2014 was another great year for travel here at Michael W Travels!
The year got off to a great start thanks to some incredible (mistake? sale?) fares we booked through Wideroe to Europe in the first third of the year.
Since Kim and I don’t travel for work, all of our trips are for leisure- unless you consider our trip to Las Vegas for BAcon a work trip! I didn’t.
We flew for 10 trips in 2014, failing to take a flight in just March and November, beating the amount of trips we flew for in 2013 by one.
Now that we’re into the first week of the new year, its time to look back and list all of the trips and places that we visited in 2014!
A HUGE first for us in 2014 was leaving Lucas home from one of our trips. I’d definitely say that it’s hard traveling without your toddler and I’m not sure when we will do this again but you never know…
So, where did we go in 2014?
International: We visited 9 countries.
- Norway: Oslo
- Quick Euro Roadtrip: Italy, Switzerland & Liechtenstein
- Malta & (Milan): All around the island & Gozo
- Dominican Republic: Puerto Plata
- Back to the Balkans: Romania & Bulgaria
- Jamaica: Checked out a good amount of the island
Of the countries we visited, 8 were new for Kim and me while all 9 were new to Lucas. (Kim and I visited Italy a few years back.) While we visited a good mix of new places, we stuck to two regions, Europe and the Caribbean this year partially due to some deals while still choosing places we’ve wanted to visit.
I end 2014 having visited 64 UN Member States. My goal is to reach 70 by the end of 2015 although this won’t be easy due to a few trips we already have in the works.
Domestic: We visited 7 states.
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Mid-West Mini-Roadtrip: Missouri, Kansas, Iowa & Nebraska
- BAcon: Las Vegas, Nevada (our first time traveling w/ out Lucas)
- Oklahoma: Tulsa & some of Route 66
Kim, Lucas and I visited 6 new states this year. Kim and I have each visited Vegas a couple of times in the past. (We also took a bunch of road trips to states that we’ve previously visited which I’m not counting in this post.)
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: We visited 9 new sites in 2014.
- Italy: (1) Crespi d’ Adda
- Switzerland: (1) Three Castles, Defensive Walls and Ramparts of the Market Town of Bellinzona
- Malta: (3) City of Valletta, Hal Saflieni Hypogeum & Megalithic Temples of Malta
- Romania: (2) Historic Centre of Sighisoara & Villages with Fortified Churches in Transylvania
- Bulgaria: (2) Boyana Church & Rila Monastery
While planning trips, we always check to see which UNESCO World Heritage Sites are nearby. These sites can be quite interesting while others can be underwhelming at times. Either way, they are worth looking up since you never know what you might discover. After 2014, I’ve now visited 94 UNESCO WHS.
My thoughts on our 2014 travels:
Looking back on where we got to visit in 2014, I’d definitely say that we really enjoyed where the deals, miles and points took us!
Although I would’ve liked to have diversified our travels a bit more, we still managed to visit some great places. I’ll be making up for this with our 2015 travels which are already being planned!
A big highlight for me in 2014 was seeing Lucas really enjoying our time away. He is actively participating in our trips more and more and not just tagging along. From exploring remnants of ancient civilizations in Malta, to joining free walking tours in the Balkans he has been showing a real interest in the places we’ve been.
He looks forward to flying, loves meeting new people and tries to make friends with kids we bump into during our journeys. Another biggie for Lucas was getting into the water. During our visit to the DR, we didn’t do much exploring (which was disappointing to me) but seeing Lucas get over his fear of the pool and have so much fun that he didn’t want to leave was amazing.
How did you 2014 go for you in terms of travel? Do you have anything big being planned for 2015?
Here’s to a great year in 2015!
