In an annual “Best Of” and “Worst Of” travel roundup, here are the highlights and lowlights of my travels in 2020.
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Well. Let’s start by stating the obvious. 2020 shook the travel world in a way like I’ve never experienced. My new worst enemy, whose name starts with “C” and ends with “OVID” came in and bulldozed everything – my trips, my plans, and my income. And I’m far from alone in that.
However, I’ve written before about some of the things I’ve learned in 2020, and even now I do believe that a lot of life is all about perspective. So, even though I could probably write an entire article based simply on everything in the “Worst” column, let’s instead acknowledge that there were at least small shimmering bright spots (if we choose to see them) in a very dark year.
Below is my roundup of The Best and Worst of Travel in 2020 Roundup. Keep reading for my highs and lows of the year!
The Best and Worst of 2020: A Travel Roundup
The Best State Park of 2020
Hands down, Valley of Fire State Park wins this award! I was blown away at every turn, constantly confronted by masses of unbelievable rock formations! Sandstone formed since the Jurassic Period, 2,000 year old petroglyphs, the impressive Fire Wave, and the unreal variety of colors… Valley of Fire has stolen my heart.
I was honestly already planning a return trip before I even left the park. My home country is constantly reminding me of her beauty, that is for sure. This is a must-see park that I hope to return to again and again.
The Worst Home Country Travel Moment of 2020
Well this is easy. It would be the moment/day/week that I watched all of my travel plans crumble for the entire year. Like so many others, I watched trips abroad for both business and pleasure completely fall apart as borders closed and restrictions grew. Not to mention, the aftermath of getting refunds from airlines in a time when they were not highly motivated to give them was a feat.
The good news is, after all of my years of travel, I’m quite familiar in legalities for airlines, as required by the FAA, so I was able to get refunds in full from five different airlines. However, it certainly wasn’t fun or easy.
Best New Country Visited in 2020
My last carefree trip abroad in February and March was to the Caribbean destination of Dominican Republic. I was extremely interested in traveling here for several years, and I’m thankful to have finally made the trip!
Exploring the first city in all of the Americas, Santo Domingo, was wonderful, as were the beaches along the southern edge of the country. Visiting Saona Island and snorkeling with the sea creatures in clear blue waters was breathtaking.
Learning about all of the “firsts” in the capital city, like the first monastery and the first cathedral was interesting. And, visiting ancient underground caves and lagoons in Tres Ojos National Park was simply gorgeous.
Worst National Park Moment of 2020
National parks in the USA have been experiencing record numbers of visitors since March, as individuals and families focus more on local travel and road trips. This is great! The USA is full of incredible nature to experience.
The downside of this record number of visitors is that it seems to be resulting in a record number of trash left behind. I have seen more garbage than ever in local parks, and it’s pretty heartbreaking.
Best Country Re-Visited in 2020
Mexico! Mexico has been a long time favorite of mine that is super easy to visit from the United States. However, most of the time that I’ve spent here has been in the central and western parts of the country, like on the Baja Peninsula, Oaxaca, Mexico City and Valle de Guadalupe.
This was my first time on the Caribbean side of Mexico, and I spent it road-tripping solo around the Yucatan Peninsula. I’ve got to say, it was incredible! Mexico is such a familiar place for me, but experiencing an entirely different area breathed new life into my explorations. The beautiful Caribbean waters, Mayan ruins, and the freedom of being on the road were wonderful.
Worst Flight Moment of 2020
I hate to report it, but on every single flight except for one that I’ve taken since March, there have been passengers who refused to follow the mask rules and flight attendants who did not enforce them. I noticed that it made passengers nervous and tensions felt high at times. Hopefully with my next trips, I’ll have better news to report.
Best National Park of 2020
Though I’ve been to Joshua Tree National Park countless times in the past, it’s my favorite for a reason. The hiking is superb, the desert environment is peaceful, and the tall spindly Joshua Trees make you feel like you’re on another planet. Whether you have an entire week here or simply one day in Joshua Tree National Park, this exceptional place is well worth a visit.
Consider spending some down-time in the nearby Desert Hot Springs area, where hotels and resorts offer mineral bath soaking pools that are said to have healing powers. This is a great way to relax after hiking all day.
Worst Experience Abroad in 2020
I want to preface this by saying, I’m lucky to have spent any time abroad this crazy year, so all inconveniences pale in comparison to my thankfulness. But, yes, of course things don’t always go as planned and there are some annoying moments.
The one that takes the cake this year would be at the car rental company in Mexico. By a stroke of bad luck, I was assigned to the grumpiest car rental agent in the building. He tried for over an hour to scare me into paying for all kinds of extras.
But I’m no stranger to renting cars abroad, and I had done my homework for this trip. I wasn’t going to cave. It wasted a full two hours of my trip, between speaking with this man and two different supervisors, but I stood my ground and it paid off.
(Side note, at the end of my trip, the same man tried to blame me for a scratch on the bumper. However, I always take photos before I drive off of the rental lot, so once again I avoided his wrath. Phew!)
Best New Experience of 2020
Speaking of Mexico, let’s talk about cenotes. Cenotes are possibly the best new thing I have experienced in all of 2020! The Yucatan Peninsula is covered with them, boasting over 6,000 cenotes ready for exploring.
These natural phenomena took thousands of years to form, and they hold cool, blue water from underwater lakes that is extremely refreshing in the humid climate. Some fully open-air, some fully underground, not to mention everything in between, you have got to experience the cenotes of Mexico.
Most of the cenotes were visited on an easy day trip from the Tulum area, though some were scattered farther throughout the peninsula. Some you can scuba in, others you can snorkel, and still others you can jump from great heights into. This is another place that I’m eager to return.
More Unexpected Bonus’ of 2020
I think it says a lot, actually, that I can think of more “Bests” than “Worsts” in 2020, even now as I lament that I would have been in southern Africa as I type! A couple of additional bonuses that are worth a mention came to pass this year.
First, the fact that I spent an unexpected two weeks on the east side of the United States – longer than I’d been there in many years. I went on more road trips in six months than in the entire year prior. And, I got to attend a live, online lecture of Jane Goodall – famous ethnologist from her work with chimpanzees in Tanzania – that I possibly would have never experienced live.
I also found some peace in my familiar Baja Peninsula, in the Santa Rita Hot Springs and in Balandra Bay. Those were wonderful ways to decompress and literally soak in the nature around me.
So, there is a lot to be thankful for in the travel-sphere of 2020, even if it doesn’t seem so right now. And even if you weren’t able to do much in 2020 yourself, know that this really isn’t forever, and things like planning and hoping for a future are all starting to feel more tangible for the year ahead.
Thanks for being here, cheers to you, and let’s see what 2021 will bring!
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