I turn 35 this month and wanted to celebrate in style, so Cliff and I booked a vacation to Mexico. Lemme tell you, jet setting to a tropical climate in the middle of winter is like magic! The white sand beach... the palm trees... the warm salty air... They do wonders for the soul!

We stayed at the Valentin Imperial Riviera Maya, near Playa del Carmen in the Yucatan Peninsula. The resort was expansive and beautiful, and its staff was incredibly friendly. The Valentin's pristine beach, extra large swimming pool, and town-square style plaza gave us plenty to do during the day. In the evenings we sampled gourmet food from four of the resort's six restaurants, enjoyed live music, and specialty cocktails at its themed bars. Our last night at the resort was my favorite -- all guests were treated to a Mexican-style fiesta, complete with Jarabe dancers and a Mariachi band.

We ventured off the resort one day to visit the eco-themed amusement park Xcaret, photos of which I'll share in a later post. For now, enjoy these images from the grounds of the Valentin Imperial!

After visiting Paris, Cliff and I rented a car and drove to Tours, France, to see our friend Matt. Matt lived in this town for a year while he was studying for the French Bar. Before coming, he kept telling us how excited he was for us to see Tours because its authentically French. We got the experience some of that "Frenchiness" (Matt's word) our first night here when we sat outside at a cafe chatting, dining, sipping on wine, and enjoying the beautiful weather. It was pure magic, and it didn't take me long at all to fall in love with the town of Tours.

At 130,000 people, Tours is the largest village in the Loire Valley, and is one of the most quaint, charming places I've ever visited. The people of Tours have so eloquently mixed old (the buildings in the first photo below this text are from the Middle Ages) with the new, and the community's history is fascinating. It predates the Middle Ages, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Joan of Arc came here, and more recently, the town pioneered methods for preserving community history. I could see myself living here, and have pitched the idea to Cliff that we retire here!

The rest of the Loire Valley is known for its lush greenery and scenic river lands. For centuries Kings, Queens, and other noblepeople chose this area of France to build castles and chateaus, dozens of which still exist. This is truly the land of fairy tales!

It was also in the Loire Valley where my favorite part of our entire vacation happened. Scroll down to learn more about the surprise and see photos of something truly magnificent! Don't forget to follow me on Instagram, where I'll take a behind-the-scenes look at some of our favorite vacation photos!

The next set of photos are so special to me. On a whim, our friend Matt told us to get in the car. He wanted to show us something -- but he wouldn't say what. We had previously discussed visiting a French winery, so I assumed that's where we were going. We drove for about an hour before Matt had us pull over by a tree in the middle of a farm field. He told us to turn around and I was struck dumb with astonishment and awe. Behind us, in what felt like the middle of nowhere, were the ruins of a Roman Aqueduct. Being able to walk up to this, see it, touch it, feel it, and just be with it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life, and something I will not forget anytime soon. We stayed here for about an hour basking in the beauty of the moment.

Last summer Cliff and I traveled to France and Switzerland to visit our friend Matt who was studying for the French Bar. (Spoiler: He passed!) I just got done editing images from our trip and wanted to share a few favorites with you here. Follow me on Instagram where I'll be taking a behind-the-scenes look at some of my favorite photos from our vacation.

This was one of those vacations where each day was a little better than the last.  We started out in Paris before spending a few days in the Loire Valley in the town of Tours. We ended our vacation in Switzerland in the tiny village of Sion where our friend Matt was born and raised. 

Before we left for this trip, I was most excited about Switzerland. I'd been there before and just couldn't wait to go back. France was less familiar to me, but I quickly fell in love with French culture, cuisine, and its people. Life there just feels easy, and I think a lot of Americans (myself included) could benefit from that relaxed way of living. In France, it seems less emphasis is focused on doing and more emphasis is focused on just being. I love it!

I have to give a huge shout out to the podcast Join Us In France, which helped get me excited for both Paris and other places in France. If you have plans to travel to Paris soon or just enjoy learning about new places, I highly recommend it. Hosts Annie and Elyse break down culture, tourists spots, language and so much more in a down-to-earth way that is both enlightening and fun!

Be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post to see photos of Notre Dame. We visited less than six months before the fire. Au revoir!

Be on the lookout for more soon! Up next are photos from the Loire Valley!

Since moving to DC, Cliff and I have heard wonderful things about the Outer Banks in North Carolina... so, we decided to go! Our trip was short -- two days and three nights, but this place did not disappoint. 

For those unfamiliar with the area, the Outer Banks are a series of barrier islands off the coast of North Carolina. They stretch for 200 miles and are home to unique history and some incredible landscapes. Black Beard, the feared and famous pirate, traveled here; the Wright Brothers first flew here; and the lost colony of Roanoke was, well, lost here. I'm especially fascinated by the thousands of ship wrecks that dot the coast. There are so many that the Outer Banks are nicknamed the Graveyard of the Atlantic, and there's even a museum dedicated to these lost ships. (Unfortunately, it was closed when we got there--but that just means we'll have to go back!)

For two hick kids from Nebraska, the coolest thing was knowing we were on land that's essentially in the middle of the ocean. Smelling salty sea air, seeing dolphins, and coming across a baby seal while walking along the beach were all so special! 

We purposely traveled during the off season to avoid the crowds, and even though it was a little cool and a lot windy, we cannot wait to come back!

I've got to be honest. I've been excited about writing this blog post since Cliff and I booked our stay at Applewood Inn last month.

How we found this place, I'm still not entirely sure. All I know is I wanted a relaxing weekend getaway for my birthday and after a full day of online searching, I came across Applewood Inn near Lexington, VA. It met all of my criteria and then some. It's affordable, secluded, locally owned and operated, and our room had a fire place and private hot tub... but that's not all.

Owners Chris and Linda Best, who have more than 38 years of experience running inns, have also raised llamas for the last 22 years. For animal lovers like me and Cliff, it doesn't get any better! Seriously... How can you not love waking up to a crisp mountain morning, a warm homemade breakfast and llamas?!?! The best part? On Saturday morning we got to go hiking with the llamas! My llama was named Stryker (and he gives kisses!) and Cliff hiked with Spunky. 

In addition to getting up close and personal with these guys, we also learned a lot about them from our innkeepers. Did you know that llamas are related to camels and they live to be around 25 years old? They're also, surprisingly, a lot like me and Cliff... they're social creatures who love being with their pack, but they have a strong sense of personal space (aka: they need their alone time). Unfortunately, their aloof nature makes them rather difficult to photograph. There was no hamming it up for the camera from these guys, but that's okay... we still had fun :)

After our llama trek, Cliff and I explored the town of Lexington and made our way to Natural Bridge, Virginia. Soaking in the sights and sounds of the beautiful Appalachia region was exactly what we needed. It was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday and a wonderful start to the New Year. We may have been gone for only 48 hours, but this is a getaway we wont soon forget!

As a combined birthday, Christmas and anniversary gift, I surprised Cliff with a trip to the Grand Canyon. Cliff had never been before and I had only been to the canyon once when I was young. (To be honest, I don't remember much about it). We were both inspired to visit after watching Ken Burns' series on the National Parks.

This wasn't just any trip to the Grand Canyon, though. We took a train to the canyon and back! After doing some research online, I discovered The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, Arizona and was sold right away. An all-inclusive hotel, glass-top train ride and overnight stay at the Grand Canyon? Yes, please!

Cliff and I both love train travel and this was actually our second vacation on an antique train. The only way to describe our experience is to call it Americana at its finest. We loved everything about the vacation. In fact, after it ended, we wanted nothing more than to turn right back around and do it all over again! (If only life worked that way!)

Our itinerary included more than just a train and the canyon, though. We flew into Phoenix and stayed a night there before driving up to Sedona. We spent the day in Sedona, ate some kickass burgers at a little whole-in-the-wall joint and then took a Pink Jeep tour to see ancient cave dwellings. From there, we drove up to Williams to begin our train adventure.

The train car we rode in had a glass top and was originally built in the 1940s. The Grand Canyon Railway Hotel acquired it (probably from a scrap yard, if you can believe it!) and restored it to it's original furnishings. During the ride, musicians came through and played traditional American folk music, which I especially loved. Our favorite was Jesse, a banjo player who serenaded us with songs about cowboys, trains and the American West. 

Once we arrived at the Canyon, we were given free reign to explore as we pleased. We did a little hiking, walked along the rim and ate at a pizza parlor before checking into our cabin, which was located a quarter of a mile from the canyon's rim. That evening after the sun set, we walked to the edge of the canyon just to take it all in. Even though we couldn't see much (because it was around 11 at night), it felt like we were standing on the edge of the world.

As awesome as our first day was, our second day at the canyon was even better! That morning it snowed. As stunning as the Grand Canyon is on it's own, it becomes absolutely breathtaking when you add snow to the mix. Even though it was cold (like, really cold) Cliff and I enjoyed a mile-long stroll along the canyon's rim. As corny as it sounds, it felt like we were in the middle of a storybook. It was just the two of us holding hands, surrounded by giant snowflakes, walking along one of the natural wonders of the world. Yeah, it was pretty magical :)

A few additional highlights included:

• A kid-free train car! We paid extra to ride in a train car for adults only -- and it was awesome. Soon after the train pulled out of the station, our train attendant whipped out the alcohol. Let me tell you, nothing is better than sipping a Peppermint Patty while looking out a train window on a cold winter day.
• A crowd-free experience. Because we traveled to the canyon on Thanksgiving Day, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. You'll notice very few people in the photos below. That's not because I edited them out--it's because other tourists just weren't there!
• A Thanksgiving Feast. Even though we were away from friends and family on Thanksgiving, we were able to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The cafes and restaurants at the canyon served up roast turkey and all the fixins! It was an unexpected but pleasant surprise!

p.s. On the way back to Williams, our train got robbed by a gang of outlaws!

I can't believe how long it's taken me to get these photos ready! I took more than 1,000 photos when we were in Maine! I'm so excited to finally be able to share them! 

I've heard so many great things about this state and have always wanted to visit. Over Christmas, Cliff made my wish come true by surprising me with a weekend getaway to Camden, a quaint little seaside town. We didn't go in December, because who wants to go to Maine when there's four feet of snow on the ground? Instead, we went earlier this month.

This trip was so special for both of us. Not only was it a gift to me, but Cliff's choice in getaway location was no coincidence. Camden is home to the Towne Motel, a cute little inn owned by two of his former college professors, Katja and Siobhan. 

Because of our slight age difference (Cliff is four years older than me) I never had the opportunity to meet these two, but staying with them was delightful. They welcomed us with open arms and it was wonderful being able to catch up and tour the area with locals. Not to mention, the Towne Motel is perfect! It's just three blocks from downtown Camden.

Maine definitely lived up to, and even surpassed, our expectations. After visiting, I'm convinced its one of the most beautiful states in our country. The atmosphere was so laid back, the people were incredibly friendly, and the food was out of this world! What more could you ask for?

No blog post about the Towne Motel would be complete without photos of kitties. Owners Katja and Siobhan have four resident cats at their motel!

At the start of this year, I set a number of personal goals for myself that included taking more weekend get-aways, visiting an amusement park, and being mindful of the things I'm thankful for. This last week, I accomplished all three of those goals!

I know taking mini vacations and visiting amusement parks don't sound challenging -- and they really aren't -- but challenges aren't what these goals are about. They're about bringing more love, fun, laughter, and adventure into my life, and they wouldn't have been possible without Cliff, who is always so supportive of anything I wish to do.

Initially, I had hoped to visit an amusement park on a day that I played hooky (talk about fun!), but it didn't quite work out that way. You see, this week is my transition between jobs. I'm going back to a field I understand well and feel incredibly passionate about, and am stoked for the new opportunity. But I also know that no play and all work makes Jack a dull boy (or in my case, Jill a dull girl), so I gave myself a week off between jobs. And you know what? I learned a lot!

I've never taken time off between jobs before, nor have I ever understood why people would use paid time off for a "staycation." I get it now. Having a week devoted fully to myself without anywhere I had to be was pretty awesome. 

Cliff and I kept things low-key at the beginning of the week, but on Wednesday we ventured to Kings Dominion. It's been years since either of us have been on a roller coaster and had an absolute blast riding everything from The Grizzy to The Intimidator. I know the new-fangled rides are what all the cool kids are into these days, but our trip only reaffirmed by affinity for wooden roller coasters. They're just the best! (Sorry, no photos from the amusement park. I might be crazy, but I'm not stupid ;) )

We spent Thursday and Friday in the mountains of Shenandoah National Park, where we camped at Loft Mountain. On that trip, I did take my camera and you can see photos below. This was the first time Cliff and I went camping together -- and it was also my first time in a national park. I still get goosebumps thinking about the insanely incredible things we saw. Highlights included a leisurely four-hour drive on Skyline Drive, viewing thunderheads from a distance (I'll never forget the sound of thunder echoing in the mountains!), hiking to a waterfall, and watching the sun set from a secluded spot on the Appalachian Trail. I now understand what John Muir meant when he said, "The mountains are calling and I must go."

Last week I told you about the first half of our mother's day weekend extravaganza. Cliff's mom stopped by for a long weekend and on Saturday we drove up to Cumberland. On Sunday, we took Irene down by the ocean (well, what seems like an ocean to us) to Annapolis.

Annapolis is another charming town that Cliff and I absolutely adore! Not only is the bay-side town quaint and picturesque, but this community holds so much amazing history! It's home to the U.S. Naval Academy, played a prominent role in the revolutionary war, and has more original, still-standing 18th century structures than any other American city. One of our favorites is the Maryland State House. Every time we visit, we just can't help ourselves: we make it a point to tour this storied, historic building. 

If you don't already know, Maryland's State House is one of the most unique structures in the country. Not only did it serve as the Capital of the U.S. for a very brief period, but it is the oldest building in consecutive legislative use in the nation. But wait! There's more! (Guys, are you paying attention? This is my favorite part!) It also boasts the largest wooden dome in the U.S. constructed without nails. I'm not sure why, but that fun fact gets me every time. It's just so special!

In addition to our State House tour, Cliff, Irene and I did some window shopping and visited the William Paca House and Gardens. We couldn't have asked for better weather. The day was just beautiful!

This year, Cliff and I got to celebrate Mother's Day in a very special way. Cliff's mom, Irene, came for a weekend visit!

Because she lives in Nebraska, we only get to see each other a few times a year. Cliff and I took advantage of the beautiful weekend weather and showed Irene two of our favorite places in Maryland.