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Visiting Mackinac Island

Looking for a way to get over your pain at the pump? Pack up the kids and travel to a place where high gas prices don’t exist… a place where gas stations don’t exist. In fact, not only don’t you have to worry about exorbitant gas prices; you don’t have to fight to find a parking space or stew in bumper-to-bumper traffic either. That’s because on Mackinac Island cars are not allowed. It’s the first thing you notice when you take a trip to this gorgeous northern Michigan haven. I’ve had the opportunity to visit the island a couple of … Continue reading →

Washington Island–A Floating Gem

Do you love the outdoors? Does the idea of an island adventure sound inviting? If you answered “yes,” then I have a suggestion for a fabulous day trip. (No, this not another blog about Hawaii.) Believe it or not, this island is floating in the waters of Lake Michigan and is considered a nature lover’s paradise. Washington Island, Wisconsin is located approximately 7 miles off the tip of the Door County Peninsula. The waters of Green Bay hug the Western shores and the waters of Lake Michigan the Eastern shores. You (and your vehicle) will need to board a ferry … Continue reading →

Winter Wonderland Vacation

If you didn’t find a plane ticket to Hawaii in your Christmas stocking this morning, then you might as well make the most of your chilly surroundings… or someone else’s frigid environment. Tis the season to travel to the world’s most popular winter festivals. The coldest season of the year brings with it a myriad of outdoor celebrations, which encourage travelers to bundle up, and enjoy Old Man Winter and all his Artic glory. If you are looking for a cool place to spend part of your winter break, check out the following freezing festivals: WISCONSIN They don’t call it … Continue reading →

Wisconsin’s Newest Tourist Hot Spot—Drained Lake

In a previous blog I told you about the unthinkable events that recently took place at tourist hot spot Lake Delton, Wisconsin. Earlier this month the area was deluged with several inches of rain in a 3-hour period. The rain caused flooding that broke through the banks of the 267-acre lake causing the entire lake to drain into the nearby Wisconsin River. The video shot of the chasm that broke massive homes in half and sent them toppling into raging waters was broadcast around the world. One scene of an entire home tumbling into the water and being carried by … Continue reading →

Going Hog Wild in Milwaukee and Revving it up in Philly

The city known for its beer and brats is going hog wild next month when it opens a new Harley-Davidson Museum. The iconic company’s hometown of Milwaukee is the site of a massive building that will house more than 400 bikes. The grand opening takes place on July 12th and will include a slew of festivities that highlight Harleys that once belonged to celebrities like Evel Knievel and Elvis Presley. Also scheduled to be on display is a motorcycle built in 1903. That was the year that two young friends from Milwaukee, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson, first made … Continue reading →

Family Fun At The State Fair—A Day Of Pig Races And Deep Fried Pickles

There aren’t too many places on the planet where you can watch a retired NASCAR announcer provide color commentary on a race between four pot-bellied pigs speeding around a sawdust track, and then 2 hours later gnaw unforgivably on a deep fried pork chop-on-a-stick. It happens daily at the Wisconsin State Fair. The annual 10-day event is famous around these parts for deep-fried everything, food-on-a-stick, a giant slide and world-class agricultural venues. What more could you ask for, right? That was my thought when I decided to brave the crowds (more than 800,000 descend on State Fair Park in Milwaukee … Continue reading →

Exploring The Great State of Wisconsin

I’ll be honest; it took me a while to embrace the state of Wisconsin. Can you blame me? I moved to the Dairy State from sun-kissed shores of Hawaii to attend school. I eventually settled in the northeast portion of the state when I accepted a job there and later made it my “home” when I married a Wisconsin native. Whereas, I have blogged about Wisconsin’s many natural attributes I realize I’ve only scratched the surface. My current home state has a ton to offer visitors (many of whom come in droves during the fall and winter to watch their … Continue reading →

A Popular Wisconsin “Mystery Spot”

Ask anyone who has lived in Wisconsin for a while where you can go to see water run uphill and chairs balance on two legs and without hesitating you’ll hear the words: The Wonder Spot. The Wonder Spot is just that–a quiet, contemplative spot nestled away from the mega-resorts and water parks that call the area between Lake Delton and Wisconsin Dells home. It has stood out from its noisy neighbors for years, but now the piece of Wisconsin’s history has a date with a bulldozer. According to local news reports, The Wonder Spot’s owner has sold the iconic attraction … Continue reading →

Wisconsin’s Wild Kingdom

I once read a book entitled: “There’s no place like home: Happiness can be found in your own backyard.” I thought about it the other day when I discovered a little piece of the wild kingdom not far from my home. Allow me to explain. My 2-year-old daughter LOVES animals… if she could she would transport herself to Diego’s rainforest and ask his family to adopt her. Unfortunately for her she is “forced” to call Wisconsin home (no humpback whales or red-eyed tree frogs here). To compensate for her “exile” to the frozen tundra I have spent countless hours on … Continue reading →

Christmas At Yosemite

Do you traditionally spend Christmas at home? Or are you the type who prefers to head to a tropical location, or to ski country for the holidays. If you categorize yourself as one of the latter, perhaps you will consider spending next Christmas at one of the country’s most iconic destinations–California’s Yosemite National Park. Each year hundreds of families make visiting the park at Christmas time a family tradition, but they do so not simply because it’s one of the most peaceful and picturesque places on Earth, but also to take in a special holiday event—“The Bracebridge Dinner.” Eight decades … Continue reading →