I found my way to Saratoga county for day 3 of my trip on Florida’s Gulf Coast. I started my day off with a visit to Myakka River State Park.
I became a little obsessed with wooden observation towers in parks after visiting Tree Tops park in Davie, Florida a few weeks before. The observation tower there was so cool that I started searching Florida for other structures like it.
This research brought me to Myakka. This enormous park had so much to explore that, while I went to see the park’s famous canopy walkway, I stayed for its other features.
There are few experiences where you can interact with wild marine animals on their terms. I tried it with humpback whales in Niue without much luck. I tried it with seals in South Africa to no avail. I was determined this time on my trip to Florida’s Gulf Coast to snorkel with manatees—Florida’s gentle, herbivorous, “sea cow.”
I was ready to get in the water with them after kayaking near them on not one, not two, but three occasions,. The city of Crystal River is the only place in the United States that allows people to be in the water with them.
Through self-guided means only and maintaining my ethical animal tourism and COVID-19 standards, I managed to kayak to and snorkel near manatees at Three Sisters Springs. Learn how I did it all on my own in this post, complete with photos and a video of these awesome marine mammals!
I love it when travel activities fall into my lap unexpectedly. By sheer circumstance, I stumbled across Rainbow Springs State Park. This park has some of the most gorgeous crystal clear, aqua blue water I’ve ever seen!
Only a 2 minute drive from my Airbnb, I decided to spend my morning exploring the park. I thought I might check it out by kayak but the chilly air of the morning and a tight schedule led me to hiking the park instead.
I had no idea I’d end up enjoying this park as much as I did. Sometimes the best travel moments happen without prior planning!
The surprise in this blog post is in the title—I got to go diving on my last minute trip to the Gulf Coast! Who knew that an dirty Airbnb and a rainy day would lead to my first dive experience in over a year?
My trip started out a bit uncomfortably. I arrived at my Airbnb to find it only half cleaned in the middle of a global pandemic. I also saw that rain in the weather report for the next day. Both could have put a real damper on my plans and my spirit. But they didn’t!
I managed to turn a piece of coal into a polished gem! It just took demanding what I wanted and not letting circumstances hold me back.
Many people have taken up new hobbies during this pandemic in order to quell boredom. Or they have revitalized old hobbies that they left in the past.
I am happy to say I finally revitalized an old hobby and bought myself a bicycle! I’ve been imagining getting my own bicycle for a while so it’s really exciting for me that I have one now.
I’ve been getting myself more comfortable on the bike and exploring some neighboring areas and parks. It’s been a great way to cover lots of ground and see new places right in my Miami backyard. In this post, I share a couple of the rides I’ve taken locally and explore other hobbies I’ve taken up since the pandemic started.
When in quarantine, you have to find things to do to keep sane and socially distant! This is what I am doing with my parents now after driving (safely) up from Miami to New York to spend the holidays with them.
This past weekend, dad had a great idea to drive around looking at the Christmas lights neighbors put up around the area in upstate New York. One of these neighbors happens to be a Guinness World Record holder for their lights display.
In celebration of the holidays this week, I am sharing a few of the photos and a video I took while visiting this world famous light display. I also include a few tips for visiting in case you happen to be in the area and want to see it for yourself.
I made it! My quarantine trip from Miami to upstate New York was a success! I drove up the Saturday before Thanksgiving and managed to keep my 14-day quarantine in tact.
It was tough but everything went smooth and it was so worth the trip. I’ve now been spending time with my family for the last week. I’ve been eating way too much food, having a ton of laughs, and appreciating the quaint beauty of rural New York in late Fall.
This post is a quick overview of my trip and what I’ve been up to since my arrival.
With Thanksgiving on the horizon, I decided I would do everything in my power to still see my family but in the safest way possible. My plan is to stay with my parents in New York from Thanksgiving through Christmas. Before I go, I will quarantine and get tested. I will drive instead of fly from Florida to New York under strict conditions.
I cannot plan for every possibility and all I can do is minimize risk. But I believe I have the safest plan for making long distance travel possible this holiday season.
Following my guide may make it possible for you to see your loved ones despite the increasing COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent weeks.
Sometimes we just need to get away! Taking care of your mental health is so important especially when locked down in quarantine during a global pandemic. I decided to do just that for my birthday a few weeks ago—and it was so wonderful!
I decided to spend my quarantine birthday in a tiny house North of Miami. I took a short drive there from my South Florida residence so I could try out this living experience for a few days.
I was also interested in checking out a nearby wildlife reserve. I had my inflatable kayak with me. I was ready to spot some manatees and view the blue glow of bioluminescent plankton in the water at night.
I managed to experience all of this and so much more during my tiny house stay in July. Read on for the full story!
I've decided to post something a little different this week in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement in the United States. It feels a bit tone deaf during this time to post about past travels of mine—a privilege I have as a White, middle class person.
Instead, I've decided to use this platform to raise awareness. I share some reflections on my observations of race globally, from Germany to South Africa. Mainly, I pause now to discuss anti-Blackness and racism. I also take this post to describe what you can do as an ally to racially marginalized groups within your own country, whether in the US or outside the US.
Society has changed drastically in only a few short weeks. We all now need to reduce our contact with other people in order to “flatten the curve,” or lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this moment, I am focused on protecting my mental health and encouraging others to do the same. We can do this by eating healthy, going for walks, or socializing with friends and family over WhatsApp video. These are some of the things I have been doing recently to stay centered and healthy.
But I also realized early on that this situation is completely conducive to my solo travel lifestyle. Solo adventuring is not canceled! Nature is not canceled! And kayaking with manatees is definitely not canceled! In this post, I tell my story about hitting the water less than 2 weeks ago to socialize with manatees instead of people.
I've been living in Miami for over 8 months now. While I definitely do not know Miami like I know my home city of New York, I am starting to get the hang of this place.
Beaches and nightlife are what Miami is most known for. But I present in this post some of the other parts of Miami that you should explore.
I know quite a lot about Miami culture at this point—from its predominantly Cuban culture to its unexpectedly large Jewish community. In this post, I explore some of my favorite places to go from restaurants and bars to street art and nature.
The first time I visited the Florida Everglades was an epic fail when it came to seeing any alligators. After moving to Miami in Summer 2019, I was determined to go using the right method during the right weather and finally see some gators.
I revisited the Shark Valley Visitor Center shortly after my move, this time ready to rent a bicycle and withstand inclement weather. I managed to spot a few alligators on my first couple of visits. But it wasn't until the winter that I saw so many I lost count!
Now as a local, I have all the secrets to maximizing your chances of seeing alligators in the Everglades.
A part of getting to know Key West was getting to know its unique side. Not only is Key West a beautiful, tropical paradise, it's also queer, artsy, and a tad nerdy. This is basically all of the things that I love in one place!
There is lots of queer culture to soak up, whether it's through the drag shows or a beautiful AIDS memorial. With its rich, queer history focused on inclusivity and social justice, Key West is a major destination and home to the LGBTQ community.
I also loved the art galleries and unique themed restaurants in Key West. Brightly colored modern art and even "sexy" titled desserts made up more quirky surprises than I could have imagined.
I finally made it to Key West, Florida! I visited the Florida Keys back in summer 2016 and again in summer 2019. Both times, I didn’t make it as far as Key West, the last key in the coral cay archipelago off Southern Florida.
But on a long weekend in late September, Ivana and I made the drive there at the perfect time of day. We avoided all the traffic and spent 3 nights and 3 days exploring the area mainly by bicycle!
From planning the right snorkel trip to booking our accommodation near happening Duval Street, these are my recommendations for having the best time in Key West!
I am incredibly grateful for my friend, Dasha, who visited me immediately after I moved to Miami. She flew in from Denver and, as always, was ready to explore and go on adventures with me. So of course we had to take advantage of my proximity to the Florida Keys!
I visited the Florida Keys back in the summer of 2016 when my then-New Zealand boyfriend, Jono, and I traveled there via New Orleans. We had a great time exploring the food, kayaking the mangroves, and checking out beaches in the area. Dasha and I sort of mirrored this experience with a little slice of each of these experiences.
We kayaked a new section of the mangroves, revisited a beach I wanted to spend more time at, and ate a heaping pile of seafood! We did all this in about a half-day experience after a late start to our trip. All in all, I can't believe that day-trips to the Florida Keys are part of my life now! So awesome!
For years my queer friends have been telling me "You gotta go to P-Town." I understood why—Provincetown, MA is a famous queer destination—but I didn't really know how it would feel until I got there.
There are few places in this world that I feel like I can be absolutely 100% myself. P-Town is now one of those places.
This post is about my experience in P-Town for Memorial Day Weekend and how it shot up to the top of my list of favorite towns to visit in the USA.
There's nothing like spending time with a close friend in a new city and seeing new sights together.
For the last 2 days of my trip to visit Dasha in Denver, I saw psychedelic art, celebrated her birthday with more of her friends, and explored some iconic parts of the Denver area.
We visited the Natura Obscura art exhibit, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and checked out a little western mining town called Golden. Read on to hear about and see all that we did before I departed back to New York!
You know what's awesome? Having friends as adventurous as I am—friends who aren't afraid to travel across the country to try on a new lifestyle. That's what my friend Dasha did over a year ago when she moved to Denver, CO.
A hiker like me, Dasha left her Brooklyn life seeking higher elevations. When I visited for her birthday weekend back in April, I had the privilege of experiencing some of Denver's gorgeous mountain views.
We also had the chance to explore a bit of Denver's nightlife and restaurants. I did a ton with Dasha in just the first 24 hours in Denver—but there's more! This 3 day weekend in Denver is in 2 parts. Here is part 1...ready, set, go!
Call me crazy but I love change. I thrive on change. Lucky for me, I have come to understand that change is the only, reliable constant in life.
And so here comes my next big adventure…I am moving to Miami! I am moving for a new job. It’s my dream career, in fact. And I am so very excited about it.
Learn more about this move and my thoughts on it in this quick update post.
