You’ve seen the roadside barns painted with the words ‘See Rock City,’ but the cost of tickets to this Chattanooga-area landmark ($19.95 for adults, $11.95 for kids ages 3-12) may have you second-guessing whether the attraction is the best way to spend your time and money. After visiting Rock City several times with my family […]

Gatlinburg has got to be one of my favorite family vacation destinations. It has a little bit of everything, from gorgeous scenery and unparalleled hiking and camping opportunities to fabulous shopping, delectable dining, and all-around fun. Wondering what to do in Gatlinburg with your family? We just returned from a weekend there– Here are 30 […]

Here’s all you need to know about hiking the Laurel Falls Trail, just outside Gatlinburg  at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park! We took a weekend trip to Gatlinburg recently, and were fortunate to stay in a hotel right in the center of town. Most of what we wanted to do was in easy walking […]

After years of waiting, Dennis and I decided this year that our children, ages 11 and 8, were finally ready for their first haunted house. Some might find this decision at odds with our ban on PG-13 movies or anything on television with blood and gore. But it all made perfect sense to me…  If […]

Did you know that you can walk on the actual Trail of Tears just 45 minutes away from Nashville? It’s an incredible experience– especially if you know the back story. As it turns out, there’s a lot more to the Trail of Tears than we learned in our history books, and I think the information […]

This post will tell you all you need to know about Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, including major insider tips AND how we realized it’s actually CHEAPER for us to stay there when we visit Universal Orlando than it is to stay in an off-site budget hotel! If you’re planning a trip to Universal Orlando (or even thinking about […]

We just returned from a wonderful weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains. Between the towns of Sevierville, Gatlinburg, and Pigeon Forge, there’s plenty to do in the area– and this applies to foodies, outdoorsmen, adventurers, history buffs, and families. Please note that all of the ideas listed in this post are relatively inexpensive. Disney, on […]

We’ve just returned from our annual trip to Walt Disney World and I have to say that the more we’ve learned about the resort, the better time we’ve had as a family. It has taken us years to perfect our trip- Now, I’m passing on all my best Disney World tips in one handy dandy […]

Last week was one I’ve been looking forward to all summer long. We spent seven days here: This is Hammock Beach, about 30 minutes from Jacksonville. It’s our second time visiting and I think our entire family is in love with this place. When we went two years ago, the kids were eight and five. […]

On our last day in St. Louis, we took the kids to the City Museum. Since Dennis loves researching our travel destinations, I personally hadn’t read much about it– I knew only that it was a children’s museum that was “really crazy” and involved “a lot of crawling.” “You’ll love it,” Dennis concluded. And he […]