Tom and I recently took a fast trip to a bunch of national park sites. We started our adventure in Casey, Illinois, whose motto is “Big things, small town.” We had been to Casey in 2012 to see the “Biggest Wind Chime in the World.” Since then, many more big things have joined the wind …
From Happy Trails
Three Wonderful, Walkable Downtowns
This last week I spent time in three wonderful, walkable downtowns. I love a small city that has a vibrant downtown. Most downtowns are on a downturn with lots of empty storefronts and a depressed feel. But the three downtowns that I enjoyed are full of restaurants, small local shops, and people walking. What do …
Game Night = Fun with Volunteers
Tom and I have been enjoying a weekly game night with the other volunteers here at Fort Frederica. Right now there are three other volunteer couples. Although we are the only living history volunteers, we are enjoying spending time with the other volunteers in social situations. Bob and Denise Verba are returning volunteers who we …
Guale Preserve, St. Simons Island, Georgia
Tom and I recently revisited the Guale Preserve on St. Simons Island. I wrote about it in 2000 when it first opened. You can read that post here. Because we have spent so much time on St. Simons Island, there isn’t much new for us to see or do. Not a lot of fodder for …
Five Favorite Places of 2023
Every year since Tom and I retired, I have written a blog post about our five favorite places. Sometimes I have to expand the list a little, but I can usually narrow it down to five or six. You can read each of the favorite places lists by searching for favorite places in the blog …
Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works
On our last adventure day, Dad said he wanted to go the Bucyrus Copper Kettle Works. He had looked it up and saw that they offered tours. Going there was a bit of a surprise, so I had not called ahead to book a tour, as they request. But we stopped by and Jennie, at …
Autumn Leaves of Red and Gold
I love autumn in Ohio. Warm, sunny days with cool, crisp nights make the hardwood trees turn such beautiful colors. I have been a lot of places in the United States and the leaves in fall in Ohio are as beautiful as any other state. As pretty as the Smoky Mountains, New England, or Colorado. …
Humorous Signs from My Travels
Tom and I see humorous signs when we travel. I have shared some of them in the past, and you can see the posts here: from 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2021. From stick-figure-warning man to handwritten signs, people are trying to tell us stuff, if we pay attention to the signs. These are the top …
Cumberland Falls State Park
On one of our adventure days, Tom, Robin, and I went to Cumberland Falls State Resort Park. Sometimes we have visitors come in to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park and say that they want to see the falls. At first that question threw me, because we don’t really have any waterfalls in the park. But …
Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park
On a recent day off, Tom and I headed to Sycamore Shoals State Historic Park in Elizabethton, Tennessee. It took us about two hours to get there, but it is a lovely drive through a valley beside the mountains. Sycamore Shoals is historically important for three reasons. The first relates to Kings Mountain National Military …