MY 2013 TRAVEL HIGHLIGHTS
Happy 2014! I hope you enjoyed the year and were able to Get Up, Go, Explore as much as possible.
2013 treated me well and produced some incredible travel moments. To share them with you, I’ve selected the highlights and lined them up here so you can easily zoom through them and get back to losing weight, quitting smoking or spending more time with your family…or whatever your new year’s resolution entails.
To read my “thank you” to you and my travel goals for 2014, scroll on down to the bottom.
Here’s what I did in 2013:
I explored Southern California (where I live). Living here is like being on vacation every day.
Marina del Rey – I played beach volleyball on the weekend.
Los Angeles – I bought a house in the Hollywood Hills and this is my view. JUST KIDDING. This is the view from a morning hike near where I live.
Santa Barbara – I took this photo on the Santa Barbara pier after a few wine tastings in town.
Manhattan Beach – I saw a lot of great Southern California sunsets. This one’s in Manhattan Beach (one of my favorite towns in the LA area). For more on Manhattan Beach, check out my article, Perfect Day: Food And Fun In Hermosa & Manhattan Beach.
I took pictures out of airplane windows (although forgot to / didn’t have a window seat on most flights).
I feel in love with Rome (and REALLY want to go back in 2014).
I almost slipped and feel on my ass about 15 times…but Rome is beautiful when it rains.
I walked around for hours. This was a solo trip, and while there were moments I enjoyed being their alone (it allows you to be self sufficient and have quality time to yourself), Rome is a very romantic city and it seemed like almost everyone I saw was coupled with someone else. On my next trip to Rome, I definitely need to bring a special lady with me. Any takers? haha. By the way, you can see the Spanish Steps at the very end of the street in this picture.
I confirmed my suspicion that Positano, Italy is in fact the most beautiful town on earth.
Case in point ^
I ate a lot of good food.
Toronto – I ate maple bacon crunch ice cream (with big bites of real bacon!) at Ed’s Real Scoop.
Chicago - I ate deep dish, Chicago-style pizza at Pequod’s in Lincoln Park. It’s a real local favorite (not one of the touristy places you often find downtown). For more information on Pequod’s, check out my article, Perfect Night: Pizza And Comedy In Chicago .
Newport Beach, California - I ate a few of these delicious homemade donuts at Dad’s Donut and Bakery Shop. They also have frozen bananas (which are covered in chocolate and rolled in a topping of your choice). For more information on Dad’s, check out my article, Perfect Day: Newport Beach.
Rome – I ate the best gelato in Rome at Gelateria del Teatro. They use only the freshest and most natural ingredients to create an ever changing selection of flavors (I had Sicilian almond and rosemary honey lemon). And don’t forget the pastries! Read all about it right here.
Switzerland – I ate fondue in Switzerland! This photo is probably equivalent to a Swiss person visiting the United States for the first time and taking a picture of a big cheeseburger or BBQ ribs haha. Also, I’ve never eaten so much cheese in one sitting!
I did a few adventurous things (but need to do WAY more in 2014).
Golden, British Columbia – I took an insanely epic white water rafting trip down the freezing cold Kicking Horse River. I even jumped in and rode down the river wild and free.
Maui – I took my first ever helicopter ride…and now I’m ready to chopper all over the globe.
I stayed at some of the world’s best hotels (lets keep em’ coming in 2014!)
Il San Pietro, Positano, Italy - I stayed in a room with what has to be one of the top 10 views from any hotel room in the world. That’s Positano in the distance. Read more about my stay at Il San Pietro.
Il San Pietro, Positano, Italy - I relaxed here, in my bathroom clinging to the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast.
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii - I stayed at one of Hawaii’s top three resorts, Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, and this was the view from my room. Read more about my stay at Four Seasons Resort Maui.
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, Hawaii - I swam in the Four Seasons Maui’s iconic Serenity Pool (there’s a swim up bar and under water music).
I drank a lot of beer (but want more beer-related travel in 2014)
Los Angeles – I took a few trips to Angel City Brewery, located in Downtown LA’s Art’s District (it became one of my new favorite places in the city after it opened in early 2013). Check out my article, 3 Must Visit Breweries In LA to discover how to take a self guided tour of LA’s best breweries.
Chicago – I got drunk in Chicago after taking a self-guided brewery crawl. Check out my article, 3 Must Visit Breweries in Chicago to retrace my beer-filled adventure.
New York City – I attended Savor: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience, which is America’s premier craft beer event. It’s usually held in Washington, D.C., but in 2013 it was held for the first time in NYC. This picture: my brother and I with Sam Calagione, the founder of Dogfish Head Brewery.
I drank some wine too.
Santa Ynez Valley, California - I vineyard hopped in the Santa Ynez Valley (near Santa Barbara). California has so many incredible wine regions, it’s not just Napa and Sonoma!
Malibu, California – I drank wine in Malibu too. This is a screenshot from a video I filmed.
I got in touch with nature.
Yoho National Park, near Golden, British Columbia – I couldn’t believe my eyes at Emerald Lake. #nofilter
Yoho National Park, near Golden, British Columbia - I watched the mist from Takakkaw Falls drifts through the pine trees.
Chamonix, France – I experienced the visual definition of “winter wonderland.” Watch my vlog/video on my day in Chamonix.
Mount Evans Wilderness Area (near Idaho Springs), Colorado – I hiked the Hell’s Hole Trail (8-miles round trip) and it was incredible. The trail starts at 9,500 feet elevation and ends at 11,200 feet elevation, so it’s a good workout for your lungs. It reminded me how much untouched and awe-inspiring wilderness America has to offer.
I went Standup Paddle Boarding on both coasts (and want to do more in 2014).
I SUP’d with the Manhattan skyline in the background.
I SUP’d in California.
I even visited my hometown (where I hadn’t been in awhile). It’s beautiful.
Sparta, New Jersey – I walked down the Lake Mohawk boardwalk. In high school I worked at both of the restaurants located here. Anyone who thinks New Jersey isn’t beautiful is crazy.
I filmed a few travel videos (and can’t wait to film more in 2014)
I filmed a video at Los Angeles’ old abandoned zoo. It’s one of LA’s weirdest places.
I filmed a video about Los Angeles’ Piñata District. It’s one of the most off-the-beaten-path places in the city and one of the coolest spots in America to eat street food.
I filmed a video about Surf Air, a members only, all you can fly airline bringing something completely fresh to the airline industry.
I…am very grateful! Here’s to 2014 and another year of travel.
I am grateful – Thank you for reading this and for supporting Trevor Morrow Travel. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, I travel mostly for you and a little for me. Sure I’m a travel obsessed freak who lives to discover new places, but I travel mostly so I can share what I discover with you, with the goal of providing you with the information you need to travel better or just the inspiration you need to Get Up, Go, Explore.
So, as I look into 2014, I have three main goals that I hope will help me serve you better. They are:
1) Travel more.
Although I traveled a decent amount in 2013, I hope to travel way more in 2014. The more I travel, the more information I can bring back and share with you…and that’s the goal.
2) More adventure.
While I did some adventurous things in 2013, I want to do more in 2014. I need more scuba diving, snowboarding, camping, trekking and trips to unusual and far flung places (the Arctic Circle, Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, Mongolia, the Australian outback, the Himalayas…and the list goes on).
If you’ve read the About section of this website (go check it out if you haven’t), you know my philosophy on travel: it’s all about balance, both physically and financially. I’ll continue bringing you incredible splurge-worthy hotels and experiences perfect for living large and relaxing in style, but I’ll also be doing my best to bring you memorable inexpensive/free experiences (like LA’s Pinta District, Perfect Night: Pizza & Comedy in Chicago, LA’s Secret Cocktail Party, and East Coast Wine Country) and epic and adventurous activities for when you feel like getting your hands dirty.
3) Film more travel videos.
I really enjoy bringing you travel information in video form. Fun, relatively short videos that you can just lean back and enjoy. Although making a decent video is often 10x more work than writing an article, for some crazy reason, I really love doing it. So whether it’s just me and my iPhone, or me and my camera team, I’m hoping to bring you some awesome videos in 2014.
Follow my travels in 2014 on Instagram and Twitter.
Trevor Morrow
Trevor,
These are spectacular pictures! But I have to say, I’ve never heard of ice cream with bacon in it, really? But what a great post! Thanks for the amazing pictures, it was very entertaining reading your post!
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Hey Irving, thanks for checking out my year and for your comment. Yes, ice cream with big pieces of caramelized bacon! It was insanely good. Have a great 2014!
You too Trevor!
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