The Archives
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2024 Book Report: Must-Read Recommendations
Besides a serious case of wanderlust and running ALL the miles, you may be surprised to know we LOOOOOOVE books. In fact, whenever we visit a new city, finding at least one independent bookstore is at the top of our list of things to do. We thought it might be fun to share with you all the stories we had the pleasure of reading this year. If you love books like we do, join us this week for our 2024 book report: must read recommendations. Non-Fiction Reads At least twice a week, I spend time reading non-fiction books. Since I LOVE listening to people talk about their lives, I picked…
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The Very Best of 2024
We SO love experiences and look for fun ways to remember everything we’ve done over the year. One of our favorites is tacking up things like theater tickets, paper wrist bands, and bar coasters on a corkboard. On New Year’s Eve, we place these mementos in an envelope and write about where we’ve been and what we’ve done. And since starting the Oracle, we take lots of pictures to share with you all. So as we wind down the year, let us share with you the very best of 2024! The Meal of the Year For my birthday, I had two big wishes. The first was to spend the morning…
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It’s Like Christmas in a Time Machine
Since way back in the aughts, there is one place I’ve always wanted to visit for my birthday. I’m sure some ladies would choose a spa weekend, or maybe somewhere glamourous with a beach. But if you know me at all, you know that I love history – thanks to my pop. I can be VERY nostalgic – thanks to my mom. And that I was born in December – thanks to both! So when the commercial for Holiday Nights at Greenfield Village came on the radio last year, I couldn’t help but say outloud, “I’ve ALWAYS wanted to do that. It’s like Christmas in a Time Machine!!” And even…
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Top 5 Sporting Events I’ve Been a Part of or Witnessed Live
In addition to traveling, The Travel Oracle is also pretty passionate about sports. Runner_dad has been fortunate to see some pretty epic sporting events live. Here’s a little trip down memory lane with his top five. 1 – Packers vs Lions Oct 5, 2024 – Thursday Night Football, Ford Field. Lions win 34-31 First football game for Savanna, Connor’s first Lions’ win. A heavyweight slugfest. The fourth and one gamble. Field goal by Jake Bates to win the game as time expired!! Total playoff atmosphere. This comes in at number one because I know that 30 years from now the kids will still remember this day, just as I remember…
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Cyber Monday Deals for the Travel Lover in Your Life
In case you haven’t heard…there’s only 24 more shopping days until Christmas. If you’ve got someone on your list with a solid case of wander lust, we have some great ideas for you! Check out these Cyber Monday deals for the travel lover in your life. BOSE Noise Cancelling Headphones Make the crying child on the airplane irrelevant by donning a pair of these wonderful noise cancelling headphones! You can also use them to connect to in-flight entertainment. Pack Light with Veken Packing Cubes Keep all your clothes organized and packed into a small space with these packing cubes. We travelled from London to Paris and then to Rome and…
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NYC 2024 Marathon – The Rest of the Story
Do you remember a movie from the 80’s called “Planes, Trains and Automobiles“? Well if you haven’t seen that yet, you should really check it out. It’s really funny and it’s Thanksgiving themed. And if you haven’t read it yet, be sure to check out last week’s NYC pre-race report, where we take an Uber, to a ferry, to a bus, JUST to run 26.2 miles! And once that’s done, come back here for the rest of the NYC 2024 Marathon story. Bridge #1 – the Verrazzano Narrows Once the cannon went off my shuffle to the start line began. It wasn’t but a minute before I crossed the start…
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NYC Marathon Pre-Race Report
Hard to believe it’s almost been two weeks since I completed my third NYC Marathon. Thought I’d share a little bit with y’all about how the day went for me. Today I’ll be sharing the journey to the start line. Join us this week for the NYC Marathon Pre-Race Report. With the marathon falling on the day we set the clocks back an hour, it means either an extra hour of sleep or an extra hour of tossing and turning. Fortunately for me I usually sleep pretty well the night before a race and tonight was no exception so I enjoyed the extra sleep. Alarm was set for five am but…
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Fun and Free in NYC
If you know anything about traveling to Manhattan, you KNOW it’s expensive. It’s like $35 just to walk in and look at a menu. But did you know that there are some amazing, fun and free things to do on NYC? Sure, a coffee may cost you $8 but you’ll enjoy drinking it in one of these fantastic places! 1. The NY Public Library This library feels more like a museum than a place to check out books but you’ll still have to keep your voice down! 2. The Staten Island Ferry If you want some great views of Lady Liberty, Liberty Island ISN’T the way to do it. Instead…
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Make Your First NYC Marathon a Smashing Success
Just before the world hit the “pause” button, Stephen ran his first New York City Marathon. Though we had been to the Big Apple many times previously, this was his first time there for the running of the race. If you’ve never been to Manhattan OR if this is your first NYC marathon, let us share some things we’ve learned along the way to make your first NYC Marathon a smashing success. Don’t even THINK about driving a car Unless you’re a big fan of stress, near misses, horn honking and altercations just forget the idea that driving a car would be “better” in any way. Instead, get yourself a…
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What’s Left of the Ohio State Reformatory
If you’re anything like me, as the weather cools and the nights get longer, your mind turns to things on the spookier side of the spectrum. If you’re not anything like me, I get it. Let me suggest you check out our most awesome collection of Running Stories for inspiration. But for those of you who are still here, why don’t you grab a cup of something warm and spicy and join me. This week we’ll find out what’s left of the Ohio State Reformatory. But remember, you’ll need to leave your ghost hunting equipment behind! Hustlin’ to Shawshank You may wonder how we decided to visit this location. It…
