Growing up Nyree Lewis would take trips with her family to the western coast of Florida and some smaller other trips here and there, the young Lewis would be so excited that she would pack her bags months in advance in anticipation for these trips. With hindsight it seems inevitable that this would be her passion but she says that wasn't always the case. "I really started traveling a lot in 2018 when I would hike at many different state parks all over New York. In 2019 I went on a cruise to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and I really started realizing travel and photography are my passions and that I want to do this with every opportunity I have. In June 2020 I went to my first national park Rocky Mountain and I have been going to many national parks and traveling our beautiful country ever since. Travel is a big part of my life and I know it will be as long as I am blessed to do so."
The newly minted travel junkie takes a lot of different sources to inspire her different destinations. "Usually I get a lot of inspiration from research I do about different states or countries. I also enjoy social media platforms because of some of the beautiful spots I have seen on Instagram or Pinterest. I also enjoy travel magazines and books and talking with others about their life and experiences and the places they love the most."
Sometimes the journey there and back is almost as memorable as the trip for Lewis. She said, "Usually at the airport there is never a dull time when you are in the airport. One in particular I’ll never forget is when I was flying into Boise Idaho our flight got delayed before we even reached the airport. Three minutes into our Uber ride I got a message for a 6 hour delay. We got to the airport and immediately found someone to get us on standby. We didn't know until 30 minutes before that flight if we had seats, which was nerve-racking. When we got on that flight and we got settled the plane was just sitting there and I was wondering what was going on the clasp on the bag compartment for the plane broke so a mechanic had to come fix it. We were set back about an hour and a half which meant we missed our layover. When we got to Dallas we rushed over to the counter once again but had to wait in line for an hour to get seats. Finally we got seats and made our way to Boise, really the most stressful time."
Once you finally get to her destination though, Lewis makes the most of its beauty and its people. "My favorite part about seeing new places is the absolute beauty all around us and the different scenic things America and other countries have to offer. I also love meeting new people and learning about new cultures and of course trying the local food."
She might fly in and out of a bunch of cities, but it's the nature around them that she's really there for. "I prefer nature because landscape photography is my favorite and I love animals and mountains. I do enjoy cities as well for the aspect of cool buildings and local foods."
Among all the places she has been, Oregon takes the cake. "I loved the coast and the scenery. It is a stunning state and I can’t wait to return."
From Mount Rainier to Puerto Rico Lewis has done quite the traveling since 2018 and she's got some advice for you if you're getting started. "Do your research, find someone you enjoy being with to travel with to make memories with, use google flights, Priceline there are so many tools to help you save money. Dream big and do as much as you can so you won’t regret it."
She already has a few more journeys ahead, so she's doing some planning of her own. "My next stop is Hawaii and Iceland which I have dreamt of going to for a long time. I also really want to go to New Zealand, Ireland, and China."
Thank you Nyree Lewis for adding locations to Know Now Go Later. We love to feature those who have contributed to this website because without them, this website would not be as big as it is. If you have some great places that you have explored, please feel free to add them to the website with the link below. You never know; we might feature you next!