Blog
A Foodie’s Guide to the Best Restaurants Near Fairfield, Iowa
Fishback & Stephenson Cider House My foodie fun began when the locals introduced me to Fishback & Stephenson Cider House, one of the best restaurants near Fairfield, Iowa. Their cider flights sparkled like jewels in the afternoon sun. Some of my favorite hard...
The Mitten Brewing Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Atmosphere The 120-year-old Mitten Brewing Company building has exposed brick throughout. The baseball theme starts in the lobby with four blue stadium-style seats from the original Detroit Tiger Stadium. An old English D symbolizing the Detroit Tigers adorns one...
10 Grand Rapids Breweries to Throw Back a Cold One
Use the Beer City Ale Trail Map to plan how you will explore Grand Rapid's 50-plus craft breweries. Many of these also offer dining experiences, so you may want to visit those around mealtime. Piper’s Pro Planning: You won’t need to drive to enjoy the Beer...
One Perfect Day in Carmel, Indiana
Breakfast – Eggshell Bistro Asparagus Strata at Eggshell Bistro We started the morning early with breakfast on the City Center’s north side at Eggshell Bistro, where Chef Larry Hanes is creating a Euro-influenced oasis in the middle of Indiana. Eggshell Bistro makes...
Nova Scotia’s Lighthouse Route
Chester Foc's'cle Restaurant in Chester Famous for Lobster Chowder Leaving Halifax, Nova Scotia’s oldest and capital city, my first stop down Nova Scotia's Lighthouse Route was the town of Chester, where wealthy 19th-century American families went for summer getaways....
Year-Round Festivals in Marquette, Michigan
Skiing in Marquette Michigan Photo Courtesy of Travel Marquette Heikki Lunta For an authentic “Yooper” celebration of Finnish heritage, the Heikki Lunta Festival is an annual mythology event created for the fictional Heikki Lunta. This creature would dance to make it...
The 360 Experience Aboard the Discovery Princess
A Cocktail with Blue Curacao at the 360 Experience on the Discovery Princess Like every other foodie, I’m constantly searching for the next over-the-top experience. I look for events like cooking classes where we make fresh squid ink pasta, ocean-to-table lobster...
Community Orchard: A Family Fun Itinerary in Fort Dodge, Iowa
The orchard lies along the beautiful Des Moines River Valley, where the orchard grows over 5,000 trees and includes more than 15 varieties of fresh-from-the-tree-picked apples. They also offer sunflowers in summer and continue through autumn with pumpkins. Denny &...
10 Things to Do in Fort Dodge, Iowa with Grandkids
The Fort Museum and Frontier Village in Fort Dodge, Iowa Explore Fort Museum and Frontier Village It all started in 1835 when mounted infantry called Dragoons scouted the area and chose what is now Fort Dodge as the perfect military post. In 1850, they began building...
15 Fun Facts about the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
Dinosaurs Escaping from the Indianapolis Children's Museum The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is the largest in terms of size at just under 500,000 square feet sitting on a 30-acre campus. The museum hosts more than 1.3 million visitors annually. Their...
Lucas, Kansas: The Grassroots Art Capital of Kansas
As I was planning what became my 12 Days of Kansas Road Trip, I mentioned to friends about traveling to the European-inspired towns of Lindsborg, known for its Swedish heritage, and Wilson, the Czech Capital of Kansas. “You have to go about 20 miles north and explore...
Ludington, Michigan: How to Take a Fall Color Tour
Typically when I think of Ludington, Michigan, images of sandy beaches, sunsets, and lighthouses come to mind. It’s my quintessential summer happy place. My favorite season is fall, so I thought I’d get out and explore my happy place during my favorite season and see...
Midwest Road Trip Adventures: Plan One Today
From the Great Lakes to the Great Plains, a Second Edition anthology helps travelers re-discover their home state through Midwest Road Trip Adventures. "The book takes travelers along some of the most storied highways and byways in the nation, including The Great...
World Chocolate Day: Let’s Celebrate
“Chocolate symbolizes, as does no other food, luxury, comfort, sensuality, gratification, and love.” ― Karl Petzke I get excited just thinking about World Chocolate Day and all the forms that chocolate can take. In addition to the standard all-American chocolate...
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.