Travel Well, Get Outdoors Often: 9 Ideas to Plan an Adventurous Year

I don’t know about you, but I love dreaming about the new year ahead and pondering what adventures and changes the future holds.  I appreciate the blank slate we’ve been given and a chance to make things different, if we so choose.

In the travel and outdoor realm, which of course is the most fun for me to plan, I’m thinking about the year as a whole and how I can drive more fun and adventure into all the nooks and crannies that make up the days, weeks, and months of 2014.

While I certainly don’t want to limit our adventures, as a springboard, I came up with 9 categories to help me plan and focus:

1. Travel somewhere new.  As simple as exploring a town close by that I’ve  never bothered to visit, to hitting the road or the skies to a grander, further locale, I’m so excited to travel to places I’ve never seen before! Hint: Plans and details for a Caribbean vacation are nearly complete.

2. Revisit a favorite place.  There’s a reason why you fall in love with places, so why not enjoy even more good times? We’re thrilled to have Orcas Island, Washington in our plans again this year.  Golden, Colorado and Phoenix, AZ are also on the repeat list.

3. 3-day weekend getaway.  For some reason we let a couple of those 3-day weekend gems in 2013 slip away from our radar, and didn’t have any trips planned.  I’m hoping we can capitalize on the extra day off opportunities and get out of town.

4. Hometown Adventure. I have to say, we’re pretty much pros at the this one, but I feel it’s important to continue seeking out places in the Seattle (and the surrounding area) that we haven’t been to (or taken Bergen to) yet.  In particular, there are some food and restaurant adventures we need to take!

5. Hike.  Hiking (and walking) is our favorite outdoor activity to do as a family.  It’s simple and we need little equipment or planning.  I want to continue to explore the trails of our near by state parks and city parks too. I also want to work on Bergen’s stamina as a little hiker and increase his time and distance on his own two feet before we surrender him to the backpack carrier.

6. Road Trip. I love the freedom that a road trip provides.  Within reason, you can stop when an opportunity (via attraction or food option) arises.  You can choose to travel fast or slow, close or far.  At this point, road trips to Oregon and Idaho are in the works.

7. Change up the mode of transportation.  I’m thinking we need to add more ferry boats rides, but what I’m really dreaming about for this year is a high speed boat like the Clipper that will take us to Victoria, BC!  We’ll also continue our annual train trip down to Portland, OR.

8. Challenge yourself with a new outdoor sport or activity. The new sport or activity remains to be chosen for me, but the possibilities are endless! I know for sure that 2014 will not go by without me trying stand-up paddle boarding!

9. Do what you love outdoors. Walking, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, exploring…I’m so thankful that we have our health and the ability to get out there and enjoy ourselves.

10. ??What are YOU dreaming about for 2014??

Do you make goals or resolutions for the new year? What’s on your list for 2014? Please share!

Printable version: New Year, New Adventures Planning Sheet 2014

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