I am – as I have admitted on more than one occasion – a lover of history.  There’s just no denying it.  Call me a nerd if you must, but I believe as a society we cannot move forward if we do not understand how far we’ve come.  Walking in the path of those who came before us, such as President Lincoln, has always held a special fascination for me.

Lake of the Woods

We interrupt our regular scheduled programming to bring you a photo array of what we like to call a little piece of paradise.  Also known as Lake of the Woods.

Not only had I never been to Chicago before this trip – I had never been anywhere in the state of Illinois and I was about to learn a lot about the state.  When you grow up in one part of the U.S. you don’t really know what’s going on elsewhere – you know, like I never thought of Illinois as farming country…

Exploring Chicago, day two.  Okay, admit it.  When you travel to a new city you just want to climb on board one of those double-decker, cheesy looking, brightly painted  buses that drive tourists all around the city.  Right? Today, was the day.  After wandering Chicago yesterday, we decided the bus was the order of the day.

Chicago is the starting point of any road tripper’s Route 66 adventure.  I think half of the fun of an epic road trip is the getting ready part.  Doing the research, the packing, the buying of audio books (which by the way don’t buy because you won’t have time to listen to them), mapping out the journey, etc.  It’s a fun and informative way to gear up for the journey

This article is shared in collaboration with One Road at a Time ~

Enjoy a Day of Culture and the Arts at the Liberties Festival in Dublin

The 43rd annual Liberties Festival is a fantastic celebration of all things artistic. There is something to suit your taste whether you enjoy photography, film, music, comedy, street art or theatre.

We were in the tasting room of G.H. Mumm’s Champagne Cellars in Reims, located in northern France, sipping and comparing the lovely bubbly in our champagne flutes when our guide asked us if we knew about Route 66.  “Of course,” we said, “as a matter of fact we’ve driven the route.”  His smiled broadened as he told us that Route 66 is very popular in Europe and many aspire to travel to the U.S. just so they can make the drive.  Who knew?

Although no raw oyster has ever passed my lips (and fortunately, I have a good excuse in that I am allergic to shellfish) I very much enjoyed reading this post from my friend Kent. 

This post was published in collaboration with One Road at a Time ~

Traveling to the land down under makes for an epic journey!  And while sailing the oceans may be the long leisurely way to reach Australia; it’s the airliner that will get you there in a matter of hours. Searching for the best airline information can put you in the right seat, for the right flight, for the right price.

You’ve probably figured out by now that southern Oregon is home to a multitude of lakes; Lake of the Woods, Hyatt Prairie, Willow and Fish Lake are just a few of the ones we’ve explored.  But as far as mountain lakes go, Crater Lake is the granddaddy of them all.