During the late 1800s, Dubuque, Iowa was transitioning from a lead mining leader into an industrial center. The growth of mill-working businesses helped push the city to be one of the 100 largest urban areas in America, between 1860 and 1880. This period saw enormous expansion, as well as a bustling downtown. These days, many […]
In every city we visit, we are able to uncover some amazing eats. Springfield, Illinois kicked it up a level by adding the historic aspect to many of our stops. Being the heart of the “Land of Lincoln”, as well as a Route 66 destination, made this city extra special. Our downtown stay gave us
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Having an opportunity to add a new state to our blog is such a delight. 2019 brought more firsts for us, and our escape to Kenosha was our first Wisconsin city. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan, this Upper Midwest city has so much to offer vacationers. When I was choosing our initial Wisconsin
It’s always a thrill for us when we get to visit the capital city of a state. Even though they all have a dome, each is unique in its own way. Our trip to Springfield, Illinois gave us a chance to find history galore, in this twin domed Midwest city. So many historical paths cross
The shores of Lake Michigan make the perfect destination for some summer time exploring. Our 2019 travels included a visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin. This Upper Midwest city offers visitors a simple to navigate downtown that we found quite easy to walk. Museum lovers, like us, will find plenty of sites to explore, and a bonus
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A visit to Springfield, Illinois is an opportunity to dive into the long history of this Midwestern region. With only three days to soak in as much as possible, we found ourselves bustling between stops. As we approached the end of our visit, we found ourselves facing our final day of exploration. With daylight burning,
Sometimes last minute plans can uncover some interesting destinations. Recently, we were leaving church on a Saturday evening, and decided to find some place nearby for dinner. Since we were in Mission, Kansas, there were plenty of options available. Neither of us wanted to commit to a particular cuisine, so I made the decision to
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What do you get when you revitalize a 100-year old building into a boutique lodging option? For us, it was a chance to stay in the upscale Stella Hotel & Ballroom, just a few blocks from the shores of Lake Michigan. This patch of land held the oldest malting plant in the state, before its
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When you travel to Springfield, Illinois, you will find yourself transported to the Land of Lincoln. While he may not have been born in Illinois, much of his formative years were spent in this Midwest state. I have to tell you that I have been fascinated with the life of the 16th President since my
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Oklahoma City holds so many great opportunities for couples and families. With tons of attractions, hundreds of dining options, and welcoming residents, this city is just begging for a visit. On this trip, we only had 24 hours in OKC, so we needed to stay close to the action. The Colcord Hotel OKC was the
Finding the local favorites can lead to some good meals and delightful experiences. In Kenosha, Wisconsin, we dropped by The Coffee Pot to sample one of their hearty breakfasts. This unique diner has more to it than meets the eye. A neon sign had caught our attention, which means it was serving its purpose. We
While we are not experts in architectural design, that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate beautiful designs. Springfield’s Dana-Thomas House gave us a chance to see one of the homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Unlike many of the homes Wright built from scratch, this home was a redesign. That small detail will come in play
Springfield’s Dana-Thomas House – A Treasure Saved Read More »
It feels like there is never enough time to do all the things we enjoy. For years, we have made quick trips to Lawrence, Kansas for a variety of reasons. Our daughter worked at the university for four years, which provided us with lots of exploring in this college city. These days, we make the
The Burger Stand at The Casbah – Delicious Lawrence Eats Read More »
When I added a visit to the Civil War Museum, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, I knew that Crystal wouldn’t be as excited as I was. This changed when we met Peggy Gregorski, who would provide us with an amazing tour. While I spent the majority of my time taking photos, Crystal took in the interesting narrative
Civil War Museum in Kenosha – The Upper Midwest’s Contribution Read More »
Traveling to the shores of Lake Michigan, in late Spring, can bring an assortment of weather conditions. Being from the Midwest, we are familiar with the saying “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.” Our first day of exploring Kenosha had been filled with a cool breeze and occasional drizzle. While we had
One of the benefits of visiting state capital cities is the opportunity to tour the state museums. Most every city and town will have a historical stop that showcases the local history. It is the state museum that will fill out the details on the entire region. In Springfield, we discovered the Illinois State Museum
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We have had the opportunity to visit a lot of science museums. While some exhibits are commonplace at almost every museum, each one we visit seems to have a few unique displays that intrigue us. Our visit to the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI), in Chicago, blew us away with their sheer volume of
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A visit to Springfield, Illinois holds something for just about everyone in your travel crew. If you are a fan of road trips, then retracing the Mother Road (Route 66) will lead you straight through the heart of this Midwest city. Along the route, there are a variety of unique stops, like Cozy Dog Drive
Wherever we travel, Crystal and I will usually be on the lookout for ice cream. We are fortunate that both of us can agree on this creamy treat as a preferred dessert option. When we planned our latest Chicago visit, it was agreed to make our base camp on the outskirts of the metro. While
We hear a lot of people say that you can judge a restaurant by the length of time it has been in business. While this may not always be the case, there is certainly something to be said for longevity. During the planning of our visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin, we noticed a landmark eatery that
A visit to Springfield, Illinois puts travelers in the heart of the Land of Lincoln. During your visit, you will find that all throughout the city there are reminders of our 16th President of the United States. One of the premier stops is the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. There is no entrance fee for
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It’s always helpful understanding the early days of a city you are visiting. We dropped by the Kenosha History Center for a trip back in time, to the start of this Lake Michigan city. The museum is located on Simmons Island, which offers great views of the lake. While this upper Midwest area was originally
Kenosha History Center – Growing A City Classroom to Cars Read More »
Each year hundreds of restaurants start and fail. It takes dedication and consistency to build a sustainable dining business. While some of the newcomers have unique menu offerings, we believe that tried and true eateries have developed a taste that appeals to a wide range of diners. Springfield, Illinois is home to a variety of
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Over the years we have visited loads of various museums. They come in all sizes and focus on a host of topics. Some of our favorite are the one-off type that feature some unique subject. A newcomer to the Kansas City scene is the Museum of Illusions KC, located in Union Station. We dropped by
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Traveling can often make us work up an appetite. This is a good thing since we love showing you unique locally-owned spots to dine. Our trip from Chicago to Kenosha, Wisconsin took a little longer than we expected. By the time we arrived for our lunch, we were famished. That was okay because the dining
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When planning a visit to a new destination, we try to pack our schedule really full. This allows us to write tons of articles on each city, so that you will have more options when planning your own vacation. Even with a full slate of stops planned, we seem to still squeeze in one more
These days it seems that we are constantly seeing specials for Taco Tuesday events. While it’s nice to find a deal on one of our favorite menu items, we think that this delectable cuisine shouldn’t be limited to one day per week. We would like to propose Taco Anyday and KC Taco Company is a
Being from the Central Midwest, we don’t often see bodies of water as large as Lake Michigan. Our visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin landed us squarely on the coast of this Great Lake. The sight of lighthouses was a signal that we weren’t in Kansas anymore. Getting the chance to visit the Southport Light Station Museum,
Visiting Springfield, Illinois would not be complete without paying respect at Lincoln’s Tomb. Having a chance to see the final resting place of our 16th president, was high on our list of must do activities. Since our visit to Springfield was focused on the downtown region of this Midwestern city, we decided to make this
With so much of the country left to explore, sometimes we struggle finding time to spend in our own backyard. We made a renewed commitment to take a deeper dive into Kansas City culture this year. Zoological parks are one of our favorite diversions, wherever we travel. For years, we have visited the Kansas City
When we began our Great Smoky Mountain Road Trip, we were welcomed by the remnants of Hurricane Florence. Our itinerary had included a couple of days of indoor activities, so we moved those ahead to save the outdoor fun. Fortunately, the rain moved away in time for us to enjoy more pancakes, mountains and bears.
Smoky Mountain Road Trip Part 2 – Pancakes, and Mountains, and Bears. Oh My! Read More »
Springfield, Illinois is a Midwestern city filled with historic houses. Being the hometown of the Abraham Lincoln family puts it squarely on the map of vacationers and history buffs alike. While some of the homes are available for tours, others can only be viewed from the outside. We found one that crossed the tourism-only line
Kansas City developed much like other large metropolitan areas. Its expansion often came from incorporating nearby towns and neighborhoods, as it pushed its borders out from the urban core. Some of these townships retained their identity, even as the city limits pushed beyond their borders. We find that each has its unique history and local
For years, Crystal has wanted to visit the Great Smoky Mountains. In her youth, she passed through the region on a road trip, but had not visited as an adult. Being mountain lovers, we felt it was time to remedy this oversight. We were experiencing a warm September, as we headed off on our Smoky
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While long vacations can be fun to plan, there are plenty of times we are just looking for a short getaway. Whether it’s a day trip or an overnight stay, taking an excursion to a close by destination can add an air of excitement to any weekend. With a drive from Kansas City that can
We feel that we are making a solid case for a couples visit to Parkville, Missouri. Of course, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a family-friendly location, as well. There are actually a variety of options for all ages to get active in downtown Parkville. Within a few block area we found about half a
If you have traveled to some of the touristy destinations you may have seen one of the unique structures that house Ripley’s Believe It or Not attractions worldwide. The outside of these oddity museums are designed to draw the attention of people passing by. What is found on the inside is just as unusual and
We are always on the lookout for unusual sites when visiting a new destination. It is amazing what you can find when you dig deep enough into a city’s attraction. Fort Scott may seem like an unlikely place to learn about the worlds most unheralded heroes. A stop at the Lowell Milken Center for Unsung
There is certainly something to be said for longevity. When we saw that Frank’s Italian Restaurant had been in the same Parkville, Missouri location since 1931, it sparked our interest for a visit. While we were sure that the ownership has definitely changed hands, the fact that the business has survived, speaks volumes for customer
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A trip to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park is an opportunity to get back to nature on a grand scale. Our visit required catching breaks between days of showers, which were coming from the remnants of a recent hurricane. By shifting our schedule around, we were able to enjoy a couple of days of
When we planned our visit to Fort Scott, Kansas our itinerary included a variety of sites to see. The one site that had to be top of our list is the actual fort from where the city gets its name. One of a chain of forts built in the mid-1800’s, it was designed for keeping
It amazes us to see the trends repeat themselves over the years. Much like clothing styles that refresh every few decades, we are witnessing a resurgence of the smaller boutique style shops. For many years, the big box stores were pushing these locally owned businesses out of the way. These days you can find more
Wherever we travel it is our goal to help showcase some of the local eateries. In most cities, we try to feature a cross-section of cuisines to allow our readers plenty of options. Most of the meal decisions are made long before our trip, so we can narrow down our destinations. Once in a while,
Our visit to Main Street Parkville allowed us to sample a wide range of cuisine options. Within a few easily walk-able blocks, visitors can find anything from casual to refined elegance for dining choices. We wanted to sample every one of them, which meant we were in for quite the culinary adventure. We chose a
Tooling through the Appalachian Mountains is like stepping back in time. This well eroded mountain chain is one of the oldest on the planet and offers some amazing vistas. That is, when the mist and fog are not too heavy. Since our visit landed smack dab during the remnants of a hurricane, we altered our
It’s obvious from our travels that great food can be found just about everywhere. One of the things that elevate a good meal, to the status of great, is the atmosphere. You have probably found yourself enjoying a delicious meal in a location that felt cold and less than welcoming. While not every restaurant will
What is a couple to do when they need a break from their busy city life, but don’t want to take a road trip? Have you considered looking at options right in your own backyard? We did just that, when we spent a night at Main Street Inn in Parkville, Missouri. Taking a weekend night
How many of you remember curling up with a copy of the Guinness Book of World Records? It was always amazing to read about the various accomplishments that could get you into this annual tome. As youths, we would daydream about becoming the next big record-setter in some odd or outlandish scheme. Little did we
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We never cease to be amazed at the history we find in each city we visit. It’s true that every place is filled with its own set of stories, and it is up to the visitor to seek them out. A trip to Fort Scott, Kansas provided an opportunity to learn more about one of
Finding breakfast foods in Gatlinburg, Tennessee is about as easy as falling off of a log. It seems like every other restaurant is dishing up some country eats. With a day of Smoky Mountain hiking planned, we needed something that would stick with us and fuel our morning. Those early settlers in the region started