2020 Year End Review || Looking Back on this Crazy Year!
2020 has been a year to remember for so many reasons. We want to take you through what our 2020 looked like from January to December. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Share with us in the comments what your 2020 looked like and your favorite memory from this year!
JANUARY - Key West
We spent January in a true paradise… Key West. We drove from our home in Fort Walton all the way down to the Southern most point of the United States.
It was one of our favorite trips, and it really set the tone for how incredible 2020 was going to be.
FEBRUARY - The Frozen Tundra
We spent February on a HUGE road trip from Florida to Minnesota (which was a really stupid idea because it’s freaking cold in Minnesota in February and we will 100% never do it again).
Our first stop was in Metropolis, Illinois. While we were there we ventured across the river into Paducah, Kentucky to enjoy some delicious food at Max’s Brick Oven and freight house.
From Metropolis we drove to Lake Mills, Wisconsin where we stayed at the beautiful Fargo Mansion Inn.
Then it was time to drive all the way north to Minneapolis where the trip took a horrible turn that we can thankfully laugh about now.
The final stop of the road trip was Fairfield, Illinois where we met some of our favorite people.
MARCH - The Pandemic Begins
March threw us a curveball with the start of Corona. At this point we had no idea how long we’d be in quarantine, so we decided to make the most of it and have some fun at home.
This was also the month when we sold our house in Fort Walton and bought a new house in Crestview.
APRIL - Still in Quarantine, Y’all!
When April hit and we were still in quarantine we were kind of stuck. We had no idea what to do with our time and how to cope with the travel bans in place.
At this point we were both already feeling stir crazy and thinking our incredible 2020 was completely ruined. Thankfully, we were wrong.
So we used our sparkling personalities and ability to have fun in any situation to make the most of this time.
MAY - Quarantine Month 3 LOL
May hit and we were so over quarantine (as was everyone).
So this month we hatched a plan. We decided that we weren’t going to stay cooped up for the rest of 2020. We were going to get back on the road (safely) and showcase some incredible small towns across the country.
We were geared up and ready to go, but still had one more month at home.
JUNE - On the Road Again
We started off June with an incredible road trip. We were worried we’d be a little rusty, but we hopped right back on that saddle.
First stop, Sautee, Georgia. We stayed at the beautiful Sylvan Valley Lodge and ate at a few incredible restaurants in the area: Bodensee (Helen, GA), Hofer’s (Helen, GA), and Clyde’s Table and Tavern (Cleveland, GA).
Next was Blue Mountain Mist in Sevierville, Tennessee. We ate at The Diner, Local Goat, and Applewood Farmhouse. Such a fun spot!
The last stop on the trip was Conover, North Carolina where we met Patricia and Ralph of Sweet Tea B&B. They took us around their town and showed us the true Conover area experience.
But, by far, our most popular video of this trip was from our experience at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia.
JULY - Illinois
July was spent revisiting Metropolis and Fairfield in Illinois.
The goal in Fairfield was to create a mini documentary about the town, and showcase some of the incredible artists that have painted street murals.
In Metropolis we had one goal… make a flash mob.
But of course we can’t have a trip without doing something incredible weird like driving through a cemetery at night…
AUGUST - A Nostalgic Trip
In November we took a trip very nostalgic for us. It was a similar trip we took with our dad/granddad in 2018 from Florida to Pennsylvania.
The first stop was Durham, which produced one of our most popular videos of the year. We were hosted by Discover Durham and had such an awesome time with our tour guide, Veda.
From Durham we drove to Amish country in Lititz, Pennsylvania. We stayed at the Alden House and ate at three delicious restaurants: Blackworth, Tomato Pie, and Appalachian Brewing Company. We also made a detour to Hersheypark for the first time!
From Lititz we drove through Washington D.C. and visited friends in Allentown, PA.
Then it was off to Catawissa, Pennsylvania where we stayed at Fish and Loaves B&B and enjoyed a day at the Knoebels Amusement Park.
From Catawissa we took a very spontaneous detour to Gettysburg to stay at the Gaslight Inn.
And then our trip ended in Vilas, North Carolina at Lazy Bear Lodge. We were also able to check out Boone and enjoy Howard Station for some delicious BBQ.
SEPTEMBER - Keeping it Lowkey
We kept a pretty low profile in September, because October was going to bring two big trips. We knew we needed a little break before the madness began.
Since we don’t have a crazy trip video to share from September, we’ll share a video from our first trip in October… a vacation to the Tennessee mountains.
OCTOBER - Finding our Favorite Town
October brought our family vacation (which was kind of a train wreck). But it also brought an incredible road trip where we found what might just be our favorite town.
It started with an unfortunate cockroach situation in Metropolis, Illinois.
From there we recovered at the Drury Inn and Suites before driving to Jacksonville, Illinois. This is where the trip took a beautiful turn.
We stayed at Blessings on State and met some of the most amazing people in Jacksonville. This town stole our hearts.
From Jacksonville we visited the Wildflower Ranch Inn in Springfield, Kentucky. This is also where we ventured to Makers Mark and Jenni almost threw up after a shot of Bourbon. Yes, that’s a great video that you should watch.
The trip ended in another incredible town, Stanford, Kentucky.
NOVEMBER - Being Elves
In November we went back to Jacksonville, Illinois to be elves at Blessings on State.
It was such a fun time of hanging out with incredible people, decorating the B&B, and just enjoying our time back in one of our favorite small towns.
DECEMBER - Yikes!
We had a pretty crazy trip slated for December, but Joanie started feeling under the weather. So, we decided to hold off and just chill out at home.
It’s a good thing we did, because Joanie B. ended up in the hospital just days before Christmas with diverticulitis. YIKES!
She’s recovering at home still and there are more tests to come.
Despite the little holiday season hiccup, we were able to make the best of Christmas and enjoy time together.
THANK YOU!
We just want to thank each and every one of you for joining us on this 2020 journey. We’ve had an incredible time taking you along on our grand adventure, and 2021 is going to bring more exciting adventures.
The first is the launch of our app, Positive Note Network, in January. You’ll be able to download it on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and in the IOS and Android app stores. It’ll host all of our Trippin’ content as well as positive and uplifting content from other creators (i.e. innkeepers, restauranteurs, shop owners, and more). It’s free to download and enjoy!
You all mean the world to us, and we’re so happy to have you here.
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2020 has been a crazy year, so we’re sharing our 2020 year end review.