I thoroughly enjoy the Harry Potter series. Let’s just get that out there. I read it soon after my second child was born, the year that the seventh book was released. I plowed through each one with voracity riding the plot’s twists and turns like a roller coaster. By the time I reached the final…
Whiskey Before Beer
Traveling to Ireland for most people means a tour of Guinness. For many it also means Irish whiskey. With a Skip the Line tour through GetYourGuide, we were able to enjoy both experiences on a visit to Dublin. Our personal guide acquired tickets for Jameson’s Irish whiskey distillery and the Guinness Storehouse tour, then walked…
The many ways to see Alaska
As the largest state, it’s no surprise that there are many ways to see Alaska. Of course, everyone who has even considered visiting has their own opinion. Some swear that a cruise ship is the only way to go. Others can’t imagine a trip without taking a train. And there are those who contend that…
Digging up the Past
I recently completed a book – my first – based on county history. Hidden History of Boone County has some basic history to set the tone, then delves into plenty of new information. Each time I shared information with a historian or long-time resident that was something new to them, I felt an enormous sense…
Our escape to another world
To travel is to escape to another world. Sometimes it’s to escape work. Sometimes it’s to escape family. Sometimes it’s to escape normalcy. During a global pandemic, however, the possibility of escaping the day-to-day challenges seemed impossible. We’d tried – and failed – already. That didn’t stop me from wishing and hoping and thinking and…
A trip down memory lane
I recently took many, many trips down memory lane. These weren’t my memories; these were memories of dozens of people, most of whom are no longer living. The majority of these memories were captured in articles, books and magazines more than 50 years ago. Some were even captured in newspapers a century before that. All…
The Yampa Valley Curse
Those who have visited a certain town in northern Colorado know of the magical curse, the one which brings people back again and again, like a moth to a flame. It’s an unmistakable urge to visit this land cherished by so many: Steamboat Springs. Located in the Yampa Valley, with the Yampa River snaking past…
Back on Broadway
There’s absolutely nothing like live theater. And there’s nothing like seeing live theater on Broadway. After being dark for a year and a half, many shows have finally returned to New York helping to boost the economy and spirits of the city. Last spring when we planned a few days in the Big Apple in…
Walking in Memphis
I’d always thought of Memphis as the home of Elvis, a city synonymous with Graceland. I didn’t truly appreciate everything it has to offer until we spent a weekend walking in Memphis. Walking with my feet ten feet off of Beale While Beale Street is nearly two miles long, an area of roughly three blocks…
More than bowls in Munising
Last fall when we took our trip (not a vacation) we traveled to Munising, Michigan. It was a happy coincidence because I was in the midst of writing a feature article for American Farmhouse Style Magazine. The interviewee lives in Michigan’s lower peninsula and mentioned one of her favorite collectables: Munising bowls. They were a…