The ranch we stayed at in Flagstaff, Arizona deserves its own post. From location to views, appliances to coziness, this place was just what we needed and then some. We’ll be back and this was probably our favorite AirBnB of the entire trip.
The best parts? Our big, family breakfast, seeing the gophers dig in the neighbor’s yard, and seeing Lin run around and have so much fun!
Media taken Wednesday, March 19 & Thursday, March 20, 2025.
Santa Fe did not disappoint! From the food and drinks, to the beautiful hiking, and all the crazy weather in between: I highly recommend paying this unique town a visit.
Photos taken Tuesday, March 18, 2025.
Like the places we visited in Arkansas, Oklahoma City was a very underrated place with some really surprising, unique spots!
Media taken Sunday, March 16, 2025.
Our first stop on the honeymoon road trip was Arkansas, which may not seem super glamorous, but it didn’t disappoint! Here are some of my favorite photos and “highs, lows and buffalos” from the first state on our journey:
Photos taken Saturday, March 14, 2025.
March 14-27, 2025… what can I say! Those were the two best weeks of my life. Alex, Linley and I went on the honeymoon road trip of a lifetime.
As excited as I am to write alllllll about it, I probably can’t; it’d take too long and I’ll always have the memories in my heart. Instead, I’ll share stories “high, low, buffalo” style. Haven’t heard of this? Well, I’ll share a few highs, lows (or weird situations, I should say!) and “buffalo’s” are random things that happened on the trip.
What qualifies as a “buffalo?” Well, the fact that we encountered a severe dust THEN snow storm in Santa Fe, New Mexico in the same day definitely qualifies. More to come on that later 🙂
Stay tuned in the coming weeks! In the meantime, here’s some disposable camera photos from our trip of a lifetime.
Our best friends got married in Asheville, North Carolina this weekend, so of course we made a trip out of it! It was bittersweet seeing Asheville in its resiliency following the devastating flooding that happened due to Hurricane Helene. Although our trip wasn’t full of the usual hiking and nature exploration, we had a blast in the city itself.
We highly recommend Ginger’s Revenge and The Twisted Laurel if you’re in the mood for some good drinks and food!
The next morning, we had a blast at brunch and enjoyed the sunshine before Carolina’s and Matt’s wedding celebration. We even took Linley to the local Wag Bar—where he played and ran around like a maniac for hours! He also got attention from everyone – including little kids – at the local bars and restaurants…
After we tired Lin out, we headed back to our Airbnb so we could get ready and Linley could finally sleep.
The venue, ceremony and celebration were all beautiful and emotional given the delay since October. It was a lovely evening and wonderful to finally celebrate with Carolina and Matt!
The trip back on Sunday was smooth, and of course we had to enjoy some of our local spots in Atlanta given how beautiful of an afternoon it was.
Media taken Friday, February 28-Sunday, March 2 in Asheville, NC & Atlanta, GA. 💛
Do you ever have those days that just seem perfect, like every single thing is going right? And it actually does?! Well, that’s how I felt on Saturday, February 1 when Alex, Linley and I visited Birmingham, Alabama!
It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were excited for a mini-vacay as a family. We started at a fun dog park and bar (ironically called Good Dog Bar and Dog Park), where Lin ran around like a manic… and we were all smiles!
After some runs and fun’s in the sun, we had the best and most filling seafood lunch of my life! Linley was of course getting all the attention, and before Alex and I headed to an Atlanta United soccer game, we had to walk off all our delicious food.
Alex and I had a great time at the soccer game, but we actually left early because we missed Lin so much… haha! It was too nice of a day to have him cooped up inside.
Our evening was just as fun as the rest of our day together; we had some good drinks at a local brewery where two kiddos gave Lin all the attention in the world! It was such a nice evening with great conversation and company. And when we wrapped up there, we had some good bar food and a nice walk to wrap up our evening.
It was truly one of those days where everything went smooth. The drive was great, stopping at Buc-ee’s was awesome, all the activities and sunshine and smiles… everything was picture-perfect in Birmingham!
Photos taken Saturday, February 1, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama.
Alex and I are recovering from a nasty case of the flu (we’re incredibly lucky we’re vaccinated!), and the sweats make me wish for another snow day. Here in Atlanta, snow is rare but we were blessed with two winter storms that made me feel like we were suddenly in Michigan.
Linley and I certainly missed this snow, but what made the first snow day extra special was spending it with Alex. The three of us have never had a fun-filled day in winter wonderland before, and we hope to have many more!
Media taken Friday, January 10, 2025 ❄️
It’s been hard to write since the election results, but I don’t want the weight of the world to crush me. The end of October was such a beautiful time with a wonderful vacation, the start of a new career and Halloween shenanigans with my best friends.
My partner Alex and our best friend Alex (confusing, I know!) went to a haunted house that’s extremely famous in the Atlanta area. Netherworld was full of jump-scares and laughs, and the best part is that we went into two haunted houses! The first was arguably better than the last, but it was still fun to see Alex (my Alex, haha) conquer his fear of clowns…
Halloween night was lovely because Linley, the Alex’s and our buddy Tyler were all involved in a group costume. We were Taco Bell hot sauce packets and Lin was our little taco! His Taco Bell shirt didn’t arrive in time so Alex last-minute ordered the taco costume, which happened to fit perfectly.
Before Tyler arrived, the four of us grabbed dinner and drinks at Bantam Pub — our favorite local hangout. We hung out at our place and got Lin cozy for the night, while the rest of us headed to some cool spots in Decatur. We laughed and made fun of how old we were because we were all in bed before midnight. It was exactly what I needed and was worth the hangover the next day 😌
I love my little family in Atlanta and look forward to more adventures to come!
Media taken Monday, October 28 and Thursday, October 31, 2024.
I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed lately. I have an amazing group of friends — afar and in Atlanta, I’m enjoying my new job at a different organization, therapy continues to go great and I’m seeing major progress with acceptance lately, and the quality time with Alex and Linley post Lin’s surgery couldn’t be better.
Last weekend, we hopped in the car (I was a little hungover from a fun night with Evelyn before, but I don’t regret it!) and drove down to Savannah, Georgia. It was a lovely belated birthday/early Halloween celebration and everything about the weekend away was wonderful.
After a long drive and some interesting OPL podcast episodes, we finally arrived and walked around Savannah while we waited to check into our Airbnb. We went to one of our favorite brunch spots, Collin’s Quarters, and grabbed a drink and lunch after a beautiful walk through historical Forsyth Park. Luckily Linley was exhausted, so once the Airbnb was ready, Alex and I were able to walk through a historical Civil War cemetery, enjoy a nice seafood dinner and some drinks — followed by a nightcap at a rooftop bar overlooking the river. I love spending time together and walking around with Alex, laughing and getting excited about plans, and checking out new places together.
After a great night’s sleep at our Airbnb, we got ready for another great day at Hilton Head. We arrived at the beach where Linley could run free and enjoy the calm water. We met a lovely couple who Lin kept running up to, but for the most part he was by our side the entire time. I love taking Lin to the beach and it’s really special to share these moments with Alex, too!
The beach was extra special this year because I proposed to Alex. 💛 I’d known I’d wanted to do this for a while, and knew this trip – specifically on the beach – would be the perfect place. Unfortunately, I left my note and ring in the bag at our spot, but while walking with Alex, I told him my intentions — sharing that he’s the best gift I’ve ever been given. I don’t want to wait for our forever to begin. Alex said yes and after our family walk, I gave him the ring and letter from my bag. I could tell Alex was surprised but flattered; all I wanted him to feel was special. It was such a lovely morning all around!
We went to our favorite restaurant afterward: Hudson’s on the Dock. The drinks are delicious and the food is seriously amazing. It’s probably the best seafood I’ve had at a more casual, local place before. Linley enjoyed the sun and meeting other pups on the dock while Alex and I enjoyed some oysters, crab, and other delicious food.
After the hour-long drive back and a solid nap we all needed, we wandered around with Linley once more before heading out on our cemetery tour. Our guide at the Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah was incredibly knowledgeable and the cemetery itself was gorgeous and full of history. We heard stories about the Free Masons, different witch doctors in the south and sadly, how young children was buried there due to lack of medical advances leading up to the 1920s and 30s. I would highly recommend doing a tour of Bonaventure if you ever visit Savannah!
The rest of our evening was great! Alex and I ventured back to the Irish pub we visited last year, saw some friends from Atlanta and met their friends, and enjoyed a nice nighttime walk together. Next year, Alex and I decided that we’ll make our own pub crawl, and each pick a couple bars we want to check out one night.
The next morning was lazy but much-needed before the drive back home. We grabbed coffee then strolled through Forsyth Park once more and dressed Linley up as a ghost again. He did much better in the costume this year, and even got some encouragement from strangers who walked by!
Both trips to Savannah and Hilton head have been lovely, and I’m super excited for next year already!
Media taken Friday, October 25 – Sunday, October 27, 2024.
October has brought more positive changes than I’d expected it would. I accepted a job offer at a new company, I was able to see one of my best friends get married, found out that one of my best friends is expecting her second daughter, and a birthday that could’ve felt lonely didn’t — thanks to Alex’s family and our friends here in Atlanta.
I hope that the rest of 2024 brings positivity, calmness and reflection for all of us. 💛
Media taken September 21 – October 20, 2024
It’s hard to believe that on August 3, 2023 I got on a plane to meet Alex for the very first time. And the day after, I told Alex I wanted to be his girlfriend, and wanted him to be my boyfriend. I had such a great weekend recreating our first weekend together — even though things looked different this year (one of our best friends stayed with us through the weekend since her roommates had covid, and we’d just found out that Linley needed surgery).
On Friday, August 2, Alex, our friend and I went to one of our favorite Thai places in Midtown Atlanta, followed by a late-night trip to Bantam for some drinks. Saturday, August 3 was full of memories from the previous year: Torched Hop brunch, time with Alex and Linley at the Westside Motor Lounge and Scofflaw Brewing, then our friends Alex G. and Tyler joined us for some margs nearby and a nice dinner at Ruby’s Chows — our favorite “fancier” place to go. Sunday, August 4 was spent the five of us (including Lin!) until I joined the Alex’s at Park Bar and another great Atlanta United soccer game.
Not only was the weekend special because of Alex and Lin, but also because I didn’t know Tyler and Alex G. a year ago. I feel blessed to have such incredible friends, and an incredible partner in my new home. ❤
One year ago today, I celebrated six years of adopting Linley… and today I’m celebrating seven years as his best friend! On this day last year, Linley, my dad and I all arrived in Atlanta for moving day — where Linley met his new dad for the first time. Alex and Linley have bonded since day one, making these past two “gotcha days” so incredibly special. AND Linley’s doing great but he needed an overnight surgery last month, which gives us all the more reason to celebrate.
I look forward to more years and memories to come. ❤
Traveling with the Traceys 