Ten of My Favorite Places I've Been

       

Ten of My Favorite Places I've Been

I've been to a bunch of different places. Even out of the states. Obviously, I haven't been able to do a lot of travelling lately. After pandemic restrictions are lifted, I hope to do lots of travelling. By this point in the summer, I'd have already gone on six or seven trips.  A few days ago, I really started missing being able to go on trips.  I was looking at pictures from last year, two years ago, and even ten years ago. I decided to put a few of my favorites in a list. Some are closer to home, some to the southeast, and one out west. I hope you enjoy taking a peek into some of my memories! 

⮚ Sarasota, Florida

    In June 2018, I flew to Florida on a research trip with the Chicago Zoological Society. Not only did I spend time on a boat in Sarasota Bay while I was working, but we took more than a couple joyrides. The water was beautiful and there were so many animals. I saw turtles, dolphins (a little baby one too!), fish, a shark, some rays, and manatees (a baby one of these too). While there, the team and I had a few chances to have fun at a couple of beaches, shop, and sightsee a tiny bit.  If you ever go down to Sarasota, I definitely say check out the Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium (there's a beautiful mangrove you can walk through super close by too) , then head over to the Salty Dog for lunch or dinner. The fried grouper is absolutely worth it.  On the last night, we were able to go to the beach and watch the sun set. 

⮚Gatlinburg, Tennessee

    Who doesn't love driving through scenic mountain views? I know I adore them. In 2014, my family and I piled into the van to make the trip to Gatlinburg. Eleven hours later, we rolled up to the chalet we had rented to stay in. We drove around the mountains (nearly broke our minivan on a not so minivan friendly road at one point), played in a river, went higher in a cable car, went horseback riding,  and rode a mountainside roller coaster. Gatlinburg holds a special place in my heart because that was the last trip I ever took with my grandmother and great uncle. There were many sweet memories made on that trip that I will treasure for the rest of my life. 

⮚Lifefest

    I have always loved music. Live music especially. At Lifefest, I go to stage after stage listening to performance after performance. Hollyn, LEDGER, Skillet, Newsboys, and for King & country among them. Some of my favorite parts have been drawing chalk on sidewalks, going to the dance party, singing in the rain, standing at the front of the crowd, and running in to the grandstand to snag the best seats. I've been to two of these four day music festivals, and hope to go to the next one (whenever that happens).

⮚Norton Shores, Michigan

       This one, I really cherish. This is where the Joni and Friends Family Retreat is at the Maranatha Bible Conference grounds. Not only does something I LOVE happen at this place, but it is a beautiful location. It overlooks Lake Michigan, has dunes to climb, and just might be a top favorite. I spent time hanging out with friends on the beach, serving with wonderful people, went boating, swimming, and always had a great time. If you want to hear more about my time there, click on the "Joni and Friends" label found in the menu to the left. I have a TON of posts there. 

⮚Brookfield Zoo

    It probably isn't surprising at all that this one made it onto the list. I spent a TON of my time during the summer at the zoo. Going with friends is always fun. Not only do I love all the animals AND know their names, but I could probably walk it backwards while blindfolded. If I had to tell someone three places to visit, I'd probably say to go to the Hamill Family Wild Encounters, Great Bear Wilderness, and Tropic World. I haven't been back since December, so I'm really missing being there. You might see some fowl walking around so DO NOT touch them. 

⮚Garden of The Gods'

    Spires of red rock reach up toward the sky in many shapes, forms, and sizes. Cathedral Valley, Pike's Peak, and the Kissing Camels all in ones view. Imagine being ten years old and obsessed with geology, seeing it for the first time ever. That was me. Sentinel Spires, the Photochrom, and the Balanced Rock all made me stare in wonder. Not only is it visually pleasing, but you can also hear many, many different birds.  If you ever go to Colorado Springs, go see this place. 

⮚Zoo Tampa

    While on my 2018 Florida trip, the team and I had the chance to spend our time before going to the airport at Zoo Tampa. It is such a beautiful zoo. They have a nice layout, a great variety, of animals, and decent French fries. We split up into a few groups to check out what we wanted to see, fed a rhino, one of my friends tried to pet a bird, and had a nice gourmet lunch with the zoo's curator (I've got some connections). We even got to go behind the scenes in the commissary and saw some training sessions. My favorite had to be seeing elephants or watching macaws fly around. 

⮚Springfield, Illinois

    This one is probably a little weird. There is not a ton to do, but I'm always busy when I'm there. When I go, it is always for visiting legislators, peaceful protesting, rallies, and I've even helped IFI during a lobby event (which not even an allergic reaction could stop me from doing). When I'm not politically active in the capitol, I enjoy going to historical sites and museums. I've been to the old capitol, the Lincoln Museum, Lincoln's home, and many other places. I love being able to say I help form history AND going places where I can learn about the past. 

⮚Knoxville, Tennessee 

    I was only in Knoxville for three days, but I really loved what I saw when I was there. I didn't get to see much, but I had a ton of fun. I hope to get to actually visit soon. Sadly, I don't have any good pictures of Knoxville because I was too busy partying at my cousin's wedding. I will say though, The Standard makes a WONDERFUL venue! 

⮚Shipshewana, IN

    I've been going to Shipshewana for almost as long as I can remember. My family and I had been camping there every year with friends for a LONG time. It has been a while and I need to head over there again soon. Some of my favorite stops include the Rise N' Roll bakery, E&S Sales, and Davis Mercantile. I really love going and think it would be the perfect girls' weekend getaway. I don't have ANY pictures from recent trips, so here's a picture of my brothers and I at Davis Mercantile when we were little (2009 I think).

        

    I hope you enjoyed looking at some of my memories. The best part about writing this post was remembering the places I visited. It was a bit hard to narrow it down to just ten. A list of places I want to go may pop up in a post sometime in the future. Thank you so much for reading today's post! I really appreciate it! It would really mean a lot to me if you would like this post and maybe consider following my blog! Thanks again for reading!

Until next time,

Katherine Simeon.

- Tell me a couple of your favorite places to visit

- Have you been to any of the places on this list?

- Give me a couple songs to put on a road trip playlist!