Category: road trips

Five Types of Suitcases You Absolutely Must Have

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Different trips call for different luggage. Here are a few suitcases I own that I adore and how I decide which I will use:

  1. Duffel bag. An overnight bag is like a little black dress for travelers. Everyone should have at least one. I like to use a duffel bag for this, I have three different ones. The key is to find one that has enough storage space as well as pockets on the inside and out to fit everything you need and keep it organized. In addition you can also use a large back pack or oversized purse.
  2. 15″ rolling under the seat luggage. For longer weekend trips, whether you are driving somewhere nearby, or flying out on business, a small rolling suitcase that can fit under an airplane seat is my favorite thing in the world. It is slightly smaller than carry on bags and fits under all airplane seats. Brandon and I both have one for short trips back to NJ to visit our families. The suitcase is roomy enough to fit everything we need yet compact enough to fit on smaller commercial airlines.
  3. Standard carry-on rolling bag. If you are like me and need to bring 3 pairs of shoes on every trip longer than 24 hours, the standard sized rolling bag is a great addition to your luggage collection. One reason I love this is because a standard sized commercial aircraft has room above your seat to store these. Modern technology has made me so lazy. I only fly on airlines I can check in from my phone so I can skip the lines at the gate. Very rarely do I ever check a bag. I hate standing in lines with people who don’t know how to navigate an airport or hardly ever fly. I am inpatient and love being able to get out of my car and walk directly to security so I can grab my Starbucks and relax once I get to the gate.  I hate standing in baggage claim waiting for airport employees to unload the plane and get me my luggage. I’ve also seen one too many suitcases lost or contents stolen in airports. If I can keep my possessions with me at all times I am a happy gal.
  4. Large sized luggage. Buy a nice large luggage bag with a good lock, and don’t skip out on the toiletry bag. When I am going on longer vacations like when we were in Hawaii for 2 weeks, I like to bring a large enough suitcase that I have everything I would need for one week including shoes. You’ll have to check your bag, unless you are lucky enough to live near an airport with curbside check in. In addition, you will need to stand around and wait for your luggage to get off the plane and you’ll run the risk of items being stolen. As long as you are careful, have a good lock on your bag, and pack smart you should be alright. Finger crossed and let’s hope that everything makes it home with you! Luggage sets are nice because they are usually roomy are made well, and come in a matching set which makes it easier to spot on the conveyer belt.
  5. Laptop bag. If you’re like me you’ll want to bring your laptop on the flight with you. I have a laptop bag in the form of a backpack which I found on Amazon. There is a ton of cushion so your laptop doesn’t get damaged and they are really nice and well made. I own the HFSX Vintage Laptop Backpack. You can buy ones with built in phone chargers and a place to store your phone, keys, wallet, and passport. Plus, it will fit under your seat.

Geniuspack.com is my favorite place to shop for luggage. They have great luggage that makes travel easy and organizing natural. Their hard side carryon is amazing. You can also find packing tips and lots of travel related gear other than luggage. You can all of the above INCLUDING universal travel adapters which work in 150 different countries. Another great thing to do if you can invest is to buy a luggage set that includes all of the pieces above. You will save money in the long run and everything will match (if you have OCD like me than that’s really important). Don’t forget to comment below with links to your favorite pieces of luggage and why.

 

Happy travels!

50 Quotes to Fill Your Wanderlust

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  1. “This gypsy heart just needs to wander. Wander to undiscovered mountains and caves that guard the mysteries of this world. I will upturn every stone, I will drive through the darkest seas, just to discover the secrets that were only meant for me” -Chrissie Pinney
  2. “Jobs will fill your pocket, adventures will fill your soul”
  3. “I have an insane calling to be where I’m not”
  4. “Escape and breathe the air of new places”
  5. “There is no time to be bored in a world as beautiful as this”
  6. “I travel because I need to… because my wild, adventurous spirit can’t live according to the “norm.” I travel to regroup, to reinvent myself, to be the best me I can be, to find joy in the ordinary and peace in exploring. I travel to be.”
  7. “We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us”
  8. “If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” – Jane Austen
  9. “Once the travel bug bits there is no known antidote, and I know that I shall be happy infected until the end of my life.” -Michael Palin
  10. “A mind stretched by new experience can never go back to it’s old dimensions”
  11. “But the world is calling, and I must go hear what it has to say”.
  12. “Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” -Anita Desai
  13. “Travel sparks our imagination, feeds our curiosity and reminds us how much we all have in common.” – Deborah Lloyd
  14. “Because in the end you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” -Jack Kerouac
  15. “A person susceptible to wanderlust is not so much addicted to movement as committed to transformation.” -Pico Iyer
  16. “Travel brings power and love back into your life.” -Rumi
  17. “If we were meant to stay in one place we would have roots instead of feet”
  18. “Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.”
  19. “I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.” -Susan Sontag
  20. “One travels to run away from routine. That dreadful routine that kills all imagination and all our capacity for enthusiasm.” -Ella Maillart
  21. “No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow.” -Lin Yutang
  22. “Travel, not to find yourself but to remember who you have been all along”
  23. “‘I’m bored’ is a useless thing to say. You live in a great, big, vast world that you’ve seen non percent of.” -Louis C.K. “
  24. “The best education you will ever get is traveling. Nothing teaches you more than exploring the world and accumulating experiences.”
  25. “I am not the same having seen the moon shine on. the other side of the world” -Mary Anne Radmacher
  26. “Of all the books in the world, the best stories are found between the pages of a passport.”
  27. “Traveling makes one modest, you see the tiny space you occupy in the world. -Gustave Flaubert
  28. “I would gladly live out of a suitcase if it meant I could see the world.”
  29. “The world is too big to stay in one place, and life is too short to do just one thing.”
  30. “If happiness is the goal, and it should be, then adventures should be top priority.” -Richard Branson
  31. “Someday is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.” -Timothy Ferriss
  32. “The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life.” -Agnes Repplier
  33. “And then there is the most dangerous risk of all, the risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself the freedom to do it later.” -Randy Komisar
  34. “My favorite thing is to go where I’ve never been.” Diane Arbus
  35. “Travel. Because money returns, time doesn’t.”
  36. “I travel because it makes me realize how much I haven’t seen, how much I’m not going to see, and how much I still need to see.”
  37. “Traveling is like flirting with life. It’s like saying “I would stay and love you, but I have to go; this is my station.” -Lisa St. Aubin de Teran
  38. “Life is meant for spectacular adventures. Let your feet wander, your eyes marvel, and your soul ignite.”
  39. “When one door closes pack your bags and go where there are no doors.”
  40. “Traveling; it gives you home in a thousand strange places, then leaves you a stranger in your own land. -Ibn Batutta
  41. “Please understand, I have been waiting to leave ever since I figured out that there were roads willing to take me anywhere I wanted to go.”
  42. “Live your life by a compass, not a clock.”
  43. “I travel not to cross countries off a list, but to ignite passionate affairs with destinations.”
  44. “Don’t be the person who is ‘too busy’ when you’re young and ‘too tired’ when you’re old”
  45. “Travel while you’re young and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money ever will be.”
  46. “Take only memories, leave only footprints.”
  47. “Travel opens your heart, broadens your mind, and fills your life with stories to tell.” -Paula Bendfeldt
  48. “Cover the earth before it covers you.” -Dagobert D. Runes
  49. “If you think adventure is dangerous try routine; it’s lethal.” -Paulo Coleho
  50. “If you want to know the truth of who you are, walk until not a person knows your name. Travel is the great teacher, bitter as medicine, crueler than mirror-glass. A long stretch of road will teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet.” – Patrick Rothfuss

Sunny With a Chance of Tornado?

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In June, one of my best friends had her bachelorette party in Nashville, TN during CMA Fest. Being that the drive to Nashville from my home in Wisconsin is only about 9 hours I thought it would be fun to road trip down to meet everyone at the airport. Our families are close, and most of the mothers of the girls invited also joined us. My mom insisted on driving with me. Since she lives in south jersey, she wanted to spend some quality-time, so we took the road trip together.

The 9 hour drive down to Nashville I did entirely myself. I love my mom but she isn’t the best copilot. By the time we made it to Nashville I was exhausted from working all day and then getting in a car and leaving for Music City.

I like to travel solo or with my husband because I feel that traveling brings a lot of reflection and I like my mind to be quiet to take in whatever is around me. Being in a car or plane can be boring, but I also find it peaceful and gives me a chance to reset and relax. My mom likes to talk. A lot.

For the first 3 hours I am convinced that my mom didn’t stop talking. I made the mistake of stopping at a McDonalds on the way down somewhere in Illinois and introduced my mom to a sugar free vanilla latte. 1. I’m not sure how my mom thought that this drink was so ground breaking and different from every other skinny vanilla latte she ever bought from Starbucks. 2. My mom literally did not know how to order it and I’m not really sure what she thought it was.

Side note: this made her talk even more. even faster. and even louder.

Either way it kept me awake, so after 6 hours of music and my mom talking about I don’t even know what she started to fall asleep and I finally got some quiet time.

The rest of the weekend is basically a blur. I was severely sleep deprived and inebriated at other times. This was definitely not a Tour of Nashville which I have done some in the past and will definitely write another post about it. However, I saw the insides of a lot of bars. Broadway is full of bars owned by country music stars like Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, John Rich, and more. There’s a Honky Tonk bar that is 3 (or 4?) stories tall where we watched 2 dudes rip their shirts off, fist fight and then get thrown out by security. There’s a mechanical bull, a million rooftop bars, and during CMA Fest there are also a million people.

BUT, I am going to talk about all that another time. For the sake of this post, I want to focus on the road trip back from Nashville to Wisconsin.

On the morning of our drive home it was raining, I was hungover from day drinking for 7 hours the day before, and we had a severe thunderstorm warning. This didn’t phase me. Thunderstorms and severe weather are common in the midwest. We got in our car at 6am and started driving because I was hell bent on getting back to Wisconsin by dinner. We of course had to stop at McDonalds on the way out of town for my mom’s 697th* sugar free vanilla latte of the weekend. (*information was grossly exaggerated).

About 6 miles in we got a severe weather warning followed by a tornado watch. We continued our drive and finally got out of Tennessee and into Kentucky where we ended up stopping at a gas station and KFC to use the bathroom and fill up our tank. “Good, Good Father” by Chris Tomlin came on the radio in the KFC bathroom as I was washing my hands and realized we were still in Kentucky in the Bible Belt. That place is a whole other world.

Exhausted, hungry but craving healthy food, and a little cranky we continued on. So naturally for the next 5 hours we argued about literally nothing in the car, because what else would you expect after a bachelorette 5 day weekend bender with your mom?

The following transpired very quickly and within 10 mins:

The skies opened up and it was a complete downpour. We started talking about how I wanted to be a storm chaser as a kid because I was always fascinated with tornados and I would write school reports on them constantly, but NJ has like 1 tornado per decade so it wasn’t really a good choice. I literally said, “it would be cool to see a tornado today”. Both our phones started to go off, it was a warning for severe thunderstorm which we could see (OBVIOUSLY  Weather Channel, are you even predicting or are you just telling me what is already happening?).

Somehow we started arguing about me wanting her to drive or about how I thought she couldn’t drive well because she can’t see very good, I don’t even know. I do remember getting really worked up and pissed off and we were yelling.

Our phone alarms went off again. I asked my mom to look and see what the warning was. She looked up at me and said “Tornado.” I had her read me the information on where it was because I literally could not see 5 feet in front of me the wind and rain was so awful. She mentioned the highway we were on and the mile markers. We were smack dab in the middle of it’s path. I didn’t want to stay there because there was not shelter and we were in the middle nowhere in southern Illinois surrounded by corn fields. I saw an overpass up ahead and pulled over underneath of it so we could at least see. This rain wrapped fucker of a tornado passed right by us as we sat confused and a little scared under an overpass wondering what we should do.

We called Brandon, my sister, and father almost immediately and none of them seemed to care very much except Brandon who likes storms and tornados as much as I do.

This experience left me with three very important pieces of advice for everyone who takes road trips.

  1. Pay attention to warnings on your phone or the radio when you are road tripping.
  2. Life is short, and one minute you are sipping a sugar free vanilla latte with your mom arguing loudly with each other, and the next your heart is pounding and you are yards away from a tornado.
  3. NEVER say the words “It would be cool to see a tornado today”

This whole experience got me thinking, sometimes my iPhone doesn’t work well without WiFi, what if I hadn’t pulled over because I didn’t know there was a tornado warning? What if I had been listening to my iPod instead of the radio AND my phone notifications didn’t come through? A million scenarios have played in my mind, but luckily everything worked out.

I think it just goes to show, you can never expect a normal anything, including a normal drive home.

5 Must See Places In Maui

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Aloha! There are so many fun things to do and see on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Since you can travel anywhere on the island within a day it is easy to see and do a lot in only a few days. My husband and I traveled to Maui for the first week of our honeymoon. We fell in love with the picture perfect sunsets and island spirit. Maui doesn’t have big sky scrapers, but does have plenty to keep you occupied. Below is a list of 5 of our favorite things to see on the island.

The Nakalele Blowhole

The Nakalele Blowhole is found on the north end of the island at Nakalele Point. The blowhole is just past a road side hut for Julia’s Banana Bread. There is a small hut with refreshments by the entrance of the hiking trail to the blowhole. You will hike up a hill and then down into the basin towards the bay where the blowhole is active. For best views, make sure to head over when the ocean starts to kick up and be a little more rough. The blowhole is most active around that time.

Once you get down into the basin you will also find the heart shaped rock. Many honeymooners and couples stop here to take a photo with the heart or kissing next to the heart. The easy part is getting down to the blow hole. Take heed of the warning signs posted in the area and DO NOT jump into the blow hole or stand over it. When the blowhole goes off it can suck you down into the ocean and many people are killed here yearly.  Nevertheless, this is a stop you will for sure need to make on your next trip to Maui. The views are beautiful and you can’t take a bad picture at any angle.

Haleakala National Park

Haleakala is the volcano that formed part of the island of Maui. The summit of the volcano is now a national park and they offer many types of tours. You can always hike the park for the beautiful views of the ocean and waterfalls, but you can also watch sunrise or sunset at the summit over the crater.

There are so many beautiful hiking trails in this park, but one of the most amazing views you can get is the first glimpse of sunlight over Haleakala crater at sunrise. The summit can drop below 20 degrees Fahrenheit at certain points of the year, so you might need to pack a winter coat if you plan on visiting this location in the tropics. Cheer as the sun reaches over the clouds and watch the sunrise while natives sing welcoming the new day. You will need tickets for both sunrise and sunset to get into the park so check out their site. You can also book a sunrise downhill bike tour and get your pass into the park that way.

The Road to Hana

The Road to Hana is one of the most famous road trips to complete in Hawaii. The road itself has some of the most beautiful landscapes and dangerous twists and turns on the entire island. You will need to make sure you have a travel guide book with notes for gas stops along the way since you could run out of gas without stopping at the last station before Hana. Tons of tourists run out of gas on their way around the island.

Depending on the time of year, you may or may not want to continue to drive around the island completely. if you continue be sure there hasn’t been a lot of rain or once you get into the Haleakala national park the road may be completely covered with water in certain areas. So be prepare and aware of your surroundings and the dangers. The road gets much more narrow once you pass Hana and it goes on for miles as a grated dirt road. If you are not driving a four-wheel vehicle you might want to rethink your rental car.

The road to Hana has so much for all ages. There are stands every mile or two with tons of different types of food, from BBQ to juice stands, to shave ice, and so much more. Make sure you bring cash and enjoy the ride by stopping as much as you want along the way. If you love hiking there are over 20 hiking trails along the Road to Hana. Some are harder than others so make sure you have a good guide book to tell you where to pull over since some trails aren’t even marked with a sign.

Lahaina

Lahaina was the capital of the kingdom of Hawaii from 1820-1845 and there is so much history to the city. The old courthouse building and some of the original homes are still standing. You can read all about the history as you walk the avenue. There are a ton of shops, art galleries, and restaurants that line the streets. They have a park full of Banyon trees that provide a nice shady spot to rest in front of the old courthouse. Shave ice is a big thing in Hawaii and it’s basically “water ice” or “Italian ice”, but the ice is shaved instead of crushed. It’s really refreshing, especially in the Hawaiian sun.

You will enjoy every minute of your time in this quaint and beautiful town.

Black Sand Beaches

One of the coolest things to do and see in Maui are the black sand beaches. There are a few of them on the island and they are magnificent and beautiful. There is one black sand beach you can see on the way to Hana that many people stop at. The black sand beaches are not small course sand, but instead large pebbles. Be sure to wear water shoes and bring a beach chair if you plan on staying for a while since walking and sitting on the beaches can be pretty painful. These beaches are mostly flocked with tourists who are passing through. Not many people spend their entire day lounging here so be ready to see a lot of people hiking through in a steady line.

Either way, the beaches are a must see. They have a unique beauty that set them apart from beaches in other places on the island.

Maui includes so many fun and relaxing things to do for people of all ages. Make sure you check out my post about tricks to save money in Maui!

The Cone Heard Around the World

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IT STARTED OUT AS INNOCENT FUN.

In the fall of 2013 my dad convinced my mom to join us on a cross country road trip from New Jersey to Los Angeles in a C3 camper. I was stoked to be able to explore so much of the country that I have never seen. We were going to go to all of the big state parks in the north west like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Badlands, Mount Rushmore, the Redwood national forest, and more. I could not wait to get out and see everything I had read about in social studies classes all through elementary school.

My dreams were crushed when two days into our trip. I was staying with my sorority sister from Ohio State on my parent’s anniversary and I got a news alert that the government had shut down. I was devastated. Not only were we not allowed in the parks now, but what was the point of driving all this way for nothing? We had only made it to Ohio so far and we were at least a day or two out from South Dakota depending on where we would stop to sleep. My parents picked me up the next morning, I was hung over, wearing the same clothes as the night before, and I probably smelled.

I went into the camper bathroom and tried to puke but couldn’t so I put my head phones in, sat in the passenger seat next to my dad and giggled to myself as I listened to “Iowa Stubborn” from the Music Man while we drove across Iowa (Don’t worry you can click the link to see what song I am talking about so you can laugh too). As beautiful as fly over states are, there is a reason when you are trying to get from point A to point B you fly. Highways in flyover states are seriously a drag. Although the first hour and a half was pretty entertaining, that shit gets old quick and you can only make so many “corny” jokes.

THINGS STARTED TO GET WEIRD.

We stopped briefly at the Corn Palace just to say that we did it and then made our way to the Badlands National Park… even though it was closed. Here is where things got a bit interesting. My dad slowed down when we came up to the entrance and realized there was not a single person around. With the rangers all off work we decided to take our chances and my dad drove over the cones and into the park. We hadn’t come all this way for nothing.

We pulled off at a parking lot that was coned off and my dad and I started snapping a few pictures. I snapped a photo of myself giving a thumbs up next to the “this national park service is closed” sign and said it would be funny if my dad threw a cone and mom took a photograph. My dad started laughing and we took a few action shots of him throwing the cone until we got the perfect picture with the cone in the air above his head.

MY DAD THINKS HE IS A CELEBRITY.

My mom and I posted a photo on Facebook and I captioned it “‘This national park service is closed. Oh yeah? You and what government workers are going to stop me?'”. A family joke meant to be shared between us and friends would soon be plastered all over Facebook and we had no idea.

First, someone made a meme out of my caption and the photograph. Then, the meme was posted on twitter and Fox News was tagged in the photo. By the time we reached California someone from Fox News had tweeted it, put it on Facebook, and wrote a blog post about it. Over 100,000 likes and shares later, my mom’s phone had imploded from constant messages, likes, and shares. The entire time we were in Los Angeles my dad kept talking about ‘getting an agent’ and saying he was being ‘recognized’ everywhere to make my mom and I laugh.

I am not even joking with you when I say how serious it is that you pay attention to what you put on the internet because one embarrassing photograph could very well be EVERYWHERE within 24 hours. One thing most people don’t even consider when they think about people in the spot light, is that you receive a massive amount of hate mail. People who have never met you have serious personal opinions about you. If this should ever happen to you, the best thing to do is to not read any of it. The negativity seriously isn’t worth any of your time at all. Don’t waste your energy and give in to angry people sitting behind a computer.

If you think I was joking about any or all of this story I am not because here is a direct link to the twitchy site written by a Fox News journalist who shared everything on her Facebook page.

Giant’s Causeway

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A REVIEW OF GIANT’S CAUSEWAY:
WHAT IS IT? AND WHAT TO EXPECT.

the legend

Giant’s Causeway is one of the top 10 tourist destinations in Norther Ireland. In Ireland there is an old legend that speaks of the giant responsible for the rock formations at this site. Many years ago, a giant, Finn McCool had a problem with another giant in Scotland named Benandonner. Finn decided he would go over to Scotland to teach him a lesson, so he grabbed chunks of rock from Antrim Coast and formed a bridge allowing him to cross to Scotland. When he got there he realized Benandonner was massive and larger than he was. Before Benandonner could get to him, Finn crossed back over to Ireland. Finn’s wife quickly dressed him as a baby and when Benandonner came looking for him, he was terrified when he mistook Finn for a baby and thought “if the child is this big, then Finn must be huge.” Benandonner went back to Scotland and Finn was saved thanks to his wife’s quick thinking.

Giant's Causeway

The science

While some choose to believe the story of Finn McCool, there are also scientific explanations for the rock formations at Giant’s Causeway. An old volcanic eruption and millions of years of erosion is responsible for the way it looks today. The column rocks are called basalt columns and are formed using volcanic or igneous rock. Originally, it was a mystery as to how these columns formed in perfect hexagonal structures as opposed to anything else. Today, we know that when basalt lava cools at a perfectly uniform pace it forms hexagonal structures. This is what we see today at Giant’s Causeway.

Giant's Causeway

what to expect

Giant’s Causeway is found not far from the Bushmill Distillery, which happens to be another great tourist stop. You will need to hike about a mile down onto the rocky shores to see everything, although the views from the top of the cliffs are also beautiful. Be ready for whipping winds and and sea spray. It may be advisable to dress for a misty day even if it isn’t raining. Leave enough time to explore the gift shop and cafe as well, located next to the parking lot. The bathrooms are also located here. Conveniently, there are quite a few hotels near by as well as a hostel if you are looking for cost effectiveness.

Giant's Causeway

worth the visit?

Absolutely. Giant’s Causeway is one of my favorite places on the northern coast of Ireland. You honestly can not snap a bad picture. Be careful near the cliffs as there have been many people who have fallen. If you are in the Bushmills area be sure to make a stop by this location. If you are aware of the legend and enjoy great views, this place is very interesting. The hike is fairly easy and the path is easy to follow. Have your camera ready and take in the fresh air and scenery around you.

Giant's Causeway

5 Places that Serve Thanksgiving Dinner

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Being on the road all the time and being away from home can be extremely hard during the holidays. My husband and I moved away from all of our family in New Jersey two years ago and Thanksgiving has become a weird day for us. One thing I wish I knew before now was where I can get a great thanksgiving meal on thanksgiving on the go. Here is a list of places that serve Thanksgiving dinner.

Places that serve thanksgiving dinner

bob evan’s

Bob Evan’s is well known as one of the best places that serve Thanksgiving dinner. This chain is found mainly in the north east, parts of Florida and parts of the midwest. However, they are highly rated and recommended for Thanksgiving dinner. Order the farmhouse feast and you will enjoy turkey, gravy, mash potatoes, green beans, cranberry, rolls, pie and more! You can either dine in or take out! They can cater large groups and pick it up hot or cold if you place your order ahead of time on their website.

Boston Market

Boston Market gives Bob Evans a run for their money with their Thanksgiving dinner option. Like Bob Evan’s you can pick up or dine in, but you can also have it delivered to your home at select locations. Their menu is very close to all other chain restaurant menus and I urge you to compare. Prices, quantity, and choices will vary depending upon location, but Boston Market gives a great selection with yummy quality.

Denny’s

Denny’s does not serve a completely traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but it’s not bad. Plus, there are plenty of Denny’s accessible all over the country. They have a featured seasonal menu that is updated here. Check it out, there are holiday breakfasts, dinners, and desserts to choose from including pecan or pumpkin pies.

Perkins

Of all the places that serve Thanksgiving Dinner, Perkins is probably the least advertised. This is mainly due to the fact that not all locations are open on Thanksgiving. Some however, are and their menu in past years isn’t all that terrible. Definitely check with the Perkins you plan on spending your Thanksgiving at what their hours and menu will be that day. Trip Advisor however has rated them pretty highly for their Thanksgiving dinner so it might just be worth it. Unfortunately, there is no menu available on their website to check out what they will be serving this year.

Cracker Barrel

Of all the places that serve Thanksgiving dinner this is one of our favorites. With Cracker Barrels all across the country and accessible to major highways this is one of the best. Cracker Barrel is already known for their “just like mom made” comfort foods. If you are looking for a good sit down Thanksgiving dinner than this is the place. They offer all the Thanksgiving favorites so you don’t feel like you missed out. Don’t worry, the plates are large so you won’t leave hungry, although you might be a little bit tired from all the tryptophan in the turkey! Like most other places offering Thanksgiving dinner,  you can also order to pick up hot or cold!

Is there a chain restaurant you enjoy for Thanksgiving, or have your tried any of these? Leave your recommendations below!
Want some road trip advice? Check out this article about essential items you’ll need

Our Non-Stop Honeymoon in Kauai

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Excited for the second leg of our honeymoon and exhausted at the same time, Brandon and I stepped off the plane in Kauai. I had been so busy with wedding planning that I honestly didn’t even look up what to do hehoneymoon in kauaire. I knew I had booked excursions for various days of the trip, but I wasn’t sure where they were. Luckily, Brandon was a little less occupied with the wedding than I was and he looked into the best things to do for our honeymoon in Kauai.

One thing I will say about Kauai is that we learned the power goes out quite frequently. When we arrived, the entire island was in an outage. There was no way to purchase anything and everyone was on hold. In other words, if you are traveling here, make sure you have cash on you at all times. Neither Brandon or myself drink very much, so we tend to explore and stay active often.

beautiful sights to see

Honeymoon in KauaiThere was so much to see and do on this island even though it is the smallest Hawaiian island. We booked most of our excursions online through Viator which is a pretty cool and easy website to use. We saw multiple state parks, we hiked and even took a helicopter ride. If you do any excursions at all in Kauai, the best one to do is to take a helicopter. Kauai contains some of the wettest places on the entire earth, so by mid morning clouds tend to cover the top of the island. Make sure that if you book a helicopter tour it is one of the first ones to leave. You might be really tired, but the views are worth it. We used Island Helicopter tours and they were really great and accommodating.

The helicopter tours are breathtaking. You will definitely want to bring a good camera and brace yourself for one of the most thrilling views of your life. The tours are one of the only ways to see the Napali coast, other options include; sunset cruises, hiking, and fishing boats. There are no roads that go all the way around the island so you will need to hike from Hanalei.

great food to eat

One of our favorite places to eat was Little Fish in Poipu. We stayed at an amazingly beautiful resort; Kiahuna Plantation which happens to be across the street. At Little Fish, you can order ahead of time online and then pick it up if you have the app. The acai bowls and the coffee shakes were healthy, delicious and filling. We were in absolute heaven and enjoyed many a morning breakfast here.

honeymoon in kauai

Kona Coffee is another really awesome place we enjoyed on our trip to Kauai. Since we don’t drink a lot of alcohol we thoroughly enjoyed the coffee tasting on the deck. They have a store with really cool souvenirs and coffee to take home and you can order food, drinks, or ice-cream. The coffee brewery also offers tours of the plantation and the history of Kona Coffee. The last tour usually leaves around 4pm during the week so make sure you get there early.

 

what the heck happened here?

Like I said, my husband and I do not drink very often and so it does not take much to get us drunk. The first day we arrived in Kauai we decided to check out the resort restaurant which was rated very highly. The food and drinks were amazing. However, things started to go downhill when I decided “one drink won’t hurt right?”. Well, one drink turned into 3 strong drinks off the cocktail menu because our server completely forgot to put our food and appetizers in. We waited for over 2 hours for our food watching people come and go all around us. Instead of the manager comping a dessert or a drink or anything on our receipt he stood 5 feet from our table and stared at us. He never said a word, just stared. Needless to say we never went back. I worked many jobs in restaurants for over 8 years and never had I ever been treated that way. Regardless of how good the food was. We would recommend take out over that experience. The food was great, but completely overpriced and the service was terrible. No thank you.

exploring the hidden falls

Honeymoon in KauaiOn one of our last days in paradise, we had an excursion to Wailua River and secret falls. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but Duke’s Kayak was a great guide. The hiking portion was beautiful and the falls were amazing to see. If you go with a tour guide, you will most likely be there with many other groups and it can get crowded. Check it out later in the day if  you are knowledgeable of the area and there are a lot less people around. Be careful though, because you can get lost easily while kayaking.

Our tour guide had a small dog who kayaked and hiked with us the entire day. He kept us entertained and made sure the group stayed together. There are really awesome views and cool historical information shared about Hurricane Iniki and the damage on the island. Like everywhere else on the island, there are roosters and chickens everywhere. Brandon and I enjoyed our lunch by the waterfall and then jumped in the water. One thing we should have been aware of was the amount of large unforeseen boulders under the water. Brandon and I both banged ourselves up pretty good. Luckily, no blood just large bruises, but they still hurt. We were so glad we invested in waterproof Keens for this hike.

waimea canyon

Honeymoon in Kauai

One of the most beautiful views on the entire island are of Waimea Canyon. Brandon and I took the long drive up to the top of the national park one early morning and were one of the first people there. Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, Waimea canyon is a popular attraction in Kauai. There is access to hiking trails along the way, but for the sake of time we chose to drive to a look out point and just take in the view. We bought fresh fruit and banana bread from the fruit stand nearby and tried to take in the view. Our photos do not do it any justice. The canyon is gorgeous and definitely comparable to the grand canyon. On a future trip we would definitely hike this awesome attraction, no matter how difficult it may be.

Polihale State Park

Honeymoon in KauaiBrandon decided on our second to last day of our honeymoon in Kauai that he wanted to take me to the Polihale State Park. I had no idea what it was and when we arrived I was even more skeptical. We drove down atleast a 5 mile dirt road to get into the state park and on the beach. The road was note graded and it was extremely rocky. We did this in a ford mustang convertible so it was a little risky for us, but it was totally worth it. The sand is extremely hot (like all other beach in the dead of summer) and the beach is large so you’ll have to run to the water. Although we didn’t do it, you can also camp here by the beach or under the trees further off shore.

There is a beautiful view of the start of the Napali Coast Park. We chose to sit on the beach for a few hours watching the Navy Battleship off the coast. A lot of people were sunbathing on the beach in their bathing suits. The park was not crowded at all and the beach was huge, this place is high on the recommendation list if you have a Jeep. Or if you don’t have a Jeep and you just wing it like us.

pizza in lihue

To our surprise we found a New York pizza counter in Lihue called Pietro’s. We were so overjoyed it was insane. Not only was the pizza actually affordable, but it was just like home for us. We can never find great pizza out in the midwest and deep dish is too greasy and messy. It’s always a pleasure to find good tasting regular crust pizza we can fold in half and enjoy. We stopped at the pizza place just before we head over to the airport in Lihue for our connecting flight to Arizona. We sat outside and in the shade enjoying our slices with a slight breeze. Pietro’s is definitely on our list of need to visit places if you want authentic New York pizza.

lihue airport

We didn’t quite get the memo that the first American Airlines flight out of Lihue was ours. When we arrived at the airport we returned our rental car and walked over to the ticket counter. It was completely empty and the lights were off. It was 4pm. We thought we would get there early, go through ticketing and security, eat and then catch our flight. Unfortunately, we were not able to go through security until 7:15pm. We sat out front of the airport counters for three hours before we could check our bags. Since we had to check out of our condo so early in the morning we had nowhere to go. The rental car was sent back to the rental place so we couldn’t leave and we were stranded. It was a rookie mistake. ALWAYS check your airline’s schedule before you head over to the airport. You might want to have dinner in the city.

Visiting Hawaii soon? Here are some tips we have for saving money.
Leave a comment below of your honeymoon or vacation experiences on Kauai!

Tricks to Help Pass the Time on Long Road Trips

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I love taking long car rides to nowhere, but it can be really dull if you are doing a lot of your traveling without being able to stop anywhere along the way. Here are a couple tricks to help pass the time on long road trips. Check out some road trip essentials I can’t go without here.

play a game

My parents use to always play games with me in the car growing up and we frequently would play “I Spy” which is a fun one for the car as well. One game that my sister and I were particularly fond of was the alphabet game. If you don’t know what I’m talking about it is really simple. You start at the top of the alphabet and try to find signs, billboards, stores, etc. that start with that letter. Once you find a word beginning with ‘A’ everyone needs to move on to the next letter and you cannot go backwards. The game isn’t over until your car finds a word that starts with every single letter of the alphabet. Then you just start over!

If this game isn’t a good enough distraction, there are also travel size games like Guess Who you can bring with you on the trip if you check out Toys-R-Us or a book store.

sing-a-long

I like to make playlists in my car for long road trips (although my husband is not fond of my taste in music, sometimes he plays along). Try to make playlists with popular songs that everyone will know. An example of a popular song might be “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey or “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen. If you can come up with a really long playlist you can probably kill two or three hours just singing your favorite lyrics.

sleep

This is my husband’s favorite thing to do on long care rides (although it isn’t really safe). If I drive he is probably popping a Z-quil and sleeping for the majority of the ride. For some people this isn’t an option, personally I get really nauseous when I try to sleep in a car but if it works for you then it is a great option. You can literally skip a few hours and it’ll feel like you didn’t miss a thing.

read

Some people love to read in the car on long road trips and can read entire novels while on the road. I have some trouble doing this, but I know a lot of people that find it very relaxing. You are awake and alert incase there is something cool to see on the side of the road, like a quirky attraction but you can also tune a lot of things out.

brainstorm/think about your goals

If you are an artist or have a lot of ideas like me, I do a lot of thinking in the car. I can brainstorm post ideas for hours without feeling bored. I usually bring a journal or something with me to help me organize my thoughts and also to jot down any unique ideas I can come up with. I’ll also journal a lot of our trips to keep things fresh in my head incase I want to write about it down the road. This is also a great time while you have a journal out to think about your goals. Write down some short-term goals, long-term goals, and life-time goals. The best way to achieve your dream is to put it in writing.

 

Have any other good distractions? Comment some of your tricks for passing the time below.

St. Louis Day Trip Itinerary

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Looking for the best places to see and things to do in St. Louis? Look no further! Below I have come up with the perfect St. Louis day trip itinerary for a first timer. Keep in mind there are SO many more places to see and things to do. This list is mainly just an over view of the most famous places to check out. One thing we were unable to do on our weekend trip was check out the Budweiser brewery and Blues Museum, so don’t forget they are there too. St. Louis is full of history and there is so much more to it than most people know. The itinerary below is made up merely of suggestions and can easily be tweaked to fit your personal needs. Happy travels!

St. Louis Day Trip Itinerary

7AM- Wake up and get ready for the day

If you are driving from far away, or if you stayed over night in the city you will want to get an early start. So I recommend trying to get there the night before and staying overnight to get a fresh start. If you can, valet your car for the whole day. You won’t need if you have an Uber or Lyft app. There are literally Ubers everywhere and we had a wonderful experience with all our drivers. Get up early and take some time to get ready, you will be out all day so pack smart.

8Am- the mud house

St. Louis Day Trip ItineraryCall on an Uber or Lyft and take a ride over to The Mud House for breakfast and coffee or tea.
This is rated one of the best places to have brunch/breakfast in the city. Get there during their busiest time and you might be standing in a line clear out of the front door. You may have trouble finding a table due to the limited space, but the coffee is delicious. In the warmer months they have tables for patrons to use out front of the cafe as well. The atmosphere is welcoming and has an urban feel. The walls are covered in eclectic art and instead of order numbers you’ll receive a funny photo or meme to mark your table for the runners. We didn’t try it, but the french toast looked amazing. If you aren’t one for french toast try a breakfast platter. The jam is delicious.

9am- The gateway arch and tram ride to the top

St. Louis Day Trip ItineraryWe recommend checking out the gateway arch as early as possible. They start tours of the arch
at 9am. Be sure to buy tickets online before your visit as ticket lines can get pretty lengthy. This is a national park service so there are park rangers and you will need to go through security. The line for security is the longest line you will stand in today. It’s a lot like airport security except you won’t need to take off your shoes. Try to get to the arch about  45 minutes to an hour earlier than your scheduled tour time. You can enter the security line 30 mins prior to your tour time, and the extra 15-30 minutes will allow for you to take a walk around and take photos of the arch and Mississippi river. Take the ride to the top and come down the opposite side. You may get claustrophobic from the tram ride since they cram 5 people in a tiny capsule. The ride is about 4 minutes up and 3 minutes and 30 seconds back down. The top of the arch is like being in an airplane, it is extremely stuffed and there are a lot of people. Take a quick look around both sides of the arch and then descend.

11pm- Riverboat cruise on the mississippi river/courthouse

St. Louis Day Trip ItineraryOnce you are finished checking out the Gateway Arch head down the stairs towards the river and board your boat and get a tour of the Mississippi. They serve snacks and drinks on the riverboat so you can also grab something small to eat since you might be a little hungry. Hear about the famous Louis and Clarke crossing the Mississippi in St. Louis and expanding our country westward. (There is also a Great Westward Expansion Museum in this park but in 2017 it has been closed for renovations).

If it is a little too cold for a Riverboat cruise you can also check out the old Courthouse where the Dred Scott case was heard. The court case that arguably started the entire civil war was originally fought right here in St. Louis. If you are a history buff and love Civil War history (and even if you don’t) this beautiful building is a good place to stop and walk around.

2pm- anheuser-busch brewery (BUdWEISER)

We did not find the time to check out the Budweiser Brewery during our day trip to St. Louis, but we wish we had. We heard great things about this one from our Uber driver and friends who have visited before. The brewery is located very close to the Mud House, but on the opposite side of the highway. You can see the big brick building from the street. They offer tours to see how the beer is made and they also keep their stables with the Clydesdale horses from the commercials. At the end of the tour you can sip your beer and check them out. This is definitely one spot you don’t want to miss.

4pm- pappy’s smokehouse

St. Louis Day Trip ItineraryEver had Memphis BBQ? Missouri is home to some of the best BBQ in the entire country. Pappy’s has been featured on the Travel Channel and is well known in St. Louis for amazing ribs. You’ll be able to see the smokers out front of the restaurant under an awning right next to the street. There is a parking lot directly behind the restaurant and what looks like a side door is actually the front door. You will stand in line for 30 minutes to an hour or longer to be able to order, but it is VERY worth it. The fall off the bone ribs are some of the best we have ever had and you can choose your own BBQ sauce or try them all. Every table has four flavors of BBQ sauce to choose from. My favorite was the Pappy’s Original BBQ, but there are sweet and spicy sauces as well. Keep in mind, Pappy’s sells out daily and they stay open until everything is gone. It is best to get here as early as you possibly can if you want a large selection to try.

Before or after dinner I recommend heading back to the hotel for a bit and freshen up, it’s been a long day.

7pm- city museum/bowling

St. Louis Day Trip Itinerary
If you have kids, and even if you don’t, the city museum of St. Louis is a really cool place to check out at night. The museum is geared towards kids with tons of slides, tunnels and really cool exhibits to play in. There is even a ginormous ball pit and a huge section of caves to explore. After 5pm kids start to disappear and young adults come to have a drink and walk around the museum. There is a 10 story spiral slide that starts on the 10th floor and spirals all the way down to about the 2nd floor. If you get roof passes there is a huge ferris wheel and some additional slides you can try out. One in particular faces the river and you can get a really cool view of the bridge. There are three bars in the museum including one on the roof so if you are afraid of heights and a little nervous about the slides, have a few cocktails. We recommend a “Mama’s Lemonade” made with blueberry vodka, lemonade, and blueberries.

There are also some really cool bowling alleys in St. Louis. One in particular we saw and wanted to try but did not have the time was Flamingo bowling. You can see the bowling alley from the street and it is full of pink neon with a bar and large glass windows. It was packed when we drove by after 8pm and looked like a pretty popular place to hang out.

other awesome places to see

It is really hard to do absolutely everything in St. Louis is a single day, but you can at least see the big things. If you can stay longer we recommend trying all of the above places as well as the Blues Museum on Washington Avenue. There is so much to see and do in a city full of so much history as this one. If you would rather check out the Riverboat rides at night, they do nightly cruises as well as dinner cruises. City Museum also hosts wedding receptions and parties. Be sure to stop in the gift shop in the Arch for some fudge as well.

Comment below with your favorite places to visit in St. Louis. Where can you get the best BBQ?
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