I really wanted to visit Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park in Hawaii during our honeymoon to the Big Island in 2014, but sadly we weren't able to make it happen. The national park was on my list for our second visit to the island for its historical importance. I like to mix historical and entertainment activities when visiting a place to really learn about a place and its ... Read more
My Ancestry DNA Experience and Results
** This is not a sponsored post; however, this post contains a referral link for Ancestry that is rewarded with Amazon gift cards. Thank you for supporting Floradise! I've always been curious about my heritage and where specifically my ancestors are from. Often when Graham and I travel we get questions about my ethnicity and I've accidentally been given local discounts because some ... Read more
A Few Hours in Savannah, Georgia
I recently had a chance to either have lunch in Atlanta or Savannah during a road trip, and I jumped at the chance to see the latter, even if only for a little while. I knew we didn't have much time, so I wanted to explore whatever we could. We headed toward what seemed to be a cluster of restaurants listed on Yelp. That took us to East Bay Street. We parked next to Emmet Park for $4 and then ... Read more
Birthday at the Field Museum Chicago | Free-Admission Days
A perk of living in Chicago is that many of the museums are free on certain dates/months. Luckily for us, the Field Museum is offering free general admission to Illinois residents during the month of February. I awoke on my birthday thinking it'd be nice to spend the day wandering around the museum. As I've said before, you would have to spend days, even weeks, at the Field Museum to see and ... Read more
Field Museum Fun
Graham, Victoria and I met our friends on Sunday for a play date at the Field Museum. Visiting the museum was on my summer bucket list and has been on my Chicago list since we moved here. The Field Museum surpassed any expectations I had. The colossal building contains so much history that you would have to visit many times to explore all of its exhibits. We spent hours here and left with plans to ... Read more
Anticipation
Last Saturday night I was at Wrigley Field watching Cubs history. It was surreal. Chicago Cubs fan are always passionate, but the energy was on another level on Saturday night. It was not lost on me how lucky I was to be there. Lifelong Cubs fans would have done anything to be there and I am a newer (yet still passionate) fan since we moved to Chicago for Graham's job. For me, it's more personal. ... Read more
Visiting Destrehan Plantation, Louisiana
As a history lover, I wanted to learn more about New Orleans' past. I could not ignore that plantations were a part of that tale. I chose Destrehan Plantation for a tour because it is only a 30-minute drive from New Orleans. I wasn't sure what to expect, but part of me wondered if the history of the plantation would be sugar-coated. Our tour guide did indeed point out "success stories," but those ... Read more
Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, New Orleans
Strange as it may sound, I was most excited about visiting a New Orleans cemetery on my recent trip. It was the first thing we did, in fact. It was a cool, sporadically rainy day, the perfect weather for a haunting cemetery walk. I marveled at the beauty, size and age of the graves. I wondered about the people inside them. I have never seen anything like it. See Lafayette Cemetery No. 1, New ... Read more
Chicago River Architecture Boat Tour
The architecture boat tour is hands down the best activity I've done in Chicago. Charlsy and I bought our tickets for the 75-minute Shoreline Sightseeing tour on Navy Pier after our Ferris wheel ride. I initially thought 75 minutes would be too long, but it actually felt like 30 minutes. The tour is not only fun, but it's educational. We went on both the north and south branches of the Chicago ... Read more
Road Trip to Williams, Arizona
It's been a few years since I've been to Williams, the "gateway to the Grand Canyon." We took some time to tour the town yesterday before heading to Bearizona, the drive-through wildlife park just off Interstate 40. While it's a popular pit stop on the way to the Grand Canyon National Park, Williams is a tourist destination that can hold its own. It's home to quaint antique and souvenir shops, ... Read more