Prior to this past August, I had only been in Victoria British Columbia for a grand total of six hours, including two hours at Butchart Gardens, in 2013. That was just enough time to visit the gardens briefly, go to the Royal BC Museum, and have an ice cream cone downtown. After I got there in 2013, I realized that six hours was not nearly enough time to spend in Victoria. And in August of 2024, I got to go back! It was AMAZING!

In 2022 I when to Seattle with some friends and we took a tour with Lynn from Seattle Under the Radar Tours while we were there and it was fabulous! So when I went on my recent trip to Seattle in August, I contacted her for another tour. We wanted somewhere we hadn’t explored yet so she suggested West Seattle with one stop in Seattle along the way. It was a super suggestion!

Most folks know that state fairs are usually big events. But did you know there is a fair in Northwest Iowa that rivals many state fairs? It’s called The Clay County Fair and is held each year in Spencer, Iowa. I had a fun time attending this past Saturday, September 7, with two friends I’ve known since age 3. We had a blast! The fair continues until September 15, so there’s still time to go yourself!

On August 10, I took a fun and inspiring tour in Seattle called Henry Mural Tours. This post is Part 2. Please read the original post first. The tour was a total blast! Check this out!

Many of you know I enjoy art of all kinds. My favorite type of art, though, usually involves lots of color, a hopeful message, and a bit of unique whimsy. When I was recently in Seattle, I was fortunate to discover a tour for an artist that checks all those boxes. It totally made my day! See why!!!

If you are fascinated by sea creatures, you will enjoy the Seattle Aquarium! I have been to the aquarium several times over the years and the facilities and exhibits improve every time I visit. Let me show you around!

In August 2024 I achieved a personal milestone (a.k.a. Bucket list) that I added to my to-do list in 2013 - more than 11 years ago. I spent one absolutely GLORIOUS full day at The Butchart Gardens near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. To me, this place is like heaven on earth. See why!

When you go to Seattle, you go to the iconic Space Needle! It’s almost a given! But did you know that the experience has been upgraded in the last few years? Let me show you more!

I just returned from yet another fun day at the Iowa State Fair! You might think a fair in 2024 is an old fashioned place that only a few folks attend. Not so in Iowa and several other places in the U.S! In fact, in 2023 more than 1.1 million folks attended the Iowa State Fair and this year at least one daily attendance record was broken, so the Fair just keeps getting more and more popular.

I just got home at 1 am from a wonderful trip to Seattle and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. I say this almost every trip, but this trip was one of the best trips I’ve ever had! I got to do so much fun stuff I can’t believe it. My son presented at a national conference in Seattle, so I decided to go with him (since guess who was mostly footing the bill?). 😏 I totally turned it into a “Bucket List” trip for myself though!

Eleven years ago I was fortunate to travel from Vancouver to Victoria, British Columbia just for the day. I spent 5 wonderful hours in Victoria, two of them at world famous Butchart Gardens. It was so incredible that 2 hours was not nearly enough time. I vowed that day I would be back for a whole day some day in the future. It took 11 years, but today was the day!

I love taking unique ways to travel, whether it be by air, train, unique automobile, or animal!  I have ridden in many types of vehicles, planes, trains, trolleys, tractors, boats of various types, and horses. So I was excited to try a water taxi in the canal in downtown Oklahoma City in April 2024. Yes, you read that right. 😏 It surprised me too!

Hi, my fellow travelers! I am traveling this week and, unfortunately, will not have much time to blog. The good news is that I will have lots of great places to share with you when I get back! Please keep checking back, though, because I may do some blogging when I’m too tired to walk anymore. 🤪🙄😵‍💫

Well, Freebie fans, you are in luck! This weekend only (August 3 and 4) you can explore 70+ Omaha-Council Bluffs area spaces and places completely FREE! Let me repeat that - FREE!!! Is that awesome or what?!?

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.

I love to stay in unique hotels when I travel so on a recent trip to Kansas City, I decided to try a highly-rated newer hotel I spotted on Trip Advisor. What I discovered is my new favorite hotel to stay in when in KC. It’s called The Aida KC.

As I have “acquired years and wisdom” (read between the lines), I have discovered that “tiptoeing through the tulips” is actually very beneficial for my well-being on multiple levels. I now LOVE gardens, particularly botanical gardens! Not only do they encourage me to get my steps in, the flowers, foliage, and trees enhance my mental health and feed my soul. The artwork inspires me. Listening to the birds sing and watching butterflies flit around calms and fascinates me. And I always learn something new. In short, spending time in a garden just makes me doggone happy. Maybe you can relate! 😁

I’ve probably driven by Fat Putter at least 50 times in the last year or two, always reminding myself that sometime we should go there. Well, let me tell you that we should have gone sooner because it is super fun! Allow me to give you a look around…

Just got home from a fun trip to the Kansas City area! Here’s a few photos to pique your curiosity. More photos and stories to follow soon right here on my blog!

Ok, fellow Iowans - did you know that the beautiful Iowa Capitol building in Des Moines was not the original Iowa Capitol? Despite learning Iowa history in elementary school, I had forgotten that the original capitol building was in Iowa City and served as its first seat of government for approximately ten years, from 1846 to 1857. The building would then become the University of Iowa’s first building.