If you haven’t been to Clarksville, Tennessee lately, you’ll definitely want to schedule a visit. Just an hour’s drive from Nashville, this history-filled town has tons of outdoor activities, an increasingly sophisticated restaurant scene, and a newly-revitalized downtown that’ll have you dreaming of renovating a loft space and moving here ASAP. We spent an […]

Just 30 minutes from Asheville, Maggie Valley has all the ingredients for a fun-filled family vacation in the North Carolina Smoky Mountains. Check out my tips for the perfect winter weekend vacation! This post was written in partnership with Visit North Carolina Smokies and Travel Mindset. I’m a sucker for a good winter vacation. I […]

Planning a Panama City Beach family vacation? Here are a few things you’ll want to know before you go! Unexpectedly, Panama City Beach has stolen my heart. I love it for its high-rise condominiums, which guarantee me a vacation filled with mornings waking to sounds of the surf and panoramic views of the Gulf of […]

Want to tour a mansion in the dark? Watch a skillet-throwing competition? Wander through the state’s largest corn maze? See dogs from around the globe compete in the nation’s top dog agility competition? It’s all happening in Rutherford County this fall — Check out this list of must-do events in Murfreesboro, Smyrna, LaVergne, and Eagleville. […]

One of the world’s rarest wonders is just three hours from Nashville. We gathered around the raft on a beach lit only by the full moon. Just around the river’s bend was the mighty Cumberland Falls, aptly nicknamed The Niagara of the South. As my husband and two children climbed inside the raft and perched […]

I wondered whether Gatlinburg was ready for tourists after last year’s wildfires. I’m so glad we gave it a chance and scheduled a Gatlinburg vacation this summer — Tennessee’s most famous mountain town is back, and better than ever. Thanks to  Visit Gatlinburg for hosting our weekend getaway.  Like most Tennesseans, my ties to Gatlinburg are […]

My son knows what he wants … at least until he doesn’t want it anymore. The streets of downtown Gatlinburg are lined with storefront windows, all filled to overflowing with souvenirs. There are airbrushed t-shirts and leather handbags, knives and swords and cowboy hats, billowy caftans and homemade fudge, lace tablecloths and wood carvings — […]

Whether you love food, shopping, interactive museums, or the great outdoors, you won’t run out of things to do with kids in Columbus, Ohio! Here are 30 of our favorite family activities. This post was written in partnership with Experience Columbus. If you’re looking for the perfect  spot for your next family vacation, I can’t […]

Don’t let the summertime blues get you down  — There are plenty of things to do with kids in Nashville this summer! Here’s my annual list to get you started. I guarantee there’s something here for everyone, no matter your age.     Tell me this has happened to you, too — All year long, […]

Thanks to Ally May for hosting our Athens getaway! I spent my college years in Athens, Georgia — and I’ve said many times since then that if the town had had a TV station (I majored in Broadcast News), I would have happily lived there forever. Athens really does have it all. It’s small enough that […]