2014 Year in Review (and a New Years Resolution)

What a year!!! Its hard to believe that 2014 is already over. I guess I missed it because upon looking back, I was busy. So busy in fact, I feel horribly behind writing about it. Heck, I have trips where I have not even gone through pictures I took with my “real” camera. Admission – I got an iPhone this year, and it seems to suck up my creative juices. Instead of writing for myself and posting on this blog, I have taken to Twitter and Instagram (@DCJerseyGirl) to document my travels, communicate with electronic friends and post pictures. Sadly, most of those pictures are the quick shots from my phone and NOT the ones I take with my cameras. So – new year’s resolution time, I will get back into this blog – the one I resolved to start a few years ago, and I will start reviewing my real pictures! As you will see, I have a lot to catch up on.


Starting with a quick review – I had some huge travel firsts this year! New state, new national parks, new countries!!! I made my first trip to Europe. I survived the Bermuda triangle. I went on my first New Kids on the Block cruise (yes, you read that correctly). I saw some legends in concert (and another legend cancelled on me (Cher)). I went to some games. I tried new sports (curling). And of course, I visited some favorite places! So that summary:

Year of the concerts:
• Billy Joel
• Sting/Paul Simon
• NKOTB
• Lionel Richie
• Michael McDonald/Toto
• Nick & Knight
• Trans Siberian Orchestra
• Music of the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo


New National Parks:
• Death Valley
• Franklin D Roosevelt (and Vanderbilt) Historic Site
• Craters of the Moon
• City of Rocks
• Fort McHenry
• Minidoka
• Hagerman Fossil Beds
• Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda

New US Cities/Art Towns:
• Roanoke, VA
• Charleston, WV
• Steamboat Springs, CO
• Boise & Twin Falls, Idaho
• Matlacha &Cape Coral, Florida

States Visited: NV, CA, OK, LA, CO, ID, FL, NY, NJ, DE, PA, CT, MD, VA, WV

New Countries/Cities:
• Hamilton, Bermuda
• Venice, Italy
• Rome, Italy
• Milan, Italy
• Florence, Italy
• Sorrento, Italy
• Lugano, Switzerland
• (plus quick stops in Como, Pisa, Sienna, Sirmione, Pompeii, Capri, Naples, and some other place where we only stopped for a Cathedral with a tongue)