‘Tis the season for looking back on the year past and making lists! Everyone has a Top 10 Fill-in-the-Blank list, so not wanting to be left out, I pulled together this travel blogger’s favorite travel destinations of 2018. My favorite moments, favorite family vacations and favorite solo travel adventures—it’s all right here.

And because listing things in order makes me anxious (just how would I decide how one was better than another?!), I’ve listed them in no particular order. That said, they’re all great—so consider adding them to your own travel bucket list for the New Year.

I hope this list of my favorite travel destinations of 2018 inspires you to plan some trips for the New Year! Happy travels!

My top travel destinations of 2018

1. Lost Lake, Mt. Hood, Oregon

When I started thinking about my favorite travel destinations of 2018, our Mother’s Day outing to Lost Lake came to mind first. We hiked around the lake, paddled a canoe out to the center of the lake to catch a perfect view of Mt. Hood and ate ice cream on the dock.

Lost Lake is one of my all-time favorite places in Oregon and kid-friendly hikes in the Pacific Northwest.

Want to plan your own trip? Click over to read my post about going to Lost Lake with kids.

2. Huacachina, Peru

I laughed *so hard* flying down a skyscraper-high sand dune on a sand board and screamed *so loud* while zooming around the hills on a dune buggy. My sister and I had the time of our lives in Huacachina, the oasis town in Peru: a palm tree-encircled pond set amid towering sand dunes.

My blog post about everything you need to know about Huacachina will make you put this favorite destination of 2018 on your to-travel list of 2019!

3. Disneyland, California

My kids would be outraged to know Disneyland isn’t on the top of my best destinations of 2018 list. (But remember how they’re not in order? Phew.) We spent three days in the Happiest Place on Earth, and my kids had the time of their lives. My oldest reminds me that the only place magic is real is at Disney and the North Pole.

The magic certainly felt real at Disneyland. The rides, the fireworks, the characters—everything—inspired excitement and awe in my two girls. We adults were pretty jazzed too!

I wrote all about how we spent 3 days at Disneyland for a family of 4 for less than $200. You can read all about how you can plan an epic budget Disney vacation, too, over at my full blog post.

4. Paris, France

I went to Paris for the first time in 2018 and although I wasn’t expecting to be wowed by this famous city, I fell in love. I traveled to Paris with 7 other women when I led a creativity retreat there but had several days to explore Paris on my own, too. One of my favorite travel moments of 2018 was sipping red wine on the rooftop restaurant on the Centre Pompidou and watching the sun set behind the Eiffel Tower. It was super-romantic (though I was alone); I was dating myself!

Paris was lovely, and I can’t wait to go back to continue wandering its cobbled streets and marveling at the art on just about every corner. To learn about what not to do in Paris, take a peek at my post.

5. Camping in Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Washington

We rocked our longest family camping trip last spring in Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington. My girls had an unforgettable time roasting s’mores, looking for fairies in the woods, hiking behind a waterfall and playing with their cousin.

One reason the trip was so successful: Both the girls actually slept well all the nights! Maybe they’re more used to camping, or it’s easier now that they’re older, or I’ve actually figured out some tricks. Whatever the cause, though, the fact that everyone was rested made our family camping trip in Gifford Pinchot National Forest one of my favorite travel destinations of 2018.

(My blog post about Gifford Pinchot family camping includes details on the waterfall hike, campgrounds and much more.)

6. Puglia, Italy

While I was in Europe for the creativity retreat in Paris, I knew I just had to visit my best friend from college, who normally lives in Spain but was spending several months with her husband’s family in Italy. She and her hubby were the absolute best tour guides, showing me a side of Puglia most people wouldn’t experience.

Together, we toured an underground city (keep an eye out for a post on that soon!), hung out at a public oven where the entire town brought their Sunday casseroles to bake, met cheesemakers (and the cows that provided the milk for his amazing creations), explored castles and much more.

Even better than the sightseeing was reconnecting with my bestie.

7. Machu Picchu, Peru

For my older sister’s birthday, a bunch of us traveled to Peru, and we hiked to Machu Picchu on her actual birthday—which was also the winter solstice there. We ended up visiting the ruins on one of the most spiritual days of the year, which made our experience even more special. No wonder this is on my list of favorite travel destinations of 2018!

The hike to Machu Picchu was gorgeous and challenging; wandering the ruins was humbling and magical. I’ll never forget sitting silently atop a plateau with my brother and gazing down at the stone buildings that have stood for centuries.

Also, how about this llama photo bomb?!

8. Lava River Cave, Central Oregon

Hiking through a prehistoric underground lava tube where a flashlight is your only source of light: Yeah, visiting Lava River Cave in Central Oregon was definitely one of our best travel moments of 2018. Even though I grew up in Oregon, I’d never undertaken this adventure. My kids got tired before we reached the end, so I’m eagerly anticipating the lava cave’s opening in the spring so we can do it again!

I wrote all about hiking the Lava River Cave with kids so you can add this adventure to your next Central Oregon trip.

9. Rosario, Argentina

Rosario is a cool city, where a resurgence in interest is leading to new craft breweries and retrofits of abandoned buildings, but that’s not why this trip makes it to my best destinations of 2018 list. My trip back was the first in 13 years to visit my host family from my study abroad program in college.

We’ve kept in close touch over the years and I’ve seen them several times here in Oregon, but it was beyond special to reconnect—and to meet all the new additions to the family, from the oldest (12 years) to the youngest (just 3 weeks when I visited!). In fact, I just spoke to my host parents, whom my kids call Abuela and Abuelo, yesterday on FaceTime. Modern technology is great, but my host mom wished for my 2019 that we return to Rosario!

(Rosario, Argentina also has a thriving street art scene. I posted a photo-heavy story on Rosario’s murals—take a gander!)

10. Lincoln City, Oregon

I knew I wanted to write about our family vacation in Lincoln City, Oregon last on my favorite travel destinations of 2018 post. After all, it was the final trip of the year for us, and it was a perfect way to cap the bustle of the holiday season.

We rented a condo on Siletz Bay, where we could see the sun rise and set over the calm water through the living room window. Down on the beach, we built sand castles and watched sea lions (or seals? I couldn’t tell!) fish in the bay. Best of all, we had a quiet Christmas, just the four of us, where we could focus on what’s most important during the holidays: family, quality time together and nonstop Christmas movies. 😉

I’m curious: What makes your list of favorite travel destinations of 2018? Did you have any unforgettable family travel moments or locations? Let me know in the comments!