Lee,  travel

2013 Travel: Let the planning begin


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Lee & I have made it a sort-of annual tradition to sit down on New Year’s Day and outline how we want to spend our vacation days and dollars for the coming year. Sometimes we have a trip already booked but this year it’s a pretty clean slate. Lots of ideas but nothing booked. We always leave room for spur-of-the-moment trips and weekend excursions, but we like to start planning some of the big trips.

Here’s what’s on our list for the year:

Texas

I’ve been talking for years about wanting to see P!nk in concert. So when the new album came out and concert dates were set, I jumped on getting tickets at the nearest venue – American Airlines Center in Dallas in late February. It was originally supposed to be a group of girls from Wichita driving down to go to the concert together but when none of the others were able to get tickets, Lee decided he wants to drive down with me and we’ll make a vacation out of the trip.

Beyond Dallas, we are thinking of driving down to Big Bend National Park, which is nearly to the Mexican border. We also might drive through Austin on our way down or our way back up.

Missouri/Kansas

Kansas City

I’ll be heading to the opening weekend of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament – going to the nearest regional site has become an annual trip with my friend Holly and her dad, John. Lee doesn’t go because he prefers to be at home in front of a TV where he can watch games from around the country.

Believe it or not, I’m hoping Mizzou doesn’t end up playing here. The Tigers were in Omaha last year for the opening weekend and it’s much easier to enjoy a weekend of college basketball when you’re not stressing over an upset in the early rounds. I think KU fans know what I’m talking about … {Bucknell} {Bradley} {Northern Iowa}

I’m sure we’ll hit Kansas City a few other times during the year, to see friends or to go to a Royals baseball game.

Columbia

Duh. Of course I’ll be heading to my hometown a few times this year, including two conferences affiliated with the Griffiths Leadership Society for Women, an organization sponsored by the Mizzou Alumni Association that pairs students and alumna. I’m sure there will be another trip or two – maybe a football game and to see family & friends at Christmas.

Colorado

We had a time-share company constantly calling us to come spend a weekend at Breckenridge {yeah, thanks for giving them our number Elyse!} so we finally said yes. Since Lee avoids going anywhere colder than Wichita, we’ll likely go in the Spring. Hoping to coordinate the trip with Lee’s sister Elyse, her husband and our niece and nephew who live in western Colorado.

Tennessee or Canada

C’mon … this is a natural either-or scenario right? Kinda like Orlando or Miami. Ha!

There are a couple of travel and tourism conferences that look interesting. One is in Memphis and the other in Toronto, and they are within two weeks of one another. I’ll be picking one to attend, then we’ll wrap a trip around the conference.

Toronto is high on the list because it’s one of two cities remaining on Lee’s list of seeing a game in every Major League Baseball game.

New York and Pennsylvania

The past five or six years, we’ve gone on a baseball trip with our NY-based friends Charlie & Kim: Boston, Florida, California, Arizona, Kansas City. We always look forward to hanging out with them!

This trip is contingent on Craig Biggio being voted into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. He is one of Lee’s all-time favorite Houston Astros ballplayers. If he is voted in, we’ll head to Cooperstown in late July for the induction ceremony.

While there, we’ll check out a few other places in New York – maybe the Adirondacks? – and Lee would like to drive down to Philly to see a baseball game. Philadelphia is one of the two cities where he’s yet to see a MLB game (along with the above-mentioned Toronto).

Arizona

We’ve talked for years about a driving trip to the Grand Canyon. This might be the year! It would be our first trip there. We’re thinking right after school starts in the fall would be a good time to go with smaller crowds.

Somewhere warm & tropical with umbrellas in the drinks

I received a Big Island guidebook for Christmas – a hint that Lee wants to go there for our next tropical trip. However, we became fast friends with Trisha & Raj on our trip to the Bahamas this past November. They’ve invited us to join them on their trip this November/December and right now they are leaning toward St. Maarten/Anguilla.

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Now the fun begins … I get to start doing research on each destination! I’ve been asked numerous times what sites I use and other resources I use on all our travels, so I’m planning to share some of my planning process here on the blog.

I’d love to hear from any readers with ideas on must-do activities or places to see in any of these locations I’ve mentioned!

 

Writer. Photographer. Lover of travel. Believer that all who wander are not lost. #Mizzou grad living in Wichita, Kansas.

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