Well, as it turns out, lightning does strike the same place twice and so does Aimee’s ability to connect us with her family and friends spread throughout the US.

Needless to say, I was floored by the sweeping lakefront views framed by New York’s magnificent Adirondack mountains. In my mind, Burlington was a quaint city insulated by Vermont’s own mountains. This may be the only time you hear me say this (you hear that, Phil??), but I’m so glad I was wrong!

Old Town Montreal features the grand architecture of many European city squares (Edinburgh, Scotland immediately came to mind!) while Plateau Mont Royal boasts residential homes remniscient of Manhattan’s nicer brownstone villages and Ville-Marie is studded with a splash of futuristic modern art via The Ring, a 98-ft ring suspended between skyscrapers. Montreal really does have it all.

After loading up on the only coffee and donuts that the northern states will even consider an option, we powered through on our drive until we had crossed over into our 45th U.S. state of New Hampshire

It’s almost as if Hallmark said, “Hmm…let’s have a coastal backdrop for our next movie” and created the town of Camden.

Between the sunset views at Schoodic and the Maine Blueberry Pie from the Travelin Lobster (buttery, flaky, tart, sweet, should I go on?), I’m already desperate to make it back to Maine.

The Witch City is known for the multitude of autumnal fans who show up in droves to celebrate the Halloween season throughout the month of October. Nonetheless, the city is absolutely lovely to visit in the Springtime, as well!

The rest of the neighborhood was completely obscured by muddy waters. A floral armchair, where someone once sat telling stories, drifted solemnly out of the neighborhood and down the highway almost as if it too wished to escape the destruction.

We took in the picturesque views & were reflecting on just how lucky we were to experience such a perfect day when a pack of seagulls suddenly flew overhead and showered us in poop. We picked our jaws up off the floor (which were thankfully *NOT* open during the pooping incident) & packed out to clean ourselves up & put in a load of laundry back at the campground.

We were so distracted by our newness & self-consciousness when we first entered the building that we missed the beauty that rippled from our arrival. There has to be a proverb in there somewhere…

Our first destination was a place that I had not visited since I was in 8th grade. No need to count the years there - just know it was a long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away). We pulled in to the Niagara Falls State Park parking lot early in the day, ready to explore.

While we knew our stoppage time (shoutout to my fellow soccer fans!) was limited, there was one place that we HAD to stop for the sake of the health of our marriage…We were getting T-Ravs in St. Louis.

Though we ended up staying in South Dakota for a few days, our final destination was actually the entire reason that we planned our trip to the state. We wanted to visit Badlands National Park.

After driving through a slew of gargantuan wood carvings, including a very patriotic sexy Sasquatch (pictured below), we made our way to the start of the Needles. Here’s the thing about the Needles Highway: If we were driving it, then I was volunteering Phil as tribute.

The gemstone-hued sulfur pools, the snow-covered mountains draped in towering evergreen trees, the herds of bison holding up traffic: Yellowstone has something for everyone. And, after 10 years, I can confirm that it is still just as awe-inspiring as ever.

If you’re in the market for a slow-paced small town with spectacular views & kind people, may I introduce you to Twin Falls?

After driving the winding roads into the Yosemite Valley, the trees opened to reveal heaven on earth: an emerald green valley surrounded by stark grey cliffs and plunging waterfalls. Not just a climber’s paradise, but a respite for all who come seeking a peaceful, undeveloped corner of the earth rich in resources and natural beauty.

Clear blue water framed by lush green foothills on all sides, surrounded by yellow wildflowers…Lake Perris has the natural beauty to make you leave with a smile on your face even if you had to pee by lantern light at midnight.

Our flight ended up landing in Las Vegas 2.5 hours after we were supposed to land in Phoenix. We stayed overnight at the airport (& ate Jersey Mike’s at 2am because we were 5 years younger back then) and took an early morning flight to Phoenix the next day.

Who knew we would find both luxury handbags and extraterrestrial encounters in the middle of the desert!