By far, 2024 was my best travel year. It wasn’t intentional, I just took the opportunities and deals I saw and rolled with it. As I’m writing this, my goal is to do the same amount of travel in 2025, but spend about half as much (more driving and camping, cheaper destinations, etc.) but no promises! Let’s get into my favorites!
The Best National Parks of 2024
No. 4 Kenai Fjords
I normally only like to mention the top 3 for each category, but since I only saw 4 parks I figured I’d just rank them all. Kenai Fjords was amazing, but there is not much to do on land, as much of the park is best seen on the water. The colors and wildlife are truly breathtaking, and even though it ranks as number 4 for 2024, it sits at number 12 on my overall list.
No. 3 Rocky Mountain
I knew that going to the Rockies in the winter would mean I missed out on a lot (the main park road is only open so far in the winter). But for some reason I just knew I wanted to experience the Rockies in the snow and ice. I hope to get back in the summer and fall at some point in my lifetime, but if not I feel content with my decision to be able to walk across all the frozen lakes.
No. 2 Haleakalā
There are 3 main things to do in this park: hike at the Kīpahulu Visitor Center, hike into the crater, and watch the sunrise from the summit. The only thing I didn’t get to do was hike into the crater, and I am sad about that, but it just wasn’t happening on this trip. I hope to do it someday, but even still, the memories I made in this park will last a lifetime!
No. 1 Denali
I always feel like it will be so hard for a park to crack into my top 5 overall. I always think none of the experiences I have in parks can be topped. With Denali…there was absolutely no question about it being my number one park this year and number 2 park overall. I had 3 full days, saw tons of wildlife, and had amazing weather which allowed me to see Denali itself. It sure was annoying when I would see people’s top 5 or 10 parks and the Alaska ones were in there, just because it seemed so out of reach to experience. But now that I have experienced it, I get it.
The Best Park Sites of 2024
None of the small park sites I visited were particularly life-changing, so I won’t go into detail. Although, I did love the Christmas Village at Hopewell Furnace.
No. 3 Valley Forge NHP
In Valley Forge, PA (near Philadelphia)
No. 2 Appomattox Courthouse NHP
In Appomattox, VA
No. 1 Hopewell Furnace NHS
In Elverson, PA
The Best Destinations of 2024
I’m going to do my top 5 since my top 3 will obviously be major destinations.
No. 5 Pittsburgh, PA
Oddly enough, I had never been to Pittsburgh, but I loved it! I did the Duquesne Incline, the Andy Warhol Museum, and the Strip District. I also went to a park site on the way (Fort Necessity NB) and on the way back (Friendship Hill NHS). I’m excited to go back in 2025 to see Billy Joel!
No. 4 Lake Gaston, NC
This is the trip I took with my Dad and I loved it there. Our AirBnB was amazing and had gorgeous views, a dock we could fish off of, and a mat in the water to catch some sun. We also rented a boat one of the days so we could see more of the lake. I’d go back for sure!
No. 3 Estes Park, CO
Estes Park is the park town for the Rockies. I enjoyed my time in the park, but also enjoyed the town itself (minus all of the construction). The food was good and the shops were cute. I also enjoyed the Stanley Hotel and walking around Estes Lake.
No. 2 Hawaii
This was my 2nd time in Hawaii but I did get to see multiple parts of Oahu I hadn’t seen before, and we went to Maui, which I didn’t get to do the last time! Of the 3 islands I’ve been to Maui is my least favorite, but it was still beautiful!
No. 1 Alaska
Alaska is absolutely worth the hype (and the money haha). All of it is more beautiful than you can imagine or see in pictures. It’s like you can’t believe what you are seeing. I feel the same way about Hawaii, but since I have already been to Hawaii, Alaska had to be number 1.
The Best Hikes of 2024
No. 4 Bear, Nymph, Dream, and Emerald Lake (Rocky Mountain NP)
All the lakes were frozen and covered in snow. I’ve hiked in the snow, but this was next level. I had spikes but snowshoes would have been helpful in some spots. I loved it, and got amazing pictures at Dream Lake!
No. 3 Ptarmigan Lake Trail (Seward, AK)
The only reason this hike isn’t listed higher is because I was terrified. I was deep in grizzly bear country and only saw 3-4 other people. Although I did see some fresh scat, I never saw a bear! The lake was beautiful, with those typical Alaska colors.
No. 2 Gold Cord Lake (Hatcher Pass, AK)
This is ranked this number 2 because not only was the lake beautiful, but the views from the lake were even better. I had the most perfect weather the day I was in Hatcher Pass and couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing. I even yolo’ed it and dunked in the lake even though the water temperature was probably 20-30 degrees.
No. 1 Waimoku Falls (Haleakalā NP)
My last hike of 2024! I loved it because I got to do it with my friends, it was in a national park, and there was so much to it – beautiful vegetation throughout, a Banyan tree, a bamboo forest, and a huge waterfall! Overall an amazing hike with decent mileage (~4 miles) and not a ton of elevation gain (~800 feet).
The Best Food of 2024
I didn’t realize Seward had the best food of the year until I made this list lol
No. 5 Empanadas from Nepal’s // Estes Park, CO
What did it for me was the dipping sauces!
No. 4 Gelato from Sweet Darlings // Seward, AK
Best gelato I’ve ever had. I went twice!
No. 3 Lasagna from Apollo Restaurant // Seward, AK
Someone on my Major Marine tour suggested this dish and since I didn’t have any other plans, I took their suggestion!
No. 2 Seafood Chowder & Fish and Chips from Gold Rush Bistro // Seward, AK
So, so good. Expensive. But good.
No. 1 Elk Smash Burger from Forty Ninth State Brewing // Denali Park, AK
Best burger I ever had in my life.
See ya next year!
I am excited for new travels, hikes, and food in 2025, though I can’t help but feel like no trip will ever top Alaska or Hawaii. I’m trying really hard to appreciate every trip as it is and for what it brings me, but again – hard once you get to Alaska. Trips that are definitely happening in 2025 are: Yellowstone/Grand Teton, Pittsburgh again to see Billy Joel, and Ocean City. I will add one more smaller trip in the summer and something in the fall, but I don’t know where yet, which is kind of fun!
Leave a Reply