Favorite Travel Moments 2015 Version
This has been a great travel year for me: getting to see some new places, checking off a bucket list destination, cruising, and repeating travels to places near and dear to my heart. I have moved up in the social media world, learned so many new things that my head is still swimming, and added thousands of pictures to my online albums as well as dozens of memories to my memory bank.
This year also marked a year that a parent’s illness kept me at bay for a couple of weeks and a new project in Panama brought me there for several months. I am blessed in being able to do what I love and to share my experiences with my readers and fans.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my life and supporting me all the way. And now, my favorite travel moments of 2015!
#1 Exploring Nashville, Tennessee with my daughters Peyton and Taylor and Blake, Taylor’s boyfriend, plus attending the CMA Music Festival for our 5th year.
Nashville is one of our favorite cities, one I have been to probably 100 times, but I never tire of all its fun offerings. Although I like to visit places that have been around for awhile, occasionally I will venture out to see new, trendy spots and hipster venues. My daughters and I also attend the CMA Music Festival each year in June to see all our favorite country performers and we have now included Blake on our special trip. This time, I even took a Nashville Home of Stars Tour and visited the Country Music Hall of Fame and saw where my heartthrob Dierks Bentley lives. Every visit to Nashville includes a trip to Merchants for duck fat tater tots. Nom!
The CMA Music Fest, called Fan Fare back in the day, is a tall drink of water for country music fans. We devote 4 days and nights to seeing live musical performances and attending parties, meet & greets, and other special events. It is awesome to be part of a like-minded crowd of 65,000 at Nissan Stadium listening to your favorite songs by Jason Aldean, Eric Church, and Thomas Rhett. This is a do-not-miss for the Pittman girls.
#2 Stepping out of my comfort zone in Istanbul, Turkey.
Istanbul was one of my top 3 bucket list destinations and I got to successfully check it off this fall. My favorite travel friend, Jo, and I sailed with Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Black Sea cruise with an overnight in Turkey.
Dolmabahce Palace with its spectacular waterfront views and opulent furnishings and Hagia Sophia, one of the most amazing museums in the world, were my favorite sights. Hagia Sophia was recently a Christian basilica turned mosque and was located in Constantinople, one of the places you heard about in high school but never really paid attention.
#3 Exploring the Disney Parks in Florida.
My name is Melody Pittman and I am a Disney addict. No lie. After moving to Florida and purchasing my resident season pass, I visit Disney as often as some people visit the grocery store.
The Disney parks have so many fun things to do and I adore Epcot’s Food & Wine and Garden & Flower show. I love dining in the Disney restaurants, having my photo made with the characters, and heaven forbid I miss seeing the Mayor of Main Street on each Magic Kingdom visit. Bonus, a visit to the park(s) also gets me 5-7 miles of walking in each trip. Win-win!
#4 Spending the 4th of July with my family in Seebert, West Virginia.
Sebert is located in a very rural part of West Virginia. It is so beautiful and peaceful there and I happen to have an aunt that lives right on the Greenbrier River, near Watoga State Park. The people of Seebert are so friendly and I look forward to seeing them each year; in fact, it is my favorite place to be in the entire state.
For the 4th of July, my family invited hundreds to their property to see their epic fireworks display and as always, enjoy live bluegrass music by the locals. This is one fun time!
#5 Relaxing in Boquete, Panama with Eddie and friends in our new home.
My husband and I chose Boquete, Panama to be our second home. Boquete is full of expats from the US, Canada, and Europe and sees plenty of tourists desiring their outdoor adventures and sheer natural beauty.
Rainbows are plentiful and the community welcoming. We are blessed to have completed our home and other long-term rentals in 2015. I even got to see the President of Panama at a parade in November! I love spending time in this beautiful country.
#6 Participating in Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Disney World hosts 2 special events each year, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween and Very Merry Christmas Parties, of which I attended both this year. The Christmas party was a fun way for my family to get in the holiday spirit plus a chance to get up close and personal with Disney characters that do not usually make appearances, such as the 7 Dwarfs and Jack Skellington as “Sandy Paws”.
The holiday parade and stage shows were catchy and entertaining, plus stands were set up throughout the park that offered hot chocolate and cookies all evening long. This will definitely become an annual Pittman family tradition.
#7 Staying at my first ever bed & breakfast in Warm Springs, Virginia.
On a drive to West Virginia, I picked up some travel brochures at the Virginia Rest Stop and decided my life needed a visit to Warm Springs in it. The Inn at Gristmill Square hosted my daughter and me to a lovely stay with stellar accommodations and their delicious restaurant, which won my best meal of 2015! My bathtub was heavenly (we stayed in the Silo) and my first B&B experience was a wonderful one. We also visited the Jefferson Pools for a relaxing soak in the hot springs.
#8 Going by boat to Man Creek in Bocas del Toro to meet the indigenous people of Panama.
Bocas is on the Caribbean Sea so they have weather very different than ours in Boquete. Along the drive, we saw a sloth inching his way across a telephone pole (Score!), crossed the Continental Divide, and made our way to Bocas Del Toro. My husband and I traveled with our Spanish speaking friends who lined up a private guide to drive us across the sea and sandbar to the indigenous village of Man Creek. There, we saw indigenous women and children going about their daily lives.
We brought candy and toys to the children who seemed thrilled to have visitors to their remote area only accessible by boat. It was remarkable to see their living conditions, a way that is unimaginable for us in the USA. I found myself once again falling in love with travel because otherwise, how would I ever get to witness amazing people and places like this? The little boy with this dog in his hand-carved canoe made my trip! Later our guide’s family prepared a home-cooked meal for us and welcomed us into their home to share. Days do not get much better than this.
#9 Having an epic day in Bulgaria.
The itinerary on my Baltic Sea cruise featured 3 places in Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, and Istanbul. Bulgaria was the one I was least looking forward to visiting and as it always seems, turned out to be my favorite. Our tour guide took us to an awesome village in Nessebar with UNESCO World Heritage Sites and unique souvenirs. We sat on a terrace at lunch which overlooked the gorgeous coastline that was stunning. We also visited the Sunny Beach area that is a haven for European vacationers and wow, was I impressed!
#10 Witnessing the “hanging” monasteries of Meteora, near the cruise port of Volos, Greece.
Some places you just have to see firsthand to understand how amazing they are. Meteora was one of those. This unique town is nestled on the top of a huge mountain and is home to several impressive UNESCO recognized monasteries that seem to be suspended in the air, hanging from the clouds.
This was my first time visiting monasteries and I found them educational as well as interesting, with Varlaam being my favorite. We also took a side trip and visited the awesome village of Matryniska.
#11 Cruising the Black Sea on the Emerald Princess.
Cruising is and will always be my favorite pastime. This year’s cruise took me aboard the Emerald Princess to a faraway destination: the Black Sea. My friend Jo and I cruised from Athens, Greece to Khios and Volos, Greece, as well as Romania, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
As with all my Princess cruises, our time onboard was just as much fun as the rest of the trip and I even got to connect with Dave, one of my all-time favorite cruise activities staff member whom I met on a past Caribbean cruise. We had very good food on the boat, my favorite afternoon tea (complete with scones, clotted cream, and jam), and the English pub lunch. Better yet, I got my inside cabin for $699!
#12 Exploring Athens, Greece by foot and food tour.
Having been to Athens before, I had already done all the “biggies”, but felt my travel companion should definitely see the Acropolis so we did that first. My favorite building, Athena Nike, was closed for renovation but we did get to experience the fantastic views of the city from our perch on the hill as well as the world-famous Parthenon. We indulged in wonderful Greek food, explored some new places around the city, and took a super fun and tasty food tour.
Even though I think Athens is a bit dirty and overrated, there is no denying its importance in our history; and for that, I am glad to have revisited this worthy country.
#13 Getting a ticket for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
As mentioned above, I was lucky enough to attend this spectacular Halloween event. Though it requires a separate admission ticket from the regular park ticket, I felt it was totally worth the splurge. We trick or treated, got to see the Disney villains, watched special seasonal presentations, including a stage show by the Sandersen sisters of “Hocus, Pocus” fame, and ate limited edition Halloween foods. Living in Florida is really working for me!
#14 Family vacation in St. Augustine, Florida.
A few years ago, my family inherited 2 timeshares that use the point system. This was the first year we actually tried to figure it out and take a vacation using said points. We decided to stay close to home yet visit an important city that we were new to. We chose St. Augustine where we visited the Alligator Farm, did the hop on/hop off narrated tour, had a fun ghost tour, ate some good food, drank from the Fountain of Youth, crammed a bunch of history in our brains, and my favorite had a cool food tour. I loved seeing some of the grand architecture in the nation’s oldest city including Flagler College, Lightner Museum, and Grace United Methodist Church.
#15 Attending my first ever Blogger conference in historic Boston.
It had been 22 years since my last trip to Boston. How do I remember? Because I was there on my honeymoon. Though many parts had grown and spruced up (such as the Theater District), most of Boston was just the way I left it. I joined around 300 women for the WITS15 blogger convention, where I learned some new things and made some valuable friendships. It was awesome connecting with bloggers I have been reading and supporting over time.
Other adventures included a private walking tour of Somerville (including the Taza Chocolate Factory), a tour of the cheesy Boston Tea Party Experience, a TV/Movie tour with On Location, and eating a classic Italian meal in Boston’s North End.
With blogger friends, Jeannine, Mona, Erin, Rese, and Becky drenched at Bantam Cider after trudging through a horrid downpour.
2015 was a Success!
I am unbelievably blessed to have visited so many amazing places this year. I never took one single second for granted. It has been a dream to travel this beautiful world with my soulmate, daughters, and friends, and I am excited to see where we will journey to in the future!
Have you traveled anywhere noteworthy this year?
Erin Klema | The Epicurean Traveler says
What an incredible year! Now, I want to recap my own top travel moments of 2015. You were a part of them! Also, No. 12 sounds amazing. Greek history, a walking tour to sight see, and Greek food? Right up my alley!
MelodyPittman says
Yeah! Gosh that Boatyard was fabulous! ๐ I found that tour on Viator and it was epic. We saw the city, got history lessons,and ate over a dozen different things. We were stuffed when it was over!
Sabine says
Thanks for sharing your year of travels with us. You have been all over the place. I’d love to go to Meteora as well. Looks so lovely there. Keep on travelling and enjoying the most wonderful places on the planet!
MelodyPittman says
Thanks Sabine, you, too! May your 2016 be blessed and happy! ๐
Carol Colborn says
Wow everything…with family and without, in the US and abroad, even a bloggers’ conference! It surely was a fruitful year for you! Have a blast in 2016, too!
MelodyPittman says
Thank you so much Carol! That means a lot. Happy new year and blessings for 2016.
Anita Hendrieka says
Looks like you have had a great year! I love reflecting on the moments from that year, makes me excited for what’s in store for 2016!
MelodyPittman says
You and me both! I hope you have a blessed and fabulous 2016!
Fiona @ London-Unattached says
What a wonderful year you’ve had – and what a lot of travelling. I hope 2016 brings everything you want!
MelodyPittman says
Aw, how sweet of you. Thank you so much and much luck and fun to you in 2016!
Elaine J. Masters says
What a great year, Melody. So many different experiences. Aren’t we blessed? Here’s to ever more and perhaps I’ll see you at the WITS Irvine event this March.
MelodyPittman says
Certainly, I will be there with my daughter in tow. Thanks so much and many blessings for a happy and successful blogging year for you. ๐
Nic from Roaming Renegades says
Ahh, such a fun year Melody! I love how you got to spend some quality time with your family, got your amazing new home finished and explored further afield too. Sounds like a perfect year! Happy New Year!
MelodyPittman says
Thanks so much! It was fun and busy but other than my Black Sea cruise, it was a bunch of the same ole, same ole. ๐ Happy new year and can’t wait to see your awesome travels and climbs this year.
Lesley says
I love number two. That’s how I felt about Jordan. Visiting the mosques and experiencing the culture was something I never could have gained from a book. I visited Turkey a number of years ago but I think it’s time to put it back on my list.
MelodyPittman says
Awesome! Glad you understand what I mean. I saw Travel Jordan at the NY Times Travel Show today. Their booth was gorgeous. I may like to go there some day.
Jey Jetter says
Great post, that’s a good idea..will do that with my 2015 travel highlights too ๐ Will copy you, so to speak – hope you don’t mind ๐ Happy travels
MelodyPittman says
Of course not! If not for anything else, at least its a good stroll down memory lane. LOL Happy 2016.
tammyonthemove says
I am dying to visit Panama. I looks like such a beautiful country and everything is so green. I heard that it is much more expensive than other countries in Central America, but I am not sure how accurate that is. If you ever need a housesitter for your house let me know. ๐
MelodyPittman says
Thanks! ๐ It is really beautiful. We’ve been going there 2 1/2 years now and in our area, Boquete, i would guess things have doubled in price. As long as the tourists and expats keep paying it, I would guess it will continue to rise. Other than Boquete, I don’t find anywhere else to be really out of line. I hope you make it there soon. ๐
leticia says
What an amazing year you had! 2015 was also the year to my first travel blogger conference, though in another continent ๐
Best wishes for 2016!!
MelodyPittman says
Well I’m sure that one was more epic than mine in Florida. ๐ Thank you so much and best wishes for your 2016. Safe traveling!
Megan says
Looks like you had a amazing 2015. You did a couple things I’ve got on my list for this year. I’m celebrating my 30th in Nashville this fall and will be heading to WITS 2016 in the spring. Are you joining this year?
MelodyPittman says
I will definitely be at WITS. Had such a great time in Boston. Lets be sure to say hello! When are you in Nashville? That is one of my favorite cities and one I’ve been to 100 times. Are you doing some special things while you are there?
Laura says
It’s so fun to look back on your favorite travel moments throughout the year, isn’t it? Looks like you had a really good 2015. I loved Istanbul. That’s definitely one of my favorite destinations of all time.
MelodyPittman says
Me, too, Laura, and the first real place that I have ever just been like a fish out of water, which I loved! So nice experiencing a totally different culture that sometimes gets a really bad rap because of the bad seeds. Thank you so much!
Marge Gavan says
When I saw the pictures I thought it was somewhere in Asia, turns out it’s Panama. You sure had many wonderful adventures in 2015. I hope you get to have more of them in 2016. Happy New Year!
MelodyPittman says
Thank you so much Marge. Many blessings to you, too, for a happy and successful 2016.
Bianca@ItsAllBee says
Looks like we have has a few countries in common this year but super jealous that I have yet to visit Istanbul. I am hoping this year will be the year to visit. All the best for 2016!
http://www.itsallbee.com
MelodyPittman says
Thanks so much Bianca. Istanbul was one of my top 3 bucket list destinations and I was so thrilled to get there. If you have the chance, zip over to Nessebar and Sunny Beach, Bulgaria. It is absolutely stunning and who knew Bulgaria had all this to offer? Best wishes for a wonderful 2016. Hope to meet you some day. ๐
tots2travel says
What a great year!
Lucy says
It’s so nice reading such a positive and full of gratitude post!! Thank you! It makes me feel even worse about myself whining about my 2015 being the most unproductive year in my life ..
Anyway all the things you wrote about are amazing but my favorite are #12 and #6 (I would love to experience it.. It would make me feel a kid again)
Keep it positive ๐
MelodyPittman says
Thank you so much! Appreciate you making such a nice comment. Made my day! ๐ Speaking of, my new years resolution was to “not put off tomorrow what I can do today”. That may help with the “unproductive” factor should you need a resolution. You can start anytime, not just on the 1st, it will be our little secret. LOL Thanks again Lucy!
Meg Jerrard says
Sounds like an amazing year! Here’s to an even bigger and better one in 2016! Man Creek in Bocas del Toro to meet the indigenous people of Panama sounds amazing. And so cool that you saw a sloth too. We found that we saw more wildlife in Panama than we did in Costa Rica which is amusing because CR is more widely known for it!
MelodyPittman says
It was a memorable day for sure. I wanted to bring home some of the children and give them such a nice life, much different to the one they have there. The sloth was a bonus and I had just said (hours before) that on that particular trip to Panama, I wanted to see a sloth in the wild. Pretty cool! I agree with you and my place in Boquete is pretty close to Costa Rica. I’ve heard horror stories about some of the tours in CR freezing animals and doing extreme things to make them “available” on the tours, of course I do not know that firsthand and I’m sure it goes on other places as well, but really sad to think about.
Uncover Your Caribbean says
All good moments! Our first trip to TN will be forever written in the books as an epic unforgettable adventure! Love all the moments you listed, but the Panama ones really hit home ๐
MelodyPittman says
Thank you so much. Panama has been a very unique place for us and deciding to live there part-time and invest our savings has been scary, yet very rewarding. I love the culture and am so thrilled to be able to have special little moments with those indigenous children, whom I love taking toys, candies, and school supplies to. They are so cute and sweet and I so look forward to it.
Tam Gamble says
I love Greece. It’s a destination we keep saying we want to return to but with som many other places in the world to visit we keep pushing it back down the list. After seeing your photos though I have a real desire to return.
MelodyPittman says
I have that same problem. It was really nice visiting new parts. I actually spoke to the Greece tourism board at the NY Times Travel Show today and was telling them how impressed I was with Volos and Khios, plus I’ve seen other bloggers posts about 2-3 other small, lesser known islands that I certainly want to visit in the future. His reply was that people only know a lot about Mykonos, Santorini, and Athens so they overlook the rest even though tons of them have really unique landscapes and offerings. Sad. I guess I am guilty of that sometimes, too. ๐