort, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Badger State, winter travel, winter, winter vacation, day trips, day trip, day tripping, daytripping, winter getaway, winter sports, winter activities, Keystone, Keystone Resort, Vail Resorts, Colorado, Wilmot Mountain Ski Resort, Chicago, Milwaukee, Matterhorn of the Midwest, Midwest, Midwestern U.S., ski rentals, snowboard rentals, ski school, ski lessons, ski trip, ski resort, ski style, mountain style, winter style, Ski Hill Grill, Walt's Tavern, Main Lodge Bar, Captain Mike's, Capt. Mike's Beer & Burger Bar, Captain Mike's Beer & Burger Bar, group selfie, travel photography, travel blog, travel blogging, travel writing, photo essayComment

You're Running Out of Time to Climb Hawaii's 'Stairway to Heaven'

“Stairway to Heaven” may be the name of an absolute jam by Led Zeppelin, but it’s also the nickname for a series of steps found on the Hawaiian island of Oahu that may soon be removed for good. The Haiku Stairs, a 3,000-plus step, steel staircase leading up into the Ko’olau mountain range, are a travel bucket list item for many — but if you’re planning to check it off yours, you’ll need to do so in a hurry.

Photos of This Lakeside Village in Western Europe are Essentially Travel Porn

Whether you’ve crisscrossed the globe five times over or simply scrolled through Instagram on a lazy afternoon, you’ve undoubtedly learned by now that some destinations are just more photogenic than others. That’s not to say that “ugly” cities and towns aren’t worth visiting; places that impress with personality alone are certainly bucket list-worthy. It’s more about this plain statement of fact: not all destinations are equal in the eyes of the camera’s lens.

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