A Suitcase and Go

I love that Denver has so many ways to get around.  There are electric bikes everywhere by Lyft and Uber and an abundance of scooters all over the place.   The weather Monday/Tuesday were super rainy.  Everyone says it never rains this much here normally, but I actually don't mind it.  The weekends have been beautiful and the rain comes and goes.  What everyone said about the weather is so true, it really varies.  I can leave my AirBnb and it’s a little cool, walk 5 minutes and its really hot.  It definitely requires dressing in layers - I learned that after going to an outdoor bar and freezing because I didn't dress correctly.  Over the weekend I rented a car again and went to explore the mountains.   Highlights: Rocky Mountain National Park - I got to drive around the mountains, see wildlife and hike in the snow.  It was such an adventurous day and every view was unbelievably beautiful.   Royal Gorge Bridge & P...

This post took a while to write, since I've been busy getting my bearings in Seattle.  This is the only location that I didn't do for a full month and instead opted for 2 weeks.  It just happened that way based on how I scheduled my time in destination #4.  Since I didn't have much time in Seattle, this will be my only post about the city encompassing everything I did.  I had a few days of rain, but also got some really wonderful weather, so no complaints. Livability for me :  50% - I ended up really liking Seattle and could see myself visiting it again (maybe living there), although I'd prefer coming in the summer.  Also, while I liked the area I stayed (Belltown), I'd probably stay in the Capital Hill area which has a more Brooklyn vibe. Highlights: The Space Needle - A total touristy thing to do, but I have to say I became infatuated immediately with Seattle after going up.  The views were completely beautiful and the city has so many high rises ...

Portland is known as the city of roses.  While I'm here too early to see roses I was able to see lots of pretty blooming flowers while exploring Washington Park on Saturday.  On Sunday, I rented a car again to venture outside of Portland. Highlights: Washington Park:  Vietnam Memorial: One of the coolest and most interesting memorials I've been too.  It is built as a spiral and as you make your way around, each stone memorial has a year that highlights the progression of the war, along with the names of those Oregon soldiers killed. Hoyt Arboretum:  Such a beautiful place to hike and walk around. The park contains over 2,000 different plants/trees from around the world. I highly recommend visiting the redwood viewing area and the bamboo forest (small but has a really peaceful vibe). Silver Falls State Park: Probably my favorite park I visited in Portland.  There is a hike you can do called The Trail of 10 Falls (about 8 miles all around).  T...