New Orleans is more than what to see and do. It's more than beads hanging off of street signs. New Orleans is tasting powdered sugar on the fingers, cobblestones that rise and fall with every step; big porches with small details. It's big music, marching through the streets and gentle hospitality.

I dreamt I walked through the blooming Flower Fields of Carlsbad. A sea of pink, white, red and orange flowers in rows of waves as far as I could see. I stepped into a painting with the breezes blowing off the ocean and could see the ocean from atop the hill. I realized I wasn't dreaming. This was a dream come true.

Life Lessons Carson Valley teaches my kids on Spring Break: "Don't wait," he said. I can't remember his exact words after that, his wisdom mixed with the wind, the nay of the horses, the crunch of earth beneath our boots. It was along the lines of life is short. People put off their dreams, or traveling for too long. Sometimes, you just have to go for it. This is a man who truly follows his passion.

Sipping morning coffee in the mountain air at Half Dome while watching the sunrise in Yosemite is one of the greatest moments I've ever had. I've written previously about my goal not just to see Yosemite, but to experience Yosemite. There is nothing like the experience of mixing fresh, hot coffee, with cold pine air, watching the light bounce off the icy needles in the trees.

JD is settling in and she is discovering a love of hiking in Arizona. She is trading corn stalks for cactus and getting out to explore the new setting. Expanding her comfort zone, JD started hiking through the Sonoran trails. She was excited to share her newfound love of hiking through Arizona.