Year in Review: 35 Highlights of 2020

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2020 may have not been the year everyone was expecting, but we were fortunate enough to still have a lot of fun and explore a lot of very cool places. While we stuck closer to home, mainly the Tri State area and New England, we racked up 12,000 miles on our Equinox (and that’s with only driving 200 miles in 3.5 months!) and visited a lot of spots that have been on our bucket list for a while. (Read more about our just-summer bucket list here).

A note about traveling during a still present pandemic:  We took every precaution we could. We chose to visit places where we could spend the majority of our time outdoors. We chose to do activities on “off peak” hours or days. We kept to ourselves and socially distanced ourselves from other groups. We stayed masked the whole time we were indoors or when we were near others outdoors. And when we returned from a trip out of state, we stayed home for at least 10 days before venturing out again. We have rarely socialized in person with anyone since the pandemic started. We made the best choices possible with the information we had and we’re grateful for the experiences, and time, together. We know how fortunate we are to be able to have had these experiences and we’re truly grateful for all the people in our world who serve, defend, protect, and keep us all safe and healthy.

Here’s a quick highlight reel of our 2020 and links to information about things to do, where to stay, and travel tips:

Resorts We Love:

1. Samoset Resort in Rockport, Maine
2. Ocean Edge Resort and Spa in Brewster, Massachusetts
3. Crystal Springs Resort in Hamburg, New Jersey
4. Skytop Lodge in Poconos, Pennsylvania
5. Jiminy Peak Resort in Massachusetts
6. Woodloch Resort in the Poconos, Pennsylvania

 

New City and State Guides:

7. Places we love in Pennsylvania
8. Places we love in Tennessee
9. Places we love in Yorktown, Virginia
10. Places we love in Colonial Williamsburg
11. Places we love in Massachusetts
12. Places we love in the Berkshires
13. Places we love in Connecticut and places where we love to eat in Connecticut

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Bucket lists:

14. 20 Indoor Places to Have fun in New England
15. 10 Tips for a first time visit to Universal Studios in Florida. (we visited December 2019)
16. 10 tips for a first time visit to Busch Gardens Williamsburg (we visited August 2019)
17. 10 Behind the Scenes Tours
18. 15 Places to See Boats on the East Coast
19. 10 Items to Bring on a Beach Vacation
20. Our Summer 2020 Recap

Family Fun in Massachusetts: This year, we spent time exploring a few spots I hadn’t visited in decades:
21. The Massachusetts State House (FREE tours!) in Boston
22. Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
23. Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston
24. Boston Symphony Orchestra (FREE tours!)
25. Hancock Shaker Village in the Berkshires
26. Naumkeag in the Berkshires
27. Berkshire Botanical Gardens
28. The Mount, Edith Wharton’s home in the Berkshires

Family Fun in New York City:
We last visited in February 2020 and we can’t wait to return!
29. Radio City Music Hall Backstage Tour
30. Rockefeller Center and Top of the Rock
31. Fogo de Chao restaurant

Virtual Tours: if you prefer “traveling” on a computer:
32. National Parks
33. Children’s museums, zoos, and aquariums
34. Art museums
35. Disney

Want a look back at previous years? Check out our Year in Review for 2017, 2018, and 2019. And follow along on our 2021 adventures on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

New England based, part high school English teacher, part non profit founder, part road tripper who LOVES hopping in the family SUV to explore America. Our bucket list includes National Parks, MLB stadiums, presidential libraries, and eating wherever the locals eat!

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