Did you know that there’s a town named Santa Claus in Indiana that celebrates the magic of the Christmas season all year long? We had no clue! I came across an article that highlighted the top 10 Christmas towns in America and Santa Claus made the list. I was intrigued, so began doing more research and decided we had to check it out! And, of course December was the perfect month for a quick visit. So, we got busy finding cute matching holiday sweaters and pajamas for us and the kids. Then, we picked a weekend, booked a hotel and discovered there were so many festive activities planned for the Saturday we’d be visiting!
From Texas, the drive is about 11.5 hours. As we neared Santa Claus, IN, we made a stop at Lincoln’s Boyhood Memorial in Lincoln City, IN. It was a nice place to get out, do some hiking, and stretch our legs after being in the car for so long. Not everything was open due to Covid, but we felt safe, we were outdoors, and were able to social distance from other visitors. It almost felt like we were there by ourselves. If you love Abe Lincoln like we do, make sure to visit this amazing historical site!
From Lincoln City we drove about 5 minutes and arrived in Santa Claus! Right away you begin seeing Santa Claus statues welcoming you into town. The streets are named things like, Christmas Blvd, Holiday Ln, etc. For a small town, it was filled with so many fun attractions. There’s even an amusement park and water park (they were closed while we were there).
We found all of the available activities on the Santa Claus website, which was super helpful to plan out the day!
Here is our list of favorite activities!
1. Drive through donut, pancake and sausage breakfast served by Santa! (Free/Optional Donation)
2. Santa’s Toy Shop
3. Pictures with the MOST amazing Santa and Mrs. Claus! (Free/Optional Donation)
4. Candy Castle – Be sure to try the frozen hot chocolate!
If you follow our travels, you’ll know that I might have a small obsession with the movie Home Alone. I’ve visited the house where the movie was filmed two times now and it’s on my bucket list to go back and see it during Christmastime. So, when I heard that there was a Home Alone Airbnb in Dallas (just 45 minutes from my house), I knew I had to see it!
This movie is definitely a family favorite of ours and I cannot even tell you the total amount of times I’ve seen it. I still remember my mom taking my little sister and I to the movies when it released back in 1990, I was 8 years old. I’m not sure a year has gone by that I haven’t watched it during the holidays. And thankfully my boys love it just as much as I do!
Our first visit to the real life Home Alone house!
I’m happy to say that our stay was everything I hoped it would be! I don’t think we stopped smiling all night. The thoughts and details that went into planning this themed getaway are top notch and I cannot believe some of the memorable in this place! AND, it even came with a FREE large cheese pizza.
A delicious cheese pizza all to myself! Did everyone have these Christmas glasses or was it just me?
I think one night is all you need to experience the magic of this place, especially if you’re local. It felt like the most epic sleepover ever and my boys were thrilled that we didn’t have to leave once we arrived. Of course, if you’re traveling from a long distance, you are right outside of downtown Dallas and have tons of touristy locations and amazing restaurants right at your fingertips!
And my favorite part of all, watching both Home Alone and Home Alone Lost in New York on VHS tape! We taught the kids how to rewind a video and all about Blockbuster and how exciting it was to go rent movies on Friday nights! I’m totally an 80s kid and this just took me back to my childhood! It was nice to forget about politics, Covid and real life for a night!
The kids didn’t know what this TV was haha! They almost died of boredom when it took us 8 minutes to rewind the movie! Keep the change, ya filthy animal
I hope you enjoy our night through all of the pictures we took! The link is below if you’re interested in booking a night at “The Kevin.” I believe there’s availability through the end of January 2021!
How cute is this place? Amazed as soon as we stepped foot on the property! Buzz, you’re girlfriend… WOOF Check out the alarm clock, it was even blinking when we got here! Rockin around the Christmas tree… Buzz’s room! Y’all, there were still chips in the bag! Ahhhh!
Fall colors, lighthouses, beautiful beaches minus the humidity, and quaint water front towns… need I say more? Who knew Michigan would become a favorite destination of mine!
My girlfriends and I decided to take a quick weekend trip to Michigan over this past weekend. It was my first time to visit This state and it did not disappoint. It was chilly, but after being in the mid 90s a week ago in Texas, it was almost welcome. And to FINALLY see real fall foliage, I mean I never wanted to leave.
What began as a surprise birthday trip to visit our dear friend Roz in Chicago, ended up being a little road trip from Illinois, through Indiana, and into western Michigan. We found amazingly cheap nonstop/roundtrip flights to Chicago on google flights ($51). So on impulse, Carrie and I purchased tickets and of course, two days later Texas was on the travel ban for Chicago. We weren’t sure if we should cancel, risk getting caught, or reschedule, so we had to tell Roz about our surprise and then did a little research and decided to travel into Michigan and stay on the lake for a couple of nights. Texas was removed and added back to the travel ban in Chicago a few times, but we had no issues flying into O’Hare International or renting a car. We just quickly left the city as soon as we could!
Our first stop was to visit the Home Alone house while still in Illinois. Carrie and I took the kids to see this house a few years ago over the summer. The neighborhood is adorable and I loved it even more in the fall. And to see it decorated for Halloween was an awesome bonus! Maybe one day I’ll get to see it over Christmas!
We also headed to a small beach in Illinois to check out the water and the lighthouse nearby. It was so cold, but the view was stunning. Then it was off to get Roz!
From the city, we drove about an hour and 15 minutes to New Buffalo, MI. Here we stayed two nights in the lovely Marina Grand Resort. The rooms were cozy with a fireplace, patio, and views of the marina. We ordered breakfast one morning from the restaurant and it was great! The homemade jam that came with my order was to die for and Carrie had an excellent breakfast pizza, which was big enough to share with all of us! We also enjoyed a very nice dinner and drinks in the hotel restaurant one evening. I had the steak and it was cooked to perfection.
We ate dinner in New Buffalo our first night there. We had some recommendations to try The Stray Dog, so we did! I’m a big fan of holiday decor, so I enjoyed the spooky Halloween vibe inside and the fall inspiration outside. We all got small entrees the first night, we had a late lunch since it was our travel day, but we liked everything we ordered!
The next morning we headed out to St. Joseph which was about a 30 minute drive from New Buffalo. There are many wineries along the route. We were wanting to see beaches, lighthouses, and fall leaves. It was SO cold this day, but we still had fun exploring outdoors.
From here we headed to Saugatuck. The drive was stunning, being from Texas I’ve never seen such bright fall colors in real life. Everything was gorgeous! We hiked up Mt. Baldhead, which was around 302 painstakingly hard stairs that led to sand dunes down to the beach. I think the views were worth it. We opted to drive down to Oval Beach rather than climb down the dunes in dress boots haha.
We loved this town so much, we decided to spend the rest of the day here. We ate lunch down by the water at the coziest restaurant that had outdoor blankets at the tables and the most divine soup that warmed me to the bone! The staff was so kind and our waitress even offered to take photos of us. I also chatted with a couple that lived in the area, everyone was so friendly and made this town even more perfect! Be sure to check out Wicks Park Bar and Grille if you’re in the area.
We shopped in all the shops around town, the fall foliage and water making the most gorgeous backdrop. I bought a lighthouse ornament for my Christmas tree, which is kinda my thing. I always get ornaments from everywhere we visit as souvenirs. I can’t wait to hang it on the tree next month!
If you’re looking for a fall getaway, a destination for a girls trip, or a fun family vacation, I highly recommend looking along the lake in Michigan. Life just seems to move a little slower here and the views are to die for. My photos don’t do them justice. Stay safe and healthy out there!
Hey y’all! I’m so so so excited to tell you all about our fall weekend trip to St. Louis, MO! I honestly loved it all, maybe because it was our first big family road trip since March, maybe it was because signs of fall were everywhere. Regardless, if you’re looking for fun family trip ideas, read on!
It’s about a 9 hour drive from us in TX and we got a late start. Jereme and I both worked a half day on Friday. We didn’t arrive at our hotel until midnight, but at least we had 2 full days ahead of us. I’ve stayed at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch both times I’ve visited this city and we LOVE it. We were upgraded to a room with a view of the Arch and were so excited.
The view from our room!
We started off Saturday with a quick coffee and breakfast at the Starbucks located inside the hotel. Then we ventured out to Gateway Arch National Park. The great thing about the hotel is that it is right at the Arch, so we didn’t have to drive to the park! We took photos, ran around with our fur baby, played football with our boys, bought some fresh squeezed lemonade and took in all the fall sights! We drove in in the dark and didn’t realize the trees were changing colors. It looked and felt much different than the TX weather we left behind! We didn’t go inside the Arch on this visit, but my boys and I have done this and it’s an adventure all in itself! The views are amazing and definitely worth it if you want to purchase tickets!
We were located close to the old courthouse where the Dred Scott case was fought. I didn’t know all the details about this case, of course I wasn’t paying attention back in school. But, we visited the courthouse and saw the statue of Dred Scott and his wife Harriet. We also researched the case and I felt like my family and I learned so much about this infamous case and it’s impact on the Civil War. One thing I can say about this city, it’s full of history and I am happy to share this with my boys, especially in light of recent events.
After we left the courthouse, we ventured over to the baseball stadium. It was closed for tours, but there were picnic tables and an outdoor concert going on. We stopped in for a quick beverage and a break. I began looking for activities for the night and Jett suggested a ghost tour since it’s close to Halloween and we love all things creepy!! So, I found a Haunted History Walking Tour that was open to all ages. We met up with our small group at 8 pm at Morgan St. Brewery and had a quick pizza dinner and cappuccino to go. From there we walked a few blocks around the oldest part of the city and listened to the funniest storyteller share the most scary and gruesome stories from St. Louis’s past! Here we learned that the story from The Exorcist movie was real and had actually happened in St. Louis. So, of course we had to find it the next day ha! And did you know that St. Louis is America’s 4th most haunted city? We didn’t, but believe it after all the stories we heard!
The amazingly hilarious storyteller on the Haunted History Walk
The house from the real life exorcist!
The following day we went to President Grant’s home in St. Louis. The Park Ranger leading our tour was so knowledgeable and again, we learned so much about Grant and is humble upbringing and his stance against slavery. We have visited several presidents’ homes, it’s great fun for the whole family.
The acreage around the home was gorgeous!
Finally, we found William Clark’s gravesite. We have stumbled across various historical sites regarding Lewis & Clark’s expeditions so it was really cool to see this memorial at the river and to discover that Clark is buried in St. Louis. My boys were amazed to remember that the last historical site we visited for Lewis & Clark was in Harpers Ferry, WV. It really put their traveling distance in perspective and gave us more to research and learn about these two explorers!
The weekend was wrapped up with a stop at Uranus Fudge Factory in Missouri! We can never drive past this place without laughing and stopping. Great fudge and great taffy make the long drive home better!
We explored, we ate well, we did all the creepy things for October, and left with a wealth of new historical knowledge! I hope you get the opportunity to visit this amazing city. Stay safe out there, friends!
Let me tell you about Jamestown because trust me, it’s ah-mazing! My boys and I traveled over spring break in March and were so very lucky to see so many historical sites before the world basically shut down. My favorite place we visited in Virginia was Jamestown Settlement! I mean, we seriously got to walk where Pocahontas and John Smith lived and made history.
This is another place that I wish I would’ve done more research on before traveling here. Still, we had a wonderful time! I would recommend spending a full day here, there is so much to see and do. Basically, there are two important areas of interest to see and there are signs for both when you enter the area. We weren’t really sure which place had what stuff, so hopefully the information included here will help with your visit!
We visited Historic Jamestowne first. It is the first permanent English Settlement in North America and you can explore ruins and artifacts left behind. There is also an archaeology museum on site. Check out the pictures of our time at Historic Jamestowne below.
Jamestown Settlement is a living history museum which showcases life in a fort in the 1600’s and life in a Powhatan Indian Village. This part was my absolute favorite! There’s an indoor museum on site here, too. We were able to explore an Indian Village to see what day to day life was like for the Native Americans in the region. We then visited the fort to see what the early settlers daily life was like. Finally, we climbed aboard a large docked ship and listened to sailors recreate life on the open seas! This is definitely a time that I wish I would’ve paid more attention in history class!
Jamestown Settlement is located at 2110 Jamestown Rd in Williamsburg, VA. We stayed in Williamsburg and were able to visit Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown during our stay! This is a wonderful family destination and a great experience for all of you history lovers out there!
Did you know that you can sleep in a real train caboose in Kingsland, Texas? This experience was so memorable for my boys, who were both train enthusiasts when they were little.
My boys at the green caboose!
I happened to see this “Train Caboose Hotel” on an add on Facebook many years ago. I knew right away that we had to visit, but I had no idea what this part of Texas was like. I did not do very much research beforehand, but lucky for us there were plenty of things to keep us entertained!
The Antlers Inn is where the train caboose hotel is located. There are three different cabooses to choose from. We stayed in the green caboose on our visit. The Antlers Inn is located in Kingsland, TX which is about 45 minutes from Austin. Kingsland sits along the Colorado River and Lake LBJ. The area is gorgeous, with lake views and the hill country in all directions! There are several different lodging accommodations on this property besides just the train cabooses.
View looking into the caboose from the front door, couch and tv to the left, bunk beds on the right.Master Bedroom Bathroom, there was also a shower! The small kitchen was perfect for the boys! View from the bedroom Jett’s favorite spot in the caboose!
We were also pleasantly surprised with the property grounds. Everything was beautiful and quiet. We saw deer every day and night and we even had a cute fox visit us daily! There are gardens and hiking trails and even a little dock by the lake to hang out at. There was a paddle boat and canoe for guests to use on site! We had an amazing time on our little getaway!
Lots of shade trees all around! Each of the caboose’s had a picnic table outside. The lake area is short walk from the train caboose and inn area. This paddle boat was on site for guests to use. The boys had such a great time at the lake!
We also took advantage of visiting the Longhorn Cavern State Park during our visit. Like I mentioned, we did not really know what was in the area, but there were different road signs and we got information from the front desk when we checked in. My family loves caving, so we knew we had to check this one out and it did not disappoint.
Beautiful stone work at the caverns Entrance to the caverns
If you are looking for a unique experience, be sure to check out the Train Caboose Hotel! Stay safe and healthy out there!
Today I want to tell you all about Glen Rose, Texas! This place has been a favorite of ours for years. The first time I went to Glen Rose, I was a little kid on an adventure with our church. However, the memories lasted forever and Jereme and I visited this area several times before we even had kids. What can I say, I am a huge nerd and love all things DINOSAURS! I know that we haven’t done it all, but we have camped here, tubed the river, saw real dinosaur tracks, experienced Dinosaur World, fed animals at Fossil Rim, and more!
I have combined years worth of fun in this blog post to show you what an amazing destination Glen Rose is!
Dinosaur Valley State Park
This park is one of my all time favorites because you can actually see real dinosaur tracks from millions of years ago! Throw on your swimsuit and rain boots and head to the river to explore, swim, fish, and picnic! The rocks are slippery, so be sure to leave your phone behind or put it in a waterproof case. And don’t forget to check out the preserved dinosaur footprints! At this time, you need reservations to enter the park. You can find more information by clicking here!
Fossil Rim
Your family will love this drive through animal adventure! There are so many animals freely roaming in the park, many of them endangered. Roll down your windows, unbuckle those seat belts, and enjoying feeding animals right from your hand! You can find out more information by clicking here!
Dinosaur World
If you love dinosaurs, this is the place to be! There are hundreds of life-size dinosaurs located around this outdoor park. The trails are fun to explore and there are many opportunities to learn about the different types of dinosaurs and several hands-on experiences. There’s also a museum, gift shop, and playground on site. To learn more, click here!
Big Rocks Park
This is such a neat area, right in the middle of Glen Rose, and it’s FREE to enter. There are a lot of “big rocks” to explore and the Paluxy River runs right through this park. It’s not very deep and it is very slippery, but we really enjoyed the day here. Parking is tricky, there are not a lot of spots, so I would suggest getting here early. There’s also a campground across the street that we have camped at before that is really nice! Pack a picnic lunch and bring a swimsuit and good shoes to explore this area. For more information, click here!
As you can see, Glen Rose is a fun destination for adults and kids of all ages! Be sure to add this to your travel list. We’ve visited Glen Rose for the day, we’ve camped and stayed at a hotel in town! Below is a list of hotels and campgrounds in the area.
Hey y’all! I was going through photos this morning, I’m trying to spruce up our home office area since we’re actually using it now, and I came across these series of photos and had to share again.
A little background – All I wanted was a really fun “jump photo” of my boys at the beach. We were in Galveston and that is my family’s happy place! Well, keep reading to learn how I captured these amazing gems!
First, pick out the time of day and a good location for the shot. I was aiming for a sunset jump pic and I didn’t want a lot of people in the background.
Boys were happy, the sky was beautiful, the background was clear… perfect!
Second, you’ll need to have a countdown, so the person or people you’re photoing will know when to jump! It’s really important to know the number you’re jumping on haha!
Third, hold your camera shutter button down so that you can get a series of pictures to go through to find the best one! I start holding down the shutter button as I’m counting.
Special Notes – Be sure to tell the people in your picture to smile and look at your camera or phone when they’re jumping! Some people also like to practice their jumps first or come up with a fun pose for their jump! Be creative!!
Clearly, I am a professional with the most perfect “jumpers”! Check out our amazing shots!
Good luck taking your next jump pics!
Totally nailed it!
Click here to learn more about Galveston, like where we love to stay and some of our favorite places on the island.
Hey y’all! I hope you’re enjoying the summer so far. I’ve been busy planning away, mostly re-booking trips that were canceled this past spring. And that had me thinking, I should write a blog on how I plan our trips! I’m constantly asked how I find places or plan our travels, so keep reading to learn my tips and tricks!
So, I promise I am not a travel expert by any means, but if you follow along on our adventures, you’ll see that we really have gone to some cool places over the years. The internet has become my best friend and I’m not sure how anyone traveled anywhere without it haha!
So, to begin I must mention that I follow a lot of travel sites on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest. I also order free brochures and magazines for popular destinations like, Alaska, Colorado, US National Parks, Florida, etc.
There’s never a shortage of travel magazines in our house!
I think about 99% of our trips are planned around a single photo that I come across either from an online image or something in a magazine. It might sound crazy, but I am a very visual learner. I see a cool photo, I begin researching right away, and then I build my trip around that single image. Does that sound crazy?!
I need my picture taken right here, so can you guess what I’m planning next?
Once I see a photo and decide that we must go there and take the same picture, I begin researching this destination. I use google and Pinterest mostly for this. I type in that specific location and spend hours reading and planning.
The map app I use (the standard iPhone app) is also my new best friend. I have to see how far away the destination is and decide if we can do the road trip or if we will need to fly. Have I ever mentioned that I hate flying? I totally prefer to drive while the rest of my family would rather fly. Usually I start with the main destination in mind and begin mapping out our route and planning the drive there and back. Once I have that figured out I start building an itinerary.
Looks like another long drive is in our future!
When I figure out our next destination and have a plan on how long it will take to get there and back, I do more research to see what else is in the area that we need to check out! Typically, I’ll go to Pinterest and lots of options pop up when I type in the location – from places to eat, to historical sites to see, to unique roadside attractions. I use this information to see how many days we’ll need to plan for.
If my computer is out, chances are I’m up to something fun!
Once I know how many days we’ll need, I then go to Google and search the weather for that destination/best time to travel there. I try not to plan trips during the rainy seasons or when there’s a risk for winter weather (especially if we’re driving). At the same time, I’m limited on my travel days being a teacher and having kids that need to be in school learning! But I try to use our school holidays when I can and I’ve found that I really enjoy traveling over Thanksgiving break and spring break. The weather is pleasant and some places aren’t as crowded.
It’s going to be toasty in July…
I also reach out to some of the groups I follow on social media to ask for tips or recommendations! It’s always helpful to discuss travels with people that have already been there, especially if they’ve gone to your future destination recently!
So many people are willing to share ideas and it’s very helpful!
Now, here’s the hardest part… once I have the destination chosen, I know how long the drive will be, and I have an idea on how many days we should visit, I have to convince the hubby it’s a good idea! The best tip for this – finding something adventurous at that location that I know he’ll love to do to seal the deal! Once he’s convinced I start looking for hotel options. I have had good luck booking on Expedia and choosing the book now/pay later option. This has allowed us to book a few different options at the same time and then cancel without a fee the day before check in. There’s been a few times we’ve canceled a trip due to weather or our kids getting sick.
My hubby could NOT say no to a rafting trip!
After the hotel is booked, I make a list of those must see and do places. I take my list and we have a general idea of when we want to do those things, but unless I have to book an activity in advance, I don’t set specific dates for specific places. I like to keep the days open in case the weather changes last minute or we get a good recommendation from a local!
Planning around Covid 19 – I feel like I had to address this because my planning has really changed over the past several months and we have new considerations to think about. With this in mind, I can’t fail to mention that you really need to plan ahead and make sure that the places you want to visit are open. You also need to see if these places require advance reservations and if there are any restrictions in place. Be sure that you’re satisfied with the lodging’s sanitizing procedures.
I hope that all of this made sense! If you need any help planning a family trip, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or send me that favorite photograph and I will help build you an epic itinerary!
If you’ve never visited Robbers Cave State Park in Wilburton, Oklahoma, you need to add this little gem to your travel bucket list! We just returned from a 3 day getaway and I honestly cannot tell you how much fun my family had.
Robbers Cave got its name because outlaws, like Jesse James and Belle Starr, used to hide in the large cave on site. There are so many fun activities to make this a great destination for your family, but at the same time the state park is not crowded at all, which is always a plus for me.
Here’s everything you need to know to plan your stay at this amazing park:
· First, I booked our cabin using this website. There are several cabins in the state park, a lodge called Belle Starr Lodge, and RV and tent campsites. We wanted a cabin for the kitchen!
· When you reserve your accommodations, you will not receive a confirmation email right away. I got our confirmation 2 days before our check in date.
· There is NO Wi-Fi, so plan accordingly. It was a nice break for us!
· You will use this address to enter the park and then follow the signs to the Park Store to get checked in. Address to the entrance: 2575 NW 1024th Ave, Wilburton OK. You will see a large Robbers Cave sign and there are several different signs along the road guiding you to the right places within the park.
· Our cabin had one bedroom with a queen bed, a living room with a sleeper sofa, one bathroom, a kitchen, and a small front porch. The views around the cabin are stunning. There’s also a fire pit with 4 chairs, a picnic table, and a grill at all of the cabins.
· Dishes have been removed due to COVID 19, so if you stay in a cabin you will need to bring your own dishes to cook with and plates/plastic ware.
· We bought groceries at a little grocery story in Wilburton. They had everything we needed, like coffee/creamer, breakfast items, grilling items, and snack and drinks for the kids.
· Across the street from the state park entrance is the lake area. There’s a gift shop and nature center, which is where you will come to purchase kayak, canoe, or paddleboat rentals. You can also swim at the lake or the pool that’s on site. If you want to swim at the pool, the hours are limited. They’re open for a few hours in the morning and then close for cleaning. They re-open in the evenings from 4:00-7:00. You have to get tickets to access the pool and you’ll get these at the gift shop, too. When you check in for your cabin, you will receive a voucher to take to the gift shop for the pool tickets. We only swam in the lake!
· You will see signs throughout the park for different hiking trails and directions on how to get to the cave. Hiking and exploring the cave was our favorite part of the trip! We did have to drive a few miles to get to the parking area for the cave hike. The Belle Starr Trail Loop (pictured below) was walking distance from our cabin.
Our 3 Day Itinerary:
Day 1: We arrived at check in and headed to the cabin to unload our groceries and suitcase. We brought the kids’ bikes with us so they ventured off to ride bikes and climb all along the cliffs behind the cabin. Once we had unpacked the car, we went hiking to see the notorious cave! We hiked for a few hours and then headed back to the cabin to grill hot dogs. There are plenty of shady areas around each cabin, so we really enjoyed just being outside together and there’s so much to do right in the backyard!
Day 2: We got up early and made breakfast before putting on swimsuits and driving across the street from the park to the lake area. We rented a kayak for later in the day and then ventured off to the swimming area. Seriously, we had the lake mostly to ourselves. There were a few other families that came and went, but we were mostly on our own. It was great! We kayaked for about 30 minutes, it was $5 per person. The boys loved jumping off the kayaks and swimming in the lake to cool off. We brought a picnic lunch with us, so we had sandwiches, the boys played on the playground, we checked out the nature center, and then grabbed snow cones before heading back to the cabin. Once we were back at the cabin, we rested for a little bit and then rode bikes and hiked the Belle Starr trail. Jereme grilled us burgers and then Jake picked out the perfect picnic place on the cliffs behind the cabin for dinner. We ended the night with a fire in the fire pit!
Day 3: This was our last day at Robbers Cave, so we slept in a little bit and then loaded up to head home. We stopped back at the lake on our way out to feed the geese and play on the playground for a bit before the drive home. We grabbed a quick lunch at Sonic in Wilburton and then were back home in under 3 hours!
There are other activities offered, like horseback riding, miniature golf, and ATVs but as you can see we didn’t have a lot of time to do everything! Regardless, we had plenty to do in the short time we were visiting. It was really great to get away and we felt safe the entire time. We did not have close encounters with anyone, so if you’re worried about COVID 19 but still want to take your family somewhere this summer, I highly recommend checking this place out!
Hey y’all! I hope you’re all doing well out there. Isn’t this such a crazy time? I decided to write today after having several friends and family members reach out to me over the last few months and weeks to ask about traveling this summer. So, I thought I’d share my thoughts and feelings. But remember, I’m not a health expert!
Personally, my family has canceled/rescheduled 6 planned vacations since March. I’m not going to lie, it’s been hard on me! Traveling and planning our next trip has always been therapeutic for me. And having a countdown or some big adventure to look forward to just seems to slow down life, I guess because my family is so excited and ready to go. Most of our trips were actually canceled for us, we didn’t have a choice. Of course, that made things much easier, especially when it came down to telling the boys! But we also made some hard decisions for this summer.
Me, that one day I kept getting cancelation emails from all of our booked spring and summer trips.
We had two big trips planned, California – Yosemite, The Redwoods, & Monterey in June and Cabo San Lucas planned for July. We decided to cancel those and will reschedule for a later date, probably summer 2021!
Here’s my advice to anyone reading this:
First, listen to your gut and do what’s best for your family! If you have a feeling that you should stay put for a little longer, then stay put! If you feel safe traveling, go for it and have the best time!
Next, really think about what traveling looks like, not just the amazing pictures, but the “getting there/getting home” part. Will you fly or drive? Do you feel comfortable on an airplane or in airports with a large crowd? If you’re planning to road trip, what are your thoughts on gas stations, public bathrooms, hotels, and restaurants?
Then, be sure to do your research on your destination! There are so many restrictions and rules that have been implemented due to our current pandemic. Some places require masks, others have specific capacity restrictions. Most National/State Parks require tickets to be purchased in advance and there’s a limit on those ticket sales. It appears that most places are opening back up, but of course its being done in phases. So please, do your research before you leave! If you see different sites showing different information, call the place you’re visiting directly and speak to an employee to get the most accurate and up to date info.
Have you considered a Staycation or taking a fun day trip closer to home instead? We recently did this with our boys! We traveled to Glen Rose, TX which is about a 2 hour drive for us. We packed a picnic lunch and practiced social distancing at an outdoor park and then were in our car feeding animals while driving through a wildlife zoo.
Does it make sense for your family to reschedule your trip for a later date, like in the fall or next summer? We are planning to reschedule all of our trips and I’m excited to have a year to plan Yosemite, it will be our first time visiting there! Maybe you can use the summer to research and put together an epic itinerary for your destination!
Are current travel prices, like cheaper airfare, appealing to your family? Are prices low enough now that your family can take that special trip that you might not be able to afford later on? This has been hard for me, I want to book all the $50 flights I see!
Should you travel within your country or internationally? Again, do your research and make sure you know what’s open, what the requirements are, and if there’s any restrictions or required quarantines for that destination.
Should you travel with groups? I can’t really answer that, but personally we’re choosing to travel with only our family of 4 at this time. We have a 2 night trip to Robbers Cave, OK coming up. My mom is battling breast cancer, so I have to put her health into consideration, too. While we’re getting out a little more now and seeing friends & family, we likely won’t be traveling with them like we love to do! Next summer though…
Finally, just remember that this decision involves you and your family. So once again, you have to do what’s best for you! Try to put your feelings aside and really look at the situation from all sides. My husband really does not want to have our children on an airplane or in airports right now. He’s really against leaving the country, just in case there’s another spike and things begin to shut down again. I was actually traveling in Virginia over spring break with our boys when the world began shutting down. I think he was worried about us getting back and being healthy and just doesn’t want to take any risks right now! So while I’m ready to go, go, go and see the world, I really had to pause and consider his feelings. And I know in my heart, if we travel in a way that he’s uncomfortable with, he will be anxious and worried and then we won’t be having any fun!
I know I’m probably missing some key points, but this is what I’ve been telling my dear friends and family when they ask for advice! I’d love to hear, or read, your thoughts on traveling this summer! Whatever you decide to do, I hope you have a great summer. Be safe, healthy and kind out there! And remember, no matter what you decide this summer, we will travel again!
Hey y’all! Well, I’m writing from Cody, WY today as we wait for our Yukon to be worked on. We were not expecting that the whole computer system would go out on our drive back home. But, we’re at a nice little Inn that’s in a great location and Cody is a beautiful little town. So, I decided I might as well blog about this trip while it’s fresh on my mind. Plus, I’ve had several friends reach out to me asking how I planned this trip to begin with, so I thought I’d list out our itinerary for others to use. We definitely didn’t see or do it all, but we had the best time!
Honestly, South Dakota wasn’t even my original destination. I wanted to visit the Redwood Forests in California but didn’t think that Jereme would want to drive that far. He hates road tripping haha! And when looking for plane tickets and rental cars, I got a little overwhelmed. It just so happens that my 2nd grade son’s class was learning about the presidents and monuments around the USA. He quickly became fascinated with Mount Rushmore and when I looked at the distance, I realized that a 15 hour drive would be totally do-able. I mean we drove to South Carolina over spring break and that was a 16 hour trip! We decided to book our trip from June 23-29th and we would be able to celebrate our 15 year anniversary and Jake’s 5th birthday while we were there. Once I had dates in mind, I went to Pinterest and read other travel blogs for inspiration. I had no idea there was SOOOOOO much to do in South Dakota!
I discovered that Rapid City, SD is a nice size town with a lot of lodging and dinner options. I’ve mentioned before that I use Expedia.com to book most of our hotels using the book now/pay later option. I found a fun Best Western with a water slide and was sold! We booked it that day and I had a few months to plan out our week. We decided that on the drive up to South Dakota, we would just go straight there the quickest way. Below is the route we took. We stopped in Grand Island, Nebraska for the night after driving most of the day.
Screenshot of our route to Rapid City, SD
Day 1: We left around 10:00 am on Sunday, June 22nd. The drive to Nebraska was about 8 hours. It was so beautiful. On the drive, I started googling fun places to visit and used some of the billboards along the route and found that we were really close to Smith Falls, which happens to be the largest waterfall in Nebraska. Of course, we had to stop there! That took us a little ways off of the route and added about 2 additional hours total with the extra driving and exploring the area. It was totally worth it!
Scenic overlook on the drive to Smith Falls State Park
My sweet Jake at the scenic overlook!
Smith Falls
Family photo in front of Smith Falls
Jereme and the boys!
The trail leading to the waterfall!
As you can see, it was a really neat stop after driving all day. The entire path was labeled and most of it was on a boardwalk through the forest. My boys loved it! From here, we drove to Grand Island, Nebraska and stayed at the Ramada by Wyndham for the night. And let me just say, this hotel had the best free breakfast buffet that we’ve ever had by far!
Day 2: After a restful night, we got up and finished the drive to Rapid City, SD. The drive from Nebraska to South Dakota was gorgeous.
Murdo, SD
We got caught in a small storm during the drive
We booked our week at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Rapid City. It was great! The best part was the water park inside the hotel and the crazy slides that the kids LOVED! We went to the water park every single night! I highly recommend this hotel too, especially if you have children with you!
How cool is this place!?
My boys going down the slides!
Day 3: Now to the fun stuff! We decided to head to Mount Rushmore first! The kids were so excited to see it and I really wanted to visit this place on our anniversary! I had no idea that it would be so neat. I honestly thought we’d just look at the monument and be on our way. I was totally wrong! The drive from Rapid City to Mount Rushmore took about 30 minutes and it was a really scenic drive. Most attractions are between Rapid City and Mount Rushmore, so that was really convenient for us! And I loved that the roads were very easy to navigate and there are signs everywhere, too that are helpful.
Tunnel on the highway right before Keystone, SD
When we came around a corner up in the mountains near Mount Rushmore, it suddenly came into view, and it literally brought tears to my eyes. I’ve been wanting to visit this monument since I was about 20, which is when Jereme and I really started traveling together. It was just pure excitement in the car!
First glimpse of Mount Rushmore
I could probably post a thousand pictures of this monument, but I won’t haha! Even though is was crowded, we really had a good time. I had no idea that there are different trails and areas to view this monument from different angles. One of my favorite parts is that there are different stops along the trail throughout the park with informational plaques about each of the 4 presidents represented (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln). These are strategically placed and when you look up, you get the best view of the president mentioned. The cost to enter the park is a $10 parking fee. There’s also a gift shop, places to grab food/drinks, some of the old tools used to build the monument, and the original plans for the carvings. Here are some of my favorite pictures from Mount Rushmore National Park!
Happy 15th Anniversary to us!
My favorite picture!
The only problem we had the whole day was that a pine cone fell out of a tree, hit Jake on the forehead, and cut it! Hahaha! He was so mad!
After exploring Mount Rushmore we decided to head to Crazy Horse Memorial. It’s about a 30 minute drive from Mt. Rushmore. I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned that Jereme is Native American, so this was special for him. The cost to get into this memorial is $30. It also has a place to eat, which we took advantage of. I love buffets, and it did not disappoint. There’s also different artifacts to look at from the Sioux Indian tribes in the area. We did not take the bus closer to the memorial, but we still enjoyed our visit. I recommend taking binoculars if you aren’t going to take the bus to get a closer look!
Crazy Horse behind Jereme
This is what the memorial will look like when it’s complete! It will be bigger than the pyramids in Egypt!
The drive from Mount Rushmore to Crazy Horse was another scenic drive. We stopped at a lake and explored a little before meeting back up with the Morgans.
We decided to end our day at the National Presidential Wax Museum in Keystone, SD, which is on the way back to Rapid City. It cost around $32 for my family to enter. We all had a great time! Here are just a few of the pictures from inside.
Jett
Jake
Check out their shirts! Thanks Miss Carrie!
The teacher in me loved this part!
After spending a few hours at Bear Country USA, we decided to head to Keystone to explore the downtown area. It’s a quaint little area with lots of food, drinks, and souvenir shopping! We ate at a Mexican food place called, Guadalajara’s. It was yummy!
Keystone, SD
We had to take a picture in front of this Bigfoot, in Bigfoot shirts!
While we were eating we decided to go check out Rushmore Cave. I think it cost my family around $42 for the cave tour. It’s an entire adventure park, but we just chose to do the cave tour. We had a great tour guide, Kaden and he did an excellent job of telling us the history of the cave. I don’t think I’ve ever been inside a cave with so many tight squeezes! I absolutely loved it!
As you can tell, these kiddos loved the cave tour!
From the cave, we went to… you guessed it! Back to the hotel water park!
Day 5: Day 5 was probably my favorite day in South Dakota! I can’t even begin to describe the trail we hiked around Custer State Park. I came across images of the Sunday Gulch Trail and knew we had to do it. I am not going to lie, there were tears shed around the 2.5 mile mark from my oldest kiddo. (We didn’t know he was actually getting sick with a fever/cold at the time). This hike is 3.9 miles long, it’s labeled as a HARD trail with a lot of uphill and downhill hiking, trekking through water, over rapids and streams using rocks or tree logs to get across. It was so much fun, but so much work. I can’t even describe how beautiful the sights were and my pictures just don’t do it justice. We could’ve explored this park for 3-4 days! I didn’t get many shots of us on the crazier parts of the trail because I had to help pass our little one off to Jereme and didn’t want to drop my phone in the water. But trust me, it was so cool! We packed a picnic lunch and found a nice, shady area to eat and then took off. It cost us $20 to get into the park, but that includes a 5 day pass to return. There are bathrooms, a store/souvenir shop, canoe rentals, and probably more than I even saw. After the hike, the kiddos and Jereme jumped into the lake for a freezing cold swim! Helpful Tips: Bring plenty of food and water for the day, wear sunscreen and reapply often, use bug repellent, bring a first aid kit, take a swimsuit or change of clothes/shoes, expect to get wet, and have a blast!
Screenshot of the Sunday Gulch Trail from Jeremy Morgan’s phone
Lunch!
Jett at the end of the hike!
We took the iconic Needles Highway back to Keystone after we left Custer State Park, which is an adventure in itself. It’s over 30 miles long with over 300 curves and switchbacks, pigtails, and tunnels. I had to do the driving because I get so carsick, but the speeds are so slow that I was honestly fine the entire drive. Jereme was the photographer for us this time! Next to our hotel was an Olive Garden and we headed there and I ate pasta for days!
Me driving inside a tunnel
The Morgans ahead of us
After dinner the kids suddenly felt better and had enough energy to close the water park down at the hotel!
Day 6: Today was Friday, June 28th and our little guy’s 5th Birthday! Jake wanted to go on another hike before we had a small pool party/cake for his birthday that night. We decided to explore The Badlands National Park and wow, what a sight! It’s another gorgeous place with land forms that are hard to describe. The only bad part about this day, is that it was so HOT! The temps had been mild, in the 70’s all the other days of our trip, but on this day it felt like we were back in TX! We didn’t stay as long as we wanted to because of the heat. It cost $25 to get into this park and there are several marked trails to take as soon as you park your car. We hiked the Notch Trail which was 1.5 miles round-trip and had a log ladder that we had to climb for great views! Since it was hot, we took a scenic drive through the park back to Wall, SD.
The Birthday Boy!
When we left The Badlands, we visited Wall Drug which was recommended on every blog I came across. To be honest, I could’ve skipped out on this one. It was a neat place, we had great ice cream and bought some cute souvenirs. But it wasn’t a must for my family. For some reason, I didn’t take a single picture at this stop! We then headed back to our hotel and had some birthday cake for Jake’s birthday and spent the rest of the evening at the hotel water park, of course!
I can’t believe we have a 5-year-old!
Day 7: Sadly, we had to check out of our hotel today and start the journey home. We had a really great plan to explore a few different states on the way back to TX. Our plan was to drive to Sturgis and Spearfish Canyon, SD, venture into Wyoming, cut up to Montana to Devils Canyon Overlook, then head down to Casper, WY for the night. Then the following day, we planned to drive down to Denver for lunch, explore Garden of the Gods and Pike’s Peak in Colorado Springs, before heading to Pueblo, CO for the night. From there we would have a 10 hour drive to our house. We had hotels booked, but God had another plan for us and I’m choosing to look at this situation as a divine intervention. We did get to drive through Wyoming and up to Montana, but right when we got to Lovell, WY our Yukon basically lost all power. We were stranded, luckily right outside of a restaurant full of helpful people, while we had to wait 4 hours for a tow truck to come get us. I quickly canceled all of our hotels and found one in Cody, WY and that’s where we still are, 2 days later. The mechanic said the Yukon should be fixed by noon tomorrow, so we’re hopeful that we’ll be home by Wednesday (July 3rd).
Here is our original plan for the drive home, feel free to use if you’re road tripping from SD – TX!
Rapid City to Devils Canyon Overlook
Devils Canyon Overlook to Casper, WY
Casper, WY to Pueblo, CO
We took the scenic bypass through Spearfish Canyon and I am so glad we did! We stumbled across Bridal Veil Falls by accident and had a quick hike up to see the waterfall up close! Below are just a few of our favorite pictures. Helpful Tips: You have to cross over a large stream to get to the falls. Bring extra shoes, I did great crossing over the rocks on the way to see the waterfall. Then I fell into the stream in tennis shoes on the way back across!
From here we crossed over into Wyoming, not knowing we’d still be here days later haha! This is such a beautiful state, I guess there are way worse places to the stranded.
Here are some of my favorite pictures of our drive through Wyoming! As you can tell, we stopped at most of the scenic overlooks throughout this trip.
Once you get close to Lovell, WY, you take a quick right off of highway 37 and drive about 10 minutes and cross into Montana to Devils Canyon Overlook. It was totally worth the drive, this place was fascinating. Some describe it like Wyoming/Montana’s Grand Canyon!
From here our plans changed and that is ok! I have learned a few things during this trying situation. First, my family is pretty great. We all handled this dilemma exceptionally well and nobody panicked. I only cried once and that was when waitresses at the restaurant we were at heard about our situation and paid for our food. I was just overwhelmed with all of the kindness from complete strangers! Second, you can have some of the best thought-out plans, but they can change really quick and you just have to roll with it and stay positive. Third, I have never in my life been more thankful that I live in a small town close to my family and friends! Fourth, I will never take owning a car for granted again. It has not been fun being without one for the past two days!
So there it is, our Texas-South Dakota (and more) itinerary! One day, Carrie may decide to start blogging from her perspective, too! They had a great trip, and made it back to Texas on Saturday night! You’ll want to stay tuned for her trip because they visited Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota before meeting us in Rapid City! And y’all say a prayer for us, hopefully we make it home soon!
Let’s talk about Colonial Williamsburg! If you’re planning a trip to this destination you’re in for a real treat. I honestly didn’t know much about this place and wish I would’ve done more research before we left home. But let’s be real, I was teaching full time and trying to get my classroom ready for Open House and was just counting down the days until Spring Break and vacation… so hopefully if you’re a busy mom like me, this information will help you plan the perfect trip to Colonial Williamsburg.
Street in Colonial Williamsburg
So, what is Colonial Williamsburg? Well, it’s a city in Virginia and it played a significant role in the American Revolution. It was the capital of the Virginia Colony from 1699-1780. Currently, it’s a historical district and living-history museum. Actors dress in costumes from that time period and show visitors what daily Colonial life was like. You will see them in the streets, stores, and workshops!
Me posing with an actress!
Here’s what you need to know:
· First, check out the Colonial Williamsburg website for more information on ticket pricing. Adult tickets are $42, children ages 6-12 are $25 and kids 5 and under are free.
· But also note that you can walk along the streets of Colonial Williamsburg for FREE. While you’re there you will literally feel like you’re in a different time period. You will see actors playing the part and they are wonderful! Ask them to pose for a quick picture, they will be happy to. You’ll see old Colonial homes, storefronts, gardens, and people riding in horse drawn carriages. If you do not purchase tickets, you will not be allowed entrance into any of the homes or stores. We did NOT purchase tickets, we got there really late and wanted to walk around to explore the streets before we made the decision to buy tickets. I mean let’s be honest, I am not really sure our kiddos (ages ranging from 5-9) would’ve really cared about going inside homes and listening to re-enactments. BUT they absolutely loved being out of the car, exploring the streets, and getting to walk around and see the sights. If I was there with just adults, I probably would’ve purchased tickets for the day. But if you don’t want to spend the money you will still have a wonderful experience just walking down the streets of the town. And you can look inside the windows of the houses and stores, so you can see what’s inside!
· There are also several restaurants along the streets so you can plan to eat when you’re in the area. Click here for a list of the top 10 best restaurants in Colonial Williamsburg!
· We loved our stay at Bluegreen Vacations Patrick Henry Square. It was walking distance to the Colonial Williamsburg area so we didn’t have to worry about parking.
· Fall and Spring are excellent times to visit. We were there over Spring Break and the gardens were gorgeous. The weather was also very pleasant!
· 1 full day spent in Colonial Williamsburg was plenty of time to see the sights! We spent our other days there visiting Yorktown and Jamestown – these three sites make up the Historic Triangle and are spaced out about a 15 minute scenic drive apart.
· There are signs everywhere telling you how to get to different places, which we found very helpful!
Enjoy our favorite pictures of our day spent in Colonial Williamsburg!
Be sure to check out what the flags looked like back then!
Storefront window display
Horse drawn carriage going down the Main Street!
As you can see, the streets are gorgeous! Wear comfy shoes!
I loved the parts of cobblestone streets!
Church in the background
Governors mansion in the background
I was fascinated with the old light posts and barrels that lined the sidewalks
My boys and I posing with an actor!
Many photographic opportunities throughout the area!
I’ve had the opportunity to visit Washington, DC three separate times over the past two years. It wasn’t until our third visit that I was actually able to get a tour of the White House. Read below to see tips on getting inside and things you should plan ahead for.
We made it behind the gates!
Start by looking at this website to get information and details for a White House visit. The first time I tried getting us a tour, I followed the steps on the website and never heard back from anyone. I realized my mistake, we were going over a long weekend and the White House only has tours on certain days during the week (Tuesday-Thursdays from 7:30 am-11:30 am and Fridays/Saturdays from 7:30 am-1:30 pm). So essentially, we would’ve only been able to get a tour for Saturday and I am sure that’s probably a busy day!
The second time I tried, we were visiting DC over Thanksgiving break. This is an absolute amazing week for a visit, the business in the city shuts down for the holiday and hotels are very reasonably priced. Read here to see more information about our Thanksgiving trip. However, you will NOT get into the White House during this week because they close all tours for Christmas decorating.
The third time I was set to visit DC I was determined to get us into the White House. And the funny part is, I was actually visiting Colonial Williamsburg over spring break but figured I was close enough to DC (2 hour drive) and decided I would try. So, I went back to the website and filled out the information needed. I also decided to give the old phone a try and I actually made a call to our local representative and worked with him over several weeks to get a tour scheduled. And fortunately for us, it worked!
Things to Know:
You need to request a tour 3-6 months before your visit, but you typically won’t find out if you’ve been approved until 2 weeks before your visit.
Requests are made through your Member of Congress – click on link to find your representative.
Call your representative – they want to help you get a tour and are really great to work with!
You MUST bring specific items for your tour or you will NOT be allowed access inside the White House – you will either have to pick up or will be mailed a “boarding pass” for entrance. Adults will also need a government issued I.D. with a photo (driver’s license or passport).
You are not allowed to bring a bag of any size, including purses.
You can bring your cell phone, but no other cameras.
You will go through several different checkpoints in various places before you can enter. The officers working these checkpoints are very friendly, but mean business. They ask you questions, like your full name and birthday, and will also ask your kids – no matter their age, so be sure to review this with them!
Be prepared to arrive early for your tour and to wait in lines to get in – these lines are all outdoors, so plan accordingly. There are also NO restrooms available for anyone to use!
Once inside, the tour is self-directed and there are only a few places that you will have access to.
The secret service agents inside are very friendly and most will interact with you and answer any questions that you have.
Have fun, enjoy the visit, and take tons of pictures!
There is a White House Museum across the street that you can visit after your tour – the Park Rangers at the White House will tell you about it before you go inside!
A Small Glimpse at What a White House Tour Looks Like!
I love that you can see the Washington Monument from the rooms in the White House!
Everything is so fancy!
The Library
Jake is refusing to smile like the Presidents in all the portraits.
The Green Room
The Red Room
I loved the columns
We had the best time touring the White House!
Good luck on securing your White House tour! This is a very memorable experience and I hope everyone that has the desire to visit is able to.
Road Trip Queen 