Disclaimer: I travelled to the United States for work. I do not align with the political beliefs of the current US administration. Please know you are loved and welcome here, regardless of your background. 🌈✊

I’ve finally back to Toronto after a couple of months travelling throughout the US for work. During this time, I visited a number of states including GA, WI, IL, NC, OR, and WA. Some states I got the chance to explore more than others when not working, and I wanted to share some of those highlights with you. I’m going to feature Wisconsin, North Carolina, Oregon, and Washington. Read on for the highlights from my fall US travels!

Wisconsin

I visited both Milwaukee and Madison in Wisconsin, with most of my time spent in Milwaukee. A day off in the city was a blessing with the full day to explore! I started out with a Pilates class at the East Bank Athletic Centre. They had incredible facilites, and the class itself was so hard, but much-needed! After that, I was set on going for brunch. I heard of this cool spot called The Wicked Hop and decided to check it out. I got to sit outside on the patio, my server was so funny, and I had delicious french toast. They had this orange honey butter served with it that was literally amazing!!

The Wicked Hop was right beside the Milwaukee Public Market, which I wanted to visit afterwards. It was really fun to explore all of the unique Milwaukee stores within the market. I went a bit crazy in the spices store, where I got a bunch of delicious spices for cooking and baking. Afterwards, I wanted to soak up some more sunshine and headed to the River Walk. This walkway along the river featured a lot of cool artwork alongside it, which I really liked. I had lucked out with really nice weather, and it was perfect. Throughout the rest of my adventures in Wisconsin, I had a quick visit in Madison and enjoyed a great hot yoga class at Inner Fire Yoga. Definitely recommend checking these spots out if you’re in the state of WI!

North Carolina

North Carolina is a beautiful state to visit. I typically wind up driving throughout many areas of the state for work, including Asheville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Durham-Chapel Hill, and Raleigh. Asheville is one of my personal favourites, it is very beautiful with mountains in the backdrop of the town. I love the nature feel, but typically don’t spend too long in that area. Since I did a lot of driving, I tried to break it up with some yoga classes once I got to a new area. A couple places I checked out include YogaSix and Raleigh Qigong. It was my first time doing Qigong and it was so cool! A very unique spiritual practice with a focus on stretching, breathing, and energy work that left me feeling amazing.

I had a bit more time to explore later in the week when I got to Raleigh. I went in search of a lunch spot and wound up at a super cute cafe/bookstore in Raleigh. It was adorable, and I spent a couple of hours there catching up on some work. Then I had the itch to shop, so I went by the Village District to check out some stores. I was planning on doing clothes shopping but wound up mostly at bookstores, which was really fun. Eventually it was time for dinner, so I ventured out to a really nice restaurant to enjoy an amazing salmon and risotto dish. It was the perfect end to a lovely week. Highly recommend exploring NC!

Oregon

To the beloved PNW!! After visiting Portland in the spring, I was absolutely over the moon to be back on the west coast. The first day was filled with rain, classic PNW vibes. But I lucked out with great weather the rest of my time in Portland. Though I was only there for a short time, I did fit in a relaxing yoga class. I also wound up in the northwest corner of downtown Portland at Fireside, a very cool restaurant. They featured a gorgeous interior and the food was delicious. I walked a bit around the area as well, and it was very cute. I absolutely adore Portland and I was sad to leave so quickly, but it sure was short and sweet.

Washington

After my time in Portland, I continued the PNW adventures up the coast into Washington. I spent most of my time in the Seattle area, and had a quick jaunt over to Bainbridge Island as well. Bainbridge Island is a small island located directly across from Seattle, and you have to take a ferry to get there. It’s a quick 40-minute ferry that features some incredible views. As soon as I got to the island, it was absolutely fantastic. The small downtown area was adorable, featuring bookstores and local bakeries. After exploring for a bit, I wanted to spend some more time outdoors, so I drove around the island and went for a walk in the forest for awhile. It was lovely.

The next day, I took the ferry back into Seattle, featuring stunning views of the city skyline. I definitely did a lot of driving around the Seattle area, but I didn’t mind too much because it is so beautiful everywhere you look. Apart from driving around and doing a yoga class here and there, I also had a full day to explore downtown Seattle. I decided to check out Pike Place Market. I know that it’s pretty touristy, but it’s still really fun to wander around and explore all that the market has to offer. Food vendors, artisans, and unique gifts abound along with sights, sounds, and smells. I also discovered a secret garden that they had on a rooftop overlooking the water and Ferris wheel! Super cool.

To wrap up my time in Seattle, I met up with a friend for dinner. We had delicious pasta from a place called Von’s, pretty close to the market. The end of my time in Seattle was bittersweet, and I easily could’ve stayed longer. The weather and views were truly perfect throughout my stay. I’ve been missing the west coast nature a lot, and a big dose of nature was much-needed. It was truly a joy to be out west, and I recommend exploring WA any chance you get. But, I was off to BC next for a quick visit to catch up with the family! Then, I came back to Toronto – and here we are.

That’s a Wrap

It’s been a wild time adventuring these past couple of months. I am fortunate to have travelled to many progressive and forward-thinking states, and I’m always grateful for the time to explore. The west coast in particular was absolutely stunning. I hope you enjoyed these glimmers of fun during my travels, and that they can inspire similar glimmers in you, especially if you find yourself in these same places. Onwards. ✨