The places we've been

  • Small beagle and a black labradoodle sitting on a porch

    Dog Sitting in the Biggest, Small Town in America

    ICYMI – we love to travel and not JUST for the sake of the adventure. Sometimes we leave our home base to provide home and pet sitting for others. Join us this week as we share of very first away from home gig in “Adventures in Dog Sitting – Louisville Edition.” (Someone, please cue a giant movie title). The Prologue July ended up being sort of a crazy month for us. We were already planning to be in Atlanta over the 4th of July weekend so Stephen could run the Peach Tree Road Race. (If you’d like to hear a funny story from that race, check out this post.) Also,…

  • Moments you remember the most - trying Amaro in Italy

    The moments you remember the most might surprise you

    We took our youngest daughter and her best friend on a trip to celebrate their graduating high school with honors. The ladies decided they wanted to experience London, Paris and Rome. As we built our itinerary, we made sure to hit all of the famous tourist spots. When we look back on our trip now, the things we saw aren’t really the things we reminisce about. This taught us a valuable lesson – when it comes to travel, the moments you remember the most might surprise you! Join us as we share the highlights of our European World tour and the lessons this trip taught us. London – 2 days…

  • Man made hill that looks like the shoulders and face of a man. There is a waterfall spilling from his mouth into a lake.

    If Willy Wonka Created a World Made of Crystal

    Were you like me when you were a child…watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory over and over again? Did you ever wish you could find a golden ticket instead of those pint sized hellions? What if I told you, I visited a place that was like…if Willy Wonka created a world made of crystal instead of candy? Would you want to run and explore it too? Come with me and you’ll be in a WORLD of pure imagination at Swarovski’s Krisallwelten Wattens in Austria. The back story In 2018, we were planning a trip to Berlin so Stephen could run the marathon. As we looked at the calendar and…

  • Ready for Cleveland Marathon

    Cleveland – The Marathon and the Speak Easy

    Now that spring had sprung in Michigan there is just one thing to do…ROADTRIP! Let’s face it, folks, after being cooped up for the winter everyone is dying to get out and stretch their legs. And of course, there just isn’t anything like Cleveland in the spring – especially when there is a Marathon to run AND you found out that you’re staying on top of a Speak Easy. Join us for some Ohio based shenanigans as The Travel Oracle hits the road! Day 1 – Getting there and Getting Ready! Thank GOD our friends wanted to carpool and that the driver has a hybrid! In fact, I don’t remember…

  • Momma and Us

    NYC 22 – Day 1(the Museum and the Piano Bar)

    Since my Momma is a big Harry Potter fan, we decided to take her to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child on Broadway for Mother’s Day. While we were there, we figured we should take her to see the best of everything else in NYC too. Join us for our first day’s journey to the Museum of Natural History and to the Piano Bar. Morning Shenanigans First Parking – We were not able to use our regular parking vendor because for the first time in our adventures, they were sold out! This forced us to opt for the pricier and more convenient parking in the McNamara parking deck. Instead…

  • New York 2022 – Day 2 (The Pub crawl and the Play)

    When we woke on Saturday, it was raining…like really raining…like soaking, pouring, flooding rain. But we are adventurers so we sallied forth, umbrellas in hand. How could we let a little rain or a minor typhoon stop us? We had the Pub Crawl and the Play ahead of us. Morning Shenanigans Where we ate and drank – Our first stop was 787 Coffee for pastries, coffee and hot chocolate. Outside, a group of about 10 people were gathering and pinning numbered bibs to their backs. We discovered that this particular Saturday was The Great Saunter which brings together thousands of people to hike the 32 mile perimeter of Manhattan. I…

  • New York 2022 – Day 3 (The tour of Sleepy Hallow)

    Morning Shenanigans Our friend, from Tarrytown, offered to give us a tour of Sleepy Hallow on Mothers Day. Since we couldn’t possibly say “no” to such a fun offer, we dragged ourselves out of bed at 8, grabbed a quick bite at Duncan Donuts, and made our way to Grand Central Terminal. Cheapskate Tip – Grand Central Terminal is worth visiting even if you’re not going anywhere. The main hall alone is quite impressive with it’s marble flooring and constellation murals on the ceiling. The floor beneath it is full of shops and some reasonably priced restaurants. The hour long ride on the Hudson line took us through areas we…

  • New York 2022 – Day 4 (The Intrepid and the hike)

    We were up early and ready for our last day in NYC. First stop, a proper breakfast at the Brooklyn Diner Cafe in midtown. This diner was swanky, cozy and tasty…which meant the menu was pricey! Stephen and I ate while momma had a hot chocolate. Total price…around $75! But they do give you mouthwash in the bathroom, so there’s that! We then strolled through Times Square and Hell’s Kitchen to get to the Intrepid Museum, our next stop on our best of NYC tour. Stephen was so happy to find a black and white cookie – an absolute MUST for any trip to the Big Apple. Cheapskate  tip –…

  • Boston 2022 – Getting There and Being There

    Boston 2022 – Getting There and Being There! Nothing compares to Boston in the Springtime – especially if you’re a runner (or runnah, as the locals say.) Check out the details of our 6 day, 5 night trip in April – getting there and finding beer! Parking – We used our normal vendor, US Park. This morning, the lot was very full and we had to wait about 20 minutes for shuttle pickup.  That’s very unusual for them so hopefully it was a one time thing. Cheapskate tip – Visit Detroit Parking Coupons to save a little dough. They also offer veteran’s discounts and discounts for various businesses as well so be sure to…

  • Check out the Runnah Hoopla on Day 2

    We got up at 7am to knock out a three mile run before all the Runnah Hoopla began, passing Paul Revere Park, the Bunker Hill Monument and the USS Constitution. Runner tip – Running early is a great way to explore a new city as you’re often out earlier than the people who live there and all the tourists. The Bunker Hill Monument is currently closed due to construction work but walking the grounds and seeing the outside is still worth the trek. The USS Constitution (aka Old Ironsides) is permanently moored at the Charlestown Naval Yard where she was built in the 1790s. Cheapskate tip – Both the Bunker…