2024 - The Road We've Traveled

The Eras Tour

December 10, 2024/0 Comments/in Activity, Arizona, California /by Caroline

The Eras Tour wrapped up last night after almost two years of shows. I can’t really put into words how I feel. It’s certainly bittersweet. I am so grateful for this show, that I was able to see it in person twice, for all the grainy live streams and videos on socials, and for the community it created. I’ve never been a part of something that has brought people together in the way this has. It’s remarkable and I am forever grateful to be able to witness this firsthand.

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since 2013 when I took Girl Child to see the Red Tour. I saw the Eras Tour twice in 2023 and wanted to make note of the concerts because they were so magical. If you’re not a Taylor Swift fan you’re probably rolling your eyes, but there’s a reason we’re all obsessed.

The first show we saw was in Glendale, second night. For those not in the SwiftVerse, Glendale was the opening city of the Eras Tour. We had tickets for the second night and made sure to stay off social media after the first show, so our show was a total surprise. IT WAS EPIC! I took my daughter and it was our third TS show together. Buying concerts tickets from Ticketmaster is nothing short of a nightmare and you basically get what you are lucky enough to grab and pay for before they are sold to someone else. I won’t rehash the fiasco that was getting tickets for this show. We ended up with nosebleeds on the side of the stage.

I don’t love nosebleeds, I’d certainly rather be closer to the stage, but the steepness of the rows makes me uneasy. Seeing the backstage action was cool though. Because it was the first weekend and the show hadn’t blown up on social media yet we didn’t know what we were seeing until after the fact. We saw the cleaning cart, which is what Taylor Swift is wheeled to the stage in. It seemed out of place and super random to be wheeling towards the stage. I grabbed a crappy picture to confirm I was actually seeing a cleaning cart. We also saw people walking backstage in these pink/orange jump suits. In my mind, I was like why are the ghostbusters here? Once the show started I realized they were the dancers. It would have been cooler to see them when I knew who they were but it was still cool to see. The downside to being on the side of the stage is that we missed most of the show visuals which are on a screen at the end of the stage. The screen on the side of the screen only showed Taylor Swift. It was still epic, don’t get me wrong, but we were bummed to be missing out on a part of the show.

A few weeks prior to the Eras Tour a friend died and her funeral was two days before this show. The mix of pain and joy in life is wild. I’m morning the loss of a best friend while simultaneously watching the opening weekend of the Eras Tour with my daughter and friends. Talk about the highest of highs and lowest of lows in the same moment.

Being that we were attending a tour spanning all of Taylor’s albums, we wore outfits that matched our favorite eras. I opted for black and sequins for Reputation and Girl Child opted for a dress and boots for Debut. And we drew our cat eyeliner sharp enough to {insert lyrics from Vigilante Shit}.

Taylor ended up performing for 3.5 hours. Probably around the 3 hour mark I was like is this ever going to end? Her concerts have always been longer than the average but 3.5 was wild.

The show was so epic that I immediately wanted to go again but get better seats. And I wanted to see it while not so deep in grief. As soon as videos and stories hit social media the show started blowing up and the Eras Tour madness began to grow. I knew if I wanted to see it again I’d have to get resale tickets ASAP because the prices would continue to drive up as more shows were held and the excitement grew. Within days we grabbed tickets to LA for night 3. I’ll be honest, buying resale tickets felt a little frivolous and as resale prices continued to climb I questioned selling my tickets. I’m so glad I didn’t because those 24 hours in LA are a core memory and worth every single penny.

Flying to LA to see the Eras Tour rounded out the experience. Shortly after we got to the airport in Tucson we noticed others in Taylor Swift shirts and everyone started to congregate. A young Swiftie came up to our group and offered us all friendship bracelets. (If you’ve not been following the tour, in one song Taylor Swift says to make the friendship bracelets and from that moment on Swifties make bracelets and share them with strangers.) There were several mothers traveling with their daughters and it was so sweet to see. Everything in LA was Taylor Swift themed and so fun!

We took a morning flight and arrived midday. I think we took a nap before the show which was obviously glorious. My biggest concern with the show was getting back to the hotel afterwards. 60,000+ people trying to leave one place at the same time creates insane gridlock. Our hotel wasn’t that far from the stadium but it wasn’t in the safest area to walk through, particularly at night. When we checked in, we found out our hotel was offering a roundtrip bus. The concierge told us the bus would be parked away from the arena so we could easily get out. Great…take my money.

When it was time to go to the concert, we boarded the bus with all the other Swifties and the excitement continued to grow. The bus dropped us off close to the stadium and the driver explained where we would be picked up afterwards. We accidentally purchased club level seats for the show (SCORE!) so getting into the stadium was a breeze. I didn’t even know what club meant, which would explain why we didn’t know what we purchased. Club seats have VIP entrances, their own bathrooms, bars, food, and merchandise, so that was fun. Except not the merchandise. The line was insane every second of the evening. We grabbed a drink and settled into our awesome seats and obviously made friends with people around us.

One of my absolute favorite parts of the Eras Tour is the opening of the show. A countdown appears on the screen just before Taylor comes out and the energy in the stadium is unlike anything I’ve experienced in my life. Truly magical. And of course, the stadium loses it the second Taylor appears and then we sing together for the next 3.5 hours. After having gone through this experience twice, I can tell you 3 hours is my ideal concert time. Maybe 2.5 – 3. 3.5 was just a little too long. My vocal cords can’t hang for 3.5 hours nor can my feet. The fact that Taylor, her dancers, and band perform night after night confirms they are at the top of their game. An epic feat of endurance and talent.

After the show ended we headed to the spot where our bus was supposed to pick us up. Except the bus wasn’t where it said it was supposed to be nor was it the bus we were expecting. Eventually we found a row of charter buses that said they were picking us up. It was super unorganized and we were all a little nervous to get on but also happy to have found some kind of transportation. Eventually the buses started working their way out of the gridlock but the whole experience was strange. There was literally a moment where I was like are we being kidnapped? We seemed to not be going towards our hotel and the driver would randomly stop in the middle of the street, get out of the bus, and go talk to other bus drivers who were doing the same. Eventually our bus started making all kinds of noise and beeping. The driver stoped the bus, opened the door, and told us all to get off because the bus is broken. Um, what? We ended up cramming into the other buses and eventually made our way back to out hotel. I have never been so excited to exit a vehicle in my life. I’m also glad I wasn’t kidnapped. It was such a strange experience.

24 Taylor Swift themed hours was magical. One thing I loved about traveling for a concert of this size is everyone was wearing their TS merchandise or friendship bracelets and was sparking up conversations. I’ve never talked to so many strangers in my life. Standing in the security line at LAX we made friends with everyone around us, discussing which songs we loved most, how many times we’ve seen TS, where we are coming from, how we got tickets. It was so fun. We ended up on the same flight as many of the same people as the day before and were able to hear from the mom/daughter duos about their experience. It was such an incredible experience. I’ve never been a part of something like this before and it was so fun.

Yesterday was the final show of the Eras Tour. I didn’t have tickets but watched it live on YouTube. Shout out to everyone who was live steaming so those of us at home could watch it with you. It was a beautiful show and watching it live was the perfect way to close out these last two years. Thank you to Taylor and her team for creating something so magical.

Channel Islands National Park

July 22, 2024/1 Comment/in California, Channel Islands, Hiking, National Parks, Water /by Caroline

Channel Islands has been on my list for a while. We had a trip planned a couple years ago over fall break, but a crazy storm rolled in and basically cancelled our trip. Channel Islands is definitely one of my favorite national parks. It’s an hourish away from LA and feels otherworldly. The boat ride over was incredible, the islands are gorgeous, the views are epic, the baby foxes are the cutest thing in the world, and the company that joined us was the cherry on the top.

Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park consists of five islands off the coast of Ventura, California. There are no roads/cars on the island and only a few buildings. Mostly structures from when the land was privately owned prior to becoming a national park. It’s a rustic experience which is so fun and harder and harder to come by these days. To get to the islands, you have to take a ferry. We booked an early morning ferry and spent the night in Ventura so we could be at the dock bright and early.

The ferry ride over started our adventure as we saw lots of wildlife. Dolphins swimming with the ferry was definitely a highlight!

Dolphins swimming with the ferry on the way to Santa Cruz Island

At one point our captain spotted a bunch of birds sitting on the water and circling around. He said that usually means there is a lot of plankton or something in the water which leads to a lot of wildlife. He was right! We saw so many dolphins, a whale, and tons of birds. We stayed there for a while just watching and it was incredible! The ride over was beautiful and added to the excitement of what we were about to see.

We visited Santa Cruz Island and you can camp or take a day trip. Those camping are the last to exit the ferry as we had to unload our gear. We made a line across the boat/dock and passed every item down one by one. It was an interesting endeavor as not everyone in the line understood we were all in this until all the gear was off the boat. Not just your bag.

Once everything was unloaded, we met with a ranger for a mandatory meeting where she shared tips and warned us about the incredibly cute little island foxes and how much of a nuisance they can be. She played a game and asked a few questions. I knew the answer to one of her questions and won myself a Junior Ranger badge which I proudly wore for the entire weekend! It’s the closest I will ever be to a Ranger so I’ll take it. Ranger Karen was the absolute best! She was so cheerful every time we saw her. I mean, I probably would be too if lived on Santa Cruz Island.

Of course, as soon as we finished our ranger talk it started raining. We quickly put on our rain gear, covered our stuff as best as we could, and made the short walk to the campground. The sites are .5 – 1 mile from the dock, so not too far. You have to be able to carry all your stuff but the walk is easy/flat and you can load your stuff into a wagon. We mostly brought a wagon so we could bring a cooler. (Island Packers has specific rules around what you can bring to the island, so be sure to check those out before packing.)

Scorpion Canyon Campground on Santa Cruz Island

Fortunately it didn’t rain for long and we were able to set up camp and start exploring. We visited May 2023 and everything was green.

The views are epic once on top of the island. I could not believe LA was just across the channel. We could see it in the distance and it looked so green and hilly.

Eventually we made our way back to camp and then decided to head to the beach for happy hour. Is there anything better than sitting on the beach with friends in a beautiful place listening to the waves?

Heads up, there is tar in the water from the channel so be careful where you sit. Apparently tar seeps from the ocean floor off the California coast. We didn’t realize that and ended up with tar on our clothes. At some point after happy hour we ate dinner but I’m not sure if it was before or after we headed up a hill to catch the sunset. EPIC. We finished the night with games around the table. Days like this are what my dreams are made of.

We unfortunately only made camping reservations for one night, so Day 2 started by packing up camp. I would highly recommend two nights on the island. One just wasn’t enough. We booked a sea kayaking excursion in the morning, so once camp was packed we headed over to the beach. We listened to the safety talk, put on our wet suits, grabbed kayaks, and headed out for some fun!

Sea kayaking at Channel Islands National Park

The water was absolutely gorgeous and was a deep, clear shade of blue. There were gorgeous kelp strands everywhere and it was stunning.

Kelp forest at Channel Islands National Park

I made a video of our sea kayaking adventure. I need to send a special shout out to my husband. I didn’t realize how much of a crappy kayaking parter I am until I watched the video. I stopped paddling so many times thinking we were drifting in the proper direction. Nope. Turns out The Husband was steering us. Oops. And thank you!

While waiting for the afternoon ferry back to Ventura we explored the visitor center, took another short hike, and just hung out. We walked up to the top of one of the hills close to the dock and took in the ocean views one last time.

We had so much fun on Santa Cruz Island and I’d highly recommend visiting! If you’re not a fan of camping, you can take a day trip. If you’re a camper, spend at least two nights if you can. One night will still be epic though if that’s all you have. We packed a lot of adventure into our roughly 1.5 days on the island. My only complaint is I could have used a nap post kayaking and couldn’t take one because we no longer had a campsite. Campground and ferry reservations fill up fast so make sure to plan ahead so you can make your trip happen. Happy camping!

Epic Hawaii Road Trip Itinerary for National Park Lovers

June 1, 2024/1 Comment/in Haleakala, Hawai'i, Hawai'i Volcanos, Hiking, National Parks /by Caroline

It’s no secret we love the national parks, so our trip to Hawaii centered around visiting the two national parks there – Hawai’i Volcanos and Haleakalā. We were in Hawaii for a week and visited the Big Island and Maui (Haleakalā and Hana). We felt like we had enough time to explore the parks, and saw so many epic sites, but did not have time to explore the entire island. If you love the parks and want an epic weeklong itinerary, feel free to use what we did as a baseline.

We visited Maui in March 2023. Since then, Maui experienced devastating wildfires that destroyed Lahaina. We spent time in Lahaina and it was one of the places on my epic Hawaii itinerary. I’m sharing our time on the island to remember the special time we had and the beauty and history Lahaina holds. I have no doubt Lahaina will return but not sure how long it will take or what the new Lahaina will look like. My deepest condolences to all affected by the fires.

Day 1: Fly into the Kona airport on the Big Island. Rent a car and drive to Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. Spend two nights at the Volcano House in the national park.

Bonus tips: Grab lunch at Kona Brewing, stop at the grocery store to get any food/snacks for the next few days, and then grab a macadamia nut milk latte from Kona Coffee and Tea before hitting the road to Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. It’s a two hour drive so the caffeine boost is helpful after a long day of flying.

Day 2: Spend the day exploring Hawai’i Volcanos National Park. We made dinner reservations at the Volcano House restaurant and it was a fantastic choice after spending the day exploring and hiking.

Suggested activities: Obviously get your picture with the sign because were you even there if you don’t have a sign picture? Stop in the Visitor Center to get your map and learn about the park. Drive Crater Rim Road and stop at the view points to see inside the crater. Grab a picnic lunch, drive Chain of Craters Road, and stop at any or all of the stops. Our favorite stops were the Kīlauea Iki Overlook, Thurston Lava Tube, Pu’u Huluhulu Cinder Cone hike, lunch on a curb near the Kealakomo Overlook starring out into the ocean, and the HöleiSeaArch. We wanted to hike the Kīlauea Iki trail but had heavy rain storms off and on and didn’t want to be hiking in the middle of that.

Day 3: Do any remaining things in HVNP and explore the area outside of the park. Can either spend one more night at the Volcano House or stay in a unique AirBnB for the night.

Some of our favorite stops were Punaluʻu Black Sand Beach, Wailuku River State Park (make sure to stop at both stops – Rainbow Falls and Boiling Pots), and Lava Tree State Monument. We stayed in a treehouse in the rainforest outside of HVNP. It was a fun and unique experience but I have mixed feelings about the specific place we stayed.

Day 4: Book an intra island flight for the afternoon to Maui. Spend the morning exploring a few more places on the way back to the airport.

Our favorite stops were Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park and Kaloko-Honoköhau National Historical Park. If you didn’t get to see the black sand beach yesterday, stop even for a few minutes on your way to Kona. We flew Southwest inter-island but learned they only fly once a day and the flight is often delayed. I’d suggest flying Hawaiian Airlines for inter-island. Once in Maui we picked up the campervan (highly recommend Campervan Hawaii!), stopped at the store for groceries, and headed up to Hosmer Grove Campground to camp for the evening. Because our flight was delayed we pulled in in the dark and didn’t have time to explore. Sad face.

Day 5: Get up super early to watch the sunrise on Haleakala, explore the top of the crater, drive the Road to Hana, and camp at Kīpahulu Campground.

If you’re not staying at Hosmer Grove, be sure to reserve your sunrise ticket ahead of time. Post sunrise, hop in the van to warm up and drink some more coffee. Once warm go hike/explore the top of the crater. Drive to the Kīpahulu Campground in the afternoon and explore the Road to Hana on your way. Stop at attractions as you have time/interest. Driving in at the end of the day seemed ideal for exploring as a lot of the day traffic was on its way out. We had a chill drive and not many people were at the stops. We loved Kīpahulu Campground! Not only did we listen to the ocean for days, it’s such a beautiful area, and there is so much to do nearby.

Day 6: Hike the Pipiwai Trail in the morning. Drive to Hana in the afternoon and explore the sites you missed on the drive in. In general, have a chill day in one of the most beautiful places.

Day 7: Chose your own adventure day. This is your last day in Maui so find one more place to explore.

Our final destination was Lahaina. We visited in March which is prime whale watching season and scheduled a tour for the afternoon. Unfortunately, a storm rolled in that day and our tour was cancelled. We stayed at the Best Western on Front Street which was a fun vibe until we tried to go to sleep. The location was great and made for a fun last evening. We were able to do some souvenir shopping, eat, people watch, and get ready to head home. Problem with staying on Front Street is the party doesn’t stop just because you have an early morning flight. :/

Day 8: Return the campervan, head to the airport, and fly home. 🙁

We loved this campervan! It allowed us to experience Maui in a way we never could have staying in a hotel. This will forever be one of our favorite road trips. We rented from Campervan Hawaii and had a fantastic experience. The van was clean and had all the extras needed to live in for a few days. They even gave a full five gallon jug of water. 10/10 stars.

If you have questions about our trip, logistics, etc, feel free to leave a comment. Happy planning!

The Road to Hana – Maui, Hawaii

March 16, 2024/0 Comments/in Haleakala, Hawai'i, Hiking /by Caroline

If you’ve been on the Road to Hana you know how epic it is. If you haven’t been on the Road to Hana, you should add it to your bucket list. It legitimately might be one of the most beautiful drives we’ve ever taken. We had some fun and exciting (not) weather on our drive so we got to experience the Road to Hana in a number of situations. Definitely got the heart pounding a little faster at times.

If this is your first time hearing about the Road to Hana, it’s a 59 mile stretch of road in Hawaii on the island of Maui between the towns of Kahului and Hana. The last 35 miles are what people are really referring to when they talk about the Road to Hana. The road takes you though a gorgeous, dense rain forest on the edge of a mountainside. The road is not for the faint of heart. There are 59 one lane bridges and 620 curves in the road. The road is pretty narrow in general and you have to be constantly paying attention.

There is etiquette for driving the Road to Hana. Pay attention for locals and let them pass. Another biggie is at the bridges, traffic is supposed to proceed in order of arriving at the bridge. Sometimes one side would never stop which means the other side can never go. It was really frustrating when this would happen. If we all take turns we’ll all get where we are going.

Aside from the beauty of the drive itself, there are stops all along the road which is probably a large reason as to why there is such a draw to this road. Waterfalls, different colored sand beaches, epic vistas, arboretums, food and beverage stops. It’s truly an epic adventure. There are a million websites telling you where all the stops are and which are the best and must do. Honestly, it got a little overwhelming trying to make sure we saw it all. We’ve become pretty adaptable when we travel and have learned to have a list of things we want to see but then figure it out as we go based on how we feel in the moment. That worked well for us on the Road to Hana.

Lodging along the Road to Hana is hard to come by and can be expensive. Just passed the town of Hana is the Kīpahulu District of Haleakala National Park. We were fortunate to grab a campsite at the Kīpahulu campground within Haleakala National Park and it made the perfect home base.

If you’re planning to drive the road, get the smallest car you can get. For real. The lanes are narrow and you are going to be so much more comfortable in a smaller car. Think smaller and harrower. No wide race cars. We saw some people in Chargers which took up the entire lane. We had a Mercedes Metris campervan and it was the max size I’d want to drive. We met a couple at the campground who had rented a Sprinter Van and it was a bit big for the road.

One of our favorite stops was the Keanae Arboretum to see the rainbow eucalyptus trees! Seriously, my favorite trees ever. A close second is any tree wrapped in vines, which are also all over Hawaii. The eucalyptus reminded me of rainbow colored redwoods. I’m not sure if they even come close to redwoods in height but they are tall. Add rainbow bark and you have the coolest tree ever! It’s a free and quick stop. There are lots of other beautiful plants to look at too.

The Pipiwai Trail in Haleakala National Park is a must do. It’s one of my favorite hikes ever. It can be very wet and muddy, at least in March, so please make sure you are wearing appropriate hiking footwear.

We had reservations at Waianapanapa State Park, the black sand beach, but didn’t end up going. I don’t remember why we didn’t go. Oh right, we spent too much time driving sketchy roads the day before and needed a break from driving. We had seen black sand on the Big Island so we had already checked that box. Instead, we had a leisurely day around camp and it was just what we needed. We explored the national park, drove into Hana, and explored the other end of the road.

Koki Beach is a red sand beach. It’s not a good beach for swimming as it has dangerous currents, but it’s beautiful to look at.

Practically every turn in the road has a waterfall. Some you can swim in and some you cannot because they are on private property. The day we left it was storming really bad and the waterfalls all looked like something out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Some of our food stops were for coffee, ice cream, shaved ice, and banana bread. Everyone raves about Aunt Sandy’s and it’s legit. Don’t skip the banana bread. The Huli Huli chicken is supposedly legendary but it was closed when we got there. 🙁

There is no cell service on the Road to Hana. We downloaded the Guide Along app ahead of time and highly recommend it. The app is GPS based and narrates the drive. It tells you of upcoming stop ideas, must see places, and the history of the areas you are driving though.

A couple tips. Driving there and back to Hana from anywhere in Maui makes for a long day. If you can, I’d suggest staying someone near Hana so that you can really enjoy yourself. The weather can be unpredictable. It was literally flooding in Haleakala when we left and by the time we got to the start of the Road to Hana, it was sunny with blue skies. Always have your rain gear in Hawaii. Be respectful of private property. The entire area is absolutely gorgeous, and we all want to enjoy it, but people do live in the area and many of the attractions are on private property. Respect signs and do not go in areas you are asked to stay out of.

One final story before I wrap up this adventure. On our final morning at the Kipahulu Campground, we woke up to a crazy storm and a flood warning. The weather was only going to get worse as the morning went on, and we had afternoon whale watching reservations in Lahaina, so we decided to book it out of the area as fast as possible on a sketchy road in the middle of a sketchy storm. It felt like we were in the scene of a movie trying to outrun something. Flooded roads, dodging fallen trees, rain pouring. Being that it’s a rain forest, I’m sure it’s normal for that area, but this desert girl was a little freaked out. The Hana road crew was out cleaning up the road in the middle of the storm which made me feel better about our life choices in that moment. When we finally got out of the storm we saw the rainbow above and all was right in the world again.

The Road to Hana is an epic adventure and worth how every many hours of days you have to spend on it.

Archive for year: 2024

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