When I lived in Michigan, I always took Lin to the beach. We visited Empire Bluff Trail and Beach annually until we moved to Atlanta, and even explored the Upper Peninsula and other wonderful spots on Lake Michigan. The water has always calmed me, and it always brought out the puppy in Linley!
My favorite memories from my year in Chicago were taking Linley to the Montrose Dog Beach every morning at sunrise. Sunrise always meant more to me than sunsets, because the start of something is always better than an ending (in my opinion). While going through the divorce and losing my job, those morning moments with Linley got me through and gave me the clarity – and joy – that I so desperately needed at the time.
I’ve been having some introspective moments here in Atlanta lately. I love the city, but need and want to explore more nature here. I have the urge to go whitewater rafting again, and I really need to find a community of people who want to be out in nature more than just day drinking on the weekends. I can’t wait to do more exploring here this summer since we won’t be going on a vacation until October.
Alex and I found a great dog beach to take Linley to, and I’m so bummed that we didn’t do this sooner (but better late than never!). I loved seeing Linley play and dig in the water, he was a great listener when he started to stray away, and he was super brave in the tides. It instantly brought me back to memories from Michigan, Chicago, Asheville, Montana, Washington state and more.
I look forward to more beach memories with Alex and Linley — not only this summer, but forever. 💛
Media taken Sunday, July 6 at East Palisades Dog Beach in Atlanta, GA.✨
I’m lying awake, feeling an incredible lack of patriotism this year, but trying to grasp the positive and what is actually going well in my life amidst the chaos.
Yesterday while I was working, Alex decided to have a bro day with Linley. It was super sweet and thought it was such a cute idea! My two favorite fellas went to Stone Mountain for a morning hike together, and it was adorable to follow along in their adventures whenever I’d get a text from Alex. 💛
Here’s some of the photos they took together from their morning stroll:
Photos taken Thursday, July 3, 2025 at Stone Mountain✨
We “shore” had fun on our long weekend trip to Gulf Shores! It was one of my last weekends of “freedom” before starting my new position for Delta Airlines, and it was great to have some quality time with my two favorite fellas.
We drove in two Fridays ago, and immediately dropped off our things before grabbing dinner and drinks. Our AirBnB hosts had some interesting taste, that’s for sure…
We walked around a local park, where Lin immediately got attention and love from other dogs and people, before heading to a nearby brewery. We enjoyed some live music and nice conversation with a couple who lived in the area for the last decade or more. We always appreciate conversations with strangers and local recommendations! And of course, Linley got even more love and attention—not that he needed it haha.
Our dinner closer to the beach took forever because the weekend wait times were insane, but it was nice to sit down, relax and cheers to a great first evening of the trip. We met some kind wait staff and guests at the table next to us, who loved Lin and kept feeding him fries.
The next morning, we headed straight to the dog beach, which was not what we expected. But alas, we had fun before grabbing lunch at a local spot on the main beach. And although the dog beach wasn’t what we expected it to be, we had a blast watching the blue herons near us and watching Lin grab sticks from the water.
I wish we could’ve brought Lin on the main beach, because that was beautiful! I wanted to get on the water so bad, but we’ll save that for when we’re in Savannah this fall instead. Even being by that water was beautiful, and we had a blast sitting up at the beach bar. We enjoyed some mezcal drinks and delicious seafood, while, you guessed it, Linley got more love! It was cute to see him dig in the sand to cool off again, which is something I’d missed from all our Michigan beach adventures.
No Tracey vacay is complete without an afternoon nap, and that’s exactly what we did during the hottest part of the day. Once we woke up and freshened up, we all got some ice cream and walked around a cute shopping center along the pier. We got some cute dog mom, dog dad and a funny toy for Linley after we all enjoyed our desserts and a drink, and then walked along the water before heading out for dinner.
Our wait for dinner was so long, but we luckily found a great backup spot that was super dog friendly. The best part was that it was called “Cosmo’s” after the owner’s dog, and we couldn’t pass up the chance to visit. We enjoyed good seafood, live music (and the singer brought his chocolate lab, too!), kind wait staff and even a stroll through a local pet store after dinner.
My mental health hasn’t been the best with some family and friend stuff that’s come up lately, so there’s a part of me that felt really bad about bringing some of those feelings up during the trip (i.e.: I never want to ruin Alex’s time or feel like a burden). But I also know that these two make me smile more than anything in the whole wide world, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. 💛
Media taken Friday, June 6 & Saturday, June 7, 2025 in Gulf Shores, Alabama✨
Alex made my 30th so special, and it was my turn to return the favor! We went to Ellijay, Georgia for the second time as the Tracey trio, and it was so much fun!
We began our day with a morning hike, where Linley almost stepped on a two-foot-long water snake! I’m not normally afraid of snakes, but seeing and hearing Alex freak out in front of me startled me at my core. Luckily, the snake had just had something to eat and had no interest in biting Linley or any of us. But man, I was sweaty after that jump scare!
After our hike, we drove to downtown Ellijay for some rooftop fun. We enjoyed a cocktail and lunch before heading to our AirBnB, and Linley of course got all the attention!
Our AirBnB drop off was quick because we wanted to hit Roo, an amazing winery we visited with my mom in July, before it got super busy. Surprisingly, it wasn’t busy at all, but it probably helped that we were there on a Friday afternoon instead of a Saturday!
Our evening was equally as fun, as we found a spot with live music in downtown Ellijay. It was weird not to be there with my mom this time around, but it was great to be there with my with now-husband and Linley again. The restaurant was so kind to us that they even brought out a table for us outside, and really reminded us of our favorite local spot at home. We’ll definitely be back!
Until next time, Ellijay! ✌️
After Ellijay, we also went to an Atlanta United game and the bar with friends beforehand, and had a birthday brunch for Alex that Sunday.
I can only hope that I made Alex’s birthday half as special as he made mine.
Media taken Friday, May 16 & Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Ellijay, Georgia, & Sunday, May 19 in Atlanta✨
Many people ask “what was your favorite part of the trip?” or “where was the best place you visited?” Honestly, the best parts were all the moments in between: the car rides, the breakfasts in the morning, the cuddles on the couch in the evenings… and the best place was honestly being in the car on the journey!
All the laughing at Lin and saying “k bye” when he moved to the backseat, the stops at Buc-ee’s and all the goofy songs and podcasts we listened to made the trip complete. I miss those moments more than anything and can’t wait to start planning our next family roadtrips, especially our big one for 2026!
I never thought this life was possible for me, or that this level of love was attainable in this lifetime, but I’m damn glad it is!
Of course, we’ve all traveled before we became the Tracey Trio, and I had to scratch off the states we’ve all been to!
Lin’s states visited (red = BC “before Cate” and green is after I rescued him!)My states visitedAlex’s states visited
Thank y’all for joining us on our blogging journey, and a special thank you to y’all who have been following my stories for a long while. We look forward to sharing more about our adventures to come!
I didn’t really have any expectations for Huntsville, but I knew I wasn’t ready to head straight to Atlanta after leaving New Orleans…
Highs
We found an awesome dog park/bar where Linley was running around and tearing it up!
We also found a cool area with tons of outdoor bars and restaurants.
The place where we grabbed dinner and a nightcap was super cute and a good last dinner of the honeymoon.
We had a cozy night in at the cute AirBnB, where we watched the season finale of 90 Day Fiancé: The Last Resort haha.
During our last morning of the honeymoon, Lin and I sat outside in the sun while I enjoyed my morning coffee.
Lin got to play at another local dog park before breakfast, where we had the pleasure of meeting locals (humans AND dogs haha!)
We found the cutest brunch spot where they had dog-themed cocktails, good GF options and were super dog-friendly!
Lows
Alex’s drink at the first bar we went to was horrible… it was sweet and blue and disgusting haha.
I was very emotional on the last day of our trip; I don’t think I was ready to be home in Atlanta because some family drama came up during the trip; and it was all hitting that last day.
Buffalo
Linley had a been on him during our outdoor dinner! We don’t think he got stung but we literally had to pull it off of him. We noticed he was acting weird and it was just super random!
Media taken Wednesday, March 26 & Thursday; March 27, 2025 in Huntsville, Alabama.
But boy, even after all the fun, did it feel good to be back home!
Right now it’s pouring rain in Atlanta, and I’m in bed with two, sleeping dogs and one sleeping husband. We’re dog sitting until later this morning and now everyone is happily snoring again. Life is good!
Life felt really good in New Orleans, too. There was no stress, time didn’t exist and the pace is something I wish more people lived by. After our long but fun afternoon in the French Quarter, we headed back to our AirBnB to chill out and freshen up before dinner. We had to take more pictures of all the great things we saw along the way!
I still have dreams about New Orleans and our cute AirBnB. It’s a dream to live there or in Savannah one day, not only because of the pace but also because of the old architecture and coziness I feel in these kinds of places. Alex napped and I took some photos of Linley enjoying our place at the fullest.
The start to our evening plans were unique because we were meeting with my mentor-turned-friend, Don. Don grew up in Jersey but has lived his NO since he was 29 (bought a one-way ticket and never left!) He has two sons, is in a band and is with the coolest chic ever… talk about creating an amazing life for yourself! Don and I used to work together and it’s been hard to not have him as a teammate anymore, but it was great to have a reunion and for him and Alex to finally meet! Linley was there too, of course. Don met us around the corner and he brought us some champagne… and whiskey shots!
I had to bring the Viagra Boys shirt that I wore last time I saw Don!
Unfortunately our time together was way too short; Alex and I had reservations for dinner and Don kindly drove us there. We were hoping to spend time with him before we left, but the time we had was better than no time at all! Our dinner was amazing but we were sat next to some interesting people… all I can say is we can laugh about it now haha! It was really nice to end our stay in NO with quality time though.
The next morning we lazily hung out in our place, probably trying to recover from our entire time in NO haha. It was bittersweet because we’d wanted to be in NO together but also knew that our honeymoon was coming to an end. Lin and I strolled around the neighborhood one last time, we loaded up the car, grabbed brunch and headed east. It’s even hard typing this now because I wish we had more time there…
After a fun-filled afternoon on Frenchman Street, we headed back to our AirBnB to freshen up before dinner. The three of us stopped at this really cute food hall for a couple drinks and appetizers, and even Linley had his very first Ritz cracker!
Although it was overstimulating for Alex, the two of us had to go to Bourbon Street just for the hell of it. The best part was catching jazz outdoors at one of my favorite local spots. Next visit we’ll spend more time on Frenchman Street – where all the locals hang out – but it was funny to laugh at the Bourbon Street shenanigans, have mediocre food and ultimately head back to see Linley.
Luckily our next day was much better than the previous evening! Linley and I walked around in the morning together, strolled through the local neighborhoods, and admired the old architecture and funkiness of the cafes nearby. Once we got back, the three of us enjoyed a great brunch and even better conversation with some locals. We really loved how friendly and laid back everyone was, and kept fantasizing about moving there one day.
Our afternoon was full of adventure in the French Quarter! Linley was a good boy in the Uber and it was fun to experience the quarter with Alex and Lin this time. 💛 We wandered around, enjoyed the waterfront walk and view, met some kind strangers near Jackson Square, and ended up getting beignets and hurricanes. Hearing all the jazz music and the overall atmosphere brought back some fond memories. But doing all this with my two favorite guys made this time in New Orleans extra special. I can’t wait for next time! And stay tuned for another post…
Media taken Monday, March 24 & Tuesday, March 25, 2025 in New Orleans, LA.✨
New Orleans hits different when you’re with your two best friends (the third time’s the charm)!
Although heading east after The Grand Canyon was bittersweet, we had a blast in New Orleans, and were majorly looking forward to that leg of the trip. Alex and Linley had never been, so experiencing it through their eyes was really fun. And it was fun to stay in a part of town and explore new places I hadn’t yet!
We stayed near Crescent Park in the cutest AirBnB (definitely one of my favorites of the honeymoon, and one of my favorites ever!) and walked New Orleans’ version of the Beltline toward Frenchmen Street. It was great to see another part of town that wasn’t as touristy as places I’d stayed at in 2022 and 2023.
Frenchmen Street is WAY better and much more local than Bourbon Street (next time we’ll be staying there more). We enjoyed delicious espresso martinis, mezcal drinks and seafood lunch at this cute cafe, and one of the employees brought her newly-rescued dog in! While we were eating, a gentleman struck up conversation with us and told us about some of the local history while we waited for his bike to be repaired across the street. He was a local artist himself, and it was amazing to hear about his life and all that New Orleans had been through. When we were done with our afternoon cocktails, Linley even found some “Jerry beads” along the way!
Before heading out for dinner, we knew we weren’t done exploring. While admiring the local architecture, funky art and old, southern charm down neighborhood streets, we stumbled across a dog-themed bar called Pepp’s Pub. All dogs got their photos taken and we even got our photos taken after a shot, too! A kind stranger who’d lost her dog not too long ago sat with us and it was awesome to hear about her life and her beloved pup.
All of our first afternoon reminded us to slow down, always chat with strangers and to appreciate the moments we had as our “Tracey Trio!”
We continued to have such a great time in New Orleans, but more to come on that later 😌
Photos taken Monday, March 24, 2025 in New Orleans, LA 💛
On our way back to the southeast, we stopped over in Dallas after a long drive across Texas. Ironically, Linley is actually from Texas, but we suspect he was from the Houston area and was abandoned during Hurricane Harvey in 2017. #adoptdontshop 💛
Highs
Our AirBnB was awesome! We were in the middle of downtown and had some incredible views.
We stumbled upon this cute park on our walk, and also stopped at an Irish pub on our way back to the AirBnB.
We were finally able to do some laundry while we watched our favorite trash TV: 90 Day Fiancé!
Lows
This was my second time in Dallas, and in my opinion, it just feels like a generic, big city without a lot of culture.
Once we left the Irish pub, we found more restaurants that would’ve been even better… oh well!
Buffalos
A drunk lady outside at the pub befriended me, and her dog was super cute. Drunk women love to talk to me haha!
Linley wanted to mark everything… and I mean everything…
Back to the honeymoon posts! 😀 Albuquerque, New Mexico did not disappoint. From the delicious food to the kindest people, I highly recommend paying this city a visit. My only regret is that we should’ve spent more time here instead of Santa Fe, but c’est la vie!
Highs
Our AirBnB was super cute!
We drove by the Breaking Bad house, and didn’t get screamed at by the paranoid lady who lives there haha!
We had the most delicious dinner and mezcal drinks, and the restaurant was super dog friendly. Our server loved us and Linley even got a free chicken dinner from the owner!
We walked to Bar Uno, a super dog friendly bar downtown, and our bartender was incredible. He was super nice and loved Linley, too… as did the other patrons.
Simply walking around and exploring our area with Alex and Linley was so much fun; it’s always the little things!
Low
I had the *worst* bloody nose at night. It woke me up and I had the worst night sleep of the entire trip that night by far.
Buffalos
At Bar Uno, a lady came in who was clearly on pills. Our lovely bartender actually cut her off and called it out. It was sad to see someone going through that, but really responsible on our bartender’s end and Alex and I sincerely appreciated his nonjudgmental approach. Well done, sir!
I missed the morning walk before heading east because of my stupid bloody nose and shitty night’s sleep, but Alex and Lin saw some hot air balloons together! Although slightly jealous since they’re a New Mexico staple, I was happy they got to experience them together!
For those of you who have been reading along for a while, y’all know how much I love New York City. It’s a place where *healthy* family memories were shared with *healthy* family members of mine. My favorite cousin used to live there as her family was located in Tarrytown, but I haven’t visited since Katy moved away in 2023. Last weekend, Alex and I *finally* flew together for the first time to visit our friends, Amy and Danny. It was wonderful to make new memories in the city, although I did miss Katy’s quality time very much.
Amy and Alex have always had a brother/sister-type friendship. It’s been lovely getting to know her and her husband even though we’ve been ships passing in the night (I moved to Atlanta in September of 2023, while Danny and Amy moved to NYC two months later). Alex and I have wanted to visit for a while now, and all our schedules finally aligned.
While Linley was living it up at our aunt’s and uncle’s house with his pup cousins, Alex and I arrived at the airport early on Friday morning. We were tired but excited, and quickly woke up when we felt the energy of the city (for example, the traffic controller in the rideshare lane was yelling and insulting all the drivers, which we personally loved)! We stayed in Chinatown and ate on the border of Little Italy for lunch, where I enjoyed gluten free mozzarella sticks and cacio de pepe. Alex and I also enjoyed some delicious mezcal cocktails, which was an excellent way to kick off the weekend!
After our amazing lunch, we strolled through Dumbo and walked the Brooklyn Bridge. We also ended up at an outdoor bar called Jury Duty, which was ironic because not only did we see a few brides and grooms walk by from the courthouse, but it was also the day of Luigi’s “not-guilty” plea. Talk about a wild coincidence haha!
We strolled back to our hotel and met up with Amy and Danny for family-style Thai seafood dinner. We laughed and caught up while I tried a fish eye for the first time. It was so nice to try new places and celebrate Danny’s new job, Amy’s birthday, our recent marriage and my official last name change. So much to celebrate! The kindest thing that Amy said was, “You’ve meant so much to me because of how happy you make Alex.” That meant the world to me, and it’s been great to grow our friendship, too!
After dinner, we kept the conversation going at a really cool speakeasy bar. It was fun to people watch and talk about travel, how we all met and just overall continuing to catch up. Even though we don’t see each other as often, it always feels like no time has passed—a good sign of a great friendship!
Saturday morning was fun and full of exploring Chinatown more. I’d only been once but it was fun to revisit with someone who is actually Chinese! Alex was in heaven. With hotel coffee in hand, we strolled to a congee place called Big Wong where Alex enjoyed some pork dish that could’ve been a dinner, and I tried shrimp congee for the first – but not last – time. Good thing we had an hour wait for brunch with Amy and Danny, because we definitely over ate!
Once Alex grabbed some food from a bakery and another market, we made our way back to the hotel, and finally brunch with Amy and Danny. We had an hour-long wait, which was okay because the people watching outside was prime, and we had time to grab coffee from a nearby spot. I loved all our conversations and seriously miss Amy and Danny already! For lunch, I had a whitefish sandwich and banana bread, all gluten free. We also had fun navigating the subways after as we ventured to Central Park. The flowers were so beautiful and it was Alex’s first time walking within the park itself. We all majorly needed a nap before heading back out for dinner and our nighttime comedy show!
Our dinner was lovely as we enjoyed more pasta, and Alex and I enjoyed mezcal espresso martinis! After dinner, we had the best time at our Gotham City comedy show. I’ve always wanted to go there and I’m so glad we finally did! The host and all five comedians were absolutely hilarious and the jokes and laughs kept flowing. We stayed up wayyy past our bedtime but it was so worth it!
I hope y’all enjoyed this break from the honeymoon posts (which will resume tomorrow…) but in case you missed him as much as we did, here’s what Lin was up to while we were away:
Traveling with the Traceys 