And another one.

Lately, it's not summer without fitting in a road trip or two into our schedule. While I'm usually a stickler for planning and itineraries, with every passing trip my planning moto has become more of a "go with the flow". If you're surrounded by the right people any destination can become a memorable one really.

If you've been longing to get away for a few days stop waiting for the perfect vacation. Go out on a whim and get a little spontaneous. Here's a tactic I've adapted with our last few trips. First, decide how many hours you're willing to drive out. Open up your map and zoom out to the radius of your desired driving time (stay with me here). In our case, we were willing to drive out up to 4hrs max. Our 4-hour radius could have landed us anywhere from Washington DC, to Central PA, Northern NY, Vermont, or NH for example.

If you're rolling with a group of people decide your budget per person for your stay and open up an Airbnb map the same way. Use the option "search this area" after setting your filters. If this feels really unconventional and a wreckless way to plan, congrats! You're a step closer to an actual spontaneous adventure (for real though...loosen up a little)! The beautiful thing about road tripping is that once you're on the road you're free to detour and change your trip however you see fit.

We landed on Vermont since the home options fit our budget best and because it's a state we hadn't visited before. When it comes to the rest of the planning Google maps is most definitely your friend. Because Vermont is known for its' beautiful landscapes and scenic views it was only right to search the closest state parks nearby our stay with the most promising views.

A lot of Vermont's signature tourist attractions are further north, but we happened to stay in the Southern part of Vermont which landed us just about 15 minutes away from Okemo State Forest. This was our 1st stop before even checking in. Just about 35 minutes into Vermont we started to ascend to Okemo's Ludlow Overlook which is a little over three thousand feet above sea level. We joked that we were climbing into the sky on what seemed like a never-ending drive all the way up. The view is spectacular with layers of fading mountain ranges in the far distance and the air as crisp as a first autumn day. You can drive up close to the summit and hike the rest of the way up to the fire tower for 360-degree views. Here I twirled around under the ski lifts at the very top.

Our Airbnb resembled a cabin condo from the outside, but without all of the woodsy accents and trimmings on the inside. With ample space for multiple people to stay and 3.5 bathrooms, it made getting up and out of the house that much easier.

Both Fang and I's favorite space was the balcony. A clear starlit night sky is a rare sight for a New York city girl like me, and if you've ever tried capturing it on your phone you know just how hard it is to get an accurate image. So, you can just imagine by the super clear star speckles in this image how beautiful the sight really was. I was even lucky enough to see a shooting star.

On day 2 we packed our swimsuits and headed to Camp Plymouth State Park where you can hike, picnic, or take a dip in Echo Lake among other activities (small fee per person required to enter). These campgrounds have historical ties dating back to the American Revolution and the Gold Rush.

Along our short hike was even a cemetery dedicated to civil war soldiers and their families. Once off our hike and down by Echo Lake, Fang enjoyed people watching from the grass while we took a dip in the very cool water. It wasn't long before the chills made me opt-out, but I was able to enjoy the rest of the time soaking the sun and looking out onto the rolling mountains.

Heading back we stopped at Ludlow Cooking Company, a very unassuming snack bar/ice cream parlour that knocked out our taste buds. The lobster rolls were deeelish and with an extensive mouth watering ice cream menu, there was no way we could pick only one option (more Cappuccino Crunch hard serve please!).

Even Fang joined in on the ice cream party with his own first ever pup cup.

On our final day in Vermont, we headed to Lye Brook Falls. While this is considered a moderate hike, I dropped the ball on researching how naturally rough the path would be. Needless to say, running sneakers are not the most appropriate gear for this hike. With Lye Brook being the 2nd tallest waterfall in a state known for its mountain landscapes, I should've known it would be no easy feat. Non the less we set out on our hike with rocky terrain, steep inclines, and some pretty narrow pathways until finally making it to the beautiful payoff of the stairway like falls. The hike getting there took an estimated 2hrs and you guess it, there was only one way back.

Feeling a little spent but accomplished from our hike we made it back to base camp and to our cars. We split ways with our group and decided to head west and back to one of our favorite places, Lake George.

We knew our Vermont trip would end on day 3, and knew that we wanted to continue our trip after, but honestly had no idea which direction we would take until the night right before. We headed west back into NY and I booked our stay while sitting in the passenger seat with the sun gazing overhead. It's quite the liberating feeling being so loosely tied to a plan. A feeling of freedom you don't often get in your daily life. As we drove by farms, pastures, and the occasional sunflower patches, we were truly overcome with gratitude.

“More reliably than anything else on earth, the road will force you to live in the present.” - Gloria Steinem

Just a short hour later we arrived at our place. Standing in front of the lake always feels like a breath of fresh air to us. But not just any breath... kind of like a breath you've been holding in for a while.

We hit the strip, had dinner, and slept in at a pet-friendly ranch resort close by. The hurricane that was brewing rained out the remaining days and cut our continued plans to the Finger Lakes short, but we were grateful to have been flying free and connecting with nature as we did in the days past.

I hope you feel inspired enough to plan your own little getaway. Road trips take you out of your head and into your heart.