What I really enjoy about our Travel Thursday pieces is that we have been to all of the locales we cover. We look to write about what we experience and what we recommend when we visit these destinations.
As a way to finish off the year, we wanted to remember where we have been and what made those places special. We’ll share some of our top stories this week and then the other half soon.
In no special order, here is the first half or our list.
Denver.
From the food scene to the investment into its downtown area and the visible growth of the city, Denver has our hearts, our minds, and our stomachs.
There are few places in the United States where I feel I would want to possibly move and call home. The capital of Colorado is one of them. Right up there with Seattle, Philadelphia, Key West, and Providence, Denver has a great presence, a welcome home feel when you arrive. During that first walk in the city up 16th Street, I felt and experienced the diversity of the city. Within the first 10 minutes of walking, I heard 5 different languages, men talking about their boyfriends, and people commenting about loving the city. I did not worry about walking around alone, I bought Gatorade from a church group, I talked with strangers, and saw many “family members” being out and open and very comfortable with themselves.
Alberta Canada
Calgary Draws Us In With Its Plentiful Food Scene, Buzzing Arts & Culture, And LGBTQ Acceptance.
and
Edmonton – A Great Mesh of City and Country Living with a Hip Young Artistic Twist
We were lucky enough to experience not one but two great cities in Alberta Canada. Edmonton and Calgary were our homes and playground for three nights each. Check out both links above, but we’ll include our summation of Calgary below.
Calgary has emerged as a must-visit culinary destination with a buzzing arts and culture scene. Restaurants with chef-driven cuisine, classic and quirky theatre, and lively music events and outdoor festivals, Calgary is a vibrant city that is centered around four UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks, Dinosaur Provincial Park, Head-Smashed-in Buffalo Jump and Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park – making it the perfect complement to any Alberta adventure. WE only had time for one park, looks like we have to go back again to complete the rest .. as well as to find our cowboy.
Maui
Our Time At Maui’s South Shore Paradise – Fairmont Kea Lani
I personally have not been to Hawaii as of yet, but we have others on our staff that have enjoyed many aspects of Hawaii, but they always seem to go back to Maui.
Traveling to Hawaii has been one of our loves ever since my partner and I started vacationing as a couple. The ease of getting to the islands and the costs have become easier and easier over the years. What we personally have found is that the island of Maui is our home away from home. Our last journey had us experience the lovely Fairmont Kea Lani.
Las Vegas
Turn Up the Heat on Your Summer Travel! What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas!
I personally have been to Las Vegas many times, but when I read this review, I knew I needed to go back and have a boys weekend!
If you can get to Vegas any time of year, it’s great, but if you can stand the heat and find a great deal on hotels and travel during the summer you need to go. It’s what Las Vegas was made for!
I recently went on a boys trip to Las Vegas. Being from Southern California, it’s a quick 3.5-4 hour car ride (5 hours with stops if you’re recharging a Tesla like us) or a quick 45-minute flight that is over before it even started.
We’ve been to Vegas many times before. For California folks, it’s the perfect amount of debauchery away from home. But this trip was a little different. We wanted to try and do things we hadn’t experienced in Vegas before.
Mexico
Puerto Vallarta Pride and the City’s 100th Birthday Celebration
As we took our maiden voyage to Puerto Vallarta, we found the Pacific Coast city celebrating not only Pride, but also its 100th birthday. What better time to be in one of the most visited cities in all of Mexico. We could not wait to find out why so many Americans and other international tourists vacation and move to PV.
Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, All-Inclusive, All Friendly, All Fun
What I liked about this large resort was that it still had a small feel to it. The video below shows the size of the property, but you still had intimacy and privacy as well as you were able to find where the parties were. With it’s size, they can offer such great amenities, but still know who you are as an individual and help you keep that individual feel by giving you the chance to customize your escapes, your own personal sound track, to help you make your room truly your oasis, and everything else imaginable.
There’s More To Mexico Than Beaches & Tequila. Here’s Our Time In The Amazing State Of Guanajuato.
Many times when you hear people vacationing in Mexico, the cities of Puerto Vallarta and Cancun seem to be the ones named. The Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, and Pacific Ocean do call travelers to Mexico, but there’s another region of Mexico that was calling us to visit.
We recently traveled to the state of Guanajuato in Mexico for a friend’s destination wedding. While many people may imagine of sandy beaches or redwood forests when they think of the ideal destination weddings, Guanajuato, one of the most historic regions in Mexico, was one trip we simply could not miss.
We will share more of our travel round up next week. But in the mean time, tell us where should we visit in 2019?
If you have travel ideas, places we should visit, or work for a PR company and are looking for writers to visit, please reach out to customerservice@instinctmagazine.com and address your comments to the Managing Editor.