Welcome to Part 2 of the Maine Event – a second long weekend (or end of a week if you followed Part 1’s adventures) in Mid-coast Maine. These two blogposts will give you the “can’t miss” highlights of a perfect weeklong coastal vacation. The last blogpost (Part 1) covered Portland to Booth Bay Harbor. Part 2 covers Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. For an entire week of adventures, add Part 1 and Part 2 together!

Maine is the perfect summer getaway location for a weeklong family vacation or girls’ trip in the great outdoors. Compared to Arizona, where I’m from, this state is defined by water and its green, green, green landscape.

These next two blogposts will give you the “can’t miss” highlights of a perfect weeklong coastal vacation. I’ve split this post into two parts in case you’ve got time just for a long weekend - choose either Part 1 or Part 2. For an entire week’s adventures, combine both!

When you live a “travelista” lifestyle, month-long stays exploring locations around the world are the norm. This year I’ll add three plus months to my travel resume as a temporary local in New Mexico, Michigan, and Oregon. During May 2021, I was lucky enough to call the southwest Michigan town of Holland my home.

In this blogpost I’ll share some of the local highlights from this grand adventure. Even if you don’t get to southwest Michigan anytime soon, I wouldn’t be at all surprised that you find some nuggets of inspiration to apply to your own life, wherever home may be. Here are 15 tips for exploring like a local.

One of the most fun parts of my month-long trip to Michigan in May 2021 was two full days exploring the scenic M-22 along Michigan’s northwest coast. This trip technically starts just north of the small town of Manistee and ends at Traverse City. I expanded it a bit.

May is Tulip Time in Michigan! I was lucky enough to enjoy a month-long stay in Holland, Michigan during May of 2021 and it was pure sensorial delight!

Tulip Time has been touted as the Best Small-Town Festival and the Best Flower Festival in America. I can see why. The charm is undeniable, and the six million plus tulips can’t be beat.

I feel like I could have written a book by now covering all the unbelievable sites and experiences of my month-plus sojourn in New Mexico. Instead, there are eight blogposts that share the highlights, should you choose to partake in any of these explorations. Alas, all great times come to an end. I couldn’t resist sharing this last special road trip exploring the can’t-miss spiritual site of Chimayo, the rustic town of Taos, and the gorgeous Rio Grande river valley.

There are several fantastic daytrips an hour from Santa Fe that are worth your time. This is one of them.

Check out Tsankawi Trail, Bandelier National Monument and it’s unique cave dwellings, and round out your visit with a stop in nearby Los Alamos, home of atomic energy.

Looking for a way to spend a morning or afternoon in nature within 15 minutes of Santa Fe’s city center?

Look no further. While on my recent long-term vacation to Santa Fe, I found four great local hiking spots that were easily accessible and safe for a solo female hiker in the middle of winter.

While there’s much more to see and do in the picturesque city of Santa Fe, it feels like time to take you on a road-trip to one of New Mexico’s quaint, off the beaten path towns a bit further north, Abiquiú (pronounced ab - IH - q). If you’ve been following the blogposts about my New Mexico sabbatical, you’ll recall I met up with artist @Randallmchavez and discovered his stunning abstract paintings near Santa Fe’s Loretto Chapel at Water St and the Old Santa Fe Trail. He’s the local who told me about this magical place.