Now that we’ve taken our last trip of 2023, it only feels right that it’s time to do our 2023 roundup! We had the most shockingly beautiful year filled with adventure! We traveled from California to North Carolina and a lot of places in between! I still cannot believe the year we’ve had and I have had so much fun looking back on it for this post.

2023 At a Glance

DAYS OF TRAVEL: 100! This number feels so surreal! This is with 2 kids, Matt has a full-time job and I work part time!
COUNTRIES TRAVELED IN (2) : Mexico and The United States
STATES TRAVELED IN (11): Arizona, Arkansas, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Texas, and Tennessee!
MILES HIKED: 177 miles. Essentially all with a kiddo on our backs! Whew!
NATIONAL PARKS, MONUMENTS, ETC (10): Buffalo National River, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Petrified Forest National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, Yosemite National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, George Washington Carver National Monument, and the Blue Ridge Parkway.

2023 from A to Z

I did A to Z as a roundup for a road trip about 10 years ago now, and I loved the challenge of it and found that it made for one of my favorite roundups. I read it again recently and thought it would be a fun recap for one of our favorite years on record.

A is for Asheville

This was the last bigger trip of 2023. We loved getting to get back to a city we once called home, and so many of the people we love! Matt worked most of it, but my wonderful in-laws got out with the kids and me through some of the days, we made the most of evenings visiting people and places we love, and even got to go to the Grove Park Inn spa together for a date day!

B is for Blue Mesa

Any time we drive out west along I-40, stopping in to Petrified Forest National Park to do the Blue Mesa hike is a must. We fell in love with this short but sweet trail back in 2021. At just around a mile, it’s a perfect way to stretch your legs on a long trip if you’re just passing through, like we were. Although, Petrified Forest is worth a visit all on its own as well.

C is for Camper

I am still pinching myself over the fact that WE BOUGHT A CAMPER! We made a plan to set this dream in motion in January, not knowing when it would happen. About 2 weeks later, we were the proud owners of our beautiful camper! It’s truly become a home-away-from-home to us and has opened up so many opportunities for us to explore more and more. We cannot wait to continue exploring as a family in the coming years. Check out what we’ve learned as first-time camper owners.

D is for Delicious Food

We are food-lovers, so we like to eat delicious places as much as we can afford while traveling. These are the best places we ate while traveling in 2023. They stood out above and beyond the others!

12 Bones BBQ in Asheville, NC – This is a must every time we’re in AVL. For Matt and me, it’s always the hogzilla. It’s pulled pork, candied bacon and a bratwurst on a sandwich. Btw, it’s big enough to split.
Biscuit Head in Asheville, NC – This is my favorite brunch spot. I love their jam bar, their brekkie cocktails and their sides. I’ve never not liked something I’ve ordered here.
Chai Pani in Asheville, NC – This was a first visit for us, and wow! We will be coming back again and again! Every single thing we had was 10/10. I can’t wait for my next visit.
Charlie Vergo’s Rendezvous in Memphis, TN – They’re known for their ribs, but I have to say best BBQ sausage I’ve ever, ever had. Don’t skip them!
Hole Doughnuts in Asheville, NC – These are my favorite donuts ever! Made fresh in front of you, only a few flavor options that rotate, and always amazing service.
Jenni’s Quesadilla in Mexico City, Mexico – Jenny makes specialty quesadillas in blue tortillas right on the street in La Roma. They’re incredible!
Low Gap Cafe in Jasper, AR – We fell in love with this cafe this year. It recently moved from Low Gap to Jasper and every single thing we’ve had here (we’ve been 3 times and tried 6 different entrees total, plus desserts) has been great!
Panadería Rosetta in Mexico City, Mexico – Guava roll. Enough said.
Rocky’s Hot Chicken Shack in Asheville, NC – Another AVL fav. The chicken is just incredible and the sides are too! Always scope out the specialty side. Side note, if you have tattoos, go on a Tuesday for Tat-tuesday and get a discount on your meal!
Taqueria “Orinoco” in Mexico City, Mexico – I dream about these Tacos el Pastor! Every single thing I had here was incredible! We ate here multiple times in our long weekend.
The Wienery in Hochatown, OK – Best hot dog I’ve ever had, and I love hot dogs. I could’ve eaten here for every meal while we were in Hochatown.
Twisted Taco in Eureka Spring, AR – Their tacos are voted the best in NWA. This food truck is at GotAHold Brewery and we love making the drive here for a delicious taco, queso, and craft beer!

E is for Elk

Elk may seem like an odd choice for an entire section of this roundup. But Charleigh became so obsessed with looking for elk early in the mornings of our camping trips to Ponca. Hearing her little voice say, “Are the elks awake?” will forever be in my brain. We would go down to the elk-viewing areas for Charleigh to see them! Then, throughout the year, we used this as an opportunity to teach her about these beautiful animals.

F is for Fifteenth Annual Father/Daughter Hiking Trip

Since Spring Break of my senior year of high school, my dad and I have taken a Father/Daughter hiking trip together. This year, we went to Beavers Bend State Park in Oklahoma! We stayed at their beautiful lodge right on the lake, we did a handful of trails, saw beautiful views and most importantly, had quality time together.

G is for Grand Canyon

I loved getting to be with Matt, Charleigh and Liam when all three of them saw the South Rim of the Grand Canyon for the first time! We had a full, beautiful day together from morning to night, spending time outside along the rim. Even though we didn’t get to do any hikes down into the canyon at all, we did a lot of the overlooks and hiked a few miles on the Rim Trail as well. Plus, golden hour at the Grand Canyon was on Matt’s Bucket List!

H is for Hideout Hollow

Hideout Hollow is one of the last well-known hikes in the Upper Buffalo area that we hadn’t done. I really wanted to do it one weekend because I knew waterfall season was coming to an end. However, that weekend was the weekend Matt’s parents were coming down to hang out. So, we did our favorites instead of a new hike. Matt knew I really had wanted to do this hike. So, that Monday, as soon as Matt got off work, he loaded the kids up and we all drove down to Arkansas and did a sunset hike down here. The hike was beautiful, even though the waterfall was basically dry, we loved the overlook before the waterfall. Mostly, though, I loved the spontaneity and love Matt showed me by taking this day trip!

I is for Ink… Like, Tattoo Ink

This was unintentionally the year of the tattoo for me. I knew I was going to start a half sleeve, but I actually ended up doing most of my half sleeve (representing Arches National Park, the desert southwest, Yosemite and various flora), then Andrea worked on finishing out that sleeve. Her studio is down in Arkansas, so I also got a little road trip involved. Also, my friend Allicyn became a tattoo apprentice this year. So she gave my dad, my brother and I matching tattoos of a bear (for Papa Bear) with Angels Landing in it and later she tattooed a rhododendron above it, which symbolizes North Carolina for me.

J is for Junior Ranger Programs

Guys, I fell hard for the Junior Ranger Program! Charleigh is just old enough to start doing these, with a lot of help from us, and we all love them! Charleigh is even more engaged with her surroundings because we’ll tell her all about what activity we’re doing. She feels so accomplished when she gets her little badge and I love that her self esteem grows with each. Honestly, I get a little jealous not getting to do these programs! Haha

K is for Kid-Focused Destinations

Ducks at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN – We heard about this cute little display of pomp and Charleigh talked about it for months to come.
Magic House + St. Louis Zoo in St. Louis, MO – We drove up to STL to visit Stacey and her family. We had so much fun at these kid-friendly destinations!
Stone Park in Fort Smith, AR – This is a garbage-truck-themed park that Charleigh liked a lot less than we thought she would. Maybe we’ll try again next year.
Gathering Place (x2) + Tulsa Aquarium in Tulsa, OK – Tulsa is a favorite spot of my brother’s family. So, they showed us around and we completely fell in love with Gathering Place! I think this might be an annual trip!
Exeter Corn Maze in Exeter, MO – Another fun stop with my brother’s family. This was an amazing fall-fun day trip full of so many family-friendly activities!
Asheville Museum of Science in Asheville, NC – They shut down early, but we still really enjoyed what we were able to see! We can’t wait to go back on our next visit to Asheville!

L is for Leaf Peeping

We spent the last three weekends of October leap-peeping and hiking our way through the mountains all around Ponca, Jasper and Boxley. It was so beautiful and so amazing to get to see all the beautiful fall colors in full-force. We did a handful of our favorite hikes in Northwest Arkansas, took moody drives and made the most of those camping weekends.

M is for Mexico City

This trip. This trip was something special. It was our first getaway, just us, since having kids. It felt like we were kids, out exploring the world again. I have craved a new cultural experience since my last international trip in 2019 and Mexico City has been at the top of my bucket list for quite some time. We ate so many delicious things, visited the Anthropological Museum, got rooftop cocktails for sunset most nights and wandered through markets. Even though we missed our babies, it was bliss to reconnect as a couple and fill our cups.

N is for Night Sky

We had the pleasure of seeing the Milky Way a handful of times in a couple different locations! The two most notable, though, were in Yosemite and near the Buffalo River. Our campground in Ponca has some of the darkest skies out there. One night, I climbed up on the camper to stargaze. It was also super cool to get to let Charleigh see the Milky Way for the first way. In Yosemite, we came down off of Sentinel Dome and stopped at El Cap to watch the climbers at night, when we noticed that the Milky Way was out just over that too!

O is for Ozark National Scenic Riverways

Ozark National Scenic Riverways is one of my favorite places in all of Missouri! It’s filled with stunning springs, floating opportunities, waterfalls and forested trails. We took a camping trip here and had a stunning river-front site that was so wonderful for watching boats cruise up and down the river. This was such a beautiful weekend with my parents, Matt and the kids. One I’d love to repeat over and over. I love that this is going to be a place we can visit again and again as the kids grow up.

P is for Ponca, Arkansas

Ponca was our most-visited camping destination. We spent so many weekends here and just fell in love with it. It’s become such a home away from home and we can’t wait to return next year. We shared so many sweet moments together at our favorite campground here.

Q is for Queen City Local Explorations

This was actually one of Matt’s resolutions – to explore our home town (and surrounding towns) more! And we did a pretty good job I think! We discovered a lot of new and new-to-us restaurants: Cesar’s Old Mexico, El Cafecito, several food trucks, and Blue Heron Cafe. Shopped local for the first time at Ozark Mountain Coffee Company, Pagination Bookshop, and Cassidy Station. Took the kids on adventures to Where the Wild Things Play, Dickerson Park Zoo and Wonders of Wildlife.

R is for Rediscovering Our Sense of Adventure

2020 was pandemic year. 2021 + 2022 were our “parent” years. 2023 was the year that I wanted to try to get out and see more again. My goal was 1 weekend/month. Instead we bought a camper, we spent 100 days on the road and we fell in love with so many different aspects of traveling with our babies. We also have decided to take up a new activity: biking with the kids in-tow! We can’t wait to explore the areas we travel to in a new way! I also have very recently gotten back into yoga recently. Lastly, I do think that the year of new tattoos is also part of this. I’ve wanted at least a half sleeve for my entire adult life and it’s been a very empowering process. It’s nice finding pieces of myself I’d lost diving headfirst into motherhood.

S is for Sequoia National Park

I’d been to this park once before for just a half day or so, but after 4 full days in the park, I really fell hard for Sequoia. We loved walking among the massive trees and hiking granite domes up for beautiful mountain views. Some of my favorite hikes of the year were here and I loved being dwarfed by these centuries old giants.

T is for Toad Suck Daze

You read that right, Toad Suck Daze. It’s a craft festival with a funky frog theme based in Conway, Arkansas. When I was very little we used to go. It had been decades since going and my parents, my brother’s family and my family all got together and went to Conway for a weekend. It was a great weekend of fun, sweet memories and time spent together.

U is for Underrated Destination

We have been going down to Arkansas as a couple to hike for almost a decade now and we had never heard of Magnolia Falls. Luckily, someone at the BOC recommended this hike to us and we loved it so much we did it three times this spring!

V is for Vantage Point

While we saw many incredible vantage points this year, I have to say that I think the views we had from Sentinel Dome in Yosemite had to have been the best. We hiked up about 40 minutes before sunset and sat on that granite dome until the sun dipped below the horizon. It was so magical! Trail guide will be coming soon!

W is for Waterfalls

Waterfalls are typically part of our yearly adventures for a reason: we love them! This year we discovered some new ones and visited old favorites! The new waterfalls were Lower Yosemite Falls and Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park, California and Magnolia Falls, Fern Falls and Hideout Hollow near Buffalo National River in Arkansas.

X is for eXperiences with Others

We had the pleasure of having so many amazing adventures with different people this year! My parents bought a camper as well this year, so we had a couple of really nice trips with them. Plus, we spent part of our time in California with them. We took weekend trips with my brother his family – some with my parents too – in Oklahoma and in Arkansas. Also, we spent a week in Asheville with my in-laws!

We visited Stacey and her family up in St. Louis and I met Stacey at Onondoga Cave State Park for our annual day hike together. Alaina came down to Arkansas for a day while we were camping and we took a day trip down there together on our own too! My friend Allicyn and her family met us at a state park in Arkansas as well, then we went back to Fayetteville for dinner and a couple beers. I genuinely just love that we get to share our passion for travel with so many people that we love!

Y is for Yosemite National Park

Guys, Yosemite was life-changing for us. We talk about this park at least once a week and I think about it at least once a day. The magnitude of these mountains. The awe I felt watching climbers take on El Cap. The rush and racing of my heart as I looked around me, surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenes I’d ever seen just are engrained in my soul. I hope that if you’ve never been, you get to go and if you have, you also count yourself as lucky as I do!

Z is for Ziplining

On our very first camping trip to Ponca, Arkansas, we discovered that the company that owns the campground we stayed at also has a zipline tour. So, of course, we had to sign up for that. My mom graciously babysat at the campsite so my dad, Matt and I could do their canopy tour. It was their first zipline tour and although I’ve ziplined in more extreme, jungley locations, this was the most I’ve ever laughed on a tour. It’s a dad-joke-extravaganza with extremely fun tour guides, beautiful scenery, and big belly laughs. Including this hilarious moment brought to you by my fun-loving dad.

We truly had such a beautiful, adventurous, fulfilling 2023. I hope that your year was as wonderful as ours and that you were able to find the joy even in the darker days.

I have so many things I want to see and do in 2024. I can’t wait to start really writing them down, goal plan and look into what I feel I can accomplish next year both in travel and at home. I hope that you have a beautiful year ahead of you as well!

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