Travel Resolutions for 2012

BootsnAll has created the Indie Travel Challenge 2012 this year.  The first week is all about travel resolutions.  I am not one to make resolutions for anything at the beginning of the year.  However, I do make travel plans and 2012 is shaping up to be a good year.  Here are my travel goals for 2012:

Maui in March

It has a certain ring to it, don't you think?  Back in July, I was invited to my first (and only) press briefing, courtesy of the Maui Visitors and Convention Bureau.  I wasn't even sure I wanted to attend since Hawaii has never been on my destination list.  I decided it might be fun and a good way to network with other travel bloggers so I went.  I learned a lot about Maui, Lanai and Molokai and the various activities one can do while visiting.  I actually wanted to go to Maui to check things out!  A few weeks after the press briefing, I received an email notifying me that I had won a trip to Maui, courtesy of the MVCB.  I had completely forgotten all of the participants names had been tossed into a hat, and apparently my name had been drawn as the winner!  I am looking forward to flying Hawaiian Airlines, snorkeling with Trilogy, and staying at Makena Surf, Napili Kai and Aston Maui Ka'anapali Villas, in addition to two extra nights at an AirBnB location in Kihei.  I'm taking a friend with me who shares a similar travel philosophy and is looking forward to the experience as much as I am. Our plans include plenty of beach time, as well as hiking, whale watching, sea kayaking and experiencing the cuisine of Maui.

West Coast Trail Backpack

Ever since I returned from walking the Camino de Santiago in 2010, I have been looking for other long walks to do.   A friend of mine told me about the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada about six months ago.  I have been obsessing about it ever since.  The trail is 70km from Port Renfrew to Bamfield.  It takes most people 5-7 days to do the trail, depending on how fast you are walking.  It's a technical hike in some areas with ladders and cable cars for river crossings.  Over 100 people are rescued a year.  It is not a trail for the weak of heart.  I just set a date for mid-May and am recruiting people to go with me, but am perfectly okay with going solo.

Camino Portuguese

In April/May of 2010, I walked from Saint Jean Pied de Port, France to Santiago de Compostela, Spain along the 800km Camino Frances route.  This year, I am planning to walk from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, then continue to the end of the earth, aka Finisterre and then onto Muxia.  Depending on how much vacation time I can get approved at work, I am hoping to meet up with friends in Morocco before heading home.

Travel Oregon

Recently, a team of photographers put together an amazing time-lapse video focussing on the natural beauty of the state of Oregon.  It is called "Finding Oregon" and it has inspired me to explore more of the state I have called home for most of my life.  I am planning trips to the Alvord Desert, the southern Oregon coast, and places in Eastern Oregon like the Wallowas, Baker City and Pendleton over the next year.  Look for posts about these trips as I share the beauty of my home.


Thanks BootsnAll for the inspiration. I am excited to participate in this project!