~ Carmen
So our friends are always asking us if we ever go to work. Well, yes. Joe and I both have full-time jobs. I’m a 6th grade history teacher, so I have more time off than most. If you have ever tried to keep an eleven year old focused for more than 5 minutes, you’d see why middle school teachers need summers off. I like my sanity, thank you very much! Joe works for the government and well, it’s government work.
As the second year of our travel blog comes to an end, I thought it might be beneficial to list what all we did this year, not only for our friends, but also for us. Who knows? It might come in handy when we get old and forgetful. What am I saying? Joe is already forgetful!
So here is our 2017 Year End Review:
January
- Atlanta-Joe and I both get off work for Martin Luther King’s birthday. We had planned on spending the weekend in St. Louis, Missouri, but an unexpected ice storm canceled those plans. At the last minute, we headed to Atlanta, Georgia instead. 3 Days in Atlanta
At the top of Stone Mountain, right outside of Atlanta, Georgia
- Buffalo Headwaters Challenge- This is an annual mountain bike “festival” in northwest Arkansas that Joe rode in. Meanwhile, I spent time with my daughter Rachel who goes to college there.
Celebrating my 50th birthday in Rio de Janeiro
February
- Fried Chicken- Not much going on this month, except we started reviewing fried chicken restaurants in Memphis. No, we’re not finished… We’ve reviewed 14 and have 6 more to go! EAT MORE CHICKEN!!
March
- Rio & Buzios, Brazil- This month always brings my spring break (1 week of no school) and my birthday. This year was a big birthday for both Joe and me. WE BOTH TURNED 50! What better way to turn a 1/2 century old than spending 10 days Rio! Why Beach Lovers Should Visit Búzios, Brazil, 8 Must Sees in Rio de Janeiro
April
- St. Louis, Missouri- We were finally able to make it back to St. Louis for a weekend. Joe’s son, David, was on military leave so we were able to see him, too!
- DeGray Lake, Arkansas- We had a 3-day weekend for the Easter holiday which we spent camping at DeGray Lake. Joe also took advantage of the mountain bike trails at Iron Mountain. Why DeGray Lake is One of Arkansas’s Best Lakes, Iron Mountain Bike Trails
Iron Mountain Bike Trails
- Big River Crossing- We finally checked out the newest pedestrian/cycling bridge in Memphis. It crosses the Mississippi River! 3 Reasons to Cross the Big River Crossing
May
- Loads of family activities including Joe’s daughter Holly graduating high school (trip to Illinois) and wedding showers for my bestie. Plus the end of the school year is one of my busiest times as a teacher!
June
- Greece- Our biggest trip of the year, 14 days visiting Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, & Crete! How to Spend 14 Days in Greece
On a Range Rover tour of Crete, Greece
- Nashville, Tennessee- Daughter Rachel and I took a mother/daughter trip up the road to Nashville. How to Spend 4 Days in Nashville
July
- Florida- Daughter Rachel and I flew to Tallahassee, Florida to spend a week with my other daughter, Lauren.
Traveling around Florida with my girls!
- Washington- Joe and I flew to Seattle to visit his family. We spent 10 days and completed two different road trips. San Juan Islands Road Trip , Cascade Mountain Loop Road Trip
August
- Besides the month of May, August is also killer busy for a teacher. We didn’t go anywhere, but did enjoy being in the path of the solar eclipse!
Our pup Sammy Dog developed cancer and sadly passed away 2 weeks ago (December 2017). We’ll miss our road trip buddy! Here is Sammy in his eclipse glasses. No, he didn’t really look at the sun.
September
- Hot Springs, Arkansas- Labor Day weekend was spent camping in Hot Springs. Joe also just about did himself in mountain biking on the Lake Ouachita Vista Trail. Worst Travel Experiences of 2017
- Harrison, Arkansas- We spent another weekend at the Arkansas Championship Hot Air Balloon Races. It wasn’t as big as I thought it was going to be. A blog post may be written, but probably not.
Arkansas State Championship Hot Air Balloon Races
October
- Gulf Shores, Alabama- Each October, I get a week out of school for Fall Break. For the last 3 years, we’ve gone to the Alabama Gulf Coast to the National Shrimp Festival. We love a big food festival!!! 5 Reasons to Go to the National Shrimp Festival
Joe loves me as much as he loves a good food festival!
- Natchez Trace Parkway Road Trip- The last weekend in October, we tackled the 444-mile historic Natchez Trace Parkway. The fall colors were just starting to break which made for a scenic drive. Natchez Trace Parkway Road Trip
November
- Fayetteville, Arkansas- We went back to northwest Arkansas to see daughter Rachel again and to see a University of Arkansas game. Rachel was sick and our team looked terrible. Oh well.
One of the few fans left in the University of Arkansas stands
- Maumelle, Arkansas- Celebrated Thanksgiving with family.
December
- Maumelle, Arkansas- Traveled here 2xs this month. Once to pick-up daughter Rachel because she totaled her car on the way home from college. Luckily the only injuries occurred to her car named Loretta of 4 years. Rest in Peace, Loretta! We also celebrated Christmas with family in Maumelle.
So there you have it! Does this seem like a lot of travel to you or is it pretty doable when working full-time? Please comment your opinion below! We only went camping 2 times which wasn’t near enough! Our lonely camper, that I affectionately call Little Pig, misses us. The plan is to go ahead and pencil in at least one camping trip every other month. That should still leave me some time to clean the house and go to work, right?!?
We’d also like know some of the places you traveled and things you did. Please comment below!
Keep up with all of our travel, camping, and cycling tips by following us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest,. Leave us your email (blue box at the bottom of the post) to subscribe to our weekly newsletter and never miss a post!
~ Carmen
Like this post? Please pin it!
Suzanne
January 2, 2018 9:44 pmYou had a great year of travel too! I have always wanted to go to Greece. I know who to go to when we start planning. Happy New Year.
Pack Your Baguios
January 3, 2018 5:18 pmA foodie like yourself, would be in heaven in Greece. You just have to go!
Ruth
January 3, 2018 9:58 pmGlad to know you are a history teacher. My history teachers (we call it social studies in Puerto Rico) made a big impression on my life. Your travel year was awesome! I am sure 2018 is going to bring even more adventures! I already have some plans but nothing concrete. Hope to finalize plans this month.
Pack Your Baguios
January 4, 2018 10:53 amWe sometimes call it social studies, too. It just depends on the school. Hope you have a great 2018 travel year!