I’m a little late in nailing down my schedule for May, but at last I have my ducks in a row. There’s still so much to talk about from April, including the wilderness of Estonia, a snapshot of Vilnius, Lithuania, and another round of travel gear reviews, but out of the showers come the flowers already. With open arms I embrace it, as I am totally ready for the long days of summer and all the extra time spent outside that always comes along with them. I start my late spring travel with both ocean and lake adventures, followed by an open-sunroof-windows-down kind of road trip out to Colorado. As always, you can follow along and see photos on Wake and Wander’s Facebook and Twitter pages.

Door County, Wisconsin: This weekend I’ll be in Wisconsin for the first time to check out an area just north of Green Bay known as Door County. The peninsula juts out into Lake Michigan and is due west from Traverse City, the infamous summer-time lake town in Northern Michigan. Door County has been called “the Cape Cod of the Midwest,” but I’ve never been to Cape Cod, so I’m not really sure what that’s supposed to mean. The area has five state parks and is known for its cherry orchards and fish boils. I’m especially looking forward to experiencing the latter, and I’m definitely going to make a charge for the cheese.

Charleston, South Carolina: Charleston was the 5th largest city in America in 1690, and now it’s somewhere around 75th. The town mixes Southern American, English, French, and West African elements into its design and has built its culture around art and food – seafood, obviously, considering its location on the coast.  But is it a beach town? I’m not sure, and it’s one of my largest curiosities surrounding this trip. I’ll be staying at the Wild Dunes for two nights and with friends for an additional three in hopes of sorting it all out.

Cross Country Road Trip: Well, sorta – from Charleston to Denver, my soon-to-be new home base. I’ll be driving directly through Middle America, so don’t expect any mountain shots until I arrive in Colorado. I’m not exactly sure what adventures I’ll come across, but as of now Kansas City barbecue is definitely on the list.