My Top Ten Travel Moments of 2015

It’s that time of year again!  The holidays are flying by, the new year is fast approaching, and “Best of” lists are everywhere.

2015 was a good year for me in terms of travel.  I visited two new countries (Thailand and Iceland), as well as a new US city, Seattle.  I also got to do some work-related traveling (more to come next year, hopefully!), and spent time with friends and family scattered across the country.   I have even bigger plans for next year, but that’s a story for a different blog post (coming soon!)

In the meantime, let me present my “Top Ten Travel Moments of 2015”, in no special order:

1. Temple Hopping and Massages in Bangkok: This year I made my first-ever visit to Southeast Asia, which means, of course, temples! I was very excited to see Bangkok’s Grand Palace and other historical spots, but when the day finally came, we had masses of tourists and 102 degree weather to contend with.   I don’t think I’ve ever drunk so much water in one morning in my life!  But there was a saving grace: at Wat Pho, the temples included a massage pavilion, where my friend and I (gratefully) sat down in the cool room and paid about $9 for an excellent foot massage.  As magnficent as the temples were, I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the highlight of the day.

 

2. Pike Place Market in Seattle: Oh, how I love markets! I’d been hearing about Pike Place for years, and when I got there in May, it didn’t disappoint.  We whiled away several hours looking at the food and flower stalls and trying all the samples of hot cider and cheese that we could squeeze in…and I was happily surprised when the cheese-and-fruit plate I purchased on my plane ride home included the exact same sharp cheddar from the store I’d discovered in my wanderings that day.  Delicious!

 

3. Gulfoss Waterfall in Iceland: I love waterfalls even more than markets (well, it may depend on how hungry I am at the time), and Gulfoss is without question the most spectacular waterfall I’ve ever experienced.  A must-see site if you make it to Iceland (which you absolutely should).

 

4. Lunch view in Phuket: I’ve written here about my splurge spa day on the Andaman Coast in Thailand, but honestly, as amazing as the massage and facial treatments were, the view at lunch (and the chance to enjoy it in solitude before other diners showed up) was one of the best moments of my Thailand trip, and of my entire year. I mean, just look at it!  Serenity now….

 

5. Oddfellows Brunch in Seattle: I enjoyed my trip to Seattle more as a chance to relax, unwind, and experience the vibe of the city rather than a frantic attempt to sightsee. So it probably shouldn’t be surprising that one of my fondest memories of my trip is….brunch!  Brunch at Oddfellow’s Café was pretty spectacular…my bacon, egg and cheese biscuit was the best I’ve ever had, the drinks were interesting concoctions, and they even tossed in organic greens to make me feel a bit better about my food choices that day.  Winning all around.

 

6. The Blue Lagoon, Iceland: Everything you hear about the Blue Lagoon is true. It may be touristy, and it can get crowded (go early in the morning like I did to avoid this), but it is a truly magical place to soak, unwind, and be in the moment.  Next time I return to Iceland, it’s the first place I’ll go back to: a once-in-a-lifetime type experience that I can’t wait to repeat.

 

7. New York City restaurants: I started a new job this year that has me traveling to New York fairly often. I’ve never been a fan of the city (and full disclosure, that hasn’t changed yet), but I am willing to acknowledge it has some of the best restaurants in the world…I really haven’t had a bad meal there yet.  Some of my favorites are an outstanding Thai place a friend took me too, whose name I’ve sadly forgotten, and the legendary Blue Smoke, a Southern/BBQ style restaurant I’ve visited twice and loved both times.  Yum!

 

8. Reykjavik: I fell in love with this fun, compact, walkable city this year. Reykjavik rocks, plain and simple.  Great food, wonderful cafes, fantastic shopping, easy to navigate, and the architecture and vibe call to mind Central European cities where I spent a lot of time when I lived in Europe years ago.  I can’t wait to go back.

 

9. Cape Cod Beach Time: My aunt and uncle live in Cape Cod, and as a kid my family would go there every summer and every Thanksgiving to visit, so I have lots of wonderful childhood memories playing on the local beach near their home. This year I went back for Thanksgiving for the first time in years, and it was wonderful: seeing family and spending time on the beach again.  As much as I love summer, cool falls days filled with sunshine are a great time to visit New England beaches, and the day we went the weather was absolutely perfect; the sky and ocean were the bluest I’ve ever seen them.  Traveling to far-flung places is wonderful, but sometimes it’s equally delightful and satisfying to revisit your roots.

 

10. Great Falls, Virginia: I figured I’d end this list with something a little closer to home. This fall, I decided to take up hiking as a hobby, and jumped at the chance to join in on a group trek to Great Falls in Virginia.  During the two hour hike, I scrambled over rocks, walked through peaceful green forests, took more photos than I can count—and oh yes, saw a spectacular waterfall.  You don’t have to travel halfway around the globe for adventure (though naturally, I won’t let that fact stop me from continuing to do so).

 

Here’s to another great year of travel, discovery, and adventures in 2016!

Have you been to any of these places?  What did you think?  What were some of your best 2015 travel moments?