If you think about it, hiking is merely walking for pleasure. Some people enjoy walking long distances now and then, including me! Walking provides many great benefits for your physical and mental health. A bag pack packed with food, water, and useful tools like a first-aid kit and the right attitude are all you need for a successful hike. Hiking allows you much-needed time to interact with nature ... Read more
Tips for Making Sure You’re Safe on the Roads in the Winter
Road trips are the preferred way to travel for many of us right now. When it's safe, heading out on road trips or just traveling across the country for one reason or another can really blow off a lot of pent-up steam. It will be such a relief to get out there and really explore – even if it’s entirely a domestic trip. Perhaps you need a trip away from the kids or you need to be away from your desk ... Read more
Flying With a Toddler
The last time I flew with my youngest she was 2 months old. It was was an easy and smooth trip with no hiccups. Flying with her at 18 months as a toddler, meanwhile, was ... challenging. My mistake was choosing an evening flight. My daughter's normal bedtime hit during the end of the flight. I could tell she was tired, yet she was ready to play. She refused to be rocked or nursed to sleep, yet ... Read more
Quick Stop at Joe Huber’s Family Farm in Indiana
We made a last minute decision to drive down to Louisville, Kentucky, for the weekend to visit Graham's parents. To break up the drive back on Sunday we decided to check out Joe Huber's Family Farm & Restaurant, which is about 40 minutes outside of Louisville. We had our dog, Capone, so we couldn't do all of the activities, but we wanted the girls to pick up little pumpkins and I wanted ... Read more
Our Cabin Stay in Au Train, Upper Peninsula Michigan
Our Upper Peninsula trip in June was relaxing and quiet, just what we were looking for. We found a dog-friendly cabin rental on Airbnb* and booked a couple of nights in Au Train. The cabin was part of a resort of cabins on Au Train Lake, Michigan. After booking we decided to stay another night, so we booked a separate stay in one of the other cabins (since ours was booked the last night). Our ... Read more
Things to Do in Munising, Michigan | Upper Peninsula
I really enjoyed our family's relaxing trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, which is a 5.5 to 6 hour drive from Chicago. I was pleasantly surprised that family-friendly and dog-friendly things to do were plentiful in the area. I'm sharing some ideas to get you started on your trip planning to the UP, although I acknowledge we have a lot more to see. We mostly explored the Au Train and ... Read more
Our Pictured Rocks Cruise Tour on Lake Superior, Michigan
One of the highlights of our Upper Peninsula family road trip was our cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises, which is the only approved vendor at the National Park Service's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We booked the 2.5-hour cruise that ventures all the way to Spray Falls one afternoon. Other options for cruises were the classic cruise and the sunset cruise. We paid four tickets were $92. ... Read more
Easy Hike to Munising Falls | Upper Peninsula, Michigan
One of the many family-friendly activities we enjoyed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was a quick walk to Munising Falls in Munising. From the trailhead it's only 800 feet to the waterfall on a paved path, making it doable for families with young kids. The trail is also dog-friendly, just keep your pet on a leash and pick up any waste. Munising Falls is in the Pictured Rock National ... Read more
Surviving First Trip Away From Baby/Kids
Last week I traveled to D.C. by myself to be a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding. Because it was an adults-only wedding and Graham had to work, we decided it would be best to leave our girls at home with their dad and have my mom fly out to visit, which she already wanted to do that week. The timing of the wedding happened to coincide with V's birthday and Mother's Day. On top of the emotions that ... Read more
Family-Friendly Florida Attractions on Our Wish List
** This post about family-friendly Florida destinations is sponsored by VISIT FLORIDA. All opinions are my own. #FindYourFlorida When we visited Florida for the first time as a family of three in 2017, I was pleasantly surprised by how familiar the state felt to me. When we pick a travel destination, we always prefer places where we can see an abundance of fauna and flora, and Florida has no ... Read more