Our family loves to travel, and some of my favorite posts to write are (detailed!) vacation recaps. You can find all travel- related content on my site by filtering the archives by the “Travel” category in the sidebar. Or, see some of our recent (since I started this blog in spring of 2020) trip posts below!
*Update December 2023- I am slowly starting to work on going back and recapping all of our family trips, beginning when we got married in 2007. I’ll be adding them in as I get to them!
2007
St. Pete Beach, Disney World and Universal Studios, Florida- October 2007
2017
10th Anniversary Europe Trip to Spain and Italy- September 2017
2020
Porcupine Mountain State Park (U.P. Michigan)- July 2020
Panama City Beach, Florida- August 2020
2021
Disney World – January 2021
Memphis, Tennessee- March 2021
- Back from Memphis
- Memphis Trip Recap Days 1 and 2: Sun Studio, Peabody Hotel, Beale St.
- Day 3 Recap: Graceland and more!: Graceland, Mississippi Big River Crossing, A.Schwab/ more Beale St.
- Memphis Day 4: Staxx Museum, Gus’s Chicken, National Civil Rights Museum
New England Road Trip (Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)- August 2021
- Day 1: WI to PA
- Day 2: PA to Bennington, VT
- Day 3: Bennington, VT to Quechee, VT- Bennington Battle Monument, Old First Church, covered bridges driving tour, Sugar Shack, Manchester, Vermont Country Store
- Day 4: Quechee, VT to North Conway, NH (White Mountains)- Quechee Gorge, Lost River Gorge and Caves, The Basin, Old Man in the Mountain
- Day 5: White Mountains, NH- Christmas Loft, Mount Washington Resort, Swimming holes
- Day 6: Portland, Maine – Portland Head Light, Spring Point Ledge, Bug Light, Boat trip
- Day 7: Coastal Maine- Bath, Boothbay Harbor, Pemaquid Point
- Day 8: Belfast, Maine to Acadia National Park- Belfast, Bass Harbor Lighthouse, Thunder Hole
- Day 9: Acadia NP- Jordan Pond, Bubbles, Cadillac Mountain, Echo Lake
- Day 10: Acadia NP: Lulu’s Lobster Boat, Carriage Trails and Bridges
- Day 11: Acadia NP: Schoodic Peninsula, Wonderland Trail, Ship Harbor Trail
- Day 12: Acadia NP- Beehive Trail, Bar Island, Final dinner
- Day 13: Leaving Maine- Acadia to Scranton, PA
- Day 14: Scranton, PA to Dayton, OH
- Day 15: Dayton, Ohio- National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
- Day 16: Dayton, OH to HOME!
2022
Isla Mujeres, Mexico- January 2022
- Day 1: Overview of Isla Mujeres, travel/ Day 1
- Day 2: Punta Sur, Beach, Centro nightlife
- Day 3: Kayaking, tacos, pool, The Joint restaurant
- Day 4: Walk downtown, chilaquiles, Playa Norte, enchiladas
- Day 5: Beach, shrimp quesadillas, COVID tests, fancy dinner!
Ireland and Rome- March 2022
- Day 1: Travel Day and Arrival to Ireland
- Day 2: Westport House/ Westport/ pub!
- Day 3: Scenic drive, Kylemore Abbey, Castle
- Day 4: Lazy Morning Museum of Country Life and Pub
- Day 5: Galway, Ireland: Part 1
- Day 5: Galway, Ireland: Part 2
- Day 6: St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland!
- Day 7: Country morning + Biking the Greenway
- Day 8: Scenic drives, Downpatrick Head, Beach and Ballycroy National Park
- Day 9: Goodbyes and train to Dublin
- Day 10: (Part 1)- Arrival to Rome!!
- Day 10: (Part 2)- St. Peter’s Basilica, Piazza Navona and Campo de’Fiori
- Day 11: Rome: Colosseum, Roman Forum/ Palatine Hill, Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps
- Day 12: Rome- Pantheon, Victor Emmanuel II Monument, Vatican Museum
- Day 13: Rome to Dublin
- Day 14: Dublin, Ireland and Day 15: DUB to ORD
- Tired = some random musings on international travel
- Adjusting to normal life, jet lag and souvenirs
- Back in the USA + my Irish worry stone
- Well, I tried: failed daily blog posts and snippets of Rome
Great River Road trip- Prairie du Chien, WI to La Crosse, WI – June 2022
- Overview
- Prairie du Chien to La Crosse: Day 1
- La Crosse: Day 2
Chicago, IL Day trip- June 2022
San Diego, California- July 2022
Mexico! – August 2022
- On our way/ kids leading travel/ Mexico safety
- A little rocky start, but improving. 🙂
- Relaxed day, nice weather, and cultural differences!
- Mexico City tianguis and travel to Tepotzlan
- 1st night in Tepotzlan, Mexico
- Hike to Tepozteco pyramid in Tepotzlan
- The rain finally got us… a stormy night in Tepotzlan
- Family day in Tepoz
- Back from Tepotzlan and the laziest day of my life
- A day in Malinalco, Mexico
- Valle de Bravo, Day 1
- Valle de Bravo (Day 2) –> CDMX
- Wrap up: Friday- Tuesday! Home from Mexico.
Mini Family Fall Getaway, Wisconsin Dells – October 2022
2023
Costa Rica – March 2023
- Pre-vacay ramblings: work, packing, travel blogging and more
- A packing post (aka, how not to pack…)
- Day 1- Friday 3/10 and Saturday 3/11: Travel Day and 1st evening in Costa Rica!!
- Day 2 Part 1- Sunday 3/11: Volcano overload and zipline adventures!!
- Day 2 Part 2- Sunday 3/12 afternoon- hot springs + rainforest walk (and SLOTHS!)
- Day 3- Monday 3/13: Rio Celeste day
- Day 4- Tuesday 3/14: Safari River Float and Mistico Hanging Bridges
- Day 5- Wednesday 3/15: Pool Day + (amazing) Venado Caves experience!!
- Day 6- Thursday 3/16: La Fortuna waterfall, pool time and travel to Monteverde
- Day 7- Friday 3/17: Santa Elena Reserve, Monteverde Brewery and a Night Tour!
- Day 8- Saturday 3/18: Coffee Tour, Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve and Treehouse Restaurant
- Day 9- Sunday 3/19: Monteverde to Manuel Antonio
- Day 10- Monday 3/20: Beach Day at Playa Biesanz and Playa Espadilla, plus.. surf lessons!
- Day 11- Tuesday 3/21: A “Top 10 Life Moment”- Nauyaca Waterfall, Dominical + sunsets galore
- Day 12- Wednesday 3/22: Manuel Antonio National Park day
- Day 13- Thursday 3/23: Parasailing and another beautiful beach day!
- Days 14 and 15- Friday 3/24- Saturday 3/25: Last morning at the beach, El Avion, and travel home!
Weekend in St. Louis, Missouri- April 2023
Austin, Texas- May 2023
Family Trip for Parents’ 50th Anniversary!! A Western Caribbean Cruise- June 2023
- First couple days of family cruise!
- Day 3- Sea Day #1
- Day 4- Roatan, Honduras
- Day 5- Belize City, Belize
- Day 6- Cozumel, Mexico
- Day 7- Sea Day #2
- Days 8 and 9 – Coco Cay and home!
Fall Retreat in U.P. Michigan – October 2023
Christmas Trip to Mexico- December 2023
- Travel + Christmas Eve in Mexico (12/24/23)
- Christmas Day + Coyocan (Mexico City Adventure #1)
- A relaxed day
- Mexico City Adventure #2: Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe
- Mexico City Adventure #3: El Zocalo + Palacio de Bellas Artes
- Mexico City Adventure #4: Castle of Chapultepec
- Catching up and Happy New Year!
- New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day
- Hike to the Volcano of Toluca
- Final days and homeward bound! (1/5/24)
2024
Great Smoky Mountain National Park & Asheville, NC- March 2024
- Days 1-2: Travel days and we made it to Gatlinburg!
- Day 2 (evening): Anakeesta! Magical Views!
- Day 3: Great Smoky Mountain NP: Crowds, Spruce Flats Falls and Cades Cove
- Day 4: Our worst weather day, but turned out okay!
- Day 5: Dollywood fun!
- Day 6: Driving the Blue Ridge Parkway day (to Asheville)
- Day 7: Our Biltmore Estate Day! Asheville, NC
GRATEFUL KAE 