Hiking, Birding, and Beaches at Gulf State Park in Gulf Shores, Alabama

 

Gulf State Park offers natural gem after natural gem along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama. The preserve's 28 miles of hiking trails welcome wanderers to a wealth of ecosystems enhancing a day or more of nature exploration. During my visit to Gulf Shores in Alabama, I benefitted from several days of adventures within Gulf State Park.

Read More

Morning Hike at Big Foot Beach State Park in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

Big Foot Beach State Park is a picturesque 271-acre forest preserve nestled along the shores of Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. Hikers will find a range of natural and mowed grass trails through woodlands and meadows. Big Foot Beach State Park is certainly a favorite Lake Geneva hiking location and ideal for adding to any Lake Geneva getaway.

Read More

Dunes, Birding, Hikes, and Lake Michigan Views at Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park

 

Illinois Beach State Park presents hikers with varied adventures on trails along the shores of Lake Michigan and through wetlands, and black oak woodlands. We visited Illinois Beach State Park twice during the past couple of months experiencing both the North and South Units falling in love with the trails we wandered in both. Of course, we were totally enamored with lake views as well. Take a little trip to this preserve with us:

Read More

Peaceful Morning Tracing Green Bay and Spotting Birds at Seagull Bar State Natural Area in Marinette, Wisconsin

 

Spectacular views at Seagull Bar State Natural Area in Marinette, Wisconsin, eased us into a day of travel and exploration. Watching the gentle waves of Green Bay and observing birds enjoying one of the last remaining mornings of summer crafted the perfect tranquil start to the day.

Read More

Geneva Lake Views Fuel a Tranquil Day in Williams Bay, Wisconsin

Geneva Lake Views Fuel a Tranquil Day in Williams Bay, Wisconsin

Quietly nestled along Geneva Lake in Wisconsin, Williams Bay treats visitors to tranquil lake views and a quaint town to explore.Williams Bay is more relaxed than nearby Lake Geneva, so we love to visit for a calm day of relaxation on the lake.

Read More

Ecola State Park on the Oregon Coast

After meandering some time at Cannon Beach, we took a short drive over to Ecola State Park. Ecola State Park was quite busy when we arrived and we would soon learn why. We were lucky to get a parking spot -- one of the lots was marked closed when we first arrived. Fortunately, the park ranger at the entrance let us know that we arrived at a time when a lot of visitors start leaving the park and we should find a spot. Find a spot we did and after a short walk, we soaked in this view:

Read More

Enjoying Lake Michigan in Racine, Wisconsin

We usually spend at least one summer day in Racine, Wisconsin. We love, love, love North Beach because the view of Lake Michigan is spectacular and the beach is usually quieter than others that we have visited. The day was so calm, we ended up spending several hours just sitting and reading on the beach.

Read More

What to Wear in Iceland

One question that I am always asked is what to wear in Iceland. So, I thought I would give you some tips that have worked well for me on our three visits. First, I am going to get this out of the way --- DO NOT bring an umbrella. It rains often in Iceland, but the weather is so changeable it can rain for 10 minutes then be sunny for 10 minutes then cloudy  for 10 minutes then rainy again, etc. You will always be fussing with it. Due to wind, it will not protect you from rain at angles and most likely you won't be able to keep it open. So, why waste the space?

Read More

Indulging Our Passion for Travel Along Iceland's South Coast

Stunning! We spent a day wandering along Iceland's South Coast from Reykjavik to Vik and reveled in the dramatic natural splendor of Iceland. An adventure through the South Coast truly puts in perspective the forces at work within the Earth providing an amazing experience for families.

Read More

Beaching it in New Buffalo, Michigan!

\

View from one of the dunes.

Every summer we make a day trip to New Buffalo, Michigan for a little escape. The drive is about 2 hours from our home in the Chicago suburbs. So, we pick a Sunday to get up early for our special day on Lake Michigan. We have been doing this for years, so New Buffalo feels almost like home.

Read More

Beach Time in Grand Haven {Michigan}

When I first moved to the Chicago area, I had no idea about the beauty of the nearby Michigan beaches and beach communities. I am originally from New Jersey, so that longing for the ocean quickly kicked in. So, before I knew it--we were exploring beaches along Lake Michigan and quickly fell in love with beaches in Michigan! So many stunning finds and the adjoining communities reminded me of home. During our visit to Grand Rapids, we spent a little time visiting Grand Haven and discovered a wonderful community for a little family rest and relaxation!

Read More

Rosy Mound Natural Area for a Family Respite

Everyone needs those places that seem far, far away from the real world. Rosy Mound Natural Area in Grand Haven, Michigan is one of those places. Rosy Mound has a fairly secluded, rustic beach ideal for a little tuning out.

Read More

On Top of the World at Wind Point Lighthouse in Racine, Wisconsin

**Disclosure: We receive complimentary tickets to Wind Point Lighthouse for the purpose of this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Over the past year, I have truly fallen in love with Racine's view of Lake Michigan. Entirely spectacular! Once summer weather returned to the region, our family knew that we needed to spend at least one summer day in Racine. We learned about Wind Point Lighthouse on a previous trip and since we had never climbed a lighthouse before, we immediately added the landmark to our "need to visit list." We were thrilled to find a day this summer to visit the treasure last weekend!

Read More

Family Time at Oak Island, North Carolina

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

My sister and her family have been vacationing in Oak Island, North Carolina every year for quite some time. This year marked the year that we were FINALLY able to join them and I am certainly glad that we did! Oak Island is a relaxed yet friendly town situated on the southern barrier island of Oak Island. The seaside town is a little over an hour north and east of Myrtle Beach but could not be more different. The calm and homey atmosphere is very welcome to families on vacay. An excellent place for a little rest and relaxation!

Read More

Surf, Sand, Sea Creatures and History at Wilmington, North Carolina Beaches

**Disclosure: Thank you to Wilmington, North Carolina for providing complimentary admission to the North Carolina Aquarium in order to conduct this review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

We spent one day hopping along the shore in the Wilmington area taking in sweeping vistas of the Atlantic Ocean, enjoying shore amusements, visiting sea life at the North Carolina Aquarium and taking a walk through history at Fort Fisher. We really packed a lot in the day but there were plenty of opportunities for down time and even to let loose!

Read More

Enjoying the lake at Independence Grove

A couple of weeks ago, we stretched our legs a bit with a walk at Independence Grove in Libertyville. Independence Grove has a gorgeous lake, many trails, paddle boating, canoeing, a beach and much more. We have been to the beach several times but somehow had never walked the trails before. So, when we finally had nice weather this spring, we decided to give it a whirl.

We opted to walk along the lower trail which follows the lake. Independence Grove has approximately 6.25 miles of trails. The trail that we chose loops the lake and runs a little over 2 miles. If you are walking with little ones, the trail is fairly easy. Before starting, make sure that you have hit the restroom especially when walking with the little ones. There is a restroom towards the end of the trail, so if you have to go in the middle, you are a little out of luck.

Read More

Beaching it at the Warren Dunes

Finally, we found a day that fit into our schedule and was the perfect temperature for going to the beach. We had heard tons of great things about Warren Dunes State Park in Sawyer, Michigan, so we decided to check it out. After passing it during many trips to Michigan, I am glad that we finally stopped! We loved the beach at Warren Dunes.

Compared to other beaches that we have been to on Lake Michigan, we found Warren Dunes to be pretty expansive with plenty of room. We arrived pretty early--about 10:00AM (on a Sunday) and easily found a great spot. When we left at 1:00PM, most of the prime spots were taken and there was a long line of cars waiting to come in. We also almost got ran over a couple of times while leaving due to people looking for spots and not paying attention to the road. So, I definitely recommend going early!

When we first arrived, we found the beach to be very peaceful and the view to be  gorgeous. As more people arrived, we found the beach to have a festive, yet not annoying, vibe. My daughter had a great time collecting rocks and swimming. My husband and I enjoyed some time just to relax while enjoying nature!

Read More