 When you visit New Orleans for the first time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the variety of food choices. With well over 1,000 restaurants, it’s impossible to try all the New Orleans favorites on any given trip or to even know where to start. During our recent 4 day mother/daughter trip, I felt like we left with a good sampling of the local cuisine, including things like spicy boiled crawfish, chargrilled oysters, po’ boys and of course, the iconic beignets! We were fortunate to have a local family member who was a fabulous personal tour guide, especially when it came to food. Staying at the Hotel Indigo in the Garden District gave us the perfect opportunity to explore restaurants outside of the French Quarter. We could easily get up and walk to several popular breakfast spots. If you are staying in the French Quarter, don't hesitate to take an early morning St. Charles streetcar run to the picturesque Garden District for breakfast. But be sure to save room for lunch and dinner. Here’s how we spent 4 days exploring all there is to eat in New Orleans.
*This post was updated October 2022.
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Travel to cities around the USA, and there’s one thing you might notice that many have in common - colorful street art covering the empty sides of buildings and alleyways. Whether it’s a giant mural on the side of an old warehouse, or a colorful alleyway wall filled with local & cultural icons like the one outside of DC’s Ben’s Chili Bowl, one thing is for sure, street art has become more mainstream. In many places, organized street art/mural campaigns have been started in the hopes of revitalizing parts of downtown areas that have been subject to urban decay. Much like the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration that was funded to assist struggling artists during the Great Depression (resulting in over 100,000 murals and paintings mostly inside buildings), city mural projects are being used to bring life and visitors back to the city. I admit that it wasn’t until I started regularly participating in the monthly Street Art Chat on Twitter, did I really open my eyes and truly appreciate some of the amazing pieces of street art that I’ve encountered. Plus searching for street art is a fun thing to do with teens on vacation. So journey along as I share some favorite street art found in 5 cities from Miami to New York city, along with a few pieces of bonus street art from Hawaii.
*This post was updated October, 2022 
Spring is finally settling in around the country, and it’s the perfect time to plan a visit to a national park. Did you know that every year in April, the National Park Service designates a week as National Park Week? During this time, the public is invited to spend some time celebrating America's treasures, with daily themes and special events. Some of our favorites national parks are the ones that preserve the history and cultural heritage of the United States, in a way that also offers an opportunity for family fun through interactive activities. With insight from fellow travel bloggers, read on to find out why these 5 historic east coast national parks are worth a visit.
This post has been updated for 2022. 
Looking for a weekend city getaway filled with southern charm, good food and plenty of outdoor activities? Then consider heading to Columbia, South Carolina, the state capital and home to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. It’s the perfect mix of college town and vibrant city along with innovative restaurants serving up southern style favorites and classic restaurant fare. We recently spent another weekend in Columbia, and packed in tons of walking, eating and exploring around town. So if you are looking for things to do in Columbia, South Carolina, here's 7 ways to fill a weekend.
*This post was updated January, 2024 
Washington DC is known for many things, including the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Smithsonian Museums. It’s also home to the National Gallery of Art, often found on lists of top museums both in the U.S. and around the world. And it’s no wonder, with free admission and a world-class art collection. But the National Gallery of Art is not the only place in DC to see interesting art exhibitions. There are at least a half dozen other museums and galleries on or near the National Mall, including the National Portrait Gallery, American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery, along with outdoor sculpture gardens. The best part? Free admission, which is hard to come by these days for a museum. This allows visitors and locals to pop in for a short visit, or spend hours browsing. Plus don’t miss the unique shopping opportunities found in the museum gift shops. So come along as we walk through the diverse collection of art museums in Washington DC.
*Updated January, 2024  What do oysters, fresh-baked pastries, and biscuits have in common? They are just some of the delicious local flavors elevated to new heights in historic downtown Leesburg, Virginia. Located just over 40 miles west of Washington, DC, Leesburg is filled with a vibrant local restaurant scene, history, and unique shopping opportunities. From early morning to late night, there’s no shortage of delicious food and drinks in this small town that packs in big flavor! So come for a few hours or spend the day, but one thing’s for sure, after visiting the restaurants in downtown Leesburg, Virginia you won’t leave hungry!
Are you ready to plan a road trip but don’t know where to begin? Taking a road trip vacation is something that most people will do at least once in their lifetime, but in today’s world, seems a bit more complicated. It wasn’t that long ago that you could just pile the kids into a car, pack some food, grab a few maps and go. While we all have visions of well-behaved kids singing family friendly songs in the back of the car while Mom & Dad cheerfully drive for hours, there are always the moments when you take the wrong turn, get stuck in a storm, or just want to jump out of the car for 5 minutes of alone time! A few years have passed since I first wrote 5 Tips for Planning Your Next Road Trip Adventure, and technology has certainly impacted the way we travel. So here’s 7 more tips that I hope you find helpful for your next road trip.
*This post was updated January, 2024 
Travelers to Hawaii always face a tough question - which island should I visit? For us, it was a tough choice to decide how we wanted to spend our first family vacation in paradise. While we ended up with Maui being our primary destination, I knew we couldn’t travel all the way to Hawaii without spending a few days on iconic Oahu. Island hopping is relatively cheap and easy, but with five of us, a one way trip to Oahu on the last 3 days of our vacation seemed like the best option. We knew that Waikiki would be a bit crowded in early July, so we decided to stay in a vacation rental in laid back Kailua. The location, just 3 miles from a beautiful beach, gave us easy access to all the popular sites, and we found the highways to be pretty straightforward. It was an action packed few days, ending with fireworks on the beach in Kailua on the 4th of July. Check out some of our favorite spots that we enjoyed during our visit, and get inspired for your next trip to Hawaii!
*This post was updated October, 2022 
Picture a series of pristine alpine lakes nestled between mountain peaks and jagged ridges. There’s a small slice of wilderness in the central Cascades of Washington known as the Enchantments, and hiking-in is the only way to access this area of astounding natural beauty. My husband Rick recently spent 6-days backpacking through the area with 3 other hiking buddies on an adventure that began and ended at the Snow Lake trailhead near Leavenworth. Although I’m not a backpacker, I’m really excited to share some of his pictures and stories from this special place.
*Updated April, 2025  Hawaii has always been on my travel bucket list. But with a family of five and the long distance from the DC area, there were many reasons to put off the trip. Several months ago, I realized that time for our family vacations together was dwindling, so my husband and I made the decision that this was going to be the summer of Hawaii! As I began searching for accommodations in late March, I quickly realized how popular Maui is during the summer, particularly near the 4th of July. To make it more difficult, many of the more affordable, larger accommodations were already booked. So I was excited when I came across Kihei Sands Condominiums, and now that we have returned from our trip, I have to say that it made for the perfect first vacation to Maui.
*This post was updated October, 2022 |
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