Where Are You Going?

Problems seem to fade in the rear view mirror or when you look out a jet window from 31,000 feet.

My husband and I never get home from a trip and wish we hadn’t gone.

Instead, we look at pictures, talk about what we did, what we saw and what we enjoyed in this wonderful world God gave us.

Our extensive state travels didn’t begin until our kids went off to college. We realized that we had never taken a spring break in high school or college so we booked ourselves a spring break trip to Sedona, Arizona ten years ago as new found empty nesters.

Hi I’m Brooke Z. from The Pondering Scottie! I enjoy writing posts that encourage and inspire, the ones that touch your heart, make you think, make you laugh or give you a great idea! If you’re into Jesus, family, books, homeschooling, nature, travel and some surprises thrown in along the way, then join me here!

Being a planner at heart, planning a trip is work, but fun for me. I’ll spend hours researching places, reading reviews and looking at pictures online. I’ll get out an actual road atlas and even ask AI some detailed things from time to time.

I listen for referrals from friends, take notes from things I see in a magazine or jot a website down from something on TV that looks interesting. I keep these notes in my phone.

Our trip to Sedona, just my husband and I, was SO MUCH FUN we decided to do more trips and we have! We even made a lofty goal (Lord willing!) to see the remaining states we hadn’t seen yet. Arizona was state 25 for us so we knew we had a ways to go!

This would require a plan and we’ve diligently chipped away at it. I got the free been app and it lets you visualize what states and countries you’ve “been” to.

So, each year we’ve tried to visit a new state or two or more!

Our criteria is that we have to spend at least one night in the state to “count” but we do more! (none of this changing planes in a state stuff and counting that!) We like to talk to the people, eat the cuisine of the area, see the famous landmarks of the state and listen to the music of the region. We immerse ourselves in the state’s culture one could say!

What we are seeing and learning in our travel around the United States is that the states are absolutely beautiful and incredibly diverse and therein lies the wonder for us!

From majestic mountains, to barren deserts, to great plains to wind swept palm trees on ocean coastlines, what an amazing country we live in here in America! To be able to experience God’s creation time and time again as we travel this country is such a blessing and one we do not take for granted.

We have chipped away at states we could drive to and states we have to fly to: Iowa, Wyoming, Louisiana, North Carolina, Texas, Nevada, Utah, Wisconsin, New Mexico, and so on. Each state truly has its own flavor!

This spring we visited the Dakota’s (because nothing screams “spring break” more than North Dakota! :) lol) and this fall we hope to visit the New England states. When that is all said and done we will be finished with 45 states! We are getting close to the goal of fifty, sweet friends!

But this does not happen without a plan!

First of all, we budget for our travel since we both enjoy it and consider travel enrichment important in our lives. Then we decide where we go, how we’re going to get there and check my husband’s vacation days to see how long we can stay.

Then I research good areas in the cities and focus on lodging and I like to change it up a bit! We might stay in a hotel, VRBO, or Bed and Breakfast or a combo of all three if we’re traveling to different places within the state. You might want to consider camping, we used to do that all the time when the kids were younger and so were we! ;) It’s certainly affordable and the kids LOVE it! Staying with relatives is also an option you could consider. But don’t stay longer than 3 days, after that, both fish and people start to stink ;)

Once I get the transportation and lodging figured out, then I narrow in on places to see while we’re there. We love the National Parks and state parks and being outside! We might take in a museum or a movie if it’s raining or cold. We enjoy taking city history tours and have never been disappointed by tripadvisor.com reviews!

For food we try to stay at places that have a free breakfast and then only eat out one meal a day. We love a food tour in a city as it usually combines food, beverages, history and architecture! The food tour in Little Havana/Miami was top notch if you’re looking to try one! We have found the tours to be so worth the money but do be sure to read the reviews as things can change and another thing, go hungry, they feed you plenty on the food tours! If you stay at a place with a kitchen or kitchenette, you can make/cook many meals too, saving on money and calories!

One thing I’ve started doing recently is scheduling a morning or an afternoon to just rest. It’s so easy to GO GO GO when everything is new, but having a little flexibility in your schedule is so worth it! If you’re traveling with children, make rest a daily must.

I also narrow down what we have to do and see. We would rather take our time and do things well than be run ragged and quickly snapping a picture and going on to something else. Maybe it’s because we’re getting older, maybe it’s the way it should have been all along but note this: savor the time together and the places you visit.

Share

1. Travel light. Not only will you not have to pay extra if you fly, you won’t have to check-in luggage or have that much to lug around either. My husband and I take one rolling carry-on suitcase with a backpack each for a week’s vacation no matter the weather. And every time I’ve taken 1-3 items I still didn’t use!

2. Take the earliest flight of the day you can. This helps avoid highway traffic delays, weather delays and if your flight gets cancelled for some reason, chances are, you can rebook for the same day!

3. Stay hydrated and pack snacks. This goes for whatever mode of transportation you take on your trip. Car, train, or plane no one wants a thirsty, hangry travel companion, aged 3 or thirty-three. No one!

4. Schedule in free time. Trust me on this one. Leave a half day free during your trip, to sleep in or to take a nap. Your body and soul will thank you.

5. Budget for your trip. Pay for your trip beforehand or as you go. Do not bring credit card debt home with you as a souvenir!

6. Bring smaller bills for hotel tips, valet parking and highway tolls.

7. Apply for a passport if traveling internationally a year before your trip. This will give you plenty of time for them to process and deliver your passport. If you have a current passport, be sure to check the expiration date. Some countries will not allow a passport if it expires within the next six months! So double check the passport and visiting country’s requirements, plan early and save yourself some headaches! And yes, babies require a passport too.

8. For homeschooling families with more flexibility, travel in the off-seasons. Rates are probably cheaper, places are less crowded and the weather is usually mild. April/May and September/October are great months to travel!

So, what do your future travel plans look like? Ocean view, mountain view, cityscape or countryside? Perhaps a stay-cation or a faraway city? Leave a comment and let me know where you’re going or want to go!

1. A small bedside fan is a must for me, especially with menopause!

2. Having a good water bottle is vital and helps you stay hydrated.

3. Comfortable shoes are essential, especially if you’re walking a lot! Get a waterproof pair if it looks wet and rainy at your destination.

4. A fanny pack is a life saver and keeps your hands free for helping children, managing luggage and souvenir shopping.

5. My sweet hubby of 36 years! ;)

   If you’re curious about what to see or do in a certain state or city, then let’s get a helpful comment section going so everyone can take notes for their future travels.

   I have kept most of my highlights on our various state trips to guide you, from places to see, to where to eat and what to do, so ask away!

   Until next time sweet friends,

   Brooke

   If you found this post helpful, then I’d sure appreciate your support in these ways!

   

Share

If you liked this post, then you might enjoy this one as well:

Avoiding the Awkward Moments

·

October 13, 2025

Let me set up this post a bit: Remember when I shared in my “Paprika to Pizza Part 2” post when we traveled to Hungary? Well, in addition to some souvenirs, lovely photographs and beautiful memories, we also brought back some of our questions!