The places we've been

  • Buddhist temple with red pillars and a tall gray, tiled roof surrounded by a lane of red buildings on either side

    What You Won’t Want to Miss in Tokyo

    In 2023, we undertook an amazing adventure through the Land of the Rising Sun. We stayed for almost 3 weeks and shared with you the highlights of each out our days. Since there are just SO many GREAT places to see, we thought we’d make a City Guide for you so you’ll know what you won’t want to miss in Tokyo. If you want to do a deeper dive in Japan – check out our Japan collection. And if you’re a person who loves headlines, this article is for you! First, let’s talk food…Where to Eat? Oh my gosh! There hasn’t been a place I’ve visited where I’ve liked the…

  • Sphere lit in purples and pinks. On it is displayed "Achtung Baby Live at Sphere Las Vegas"

    Having a Ball in the Sphere

    Ah December…in our family, there’s nothing like it. There is Christmas, of course, but we also have both our birthdays and the birthdays of many of our friends and relatives. This means…in December, we eat and celebrate. (Which makes our clothes a bit tighter through February…at least!) But this December we decided to do something REALLY special, we saw one of our favorite bands, U2, at a newly opened concert venue in Las Vegas. Are you ready for ONE CRAZY weekend with us in Vegas?? If you are, buckle in and let me tell you about having a BALL in the Sphere! The Back Story Since the Sphere’s opening on…

  • Group of people in winter clothes, smiling and hugging on an ice skating rink. Behind them are trees lit in white lights and a row of flags

    Skating Under the Stars and Other Shenanigans

    For those of you have been following along, you’ll recall our last article ended with a delicious breakfast after braving the elements and the crowds to watch The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. After the short walk back to our VRBO, we were happy to see the kids had survived the night before and were up and watching the parade on TV. Feast #1 We had a pretty relaxing afternoon planned and continued to watch the parade as Jill began to prepare our Thanksgiving feast. She did an excellent job with the limited cookware that we had on hand. Everything from the honey baked ham to the stuffing and mashed potatoes were…

  • Float of the cartoon character, Kung Fu Panda

    Crazy Big Balloons and Throwing Down with the Locals

    Hello Friends. While we have certainly enjoyed our little break over the holidays we are happy to be back at it. We have lots of exciting adventures planned for the New Year but before we get to that, we have to finish up our big NYC Thanksgiving trip that included crazy big balloons and throwing down with the locals! Off to the Parade In NYC on Thanksgiving Day. How does one not go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?! After a late night at the Billy Joel concert the night before we figured that the kids would rather sleep in than brave the cold and we were right. That certainly…

  • The entrance to the Central Park Zoo

    A Last Minute Stroll at the Zoo

    It was our last day in NYC and the weather had turned a bit cooler, which was far more in line with November than it had been. We had some hours to spend before heading to the airport. And we had time for just one more adventure before saying goodbye. We landed on a last minute stroll at the Central Park Zoo. Is it a Secret? If you’re like us, you may not have known there is an entire zoo in Central Park. And we’ve been through multiple times – running, walking and even once on an unfortunate bicycle built for two. We never saw it or even a sign…

  • A row of trees covered in yellow lights, behind a hot air balloon, that is lined in white lights

    What Would You Do with Just One Day in NYC?

    In case you missed it, we were in New York City for our daughter and her best friend’s 23rd birthdays. Day one was a whirl wind that included a limo ride and a Broadway show. The question became, what in the world will could we do to top day that first day?! Well, what would YOU do with just one day in NYC? Hatching the Plan Waking up before the kids gave us a little time to figure out a game plan for day two. First order of business was to take a short walk and pick up coffee and donuts at the local Dunkin. Fortunately for us the rain…

  • Group of 5 people, wearing winter clothing and standing in front of the Stardust Diner

    Who Do You See in NYC?

    You may have heard that New York City can be a little…hectic. But have you ever asked yourself…who do you see in NYC over Thanksgiving? As we found out, the answer is EVERYBODY. So it would be CRAZY to go then, right? Well, you may be right, I may be crazy but we loved every minute of it. Although this is the most people we’ve ever encountered in NYC, we would do it again in a heartbeat. Why we did it The girls were celebrating birthday number 23 and we wanted to do something special for them. Since we missed Billy Joel in Detroit during the pandemic, we picked seeing…

  • Cell block at Alcatraz. Shows two levels and the lights in the ceiling.

    Is Alcatraz Really the Most Haunted Place in America?

    San Francisco Bay is BEAUTIFUL. There is just something special about the blue of the bay and the deep orange of the bridge. This leads to an important question. Why build a prison there? Was it just for the extra cruelty of making the inmates look at it and know they could never enjoy it? What does it do to a person – being locked up on a cold rock in the middle of paradise? Join us as we unpack our bags in San Francisco and attempt find out the answer to this question: is Alcatraz REALLY the most haunted place in America? The history Originally created as a fort,…

  • Man in running clothes standing between a woman dressed as the Genie in a I Dream of Jeannie and a man dressed as the astronaut, Major Nelson

    Beating a Genie to the Finish Line

    Greetings Friends! Even though Halloween is just around the corner, we are going to take a break from all things scary to share Stephen’s race report from this last weekend’s Cocoa Beach Half Marathon. So let’s unpack our bags and talk about beating a Genie to the finish line. I Got No Plans Following my pacing gig at the Chicago Marathon two weeks ago, I didn’t really have any plans to run any more races this year. With my heart related health issues, my training has been sporadic at best. But then…I got a text from my friend, Phil on Wednesday. He wanted to know if I’d be interested in running…

  • Black and white image of the Victorian era gate at Cave Hill Cemetery

    The Colonel and The Greatest

    Before heading to Louisville to help some friends with house and pet sitting, we had some important research to do. Imminently practical, Stephen spent his time looking into restaurant and brewery recommendations. I, being more whimsical, needed to know what is weird and what is haunted around town. Though we haven’t made it to all the places on this haunted road trip, you can join us for a walk through Cave Hill Cemetery to visit the Colonel and The Greatest. About Cave Hill Cemetery The vision for Cave Hill began almost 200 years ago, during the “Parks Movement“. The idea behind this movement was to two-fold: Back in the early…