Travel Time

We started our visit to Mykonos with a trip to the island of Delos , and a visit to the ruins of the ancient Sacred City rumored to be the site of Artemis and Apollo's birth.  We continued on to Old Town, had an amazing lunch before heading back to the ship and savored an amazing sunset on the way out of the port! 

We explore Messina via the "Scenic Messina City Tour" as well as on our own - includes the Cathedral of Messina and a tour of the city on foot.  Plus we sample some Sicilian snacks, Cannoli, beer and Granitas while in port on our our Mediterranean and Aegean Cruise. 

Sharing some tips from our 8 night Mediterranean and Aegean Cruise on the Disney Magic , some of what we did on At Sea days and our thoughts on embarkation, disembarkation, etc.  The port adventures will follow in upcoming episodes so stay tuned! 

And our trip to Europe to visit Italy and Greece by way of a Mediterranean and Aegean Cruise on the Disney Magic kicks off with our trip to Italy and a busy day in Rome!  We went on a tour with The Tour Guy for "Rome in a Day with Vatican and Colissuem" and topped it off with a great dinner at Hostaria al Gladiatore.

Exploring some of the National Wildlife Refuges, State Parks and National Seashores of Central Florida. Merritt Island NWR Pelican Island St. Sebastian River State Park St. Johns NWR Captain Duke's Airboat Rides

One of the newest National Park and a longtime State Park .  Great birding and lots of other options for exploring.  Hike Sand Dunes, Wooded marshland, woodland forests, and open marshes.  Visit beaches with a view of Chicago.  A great affordable getaway!  

Touring tips and Info on Holiday World

Our next stop on the Mother/Son road trip was Hershey, Pennsylvania for some fun at Chocolate World and HersheyPark.   Includes sharing info on the shows at Chocolate world, and the make your own candy bar. 

We continue on the Mother/Son Road Trip with a stop in Gettysburg .  We touch on Audio tours vs. Private tours from Gettysburg Battlefield Guides, Eisenhower House, The Visitor Center options, how much time to spend and more! 

Exploring Harper's Ferry and Monocacy  National Battlefield on our way to Gettysburg from Antietam

A visit to Antietam National Battlefield with a private guide from Antietam Battlefield Guides .  We spent several hours at the Battleground going through the site in the order of the events of the battle.  We followed our tour with i ce cream at Nutter's Ice Cream Shop in Sharpsburg and then lunch at Blue Moon Cafe in Shepardstown, WV.

My youngest and I set out on a road trip - first stop Fort Necessity - George Washington's First battle and only surrender and the start of the French and Indian War.  I share some of the history and context of the battle and our stop there on the way to Antietam.

I've been to the South Rim and the North Rim, and The North Rim wins hands down.  We stayed at the Grand Canyon Lodge . 

Our stay in Cortez Colorado to visit nearby Mesa Verde National Park .  We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Cortez . 

A mother/son visit to the Flight 93 Memorial in Pennsylvania - Tower of Voices, Memorial Walkway and Visitor Center, as well as the Memorial Groves.  A quiet walk and a chance to share a pivotal event with my son and share my memories. 

Stop 4 of our Grand Circle trip was a 2-night stop in Moab to see Canyonlands Islands in the Sky district and Arches. In spite of a delay getting into Arches, we had 2 great days and a Nighttime boat tour!  I'll also share tips for how to know if Arches is closed to capacity and know when you can go in. 

Stop 3 on our Grand Circle Road Trip was at Torrey Utah for a stay at the Capitol Reef Resort , a morning Llama Hike and trail lunch, and visiting Capitol Reef National Park. Capitol Reef Resort

Our second National Park of the Grand Circle road trip was at Bryce Canyon National Park . The coolest day of our entire trip at 77 degrees, it was very welcome after the hottest day of the trip at Zion! We kicked off our day with the Bristlecone Loop and worked our way north from there. 

We kicked off our tour of the Grand Circle with a visit to Zion National Park .  We stayed at the Hampton in Springdale and visited both Zion Canyon and the Kolob Canyons portions of the park.   We used a private shuttle on this visit due to COVID capacity issues and had to make some on the fly adjustments to plans due to some Search and Rescue activity in the canyon while we were there. 

We visit Hilton Head every spring to enjoy a relaxing week in the sun, sand and water.  Today I share some of our favorite activities, restaurants, and some information about Barony Beach Club where we stay. 

The Disney Magic is one of our favorite cruise ships - so much that we've done 2 sailings on it so far with another longer one planned for 2022!  On this episode, I share some of the reasons why, thoughts on our cabin location and restaurants and overall reasons we like the Magic/Wonder ships more than Dream/Fantasy (although we love them all!)

A winter break getaway to Mammoth Cave where its always 54 degrees!  We enjoyed the Frozen Niagra and Historic Tours on our trip and stayed in nearby Cave City, KY

On board for our first 7 night cruise!  We cruised on the Disney Fantasy and our cruise included a New Year's celebration at sea as well as stops at St. Martin/Sint Maarten, St. Thomas and Castaway Cay.  

My son joins me to talk about our mother-son trip to Albuquerque for USATF Cross Country Nationals.  We discuss the event, Church St. Cafe and 66 Diner , Petroglyph National Monument , Old Town and the Pueblo Cultural Center among other fun!  

Sharing some tips from our trip to Disney's California Adventure - including dining at Storyteller's Cafe, Carthay Circle, Paradise Garden Grill and Blue Bayou.   Also includes some tips from one of our visits at Christmastime and staying at Desert Palms (a Good Neighbor Hotel).  Tips on Radiator Springs Racers, Cozy Cone Motel, Redwood Creek Challenge Trail too!