Blog
A Perfect Two-Day Detroit, Michigan Weekend Itinerary
Friday Late Afternoon After traveling, you may not feel like starting with an activity on your first day, but Detroit has so much to offer, and a weekend is a short time to see it. I've put together this full two-day Detroit itinerary to highlight Detroit's rich...
11 Best Things to Do in Victoria, British Columbia
Art Gallery of Greater Victoria Located 20 minutes from downtown Victoria, the art gallery features a setting reminiscent of a park. With nearly 20,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria features the most extensive public collection in British Columbia...
Hendricks County, Indiana: 8 Must-Try Restaurants
Experience One of Indiana’s Best Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches at Oasis Diner The Indiana Foodways Alliance’s Tenderloin Lovers Trail features over 70 restaurants to try an authentic Hoosier pork tenderloin sandwich. Located in Plainfield, Oasis Diner’s tenderloin ranks...
Best Places to Eat in Buena Park, California
Broken Yolk Café Conveniently located across from Knott’s Berry Farm, the Broken Yolk Café on Beach Boulevard is the perfect restaurant for breakfast before heading to the amusement park. An Acai Bowl at Broken Yolk Café I over-ordered as the menu offered so many...
13 Best Places to Eat in Gulf Shores, Alabama
Avenue Pub Located on Terry Cove, Avenue Pub is one of the best places to eat in Gulf Shores, Alabama, for the stunning views across the cove. Add a taste far from typical pub food, and you’ll be glad you visited. They make every item in-house, by hand,...
The Women Behind The Livermore Valley Wineries
Several years ago, I spent nine months in San Francisco’s East Bay area in Walnut Creek, California, 22 miles from Livermore Valley. I was working on an intense project, and rather than return home every weekend, staying in the Bay area and exploring worked out better...
The 12 Days of Kansas
El Camino Real House Made TortillasEl Camino Real Rotisserie Cooked Pork and PineappleCamino Real Tacos Pastor Kansas City Gave to Me the Kansas City Taco Trail On the first day in Kansas, Kansas City gave to me the Kansas City Taco Trail. Kansas City is famous for...
7 Must-Try Fort Wayne, Indiana Restaurants
Fort Wayne's Famous Coney Dogs at Coney Island Weiner Stand Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney Island Weiner Stand “Next table’s open,” a server shouted from the back. “Still need my four cheese dogs,” another called. That’s the typical banter at Fort Wayne’s Famous Coney...
5 Best Restaurants in the Bradenton Gulf Islands
Mar Vista Dockside Restaurant and Pub Located on Long Boat Key, the next island south of Anna Maria Island, the SoCal Radio Wine Dinner at Mar Vista was spectacular, starting with the view. We ate on the covered patio, but they have options for dining under the trees...
Lindsborg, Kansas: A Touch of Sweden in the Middle of America
In 1869, settlers from the Swedish province of Dalarna founded Lindsborg; with a current population of 3,286, it’s a small town big on small-town American charm. While Lindsborg celebrates its Swedish heritage through festivals, food, and folk art, its middle America...
How to Spend One Day in Mason City, Iowa
8:15 a.m. Breakfast at Cabin Coffee For our day trip to Mason City, Iowa, we wanted to explore some of the best things to do there. And we needed some sustenance for the day ahead, so we decided to stop at Cabin Coffee Company before catching up with our guide for the...
Michigan 4-H Children’s Garden in East Lansing
The Pizza Garden in Spring The Pizza Garden One of our favorite gardens at the Michigan 4-H Children's Garden was the Pizza Garden, where we found everything it takes to make pizza. The six feet in diameter garden has a mysteriously missing slice and concrete “crust”...
Burgdorf’s Winery: Award-Winning Wine from a Garage
From Hobby to Business For the Burgdorfs, it all started 30-some years ago as home winemakers, in the Haslett, Michigan countryside east of Lansing, with a bumper crop of wild black raspberries. Dave laughed, “You can only make so many jellies, cobblers, and pies. We...
How to Spend the Perfect Day in Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Should you take your car to Put-in-Bay? You could, but I didn't and was glad. During weekends and holidays, you can't take your vehicle for a day trip. You must show evidence of an overnight stay. Parking is difficult, and some areas are congested. Renting a golf cart...
Top Places for Outdoor Activities in Michigan in 2025
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Waterfalls One of the best outdoor activities in Michigan is chasing waterfalls. While Michigan’s Lower Peninsula has only one waterfall, the Upper Peninsula is the perfect place to chase waterfalls. The UP has over 300 waterfalls. Spend...
The Best Things to Do in Wichita, Kansas
In the 1920s and 1930s, business people and aeronautical engineers established several aircraft manufacturing companies. Lloyd Stearman, Clyde Cessna, and Walter Beech established the Travel Air Manufacturing Company in Wichita on January 26, 1925. Wichita became a...
While Piper is a lifelong Michigander, she’s had adventures worldwide. Bomb-sniffing dogs chased her in the middle of the night in Bogota (working late), gate agents refused her boarding to Paraguay (wrong visa), and US Marshals announced her seat number on a plane while looking for a murder suspect (she’d traded seats). It’s always an adventure! She even finds exciting activities in her home state of Michigan, where she lives in Lansing with her husband, Ross Dingman, her daughter, Alexis, and two granddaughters.