Witnessing a total eclipse and the aurora borealis. Watching hand-crafted instruments being assembled. Hanging out with several thousand Honda and Acura enthusiasts in Maryland. Exploring the shores of a Great Lake. Climbing mountains in the Adirondacks. Riding a century-old train. Eating at one of the preeminent culinary schools in the nation. Ambling among numerous military vehicles from World War II. Retracing the steps of the pioneers who fought to secure the right to vote for women. 2024 was chock full of adventure!
One of my favorite tasks at the end of December is to publish my annual “year in review” post, where I count down the ten most popular posts from the year (as determined by the posts with the highest view count). Afterward, I’ll do a quick check-in on the vehicles on our garage, before turning our attention to 2025.
A friend planned a fun weekend tour of the Catskills region of New York. Waterfalls, kaleidoscopes, historic buildings, and a tour of a destroyer, oh my!
A fun, if soggy, summer morning in Philadelphia took us to the Rosenbach, one of the nation’s premiere rare book museums, and then onto the Museum of the American Revolution (with an excellent lunch stop in between).
I love highlighting lesser-known attractions through this blog. If you are interested in maritime history, Snug Harbor, a 19th-century community for retired sailors on Staten Island, is a fantastic destination.
A mid-winter visit to Easton, Pennsylvania included lunch at a cool neighborhood pub, a tour of a fascinating museum highlighting local history, and shopping at an indoor farmers market (plus a stop at a haunted tree on our drive home).
Can you think of a better use of a beautiful spring weekend than gathering with thousands of fellow Honda and Acura enthusiasts (lunatics?) at a racetrack in Maryland? You can’t? Neither can I!!
A weeklong visit to family in the Twin Cities metropolitan area included a two-day excursion to Duluth, Minnesota and a drive along the shores of Lake Superior.
A weekend in Providence, Rhode Island for a relative’s wedding also included a terrifying hike 400-feet above the Hudson River, an amazing seafood dinner, a fun meetup with friends at a cool breakfast spot, a visit to a historic cotton mill, and a stop at one of the most exclusive beach resort communities in the nation.
The most popular post of 2024 was… drum roll please… our visit to the city of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. We had lunch at a fun distillery and restaurant, learned about the history of American industry at a national park, and walked through the woods to discover an abandoned art exhibit.
Garage Updates
2020 Acura TLX
The first fifteen months of ownership of my Acura TLX are in the books. I remain satisfied with my purchasing decision. Aside from routine maintenance (oil changes, tire rotations, new front brakes, and new fluids for the all-wheel drive system), the car also needed two small warranty repairs: a new drivers side sun visor, and a new trunk latch. Otherwise, all seems well at 52,000 miles. Onward!
2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee
Meanwhile, it was a bit of a spendy year for Grace, our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Between a new radiator, a new thermostat, a new driveshaft, and some suspension work, Grace took over $6,000 in repairs and maintenance. Repeat after me: that’s still cheaper than buying a new car. Grace is now proudly displaying 116,000 miles on her odometer. Onward!!
Betty
Finally, we are nearing the one year anniversary of welcoming this little lady into our lives. Betty continues to bring sunshine into our home, and we’re looking forward to future adventures with her. Onward!!!
Blog Updates
For the past eight-and-a-half years, I have chronicled my road trip adventures. Over 18,000 unique visitors have viewed the 286 posts on this blog almost 40,000 times!
This blog remains a labor of love, and one of my favorite hobbies. To everyone who has stopped by over the past 8.5 years to read a post, leave a comment, click the “like” button, or respond with a text, email, or phone call, allow me to simply say thank you. I am glad you continue to find enjoyment and entertainment through our explorations.
Thanks, as always, for taking time out of your day to read this blog, and join our journey down the open road ahead.
The Open Road Ahead 
I loved seeing the Providence post towards the top! Looking forward to reading about the adventures in 2025!
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Looking forward to posting those adventures – as always, thanks for reading!!!
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