Recently, I was fortunate to be able to cross an item off my bucket list. I have wanted to attend the world’s largest hot air balloon festival (the International Balloon Fiesta, held in Albuquerque, New Mexico each October) for quite a while. I was in New Mexico for nine days and attended the Fiesta four times while I was there. Allow me to show you around! Includes video, plus I’ll give you some insider tips along the way!

I spent the Fourth of July this year in the Okoboji area in Iowa, as I sometimes do. This year, due to flooding in Northwest Iowa (heartbreaking), I had to take a different route than normal to get there. On the way home I was looking for fun stops on Google Maps and I spotted Lost Island Lake Nature Center a ways south of Spencer, Iowa. So I paid it a visit on the Sunday afternoon after the 4th.