About
Who am I? Why am I qualified to do this travel blog?
Well…
As a former actor, crew member for Royal Caribbean and Holland America, and now blogger, I have been all over the world (45 states, 30 countries, and 3 continents) for the past 14 years. Although a true Oklahoma girl at heart (Go Tulsa!), I have lived in some of the swankiest cities ever including New York City, Washington DC, and London, England. I’m one with the Midwest people and love the east/west coast and international vibes!
Now my job is to travel with my husband around the country and enjoy the local cultures. (I know, rough life, right?) Well, after traveling to 36 states and two international destinations in 2012, I wrote up our travels and gave him the “The Chronicles of Stephen and Katie” as a wedding present. He and all of our friends then encouraged me to use that as
So here goes……
Through the years I have stayed everywhere from the Ritz Carlton in San Juan to the 500 West hostel in San Diego. I have eaten the most gorgeous steak in the private dining room at Jean-Georges Steakhouse in Vegas and sat in a booth that has seen better days eating chili dogs at the Vienna Inn in Vienna, Virginia. I have experienced the ruins in Rome and danced the night away at nightclubs in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
I want to help the business traveler have some fun, the families save some money, the single girls enjoy some hot spots, and the couples put the most amount of romance into their dream vacation.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
The original “Chronicles of Stephen and Katie”
2011
Tulsa, OK
Nov 18 – We laid eyes on each other for the first time at the lake house auction.
Dec. 2 – You attended my surprise birthday celebration at Sr.T’s, then drinks at Cosmos, then back to Gini and Liz. Our first kiss!
Dec. 3 – We met at White Owl for the OU/OSU game with Leslie, Rob, Jason, Millie, and Kristen. Then off to the club on Brookside – Atlas Marriott
Dec. 4 – Breakfast at the Atlas then you flew to Dallas.
Dec. 6 – You took an early flight home and we had drinks at the seedy bar.
Dec. 7 – Fairfield Inn then Cheesecake Factory. That night we met for dinner at Louie’s. (I paid)
Houston, TX
Dec. 8-10 – Hotel Icon – Clubs, Baths, Blue October, and I love you.
Tulsa, OK
Dec. 14 – You picked me up from the airport and we moved in together!
Dec. 15 – Furniture Shopping, sitting on the floor, revealing our deepest darkest secrets.
Dec. 16 – Company Christmas Party
Dec. 17 – Christmas at Debbie’s (I got to show you off) and Liz’s Christmas Party
Dec. 18 – My first auction, clerked while Brent called
Dec. 19 – 21 Furniture shopping, getting the house ready
Dec. 20 – TMA Christmas at the Mayo
Dec. 22 – Sami over for Christmas dinner
Dallas, TX
Dec. 23-24 – Courtyard Marriott by the stadium – Dallas Cowboys game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 yd line, 7th row!!!!!!!
Houston, TX
Dec. 24-27 – Hotel Icon – my family Christmas, pizza on Christmas night! I still don’t know how you did it!
Dallas, TX
Dec 27 – Gaylord Hotel – Fabulous dinner, shooting pool, and morning coffee on the balcony.
Tulsa, OK
Dec. 28- Jan 1 – Home for New Years!
2012
Northern Virginia/Washington DC
Jan 2-8 – Springhill Suites in Ashburn – My turn to meet the Fam, the Kennedy Center, seeing the sites with Sami, GMU debate, your mom’s 80th birthday celebration.
Tulsa, OK
Jan. 9 –21 – You left for an overnight in Dallas with Fernando, never again…. 😉
Fort Smith, AR
Jan. 20 – Day trip to Liz and Rob’s hometown
Overland Park, KS
Jan 22-23 – Fairfield Inn and Suites (bank meeting)
Tulsa, OK
Jan 24-25 – Home!
Minneapolis, MN
Jan 26-28 – Marriott – Minnesota State Auctioneers Association, Mall of America, and fun fun times
Tulsa, OK
Jan 29-31 – Home!
Overland Park, KS
Feb 1-2 – Fairfield Inn and Suites (another bank meeting)
Oklahoma City, OK
Feb 3-4 – Embassy Suites- OSAA – Craig and Angie’s fun party
Atlanta, GA
Feb 5-8 – Doubletree Hotel and Suties –by the airport, had a Superbowl party at the Residence Inn Airport for the company.
Breckenridge, CO
Feb 9-13 – Village at Breckenridge – vacation with Sami, Zach, and the other two
Fave memories – me skiing (never again), crazy club night, tequila shots
Tulsa, OK
Feb 14-16 – Valentine’s Day – crab legs and crab cakes from Bodean’s – beautiful
Mason City, IA
Feb 17-19 – Best Western! – My first WWCA – The $600 teddy bear
Kansas City, MO
Feb 19-20 – The Raphael Hotel – Favorite Hotel! – such a wonderful morning – breakfast in bed – me watching you work – I needed to be pampered after touring the detention center! Yikes!
Tulsa, OK
Feb 20-27 – Home!
San Diego, CA
Feb 28-Mar 4 – Marriott Marquis and Marina – such a beautiful hotel but best of all…. WE GOT ENGAGED!!!!!!!!! Best day ever…I still cry thinking of it! – Other fave memories include Hotel Coronado lying on the beach – breakfast on the balcony each morning – going to bed at 9pm
Tulsa, OK
Mar 5-7 – Home!
Las Vegas, NV
Mar 8-11 – Hotel Aria – Kick ass suite – pulling an all nighter – roulette – the club – crazy times!!!
Tulsa, OK
Mar 12-19 – Home!
Indianapolis, IN
Mar 20-22 – Indiana Student Union Hotel – CAI – pretending to be back in college – $2.00 shots all around, keep the change!!!
Tulsa, OK
Mar 23-25 – Home!
San Francisco, CA
Mar 26-27 – The Stanford Court – Dinner at Scalia – Top Chef!
Tubac, AZ
Mar 28-29 – The spa with the beautiful stars
Tulsa, OK
Mar 30-April 8 – Home! Easter at the casino!
Topeka, KS
April 9-10 – Fairfield Inn Topeka – Deep dish pizza night!
New Orleans, LA
April 11-12 – Omni Crescent Hotel – very nice – night out getting hurricane’s – Jazzfest for me, NORA for you
Tulsa, OK
April 13-14 – Home!
North Carolina, South Carolina
April 15-20 – Asheville, Charlotte, Greenville – What can I say? The bed n breakfast, I’m glad we had the cottage – the wonderful Italian dinner in Charlotte – and…we’ll always have Greenville
Tulsa, OK
April 21-May 11 – Home! So many things – Barrister Bowl! I love my ring! – party at the company for Rob’s Bday – weekends with Samantha – fun times
Fort Sill, OK
May 12-13 – Fort Sill Army Base – Polo tournament with my mom and John
Tulsa, OK
May 14-15 – Home!
Charlotte, NC
May 16-17 – Courtyard Marriott – Daily Grill Dinner
Philadelphia, PA
May 17-18 – The Sheraton – exploring Phili for the first time, wish you had explored with me – then drove down through Delaware and Maryland to Tyson’s
Tyson’s Corner, VA
May 18-20 – The Ritz Carlton – love love love this hotel!!! – House Hunting!!!
Tulsa, OK
May 21-June 6 – Home! – Preparing to move – Memorial Day at Liz and Rob’s – Gave away Veuve to a wonderful caring new home :-/ – moving onward and upward!!!
Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, North Carolina, and finally Virginia
June 6-7 – Stayed the night in Indiana at the little motel – road trip to drop off the car!
June 7-8 – Hampton Inn – Princeton, WV – stopped at the Kentucky Horse Farm, beautiful horses – crazy night in Princeton that ended in a way never expected
June 8-9 – The Boar’s Head Resort – I got us a better room 😉 – Met Pat Ferris – saw the Clarion – saw the mobile home park
June 9-11 – Aloft Hotel – Ashburn, VA – strange hotel
June 11-12 – Landsdowne Resort – Very Beautiful!
Maryland, Delaware to Atlantic City- New Jersey
June 12-13 – Borgota Hotel – The room was amazing! – Would definitely stay there again! Won and then lost money while you were at TMA
Philadelphia, PA
June 13-14 – Aloft Hotel – spent about 5 hours there before a crazy day of travel
Cincinatti, OH
June 14-15 – Residence Inn Cincinatti – CRAZY day of travel that included TSA shutting the Philli airport down, delayed flights, baggage in another city, and a 10 minute whirlwind shop in Saks – Reds vs Indians – Fun suite – nice stadium
Mason City, IA
June 15- 17 – Best Western! – second WWCA
Tulsa, OK
June 18-21 – Home! Last time! – packing – saying goodbyes – starting our journey
Oklahoma, Missouri
June 21-22 – got a late start – made it to a random hotel in Missouri – went to eat at that bar in the shopping center that was being auctioned the next week
Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia
June 22-23 – SCARY Trucker Hotel!!!!!! – please don’t hit any deer – I like my car!
West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia
June 23-28 – Our New Home!!!! I became a stepford wife…or fiancé 😉 – moving in the rain – buying furniture lots going on!
Tulsa, OK
June 28-30 – Hyatt Place Tulsa – wait…didn’t we just move…hmmmm
Hilton Head, SC
June 30-July 7 – Private House with Mo’s fam! – Family reunion – your parents’ 60th wedding anniversary – lots of dinners- running on the beach
Virginia to Chicago, IL
July 8-9 – Marriott Courtyard – plane delayed – overnighted here
Salt Lake City, UT and Pinedale, WY
July 9-11 – Hampton Inn Pinedale – The burger place in Utah – exploring Half Moon Lake Lodge- Stan’s brand new truck! –
Raleigh, NC
July 11-12 – Marriott Triangle Town Center – just an overnight – onto getting lost in Bluefield WV, VA?!? The property is NOT in the hood!
Ashburn, VA
July 12-15 – Home!!! Love our new Home!!!!
Spokane, WA
July 16-21 – NAA Annual Conference – Red Lion Hotel at the Park – a lot of schmoozing!
Tulsa, OK
July 21-24 – Atlas Courtyard Marriott – Our first hotel! – Even though we made the trip in vain
Ashburn, VA
July 24-Aug 6 – Home!!! Sami and Zach stayed – Sami’s 16th bday party – Orioles game- Maryland crabs – Old Town Alexandria
Minneapolis, MN
Aug 6-8 – Doubletree Suites Downtown – met the Schultz family – Lawn Bowling!!!
Tulsa, OK
Aug 8-11 – Hyatt Place Tulsa – getting used to this hotel now – Stan’s bday lunch – meetings
Denver, CO
Aug 11-12 – Denver Hyatt Tech Center – Paul C Behr’s wedding – having a beer in Golden, CO
Tulsa, OK
Aug 12-14 – The Mayo Hotel!!!! Love!!! Hosted Book Club!
Ashburn, VA
Aug 14-16 – Home!!!
Boston, MA
Aug 16-17 – The Ritz Carlton Hotel – you can never go wrong with the Ritz – Boston Commons – Cheers Bar – That fabulous pizza place – Our bubble bath – Harvard
Ashburn, VA
Aug 17-21 – Home!!!
Pinedale, WY
Aug 21-23 – Hampton Inn Pinedale – they’re starting to get to know us – Half Moon Lake Lodge inspection
Jackson, WY
Aug 23-26 – Spring Creek Ranch – beautiful views – loved the bear rug – Yellowstone! – Old Faithful – Floating the Snake River – Sooooooo many animals
Centennial, WY
Aug 26-27 – Mountain View Historic Hotel – did not sleep a wink – beautiful drive though through the Medicine Bow National Forest
Pinedale, WY
Aug 27-29 – Hampton Inn Pinedale – they definitely know us now – Half Moon Lake Lodge auction!
Salt Lake City, UT
Aug 29-30 – Courtyard Marriott Airport – Dinner with Stan and Jenny! – beautiful home
Ashburn, VA
Aug-30-Sept 4 – Home!!! – Labor Day weekend – Nationals game with your parents – those seats were major!!!
Buffalo, NY and Niagra Falls, Canada
Sept 4-6 – Grand Island Holiday Inn- the haunted hotel – dinner at Skylon revolving restaurant – the casino – We finally made it to another country after all these states!
Ashburn, VA
Sept 6-11 – Home!!! – Dinner at Mo’s for Alan’s BDay – dinner in Chinatown DC
Denver, CO
Sept 11-15 – Country Inn and Suites, Gateway Park – WWCA and AmeriBid training – I made a quick trip to Tulsa and missed you the whole time – Ted’s Montana!
Ashburn, VA
Sept 15-18 – Home!!! – Today is our 10 month since meeting and tomorrow we embark on our journey to say “I do, I will, I vow.”
Our States:
Oklahoma North Carolina
Texas South Carolina
Virginia Pennsylvania
Arkansas Illinois
Kansas Kentucky
Minnesota West Virginia
Georgia Maryland
Colorado Delaware
Iowa New Jersey
Missouri Ohio
California Utah
Nevada Wyoming
Indiana Washington
Arizona Massachusetts
Louisiana New York
Florida
Countries:
USA
Canada
Cayman Islands
National Cities:
Washington, District of Columbia