Supposedly, everyone’s in Europe right now, which is fine with me because it means the lines are shorter at Holiday World. America’s first theme park happens to be just two and half hours from Nashville in (heh) Santa Claus, Indiana. It is big, with both a sizable amusement park and an equally impressive water park, […]
July 9, 2022
Looking for ideas on things to do in St. Augustine? This post is all you need! Growing up, beach trips were a time honored family tradition. Every summer, we’d load up our Grand Wagoneer and make the long drive from Atlanta to Florida for a week-long vacation. The beaches and rentals changed from year to […]
April 1, 2022
Think you know all there is to know about Franklin, Tennessee? Think again. A new downtown hotel has changed the tourism game here, whether you live nearby and are looking for an easy, fun staycation or you want to add a Southern charm-filled few days to your Nashville vacation. Dennis and I spent a weekend […]
October 26, 2021
My husband and I have been hiking Middle Tennessee’s many trails for the last two decades and we’re finally coming to the end of the line. There are very few trails within a two-hour drive from Nashville that we haven’t tried at least once, which is kind of a downer, but I suppose it had […]
September 28, 2021
Hidden deep in the forests surrounding Chattanooga are blue holes — crystal clear blue pools of water fed by underground rivers. Want to see and even swim in one yourself? Read on! We hiked a mile and a half through a forest just outside Chattanooga before arriving at one of Tennessee’s elusive blue holes, a […]
August 11, 2021
I think of Gatlinburg as a rite of passage for every American traveler. Snuggled up against the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the bustling town offers a colorful juxtaposition to the ancient mountains beyond. Enter Gatlinburg and you’ll find yourself immersed in a dizzying swirl of pancake houses, souvenir shops, tourist attractions, and hordes of […]
July 12, 2021
Drive a few hours north from Nashville and you’ll encounter a delightful surprise nestled in the hills of southern Indiana: two turn-of-the-century grand hotels, painstakingly restored to their former glory. ‘We need to go somewhere for our anniversary,’ a friend texted me recently. ‘We need something fun.’ ‘Have I told you about French Lick?’ I […]
June 30, 2021
“Let’s try Birmingham,” I suggested one winter afternoon a couple of years ago. My husband and I had been brainstorming ideas for a weekend road trip in January and coming up empty. Birmingham, though, seemed plausible — It was just under three hours from Nashville and its warmer climate made a surprise snowfall seem very […]
April 30, 2021
Nothing sets the tone for a Broadway musical like a captivating opening number. And if the same holds true for beach towns, then Jekyll Island may very well be the Hamilton of them all. Maybe that’s a strange analogy, but it’s exactly what comes to mind when I think about seeing Jekyll Island for the […]
February 2, 2021
