Happy 2022 fellow Adventurers! This post sums up my 2021, looks ahead to 2022, and will have some of my favorite pictures from my travels this year! 2019 was a very busy travel year. I did not think it would be topped! Of course with current events, 2020 was a low travel year and who knew what 2021 was going to bring. At the beginning of 2021 travel was still very uncertain. That being said, my 2021 ended up being my busiest travel year ever!
To wrap up:
February saw the Adventurer and Sidekick check out Zion National Park, UT and the Valley of Fire State Park, NV. March saw the duo brave winter weather in Arizona to check out Sedona, the Petrified Forest National Park, Tucson, Saguaro National Park, and Mt. Lemon. April saw the Adventurer explore Cuyahoga Valley National Park, OH. In June the Adventurer and Sidekick went west again! This time Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming (and MT) were our target. The very next week a road trip saw the Adventurer’s loyal 4 legged friend become a Bark Ranger for the first time at Little River Canyon National Preserve and also at Russell Cave National Monument, both in Alabama. July saw the Adventurer and Sidekick brave the wilds of West Virginian and explore New River Gorge National Park. In September we hit the skies again to watch a pro beach volleyball tourney in Chicago, and then found ourselves in beautiful Acadia National Park in Maine. In November I embarked on a solo trip out west to see White Sands, Guadalupe Mountains, and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks in New Mexico and Texas. What a slate! I might add that nearly all of these flights were free!
How about 2022? Unlike last year, I came in to this January with one trip planned and at least 2 more in the works! First up will be a ridiculously short trip to Maui to see Haleakala National Park. Spring break in March is WIDE OPEN right now and I have no idea what is going to go there! In June I have booked a trip to Homer and Seward, AK to visit a small park of Lake Clark and Kenai Fjords National Parks. And then there is the rest of summer break! Those trips are just me. The Sidekick and I are planning tentatively to get to Fairbanks, AK for fall colors and hopefully some northern lights! I am going to guess that this will not be nearly as travel heavy as year as last, but I am super excited to check out some of Hawaii for the very first time and getting back to Alaska is super important to me! In addition to that free flight to Hawaii, I will have the June AK flight totally free with perks from my new Alaska Airlines business card. That card also gives a perk of a once a year companion fare for 120 dollars, so the second trip will essentially be a bogo. I will still have enough points on my Southwest account to sneak in at least one more free Southwest flight before I run dry!
In terms of this travel blog, I have a few new ideas. I am going to make a section featuring the entrance signs of and of the park units I stumble upon. I also really have enjoying getting good sunrise or sunset pictures in the parks as well, so I am thinking of doing a feature on those as well! And I still have catching up to do on some other travels, and posting itineraries in the hopes that they might be useful to someone in some way!
Here are my top pictures of the year, either taken by me or taken of me!
Let’s have a great 2022 and do some cool shit and keep adventuring!
The Parks Adventurer 
Outstanding and diverse photos. I like the idea of taking a picture at the entrance to every Park. Good luck and safe travels.
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What an awesome year! I think the painted desert and the Tetons photos are my favorite. Can’t wait to virtually follow you through more parks in 2022.
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Thanks! I am probably doing fewer this year…but hopefully some awesome ones that many don’t get to experience, or even know about!! Also, look forward to your adventures! I am possibly going to be in steamboat springs in July if you have any cool suggestions!
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Ooh fun! I’ve actually only been through Steamboat once so I don’t have any good suggestions based on personal experience. But I’ve heard good things about hikes in the Mount Zirkel wilderness. I think there was a forest fire there last year so some things might still be closed, but I think most of it is still fully intact. There’s also a state park nearby with a lake, so that could be fun if you’re into watersports.
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