Tag Archives: Travel

Charleston Wedding

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Recently, I had the good fortune of attending a wedding in Charleston, South Carolina. While the destination puzzled me at first, I soon realized what a great opportunity it would be to explore a city I hadn’t thought of. That crafty couple, that was their intention all along. Ryan and I figured if we were making the trip down, we might as well really take advantage of the time, and stay an extra day. I’m so glad we did, as after all the festivities were over, we had more time to explore. It was a long weekend well spent. Not to mention how beautiful the wedding was, and how much fun.

Being the planner I am, I ordered a guidebook online from the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. After perusing their website, I fell for their tagline “The only reason it’s not a best seller is because it’s free” regarding the Visitors Guide. After that arrived in the mail, I was even more excited for the trip. It was happening. Continue reading →

Epic Birthday Adventure (Belated)

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I’m belated in writing this post, the birthday wasn’t. The birthday was right on time. You know how I was dreaming of going back to Mackinac Island? Mission accomplished. And as luck would have it, the weather was perfect for flying. We saved about four hours of driving and a ferry ride. Oddly enough, the island doesn’t allow cars, but they have a quaint little airport. As it is northern Michigan, things freeze, and sometimes air travel is the best way on or off the island. Plus the views from the air were pretty spectacular. We stayed at the Metivier Inn, which I would definitely recommend. As usual, we ate, drank, and bicycled our way through the weekend. Below are a few of the hundreds of photos I took, and one special video. Continue reading →

Travel Flashback: Mackinac Island

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(And no, sadly the title of this post doesn’t rhyme. It’s pronounced “mack-in-aw”.) Last summer, I wrote about my trip to Mackinac Island, up in Northern Michigan. I hadn’t been there in about twenty years, and instantly fell in love. It almost pains me to say that, since it’s considered by some to be a tourist attraction here in Michigan, but oh well. It’s for a good reason. The island is charming to pieces, the views are spectacular, the dining is fun, there’s interesting history, I could go on. But instead, I’ll just relish in the trip again with a little flashback…

Hotel Iroquois at the Shore
To get to the island, you have to take a ferry or plane. There are no cars on the island, only horses and bikes. So as you approach the ferry docks, you get an incredible view of hotels, cottages, and the marina. Continue reading →

Houseboat Adventure (Part 6)

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This was our sixth year manhandling the manatee of a floating cottage around Lake Cumberland, also known simply as “Houseboat.” I refer to this annual trip with just a title like it’s spring break, or Vegas, or Cher. As in “when is the conference call for Houseboat?” And I have to say, it gets a little sweeter each year. Everyone was on the same page this trip – just the right amount of party, just the right amount of relaxing. Each person helped out and did their share; all the food was delicious, the drinks were cold, and the water was inviting. There’s something fabulous about sitting in a hot tub on the deck of a boat as it cruises along just before sunset. That actually happened. And for some giddy reason, everyone was very into champagne this year, so that really upped the celebratory feel. It was one of those trips where everything comes together to make for a just-about-perfect vacation. Lots of laughs, good weather, great friends. Continue reading →

Saugatuck Getaway

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For my mom’s birthday back in March I gave her a weekend in Saugatuck, just us. Leaving the men and dogs at home. Since my parents skip town immediately following her birthday, our trip had to wait until their return, almost three months later. A touristy-artsy-charming town on the west side of the state, Saugatuck is a great little place. We chose to go early in the season, and in the middle of the week to avoid both crowds and high weekend rates. The town is situated on Kalamazoo Lake, which then flows into Lake Michigan. Our visit was a little too chilly to do any beaching, but it’s supposed to be pretty spectacular. (I’m partial to Lake Michigan beaches as it is, so I couldn’t really give a fair assessment.) Continue reading →