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First up after my ten year overview is my top ten (in no particular order) favorite places I’ve been over the last ten years!

I went with general places for this list since I plan to do one for cities and national parks specifically (separate ones) so this is just general vague places that won’t necessarily fit under other planned lists.

I don’t have these in a specific order because, let’s be honest, it’s really hard to rank things. Though some lists may be in order, this isn’t one of them.

I will probably mention which ones I love more though, so you’ll get an idea of the top top ten. I also very much look forward to looking back at this post ten years from now to see what has (or hasn’t!) changed!

Bombay Beach

First up is Bombay Beach. This is actually why I made this list, because I loved it so much and think about it no less than once a week, if not more, and didn’t have another list to include it on.

So here we are! Bombay Beach is a small.. town? village? living area? on the Salton Sea in Southern California, near Salvation Mountain.

It used to be a hopping family tourist destination and after being somewhat ruined by toxic farm waste, wasn’t entirely abandoned but was no longer the thriving vacation hot spot it once was.

Now it’s a haven for creatives and artists of all sorts. A few residents call it home and there is even a smattering of Airbnbs available for visitors to choose from now.

I absolutely loved it here and think about going back all the time. It’s such a unique place with a very interesting, if sad in it’s own way, history.

Plus, I the art here is amazing and there is SO much of it to see! I’m sure it’s a totally different experience every time you visit and I would like to find out for myself!

Burr Trail

I could sing the praises of the Burr Trail all day every day and not get tired of it. This is easily the best (I think) scenic drive in Utah, and that’s a hill I’ll die on.

It connect North Lake Powell and Boulder, Utah, and goes through Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Capitol Reef National Park, AND Grand Staircase Escalante.

There are plenty of hikes right along the drive (Pedestal Alley, Headquarters Canyon, Upper and Lower Muley Canyon, and Surprise Canyon), plus other hikes slightly off the main road.

This doesn’t even include just wandering off into the desert and making your own hikes (don’t walk on cryptobiotic soil if you do this, and don’t do this if you aren’t prepared or absolutely comfortable navigating around).

There are dozens of dirt roads branching off of the Burr Trail taking you all over the desert, if you have the right kind of car and a sense of adventure (4WD, high clearance).

The scenery is amazing. The views are phenomenal. And the food in Boulder is worth driving the Burr Trail alone. Man I love the Burr Trail.

Black Hills

I don’t know if I could say the Black Hills are slept on, because they are pretty popular and have two national parks AND Mount Rushmore (boooo), but I would say they’re at least napped on.

The aforementioned sites are what people normally go there for but there is so much more to the area and it’s surprisingly beautiful! It definitely doesn’t feel like South Dakota.

I love the rock formations, the wildlife (bison, prairie dogs, mountain goats, all kinds of stuff!), the hiking, the scenic drives, it’s so cool!

Big Cypress

I think I would probably have to say Big Cypress and Burr Trail are my top two on this list, switching depending on my mood and where I currently am.

I’m not sure exactly how much time I’ve spent here but it’s probably close to a month between all the trips and I still feel like it’s never enough.

I love the Big Cypress area SO much! Because it’s not just Big Cypress. It’s Everglades City, the Fakahatchee, Ten Thousand Islands, and I could probably even include Everglades National Park in it.

I love the swamp. I love the wildlife. I love the ocean. I even like camping here! I love it all and want to go back all the time still.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Next up is the Blue Ridge Parkway, specifically the part from Shenandoah to Fancy Gap(ish) and Boone(ish) to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

The road isn’t just fun to drive, but it’s beautiful, and so lush, especially the first section!

I love all the plants and the waterfalls right along the road, plus there are TONS of amazing hikes all the way along the drive, especially when you get into the Boone area and beyond.

This is definitely one of those drives everyone has to do sometime and I’m so glad I got to do it, especially in the fall.

Lake Menomin Park

This one is the wildcard on my list for sure, and it feels weird putting it on here but I really loved it here, and it’s practically in my own backyard!

This little park really surprised me, particularly because it’s right next to the interstate (at least part of it is).

Maybe it was the season, I’m not sure specifically, but there were so many cool mushrooms here, an oozing mushroom!! I’ve never seen one ooze before.

There were wildflowers everywhere. There was a quiet view of Lake Menomin, the a pond hidden further in. Open prairies. Weird bugs. It was perfect!

And while there is the main trail at the beginning, once you’re further in there are tons of smaller mountain biking trails to choose from. I will definitely be back here more often!

Little Corn Island

I think Little Corn Island might be in my top five of this list, it’s so perfect. And looking at these pictures and my life now, I get it even more!

I loved it immediately when I was there. The beaches are amazing, it’s a small, walkable island, ans it just felt really welcoming. Plus it was an adventure to get there!

And now looking back, it was full of fun and weird little artsy things, like bottlecap garland, butterflies on trees, shell hanger.. things, and even a building made of glass bottles! (I just made bead suncatcher things for the window so it would be on brand for me).

I love it and it’s one of the places I really, really want to go back to, hopefully sooner than later! I’m very curious to see how it’s changed in the last ten(!!) years.

Cape San Blas

Cape San Blas is another quiet island (JK, it’s a cape) with beautiful beaches, but this one is in Florida. I also think about coming back here a lot because it had some of the best shelling in Florida!

We spent a week here right on the beach, and while there aren’t tons of things to do here, it’s such a good place to just enjoy the ocean.

I don’t even have a lot to say about Cape San Blas, just that I love it a lot and it’s one of my favorite places in Florida!

Amelia Island

Florida is really showing up on this list, because next up is Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island in general!

Amelia Island itself has three state parks (although I’ve only been to two so far), downtown Fernandina Beach is so cute, it has two bookstores, AND you can see Pippi Longstocking’s house!

Fort Clinch is one of my favorite state parks in Florida for sure, probably overall, because it has the fort, sure, but it’s also really great for shelling and shark tooth hunting!

The buildings are cool here, there is a hotel in an old school, and I think it’s just a little bit underrated even though it is still busy.

I think we probably went here three or four times and it’s a place I definitely see myself coming back to in the future!

Highways 276/95

Finally, this feels like a weird one and is technically two places but it’s my list and I’m counting it as one: Highways 276 and 95 in southern Utah.

Highway 276, specifically the Bullfrog side, but both are great, is how you get to north Lake Powell. Highway 95 connects Blanding to Hanksville, and 276 is between them.

Aside from Burr Trail, these are my favorite drives in Utah, maybe even above Scenic Byway 12!

These highways have some of the best scenery in Utah and is, in my professional opinion, far better than southwest Utah.

You’ll find plenty of overlooks and places to pull over and enjoy the views of canyons, the Colorado River, and buttes and rock formations galore.

There isn’t much for official hikes along here (for the average hiker, Leprechaun Canyon is one of them) but there are plenty of places you can hike on your own (same disclaimer as above).

95 is also really great for slot canyons and canyoneering (someday!) and you’ll even find some Geocaches along both!

I couldn’t even guess how many times I’ve driven these roads but I will never, ever get tired of them, that I know.

Have you been to any of these places? Which ones? What are some of your favorite places you’ve been?