My 2023 Travel Recap: Where I Went and What I Saw
Published: 12/25/2023
My 2023 Travel Year in Review
So many Travel dreams came true for me this year that it’s hard to know where to begin. If 2022 was all about closing out travel plans and goals I’d started pre-pandemic, in 2023, I really settled into a travel lifestyle and started visiting international destinations that had been on my “someday” list forever. Maybe you make your own luck, but when I look back on 2023, I truly don’t know how I got so lucky to have so many “trips of a lifetime” in a single 365-day span. As Deepak Chopra wrote, “The healthiest response to life is joy” and as I write, I feel so grateful for this beautiful world we live in and how much of it I saw and experienced this year. Despite plenty of travel hiccups, being extremely short staffed at times during the busy summer season, and dealing with a Google update that absolutely gutted my blog’s traffic, my grievances this year were mild and manageable. I know 2023 didn’t treat all of us with such gentleness. If you’re coming to the finish line of 2023 a little battered and bruised, I hope there’s some grace, peace, and even joy, to be found at year’s end.This post may contain affiliate links. When you purchase something through these links, I receive a small commission that helps me create this blog’s content. There’s no extra cost to you.
2023 Travel by the Numbers
Countries visited: 5
Lifetime countries visited: 11
States visited: 7
Lifetime states visited: 50
Rental cars: 3
Train rides: 5
Boat rides: 3
Funicular rides: 3
Most courses eaten in a single seating: 6
Times I was fingerprinted: 2
A Month by Month Summary of 2023 Travels
January
If I’ve learned anything in nearly four decades of existance, it’s that time disappears at an alarming rate if we aren’t intentional with it. Ever since Universal Orlando opened the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in 2010, I knew I had to visit.
When my cousin moved to Orlando last summer, it was the nudge from the universe that I needed to finally book a quick mid-week trip to the theme park. In addition to one full day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, we also hit up Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
February
I stayed pretty close to home most of February and took advantage of the plentiful snow to hone my cross-country ski skills. At the end of the month, I made my first international trip in five years. Granted, it was just an overnight in nearby Thunder Bay, Ontario, but even that familiar city had some fun surprises. I’d never Visited the Sibley Peninsula or Sleeping Giant Provincial Park before. What a beautiful, quiet place in deep winter!
March
Technically, my trip to Ontario ended on March 1, which means I visited three countries in March. (Yes, I’m counting the United States!) In early March, I finally got myself set up with TSA Precheck . . . just in time to head across the Atlantic to Portugal’s Azores.
I’ve been dreaming of the Azores ever since I spotted them on a world map sometime in the mid-00s. My friends are all very excited that I finally made the trip so I can stop pitching it as a trip idea!
But seriously, if you love history, hiking, wine, tea, or the ocean, you should check out these rugged, remote islands. Just be prepared for cow traffic jams!
April
I returned from the Azores in early April with just enough time to squeeze in one more trip before my busy work season. I flew to Grand Rapids, MI to visit my brother and sister-in-law. We got all four seasons during my long weekend in town; literally kayaking in 80 degree weather on Friday and bundled up in winter jackets on Monday. You’ve got to love spring in the upper Midwest!
The Meyer May House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright is one of the beautiful turn of the 20th century houses in Grand Rapids’ Heritage Hill Historic District.
May – June
We had another very late ice-out here on the Gunflint Trail which always make the start of the Boundary Waters season extra hectic. By the time we caught our breath it was mid-June. We bought some paddle boards for cabin guests to use during their stay and I took advantage of the long days near summer solstice to enjoy a little evening paddle around the lake.
July – September
These months were a full-on grind at my Boundary Waters outfitters. There wasn’t much time for anything beyond the bare minimum of self-care. However, I did get to wander through the Grand Marais Art Festival in early July and we enjoyed some tasty meals from a new Indian food truck in town.
October
2023 was not a spontaneous travel year – all my travels were booked very far in advance. As a result, although my time opens up enormously in October, I spent the entire month close to home. As luck would have it, northeastern Minnesota’s autumn colors hung on forever and I was able to get out on a ton of great hikes and Boundary Waters day trips.
I also finally visited the 3M Museum in downtown Two Harbors, MN. Another adventure was an absolutely stunning drive to the Pigeon River Border Crossing outside of Grand Portage, MN to do my Global Entry interview.
The view from the Susie Islands Overlook outside of Grand Portage, MN is always nice, but it’s fairly rare to glimpse Isle Royale National Park which sits in the middle of Lake Superior 18 miles off mainland.
November
Travel season resumed in earnest for me in November. We did our annual girls weekend in charming (and convenient) Hudson, WI. Then it was time to focus on an epic European adventure with my sister-in-law. We flew into Milan, Italy on Thanksgiving Day and spent three days there before heading north to Lugano, Switzerland and Como, Italy.
Sometimes everything just comes together in travel – weather, company, pace. We truly had the best time, but may or may not have kicked off a dangerous obsession with European Christmas markets.
At Willow River State Park outside of Hudson, WI.
It’s hard to choose favorites from our Europe trip, but attending the ballet adaptation of Onegin by Tchaikovsky and Cranko is an experience I won’t soon forget. I didn’t expect to get so swept into the story!
December
I was home from Italy just long enough to get some laundry done and adjust back to Central Standard Time. Then it was time to head to Florida for the second time this year. On this go, Andy and I headed to the southernmost point in the contiguous United States: Key West.
Highlights included taking the ferry to the Dry Tortugas National Park about 70 miles west of Key West and our very convenient vacation rental that made it super easy to walk to all of the best Key West sites and restaurants. I recommend Blue Heaven and Moondog Cafe if you’re headed there soon!
Even though this trip started with a painful travel day that culminated in an impromptu overnight in Atlanta compliments of Delta, I really enjoy traveling in December. It just makes the home and family time of Christmas at the end of the month feel a little sweeter.
Dry Tortugas National Park is located 70 miles west of Key West, Florida in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico. You can only reach it via sea plane or boat. We chose the ferry boat and actually really enjoyed a rocking and rolling journey to the small archipelago in 5-7 ft seas.
The “Best” of my 2023 Travel Year
Drive: Overseas Highway from Key West to Islamorada
Travel surprise: Rosy Mound Natural Area outside Grand Haven, MI
Airport lounge: G18 Sky Club at MSP
Wildlife viewing: Humpback whale sighting off of Sao Miguel Island, Azores
Best known world landmark visited: Milan Duomo
Dessert: All the Key Lime pie in Key West
View: Monte Bre outside Lugano, Switzerland
Story: Hiking down Monte Bre and getting caught in the middle of hazard tree clearing
Magic: Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Universal Orlando
Travel experience: Making homemade pasta with a bunch of Europeans in suburban Milan
Hike: High Falls on the Baptism River in Tettegouche State Park via the Superior Hiking Trail
Mulled wine: Como, Italy Christmas market
Coffee: Tim Horton’s Coconut vanilla latte
Souvenir: Cat bowl from Hemingway House
Travel Accomplishment: Visiting every single destination on this list I created in late 2019
Best Travel Decisions I Made in 2023
Thrifty Traveler
Thanks to Thrifty Traveler, my round-trip plane ticket to Italy cost under $700. While this certainly wasn’t the deal of the century, considering the current state of airfares, I was pretty chuffed. These savings freed up some funds for actual experiences like attending a ballet at Milan’s famous La Scala Opera House and eating at a Michelin star restaurant in Lugano.
TSA Precheck
I was peer-pressured by one of my travel companions to get TSA Precheck before my March trip to the Azores. Not having to faff about with my shoes and carry-on luggage during the security screening has really improved my airport experience. I’m kicking myself for not apply sooner, especially since my credit card reimbursed the application fee.
Global Entry
However, if you’re interested in TSA Precheck and have international travels on the horizon, you should save yourself some steps and just apply for Global Entry. (Global Entry comes with TSA Precheck.)
I’d heard horror stories about waiting months to get your Global Entry interview, but because I live so close to an international border, the entire process took me less than a week. I could have saved myself a little $$ by just applying for Global Entry in the first place (my credit card only covers the fees for one of these programs every four years) but let me tell you, breezing through Customs in 10 seconds at JFK last month definitely made all the fingerprinting and interviews well worth it.
Delta Reserve Card
After much hemming and hawing, I finally upgraded my Delta branded credit card to their top-tier American Express. To be clear, the Delta Reserve card is expense and not the right fit for many people, but for us, the lounge access alone is a valuable advantage to this card, even after Delta’s dramatic overhaul of their perks and loyalty program. I’m definitely not saving money with this card, but I’m also not losing money.
In my recent rash of traveling, Andy and I visited Delta Sky Clubs a combined total of 13 times. Would I have visited the Sky Club that many times without this card? Absolutely not – but the higher quality food and quiet space made some long layovers (I was at JFK for 8 hours before boarding for Milan) downright enjoyable. When you add in perks like free checked bags and companion tickets, this ended up being one of my best travel decisions of 2023 despite the gnashing of teeth beforehand.
2023 Blog Highlights
Things started off strong for Beyond the Yellow Brick Road in 2023. I updated a bunch of older posts and saw a big boost in traffic. By late summer, it seemed like I was well on my way to my goal of 50K monthly sessions. At that point I’ll start monetizing the site in an elegant, unobtrusive way.
Then the Google helpful content update dropped in mid-September and absolutely gutted my traffic. This update seems to have hit travel blog especially hard and I was definitely not spared. About 80% of my traffic comes from Google search results (the rest comes from a hodgepodge of social media clicks – especially Pinterest -, my email newsletter, and the approximately two people – hi Mom and Dad – who access my site directly) so having my Google traffic drop by 50% overnight was pretty brutal.
I work really hard to make the posts on this site helpful and informative so it sucks when Google decides to reward reddit forums over actual detailed posts in their search results. I’d be lying if I said it isn’t discouraging, but nevertheless, I will persist and soldier on.
That said, 2023 was still my most profitable year for the blog. I made about $1100 between ads and affiliate revenue.
About 50% of my blog income came from ads which I removed in the spring because I felt like they were negatively affecting both my site speed and the user experience. The other 50% came from affiliate revenue which has sadly taken a real hit with my drop in Google driven traffic. While I’m not exactly raking it in, I am covering the expenses associated with hosting a website, so at least I’m only losing time (so much time . . . ) when I work on this blog!
The Most Popular “Beyond the Yellow Brick Road” Posts
Lifetime post: The Dos and Don’ts of Attending the Kentucky Derby
2023 post: Kancamagus Highway Guide to 9 Best Stops on New Hampshire’s Most Scenic Drive
Whether this year kept you close to home or saw you traveling across the globe, I hope 2023 brought you to some beautiful sights and spectacular experiences. Here’s to many more adventures in 2024 and beyond. Thanks for being here and happy new year!
If you liked my travel year review, check out the most popular posts from 2023!
Ada is a travel writer based in northern Minnesota. She’s spent two decades as a freelance writer. She’s lived in three countries and has visited all 50 states. In addition to traveling the world, she runs a Boundary Waters outfitters and helps people plan canoe trips and other outdoor adventures in northeastern Minnesota.
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