Wednesday Weekend Windup {Kenosha Tall Ships, Shakespeare in the Park, Venetian Night, Bristol, Tastes, Festa Italiana and More}

Kenosha Tall Ships, Shakespeare in the Park, Venetian Night, Bristol, Tastes, Festa Italiana and More Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs August 1-4, 2019

The weekend is here and there are plenty of gems this weekend! Here are my picks:

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Walking Among the Trees at Galien River County Park in New Buffalo, Michigan

Galien River County Park in New Buffalo, Michigan Treats Hikers to a Tree Canopy and Boardwalk Walk with Fantastic Views

A family day in New Buffalo, Michigan has long been one of our favorite summer traditions. We love to start our day at the beach and wander through town stopping for ice cream. Then, we would wind up Red Arrow Highway making a variety of stops. On this visit, we explored a new to us spot and were immediately entranced while adventuring at Galien River County Park.

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Seltun Geothermal Area Stuns With Geothermal Steam and Brilliant Colors on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula

Seltún Geothermal Area in Iceland Delights With Geothermal Activity and a Mosaic of Brilliant Colors

Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland is the first place you will see when arriving to the Land of Fire and Ice! Keflavik Airport is on the Reykjanes Peninsula and is about 45 minutes from Iceland's capital city Reykjavik. Sometimes in the hurry to get to Reykjavik and beyond, visitors can overlook the treasures on the Reykjanes Peninsula. However, Reykjanes has treasures all its own including the Seltún Geothermal Area.

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Exploring the Icelander Viking Ship at Viking World near Keflavik

Exploring Viking settlement and the ship  Íslendingur at Viking World near Keflavik, Iceland

On our way to Copenhagen, we had about a day layover in Keflavik. So, we had a bit of time to explore. Our first adventure was to Viking World to view a replica Viking ship. Admittedly, I did not know much about the museum before visiting. I did not expect to find so many quality exhibits inside! We really learned a lot about the Vikings and the Settlement Era in Iceland as well as exploration to the New World. We truly had a wonderful adventure on what we considered a bonus day in Iceland!

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Dragon Boats, County Fairs, Military Through the Ages, Greek Fest and More}

Dragon boats image credit Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival

Dragon Boats, County Fairs, Military Through the Ages, Greek Fest and More Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs July 25-July 28, 2019

The weekend is just around the corner! There are quite a few great events coming up this weekend in the Chicago suburbs including one of my favorites -- dragon boats! Here are my picks:

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Chicago Food Tours with Chicago Food Planet: Exploring a World of Food, Architecture and History

Chicago Food Planet Second City Classic Food Tour

**Disclosure: Thank you to Chicago Food Planet for inviting my family to sample a food tour! We did receive a complimentary food tour in order to bring you this review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Our Second City Classic Food Tour with Chicago Food Planet introduced us to the unique melding of history, food and architecture of Chicago's Gold Coast and Old Town neighborhoods. Throughout our tour, we savored tasty Chicago food while hearing the family stories behind each venue. During our walk, we learned more about the history and architecture of these very distinct neighborhoods.

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The Norwegian in Rockford, IL: Lunching It With a Nordic Twist

The Norwegian in Rockford, Illinois Highlights Nordic Flavors and Locally Sourced Products

The Norwegian in Rockford, Illinois was certainly hopping on our recent visit this summer and we would soon see why. If you have been following this blog for awhile, you do know that we have an affinity for all things Nordic. So, when a reader informed me about The Norwegian I knew we would have to visit. The menu at The Norwegian features Nordic favorites such as smørrebrød, frikadeller, pickled herring and more as well as brunch and lunch favorites. Plus, The Norwegian sources locally. Such a great place to explore food:

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Kronborg Castle Home to Shakespeare's Hamlet and Danish Royalty

Kronborg Castle Inspired Hamlet's Castle and Sweeps Visitors Up In Royalty and Wonder

Kronborg Castle perched in Helsingor, Denmark is an easy train ride from Copenhagen. Kronborg enjoys special significance immortalized as the castle in Shakespeare's Hamlet and designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Walking from the train station to the castle, you have some time to take appreciate the majesty and wonder of the Renaissance castle long before you enter. We visited on a beautiful sunny day, so our view of Kronborg Castle in the distance was spectacular:

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Summer Fests, Taco Fest, Beer Garden, Viking Ship and More}

Summer Fests, Taco Fest, Beer Garden, Viking Ship and More Family Fun in the Chicago Suburbs July 18-21, 2019

The weekend is almost here and there is a lot of fun in the Chicago suburbs! Please check on outdoor events before going due to changes because of extreme heat. Be sure to stay hydrated this weekend! Here are my picks:

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Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters Invites You to Explore Locally Roasted Coffee in Roselle, Illinois

Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters Invites You To Explore Coffee Roasting and Locally Roasted Coffee in the Chicago Suburbs

**Disclosure: I did receive complimentary coffee in order to bring you an accurate review. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters in Roselle, Illinois affords a grand opportunity to explore the world of locally roasted coffee. The owners of Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters, Alex and Lynn, welcomed us on a lovely Sunday morning to introduce us to their experiential small business and the world of coffee roasting. During our visit, we would not only taste a fresh Maple Leaf brew but would also learn about the process of roasting coffee and see the roaster in action! Join me on a little exploration of Maple Leaf Coffee Roasters:

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Tall Ships Are Sailing into Kenosha August 1-4, 2019

Kenosha Tall Ships Brings Graceful Tall Ships to Kenosha August 1-4, 2019 

**Disclosure: I did receive tickets to Kenosha Tall Ships to bring you information about this event as well as details of my experience. No other compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Tall Ships will be sailing into harbor in Kenosha this August! Visit Kenosha from August 1-4 to enjoy Kenosha Tall Ships 2019 family friendly festival highlighting Kenosha's maritime heritage. Tall Ships haven't visited Kenosha for ten years so this is a splendid opportunity to visit these seven historic and quite majestic vessels! I have never attended a Tall Ship event before, so I pretty excited to see these graceful sea vessels on Lake Michigan! Each one is so incredibly beautiful:

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Christiansborg Palace: A Castle and Her Ruins in Copenhagen

Christiansborg Slot: Touring Danish Royal Reception Rooms and Castle Ruins

Christiansborg Palace presented us with a unique experience unexplored at Rosenborg and Amalienborg. Having burned down several times, Christiansborg rests upon several layers of ruins providing an intriguing crypt exploration! However, Christiansborg is also home to lavish reception rooms used by the Danish Royal Family today. So before we get to the crypt, we have to explore the palace:

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {River Fest, Irish Fest, Greek Fest, Fan Con, Cardboard Boat Regattas and More}

Comic and Pop Culture Fans Rejoice at FanCon! Image credit Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Chicago Suburban Family Fun July 12-14

The weekend is nearly here! There are some great events coming up this weekend including FanCon at Arlington Heights Memorial Library, Greek Fest, Irish Fest and much more! Of course, there is merry fun in Bristol too! Here are my picks this weekend:

**Please watch out for weather changes.**

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Amalienborg Home to the Danish Royal Family

Amalienborg Palace's Royal Experience:

Amalienborg is the home of the Danish royal family in Copenhagen and consists of four royal palaces set around a courtyard. Standing in the courtyard renders an immense experience absorbing the majesty of royalty.

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The Round Tower in Copenhagen Offers History and Views of Landmarks

The Round Tower Provides Spectacular Views of Copenhagen Landmarks with History

Rundetaarn or The Round Tower in Copenhagen was constructed between 1637 and 1642 and served as an astronomical observatory. Denmark was the home of astronomer Tycho Brahe so progressing in astronomical research was important to the Danes. Thus, Christian IV had  the tower constructed to advance research. In addition to such fascinating history, the Round Tower Copenhagen view is one not to be missed.

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Rosenborg Castle and King's Garden Dazzle Visitors Royally in Copenhagen

Rosenborg Castle, Danish Crown Jewels and the King's Garden Dazzle in Copenhagen

Danish Crown Jewels, King's Garden and Rosenborg Castle in Copenhagen infused a bit of the royal life into our adventure in Denmark. We visited several castles on our trip but Rosenborg stood out as a whole package including a castle full of priceless historic treasures, a stately garden and, of course, the Danish Crown Jewels. We were easily swept away.

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Wednesday Weekend Windup {Fourth of July Fun}

Chicago suburbs Fourth of July Weekend activities and festivities

Fourth of July in the Chicago Suburbs is a time of many festivals featuring carnivals, fireworks, food and more. Here are my picks for fun this weekend! Don't forget that Bristol Renaissance Faire starts this weekend plus hot air balloons in Lisle! **Be sure to watch the weather before going out.**

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Experiencing Copenhagen History and Architecture by Boat

Experiencing Copenhagen History and Architecture by Boat

Copenhagen is traversed by a network of canals, so admiring the city sailing through her canals is an ideal way to explore. During our visit to Copenhagen, we were so enamored with a boat tour of the city appreciating architecture and history that we savored two canal boat tours. In addition to absorbing the city while enjoying time on the water, we learned quite a bit from each of our tour guides.

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