This post may contain affiliate links. When you purchase something through these links, I receive a small commission that helps me create this blog’s content. There’s no extra cost to you. Read my privacy policy to learn more.
Published 1/1/2024
What’s On The 2024 Travel Horizon
As someone who adores planning, I love spending this time of year making lists, setting goals, and scheming up what the new year will hold. For many years, I used Leonie Dawson’s My Brilliant Year workbooks to guide the process. Now I cherry-pick the lists that serve me best and do most of my planning in a simple bullet journal.
It might seem silly to some, but to me there’s real power in writing down hopes and dreams. After the success of my “5 places to see in 2020” list, I figured it doesn’t hurt to chart out some 2024 travels. Granted, I definitely didn’t make it to any of the places I wrote about in that original list in 2020, but with my recent trip to Milan and Lugano, I actually closed out the list!
While I’m not going to hold my breath, here’s where I’d love to go this year. I’ve also included some travel and blog goals as well.
What’s in store for you in 2024?
2024 Travel Destinations
U.S. Virgin Islands
I consider myself fairly well traveled, but perhaps the most popular corner of the world that I’ve never been to (other than Mexico) is the Caribbean. That will change when I head to St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands this winter.
I’ve been trying to make it to the Caribbean for several years and after two thwarted trips to Puerto Rico, I’m a little gun shy. But so far, the shift in location also seems to be correlating with the trip actually happening.
While in theory I love the idea of tropical paradise, if my job was “beach,” I would really struggle. As a highly productive (not necessarily a virtue, folks) person, my travels are often characterized by very full itineraries. I’m not sure that travel philosophy translates well to the Virgin Islands where activities are somewhat limited to “beach,” light hikes, day drinking, and swim-up taco bars.
I’m especially looking forward to seeing some of the old plantation ruins on the island, visiting Oppenheimer Beach (wait, is St. John the perfect Barbenheimer destination?!), and exploring the National Park. If you have any must-do activities on St. John, please let me know!
Skagit Valley, Washington
Where do you go when you want to see spring tulips but don’t want to go all the way to Europe? You head to Skagit Valley just north of Seattle, Washington!
In my early 20s, I traveled to the Pacific Northwest several times. In fact, Andy and I drove by Skagit Valley’s blooming tulip fields one April on our way to the Orcas Island ferry in Anacortes. But with so much to do, I feel I’ve barely scratched the surface of this beautiful region of the United States. I’m very excited to finally see the tulips up close!
This trip grew out of a desire to attend another King Arthur Baking School class, but not wanting to faff about with sloppy New England spring weather. King Arthur also hosts a baking school outside of Burlington, WA and when I was reminded of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, it was a no-brainer to head west this spring.
In addition to at least one baking class, we’re looking into possible day trips to the Orca Islands, North Cascades National Park, and of course, a drive up Chuckanut Scenic Byway. I’m looking forward to mountain views and possibly spotting an orca!
(Don’t worry Leah, we’ll be spending little to no time in Seattle so we’ll have lots of exploring to do when that trip rolls around!)
Maui and Hawaii
After our visit to Oahu and Kauai in December 2022, I’m eager to see the other two large islands of Hawaii. Our recent trip to Key West proved that there really is no place comparable to Hawaii in the contiguous United States.
While we’d certainly be giving Lahaina a wide berth to allow it to recover at its own pace, sites on Maui I’d especially like to check out include the Road to Hana and Paia Fish Market. On Big Island, I’m particularly keen to see the national parks.
Copenhagen, Denmark
I’m embarrassed to admit that Copenhagen’s been at the top of my must-see destinations list for decades. It seems destined to sit there: tempting and yet, somehow, unattainable.
What’s the problem? I fully intended to visit during the winter I spent in London. But I actually never left the island of Great Britain that entire winter. Turns out when you’re working five days a week and aren’t financially able to take extra days off, it’s very difficult to justify the expense of heading to the continent for less than 48 hours over the weekend.
The real rub with Copenhagen is that it’s not close to any other European destinations I’m super excited about. A swath of northern Germany keeps it from dovetailing nicely with a trip to Amsterdam. It’s not particularly close to other tempting Scandinavian spots, like Stockholm, either.
Oh Copenhagen, someday I’ll see your charming canals, colorful buildings, and often vandalized Little Mermaid statue. But it turns out I can wait to get pickpocketed in Tivoli Gardens. Come on, Thrifty Traveler – I’m counting on you to serve up the discount airfare that will finally get me to Copenhagen!
European Christmas Market Cruise
During my recent trip to northern Italy over Thanksgiving, we arrived in most towns just a little too early to catch their Christmas markets.
In Lugano, we watched the market stalls pop up and the market square become increasingly festive over the course of three days, but sadly, we departed before the Swiss town opened its Christmas market stalls. Finally, we found a market in Como. While that also wasn’t operating at full capacity, it did offer the best mulled wine in the world, transcendental hot chocolate, and so many cute little stalls.
I’ve long been taken with the idea of seeing Europe’s Christmas markets via a river cruise. While I don’t normally think of myself as a cruise sort of traveler, I think there’s a lot to recommend it in this context. Namely, there’s no faffing about with your bags as you travel from town to town, you only need to unpack once, you can buy as much stuff as you want (within reason), and there’s no worrying about driving conditions or train connections.
This trip has been simmering away in the back of my mind for a while now and I’m optimistic that 2024 will be the year it comes to fruition.
My Travel Goals for 2024
Make gold medallion status with Delta
In late 2022, after starting a frequent flier account with Northwest Airlines (RIP) in 2003, I finally made medallion status with Delta. True, medallion status is pretty useless for anyone who only travels for pleasure. And honestly, you don’t get much with the lowest tier of Delta’s loyalty program except somewhat dubious bragging rights.
As far as I can tell, the only thing my “status” with Delta has gotten me is slightly more preferential service by Delta customer service and consistent upgrades to Comfort+ on the Minneapolis to Duluth leg of my travel, which, yes, is a 35-minute flight with no service. But I’ll take what I can get!
I’m pretty sure the airlines are the real winners in the loyalty program game, but I’m definitely not opposed to the perks that come with a little status. I was so close to making gold status in 2023 and if Delta’s online calculator is correct, this should be the year it happens. That should correlate with increasing my odds of getting upgraded and a faster accumulation of Skymiles.
Get 50K monthly sessions on the blog
Will this be the year? I’ve said since the beginning – the goal of this blog is to make money. Not “quit your day job” money, but “I will have the whole lobster” money to help subsidize and deepen my travel experiences.
While the blog has seen meaningful growth in the last two years, we’re still nowhere close to the 50K monthly sessions I need to secure an advertising contract. I’m not sure I have the energy it would take to grow the blog that much in 12 months, but I’m not giving up hope when we’ve barely just begun!
