The Best of Travel 2024

Places I recommend after visiting in 2024

Dear friends,

It’s the time of year when I cobble together my travel photos and notes, reflecting on what impacted me most. 2024 gave me incredible highs, intense lows, and a diverse year for travel.

I took two short international trips, a three-month road trip across my home country, and headed to East Asia for the first time.

Here’s what I loved most in 2024.

Best Countries

Seoul, South Korea

In no particular order, these were the countries I visited in 2024:

1. South Korea

2. Japan

3. México

4. Canada

5. Aruba

After my cybersecurity company was acquired and my department shut down, I decided to scrap together my savings and go to East Asia, a region I’d wanted to visit but couldn’t due to time zones at work. Japan and South Korea amazed me at every turn, and I highly recommend them for solo travelers.

Jeju Island, South Korea

I bought a Subaru after not owning a car for seven years and drove across the US to see the national parks, while dispersed camping and visiting friends and family.

This included a trip to Victoria, one of my favorite cities in North America, where I went whale watching and learned about the Indigenous languages of Canada.

Victoria, Canada

I took two real vacations from work this year: a long weekend to Guadalajara, México, and a week in Aruba with family and friends. México was everything I’d imagined and more, I will be back as soon as possible.

Aruba also surprised me with how safe and welcoming it is for travelers. My friend Koryn rented a car, and I rode with her all over the island nation, visiting caves in national parks and diving in the Caribbean Sea.

Best Cities Abroad

1. Tokyo, Japan

2. Seoul, South Korea

3. Busan, South Korea

4. Guadalajara, México

5. Victoria, British Colombia, Canada

I didn’t think I would like Tokyo. I’m a small-town girl who gets overwhelmed in crowds, and I prefer a quiet mountain hike to a wild night out in Shinjuku. However, I loved Tokyo, and it was my favorite city in 2024.

Tokyo, Japan

The city is sprawling, so when you need to get away from the crowds, you can. I never ran out of neighborhoods to wander. I could find nature just a short subway ride away, and it had some of the best food and nightlife I’ve come across on my travels.

Seoul and Busan were close seconds. I ended up staying longer than I originally intended and could easily go back for more. It helped that I made good friends in both cities, people who guided me through the culture and made my trip feel like home.

Guadalajara was my first time visiting México, and it didn’t disappoint. Based on that city alone, I’m in love with the country and want to visit longer. My friends Esther, Christine, and I took a girls’ trip with zero expectations and had an exceptional time.

Guadalajara, México

During my road trip from Texas to Canada, Victoria, stands out as my favorite city on the trip. It’s clean and walkable, full of Indigenous art and history, and I even got to see orcas and humpback whales. Just a short ferry trip away from Washington, I want to spend more time in Vancouver Island and British Columbia in general.

Best Smaller Cities, Towns, and Villages Abroad

1. Gyeongju, South Korea

2. Hiroshima, Japan

3. Kyoto, Japan

4. Nagoya, Japan

5. Oranjestad, Aruba

I am in love with Gyeongju, known as South Korea’s museum without walls. I went there for my first templestay experience, and it was a highlight of my Korea trip.

Hiroshima is a powerful place, with welcoming people, delicious food, and a laid-back yet resilient atmosphere. Many people stop there for a day or two, but I could stay weeks.

I initially wanted to skip Kyoto due to overtourism, but I learned if you avoid certain spots, you can find solitude and fewer crowds. Japan’s cultural capital is well-worth a visit, if you can be mindful of ways to combat overtourism and support locals.

Kyoto, Japan

I was surprised at how much I liked Nagoya, a city in Japan where I stopped to visit Ghibli Park. It had a different atmosphere than Osaka or Kyoto. It felt more livable, and even offered “women-only” cars on the subway.

I didn’t expect to like Oranjestad, Aruba, as much as I did, but once you get away from the resort areas, Aruba is full of natural landscapes, electric street art, and fascinating history.

Best Food

1. Tokyo, Japan

2. Osaka, Japan

3. Guadalajara, México

4. San Francisco, California

5. Portland, Oregon

Okonomiyaki in Osaka, Japan

Best Islands and Coasts

1. Aruba

2. Jeju Island, South Korea

3. Miyjeami Island, Japan

4. The Olympic Peninsula

5. The Oregon Coast

Best National Parks

1. North Cascades National Park

2. Yellowstone National Park

3. Olympic National Park

4. Grand Teton National Park

5. Yosemite National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Best Hikes

1. Daisho-in Course to Mount Misen on Miyajima Island, Japan

2. Jenny Lake to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point in Grand Teton National Park

3. Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park

4. Fushimi Inari Taisha and the Kyoto Trail in Kyoto, Japan

5. Upper Yosemite Falls Trail in Yosemite National Park

Hidden Lake in Glacier National Park

Best Tours and Performances

1. Kabuki performance at Kabukiza Theater, in Tokyo, Japan

2. Geiko and maiko performance at the Gion Kagai Art Museum in Kyoto, Japan

3. Haenyeo dive show in Jeju Island, South Korea

4. Vampire and Ghost Tour in New Orleans, Louisiana

5. East Coast Tour on Jeju Island, South Korea

Best Experiences

1. Whale watching in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

2. Martial arts with the monks at Golgulsa Temple in South Korea

3. Rafting trip on the Skagit River in North Cascades National Park

4. Riding the tequila train in Guadalajara, México

5. Diving in the Caribbean Sea for the first time in Aruba

Temple stay at Golgulsa Temple in South Korea

Best Historic Sites, Museums, and Parks

1. Gila Cliff Dwellings in New Mexico

2. Gyeongju-si, South Korea

3. Ghibli Park, Nagoya, Japan

4. Hueco Tanks near El Paso, Texas

5. Alibates Flint Historic Site near Amarillo, Texas

Best Natural Wonders

1. Geysers, hot springs, and thermal pools in Yellowstone National Park

2. Crater Lake in Oregon

3. Sequoia National Forest in California

4. Total Solar Eclipse in Eureka, Texas

5. Jungmun Daepo Columnar Joints in Jeju Island, South Korea

Basalt joints from lava cooling on Jeju Island in South Korea

Best US Cities

1. New Orleans, Louisiana

2. San Francisco, California

3. El Paso, Texas

4. Salt Lake City, Utah

5. Oceanside, California

Best US Towns

1. Sebastopol, California

2. Sequim, Washington

3. Sausalito, California

4. Forks, Washington

5. Georgetown, Texas

Best Texas State Parks

1. Hueco Tanks State Park

2. Franklin Mountains State Park

3. South Llano River State Park

4. Village Creek State Park

5. Martin Dies Jr. State Park

Cannon Beach, Oregon Coast

It was a formative year for travel, and although I’m not sure what 2025 holds for my career, family, and home, I’m ready to figure it out.

Thank you for traveling along. You don’t understand how much it means to me that someone reads my words.

See y’all in the new year!

Until 2025,

Ash