2020 has been one for the books, am I right? When I thought about sitting down and writing out my favorite travel moments of 2020, I honestly doubted whether or not I’d be able to come up with anything.
I recently saw an awesome meme about how 2020 has been the most crazy leap year the world has ever experienced. In a nutshell, the meme alluded to the fact that there were:
29 days in February…
…4 months in March…
…and 5 years in April.
While I’ve spent most of 2020 indoors and isolated from most of the world (along with everyone else), I managed to sneak in a few (safe) trips and solo adventures.
At this point in time, I’d rather focus on the good and fun adventures that I managed to have in 2020, rather than dwelling on the negative reality.
I’ve loved writing these posts in the past. They help me remember what I’ve done and serve as a journal to the thoughts and feelings that I might have forgotten.
Check out the posts I wrote for 2018 and 2019!
After hours of scouring pictures, social media posts, and blog posts, I managed to find my favorite travel moments of 2020, throwing in quite a few local adventures.
After writing down the moments, I realized that most of these places were repeat visits (except for the hot spring). Crazy.
I hope you enjoy this trip down (my) memory lane as I offer you a brief reprieve from the gloomy days we’ve all experienced!
Visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats with my new drone
If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you might know that I live close to the Bonneville Salt Flats. I’ve visited quite a few times since moving to Utah, but visiting during quarantine was something else.
I had recently purchased a drone and was anxious to start using it. I was a little nervous to use it for the first time, so I wanted to take it out to the middle of nowhere so I wouldn’t hit anything or anyone.
Where else would be ideal, other than a massive salt flat with only a handful of people around?
Spiral Jetty with Mom
Although I love solo travel and adventuring, there’s something special when you’re able to share adventures with people you care about. One of my favorite travel moments of 2020 was taking my mom to the Spiral Jetty.
This was the first time I’d traveled somewhere with the intent of making a video, taking my camera and drone along with me.
There were still fires around, so the sky blended into the Great Salt Lake. It was eerily beautiful.
Also – the lake will sometimes turn a crazy pink color, which is a treat to witness!
Twelve Mile (Bishop Creek) Hot Springs
One of the best things about living in Salt Lake City, Utah is the proximity to other states. I was getting really restless in July and decided that I needed an adventure.
(If you don’t already know, Nevada is know for having some incredible hot springs. If you’re looking for something off-the-beaten-path to do, where you’re not likely to run into anyone else, consider checking out some of the hot springs in Nevada.)
Fortunately, the state of Nevada didn’t have any quarantine restrictions at the time and I planned a last-minute overnighter to go check out a remote hot spring, known as the Twelve Mile or Bishop Creek hot springs.
Sun Tunnels
I visited the Sun Tunnels years ago with some friends and they left a big impression on me. The Sun Tunnels is an art installation in the northwest corner of Utah, and is accessible only if you circle the Great Salt Lake…with the easiest way being a route through Nevada, oddly enough.
Similar to my trip to the Spiral Jetty that would happen later in the year, I visited the Sun Tunnels with the sole intent of flying my drone at catching the sunset.
The weather did not disappoint.
Road Trips
For most people, 2020 has been the year of the road trip. And I’m no exception to that. But instead of focusing on the destination, this year I focused on the journey. Some of my favorite travel moments of 2020 have been in my car, Victor.
I was blessed to have a job throughout the pandemic (and still going strong), but that also meant that time off was scarce. I managed a few scenic drives after work and on weekends, not too far away from my house.
Last-Minute Trip to St. Thomas
The highlight of my favorite travel moments of 2020 was a last-minute trip I took to St. Thomas in the Caribbean. On Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving in the US), I purchased a premium subscription to a flight deal notification website.
(I’m still debating whether or not it was a good idea, because I’ve already purchased a few flights within a month of having the subscription.)
On a whim, I purchased a flight to St. Thomas for 50% of the price the first time I visited.
After a few nasal swab COVID tests came back negative, I hopped on a flight and set off to paradise for a week.
I beach-hopped, swam with some turtles and rays, hiked to Mermaid’s Chair, and drove all around the island. It was a much-needed reprieve from non-stop working and worrying about the world.
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