Looking back at my pictures, I realize that 2017 was a great year for our travels.  We knocked a few places off of our bucket list, celebrated our 15th wedding anniversary, had a great mother-daughter trip and stayed at some really nice hotels this year.  So, without further ado, below are my favorite travel moments of 2017.

Private Island Champagne Lunch on Bora Bora

We went to Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora to celebrate our 15 year wedding anniversary in late April.  One of our splurges was a private all day tour of the lagoon for snorkeling, swimming with sharks and then a champagne lunch on our own little island.  Steve and I had a great time speeding around the gorgeous lagoon and then having our very attractive tour guide grill us up a fantastic seafood lunch and make a fresh tuna ceviche.  This was probably my #1 travel moment of the year so it’s at the top of the list! Also, our stay in an over water bungalow at the luxurious St. Regis was a bucket list item for us and we are so glad we made the long flight to French Polynesia.

 

Mother-Daughter Wine Tasting in Napa Valley

Last Christmas I surprised my mom with a trip to Napa Valley in mid-March as her gift.  We stayed at the gorgeous Auberge du Soleil hotel and ate amazing food, relaxed at their spa and took in views of the valley from our hotel room patio.  The concierge also arranged some really great wine tours and tastings at Stag’s Leap Winery and Darioush Winery.  So glad that I was able to treat my mom to this weekend.  It’s so hard to find the time to spend one-on-one together so this weekend meant a lot to me (and I think she had a great time as well!).

Hiking in Colorado on a Solo Trip

I was able to take a little time off in August for a much-needed sanity break.  I decided to treat myself to 4 nights at the Ritz Carlton in Bachelor Gulch, Colorado where I stayed at their club level.  I was able to have a glass (or two) of champagne every night, used their amazing grotto spa after hiking and did some scenic drives in the area as well.  I’m sure some people think solo travel is a bit odd  but it was so nice to have time to myself to read, relax and do exactly what I wanted.  My favorite activity was the great hiking in the area – I really pushed myself physically and was rewarded with some beautiful scenery.

Enjoying a “suite” stay in Las Vegas at the Wynn Hotel

Steve and I are not really Las Vegas people as we don’t like to gamble but we got a great rate on a room at the Wynn hotel last summer and coupled with very affordable airfare, we decided to spend 4 nights in Vegas and party it up a bit.  We upgraded to a suite at the Wynn and the room was massive!  The picture don’t do it justice and we also had two separate full baths and a walk in closet.  The suites also get you into the private pool area with better service and less crowds.  We also treated ourselves to some exceptional meals this trip.  After 4 days we agreed that we don’t need to return to Vegas for several years but if we do, this is the way to do it.  Oh and we also saw the best man speedo ever at the pool.

Enjoying the Scenic Beauty of the Oregon Coast at Cannon Beach

In early September we spent a week in Oregon and visited the wine region of Willamette Valley but also spent the first three days on Cannon Beach, which really exceeded my expectations.  Our stay at The Stephanie Inn was perfect and we had an unbeatable view of the beach and the rock formation known as Haystack Rock.  We loved hanging out on our balcony with coffee in the morning and wine in the evening as well as having private beach bonfires every night that were set up by the hotel’s “fire butler.”  This area is often grey and rainy so we really lucked out with amazing weather during our stay.

We are finishing out the year with a 5 night stay in and around Santa Barbara over the New Years.  We have been to that area several times now (I think this will be our 6th trip) and we are looking forward to visiting our favorite wineries and restaurants during our stay.  2017 was a great year but now I am looking forward to our 2018 trips, which include stays in the Caribbean, the South of France and maybe Central America.