The New Year’s Post: My Top Experiences of 2021

Another year has come and gone in the blink of an eye. Despite our best hopes this time last year, life is still not back to what we remember in 2019 and frankly may never return to that. Regardless, 2021 was still a great year for me as I had the opportunity to take several trips, see lots of new things and, most importantly, start this website. So, in honor of the New Year’s holiday, here is a list of my top experiences of 2021!

Some of these I’ve already written about. Others are still waiting to be written. If there’s one that is particularly interesting to you, make sure to sign up for my mailing list for updates so you don’t miss when I write about each of these experiences!

These aren’t meant as reviews or guides, but simply my own brief reflections on what made each experience special.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a small commission. This occurs at no added cost to you.

Kayaking the Salt Marshes in Key West

Out of everything on this list, this is probably the most unique thing I’ve ever done. You can do this as part of a tour or on your own. I chose on my own which, I think, is the best way to do it.

Kayaking through the mangrove tunnels gave this amazing feeling of isolation even though the touristy streets of Key West were probably within 100 or so yards in any direction. I had to use my hands to navigate some of the tunnels because of how tight they were.

The rental company, Lazy Dog Adventures, provided a map with general directions. However, it was easy to get lost because there were so many tunnels opening up into the marshes. I never got so lost that I felt scared, but it was enough to give it a feeling of adventure.

Highlights

• I saw a shark swimming underneath me! Unfortunately, I didn’t get to my phone fast enough to snap a picture.
• The first mangrove tunnel was fairly wide. It made me think of a Tunnel of Love dark ride.
• There were mangrove tunnels so tight I had to duck under branches and use my hands to navigate at times.
• Navy Air Force jets were taking off from the nearby base just over my head. They were so close it made my kayak shake.
• The salt marshes themselves were pretty neat. They were kind of like a water desert. If you’ve been there, you understand what I mean.
• Crossing the bay was a bit of an adventure as much larger boats were coming and going. It was also impressive sitting at its mouth, with the whole of the ocean right there in front of me.

Hiking Shenandoah’s Old Rag

The hike up Old Rag was the most actual adventurous thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t hike Angel’s Landing when I was in Zion National Park, but I imagine Old Rag is similar. The difference between Angel’s Landing and Old Rag is that Old Rag has trees so it doesn’t make the plummet to your doom on either side of you as apparent.

I had never done any rock scrambling like what Old Rag offers before so this was such a fun and thrilling experience. It was physically demanding with some of the best views in all of Shenandoah National Park. It had everything you could want as a hiker.

At one point I got lost and ended up on a relatively small boulder at least 3,000′ up with sheer drops on three out of four sides of me. It was terrifying but at the same time it made me feel very, very alive. I had to wait several minutes till I heard people coming to know how to get back on the main trail.

Highlights

Highlights

• Those first views of the bay behind my back were so surprising and pretty.
• There were some easy rock scrambles towards the peak that were fun to climb.
• The views from the peak were absolutely remarkable.
• Polladirk Valley is absolutely stunning. It’s a stream cutting through the Twelve Bens to the right of the peak. It’s one of the most picturesque vistas I’ve ever seen. Even still, when I look at pictures of this spot it brings goosebumps to my skin.

Hiking the Doolin Cliff Walk to the Cliffs of Moher

Getting to see the Cliffs of Moher in person was a treat unto itself. However, it was the hike along the cliffs themselves that made this an unforgettable experience. At a couple points I was quite literally on the edge of the cliff looking down at sheer drop to the rocks below. It was quite the thrill.

I firmly believe that a great hike isn’t just views and exercise. It has to have some element of danger involved, however remote, to set it apart from just a good hike. I definitely got that from here as I was leaping over a section that had eroded away to nothingness.

Highlights

• The cliffs themselves were spectacular and way better in person where you actually get to see the Atlantic crashing into them.
• For much of the hike you go along farmland with horses, cattle and sheep. At one of these a horse came up to the fence, and we were able to feed her out of our hands.
• Listening to the constant churn of the ocean below as we walked was pleasing to the ear. Adding to this were the constant views of cliffs (besides Cliffs of Moher themselves), rocky outcroppings and small beaches.
• This isn’t part of the hike, but the Guinness at the pub at the end of the hike was well-earned and delightful.

Bicycling the Everglades’ Shark Valley

Shark Valley in the Everglades is about as close to an African safari as I feel like you can get without actually going to Africa. I am not aware of any other landscape in America that compares to Shark Valley.

That’s just regarding the landscape. I haven’t even mentioned the wildlife, yet!

We must have seen at least 20-30 alligators on our bike ride through the area, many no more than 10 feet away from us. In addition to the alligators, there were wading birds of all shapes and sizes and a bottle nosed turtle sighting.

Highlights

• Among all the alligator sightings we had were several babies. It was fun watching them scurry through the grass, but listening to their calls was adorable. One nest that I couldn’t see must have had several different babies squeaking back and forth to each other.
• There’s an observation tower at the mid-point of the bike ride that has some incredible views of the scenery. Below the tower is a waterway that had an alligator slowly swimming through it. It was neat watching how it swims. It looked sort of like a snake the way it used its tail to propel itself.
• One of the small walking trails I took had a large alligator sitting right in the middle of it, cutting off access to the rest of the trail. It was so impressive seeing it’s size at such a close vantage point.

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial & Museum

I’m not sure that the 9/11 Memorial & Museum is my favorite museum. It’s hard to even say that I liked it necessarily in the way that people think of liking something.

On the other hand, it was the most impactful museum I’ve ever been in. Maybe it’s because I lived through the events of 9/11 that made it so emotional. Whatever the reason, I’ve never had a museum move me to tears before.

The entire experience filled me with a deep sadness that is difficult to even put into words. Despite this, I am so glad that I visited it. It’s important to acknowledge that reliving events like this can be difficult. They should be difficult, but it is important that we not forget them lest we risk not learning anything from them.

Highlights

• The memorials outside are a great starting point for the visit. They’re simple yet beautiful.
• Walking alongside the Survivor’s Staircase is chilling.
• The In Memoriam exhibit where pictures of each of the people lost on 9/11 can be found is very powerful. Sometimes when I think of casualties from an even like this, it can seem somehow abstract. I know it’s real, but it feels distant, like it is somehow detached from my reality. This portrait gallery changes all of that.
• Follow the timeline along the wall of the historical exhibition. You will surely learn at least one thing about the events of 9/11 that you might not have known or remembered. It helps to ground the rest of the exhibit so that the plethora of artifacts don’t start to seem like just some random assortment of objects.

Driving Dingle Peninsula’s Slea Head Drive

There was so much to see and do on this drive that it’s difficult to even summarize in a brief post like this. In its 30 miles, the drive takes you through a sort of highlight reel of Ireland.

It has ruins, old cemeteries with Celtic crosses, windswept beaches, seaside cliffs, hiking, a small village pub and even petting farms!

Wait, petting farms? Two of them actually. While I would never go to a petting farm ordinarily, this one is connected with one of the historic sites on the drive. I have to admit, it was fun feeding the goats and sheep even if one of the goats was a bit of a bully and the hogs looked like they would sooner eat our legs than the food we were given.

Petting farms aside, the drive was so much fun with each stop offering something unique. Like the Diamond Hill hike mentioned above, it made me feel like I had walked through a time machine into our distant past.

Highlights

• The petting farm at the first stop was a delight.
• I hiked to the very edge of a trail near Clogher Head for some amazing views of the shoreline and islands out in the sea. It felt like I was standing at the edge of oblivion.
• The pub we stopped at for lunch felt like the type of small village pub I love to find on trips like these. It’s called Bric’s Brew Pub and I definitely recommend it.
• Gallarus Oratory is an old religious ruin. It’s not much to look at from the outside, but stepping inside was an emotional experience. I enjoyed simply running my hands along the walls and imagining what a service must have been like in here centuries ago.
• Reasc Monastery was another ruin that didn’t have much to look at except for one impressive Ogham standing stone. Otherwise it’s mostly old walls. However, it was more the feeling I got walking around this settlement that made it so memorable.

Running Every Mile of Trail in Eno River State Park

I’m fortunate to live within 20 minutes of this gem of a state park in central North Carolina. It’s not the type of park that has one single must-see highlight. Rather, it’s a great place to go out and be in the woods away from people. The Eno River runs through the length of the park offering some great contrasts with the surrounding woods.

Regardless, early last year I decided that I hadn’t taken advantage of this park nearly enough. There were one or two trails I always did, but there were around ten others that I hadn’t seen despite living in the area for close to seven years. I chose to start going for runs on each trail to combine my passions of hiking and running.

It took about three months to finish because of a couple trips we took and having to skip some weekends because of rain. Once I finished, I felt very accomplished. It’s not even that there are that many miles in the park so much as it was just nice to set a goal and finish it while getting to see some of the natural beauty in my hometown that had eluded me up till that point.

Like the trip to Zion, this experience was another that lead me to starting this website. I started thinking of ways I could write about these trails to raise awareness of them in my community. While I obviously chose a different path for my writing, my runs through this park are where the Paul Passing Through brand really started to coalesce into something more than just a whim of mine.

Highlights

• Watching the sun rise over the Eno River every weekend was a real treat.
• The suspension bridge from Cox Mountain Trail is always fun.
• The Laurel Bluffs Trail runs along a cliff overlooking the river giving it many great views.
• Various trails take you past homesteads where you can see old mills, dams, lodgings and various other relics from Durham’s history.
• There are a couple small cascades over mossy boulders that make for great spots to sit and listen to the water.

Resources to Book Your Next Trip

Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your next trip!

Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out my travel essentials pages for more of my recommendations.

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