** This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #EarthDayDriveAway #CollectiveBias It's no secret my family goes on a lot of road trips. Some people think we are a bit crazy to travel far distances by car, especially with a toddler and a dog, but we love being on the road! In the past we have driven from Chicago to the Florida ... Read more
Big Island Fun: Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii
Rainbow Falls in Hilo, Hawaii, seems be a popular attraction on the Big Island. It's easily accessible and free, so visitors of all ages can see its beauty. Even if you've been there before, Rainbow Falls is worth revisiting because you just might catch a glimpse of a rainbow in front of the waterfall, depending on the weather. We first went to Rainbow Falls during our honeymoon on the Big ... Read more
Muir Woods National Monument With a Toddler
When we booked a last-minute weekend trip to the Bay Area recently, we had only two must-dos on our list besides seeing our family. One of them was visiting Muir Woods National Monument. We've been fans of redwood trees for a long time as nature lovers, so we couldn't wait to see them in person. Muir Woods recently enacted a new parking and shuttle service, which means you must make a parking ... Read more
Toddler-Friendly Visit to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
There's plenty for families to do at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island. You can still take in the sites and explore with a toddler. We recently spent a day visiting the park for our second time. (Our first trip to the island of Hawaii was in 2014 on our honeymoon.) You could spend days here, or you can squeeze in quite a bit of adventure in just part of one ... Read more
Whale Watching Plus Snorkeling With Dolphins and Manta Rays in Hawaii
Somehow we tend to luck out when booking tours on vacation. We have at several times arrived to discover we are the only people with reservations, meaning we essential get a private outing! This is what happened with our whale watching tour through Kona Ocean Adventures. I was expecting a small group of six, including us, but we were pleasantly surprised! In addition to seeing lava, I really ... Read more
Lava and Rainforests Adventure with Paradise Helicopters
** This post has been sponsored by Paradise Helicopters of Hawaii. All opinions and images are my own. I've crossed off something that's been on my bucket list for a long time during our Big Island vacation: seeing lava! During our honeymoon in 2014 Graham and I had hoped to see the lava but we weren't able to; at the time it wasn't flowing toward the ocean and we could only see the crater ... Read more
Aravaipa Canyon Camping Trip
When I asked Graham what he wanted to do for his birthday I already knew the answer: camping. We chose to hike into Aravaipa Canyon, which he has been to before and I've always wanted to visit. Only 20 people are allowed into the canyon per day, and a permit is required. I paid $20 for two days of adventure — money well spent. From Phoenix the canyon is about a two and a half hour drive east. If ... Read more
2015: The Year of Adventure
I have declared 2015 the year that Graham and I take to embark on new adventures. 2014 was all about planning for the future, and I'm ready to start living out those plans.As I have written about before, my goal is to travel outside of the country as well as to one state I haven't been to before. We plan to visit Nashville on the same trip we take to Louisville, during which we'll visit family and ... Read more