USA and Canada

Explore Nashville beyond country music with a local’s guide to fun and free activities. Discover vibrant neighborhoods, outdoor parks, the Tennessee State Museum, and unique festivals. Experience art through the First Saturday …

La Vie Est Well highlights Verdun, a family-friendly borough in Montreal, as an alternative to typical tourist areas. With abundant parks, community spaces, and vibrant local businesses, it allows families to explore …

Oh, Canada! The last third of our trip was doing the greatest hits of eastern Canada: Montreal, Toronto, Niagara Falls. I wish we’d had time to do Quebec City but that was …

The author recounts a long weekend trip to the Bourbon Trail with friends, exploring four distilleries and enjoying local cuisine. While not a whiskey enthusiast, she embraced the experience, secure in an …

For fall break 2024, we opted for a staycation. There were a few reasons we chose to vacation at home instead of jetting off somewhere new for the week: The first half …

The recent family trip to South Dakota and Iowa was memorable, particularly as the child was old enough to enjoy and remember the experiences. Highlights included visiting Sioux Falls, Harrisburg, the annual …

Lake Okoboji in Iowa offers an affordable Midwest beach getaway, featuring clear blue waters, family resorts, and a nostalgic amusement park atmosphere. The area boasts distinct towns like Arnolds Park, with local …

The family hosted foreign exchange student Pau, an avid basketball fan, and surprised him with tickets to a Memphis Grizzlies game. Their mini-adventure included exploring downtown Memphis, the Peabody Hotel Duck March, …

Reviewing 7 nights on the Celebrity Solstice Cruise to Alaska (Sept 2017)

After a month of sickness in the Schwannema household (pneumonia and HFM), several extra crazy weeks at work, and too many late nights and early mornings with the Mooch, the Husband and …

I will admit it: my expectations for Legoland were low.  I dont know why I felt this way, to be honest. I did read some mixed reviews of Legoland parks in general …

We took our Lego-obsessed child down to Legoland Florida for Spring Break and as an early birthday present. But we also have a limited travel budget for the next few years as …

For the first time in 511 days, I went to an airport, boarded a plane, and flew to another city. I can’t think of a time in my adult life when I’ve …

Dakota Confusion My 7th grade geography teacher assigned yet ANOTHER diorama, and while I usually relished a fun, creative, easy project like that, I did not relish not getting to choose the …

It’s been a minute since I’ve posted here, and I do keep meaning to post about the awesome trip to London I took with my dad several months ago, or the week …

Recently, the husband told me his idea for a blog post about the places that changed his life. As he told me about his choices, I started thinking which ones I would choose. It’s …

Exploring Music City’s Literary Gems: Nashville’s Best Bookstores As a Nashville resident and an avid bookworm, I’ve had the pleasure of discovering some delightful bookstores tucked away in our vibrant city. Whether …

Theme parks are my jam. Growing up in Florida, we were fortunate enough to be able to visit them often. Sea World. Busch Gardens. Adventure Island. Universal. Disney. Every year, we’d get …

As I was recently scanning in old documents, I found this short story that I wrote in the 5th grade titled “My Favorite Place.” Immediately, I figured that I must’ve written about …

After a year of not being able to GO anywhere or DO much outside of the house, we were all itching to go and do and not be at home. I needed …