Finding the Best in Midwest Weekend Getaways
I love history and I love exploring history while traveling! And these 3 historical stops in New Ulm, Minnesota, have been some of my favorite. Exploring the history of an area is a great way to find out about an area! New Ulm is full of lots of history and fun community to explore! Here are my three favorite historical stops in New Ulm.
Can you believe it’s just a little over a month until Christmas? It’s time for all bloggers around to compile their Christmas Lists for 2018! I decided this year to focus on my Direct Sales friends! A couple years ago I focused on local spots (and so many of them still stand), but if you’re like me, you want your Christmas gifts delivered to you! By purchasing from a direct sales representative, you’re not only getting your gifts delivered to you without having to leave your home, but also supporting a small business.
Direct Sales representatives are usually men and women providing for their families through the sales of products that they love! But, I digress (and you can read more about it here!) I reached out to some of my favorite direct sales consultants and companies to compile this Christmas List for 2018.
I’m constantly looking for new ways to incorporate healthy foods into my diet…especially for lunches that I pack to take to work! I also have a love for barley and this Beef & Barley Skillet is perfect for adding protein-packed beef, superfood veggies, and healthy whole grains into my lunches!
I know it’s been awhile. Life has been crazy and I’m not sure why! There’s so much to do with the holidays approaching, lots of commitments, and with my full-time job and multiple side gigs, things are just nuts! (Not to mention a family), but I’m here with this new recipe and I think it’s worth the wait!
When planning our travels to Alabama Gulf Shores, we looked for the perfect stopping point! Franklin, TN ended up being just that! We decided on Nashville, TN as it is a little more than half-way between the two destinations. This would make our second day of driving a little less!
While it may not be the most direct route, it allowed us to check out a stop that had interested us for some time! As it were, we were all exhausted from traveling for 12 hours and decided that downtown Nashville wasn’t for us, but we did spend some time exploring Franklin, Tennessee, the suburb that we had decided to stay in! We originally selected Franklin because it is a southern suburb, which meant leaving the city would be easy the next morning, but we got much more than we bargained for!
When I asked the boys if they were up for an adventure to Hansen’s Dairy , they immediately jumped on the opportunity strictly due to chocolate milk and ice cream! What we found was so much more!
I spent 4-5 years of my childhood growing up on a dairy farm! My dad worked for a local farmer and so I was raised helping feed the bottle calves, herding the cows into the milking barn, and playing in the feed bunkers! It was a great way to be raised! As I was searching for something to do with the boys that was close to home, I came across Hansen’s Dairy just outside Hudson, IA. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for us. I love cows and the boys love dairy products, so it’s a win-win!
What was awesome about Hansen’s Dairy? Well, we’ve summed it up into our 4 favorite things about Hansen’s Dairy.
Continue “The 4 Best Things About Visiting Hansen’s Dairy”
I thought I’d break up the travel posts with a new recipe and this Strawberry Banana Sweet Bread is just the one to start with!
I am a self-proclaimed carb junky! If I left myself, I would eat all the carbs, every single day! And sweet breads are one that I cannot turn down! In college, I worked in a coffee shop that always had sweet breads in it: banana, pumpkin, chocolate zucchini, etc! One of my favorites was strawberry! A sweet bread base with chunks of strawberries inside was a great balance of sweet and tart!
We like to think we’re experts now when visiting Branson, MO and finding these hidden gems is no different! Branson is full of bright lights and show signs that appeal visually to a person! You can’t help but feel a bit of Vegas as you drive down Historic Hwy 76 and see all the flashing, bright lights! But, it’s one of the many things we think makes Branson so magical! (And if you want to get the best view of them, you have to take a spin on the Branson Ferris Wheel at night!
But, once you spend more time here, you’ll find that there is so much more than the bright lights like these 3 Hidden Gems in Branson!
In the past three 3 years, we’ve visited Branson 4 times. When you visit one place that many times in a short period, you have to start looking for new things to do! Yes, we love many things and have certain things we “have” to do like eating at Danna’s Burger & BBQ Shop, the Branson Ferris Wheel, and getting a frozen treat at Andy’s! (And this is just a few of them!) But, when we recently visited we searched out some new things and now we have to share these 3 Hidden Gems in Branson with you!
For the past couple visits, I’ve been wanting to visit the Veterans Memorial Museum, but I guessed it wasn’t very boy-friendly, so I’ve waited! My step-dad is a veteran and was with us on this trip, so it seemed like the perfect stop! When you arrive at the museum, you are instantly greeted by an amazing sculpture that has a soldier from World War II from each state! It’s amazing how detailed a sculptor and creator can get statues such as these! Emotion can be read all over their faces!
Inside you’ll find a rather extensive collection of memorabilia from World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, & even the Persian Gulf wars. Some of the personal stories included in the museum along with artifacts are beyond touching! The thing that moved me the most was a hall in which the names of every soldier killed in action during these wars were listed! It was so impactful that I couldn’t stay long. I will forever be grateful for every man and woman who has served our armed forces and especially those who gave their lives.
Continue “3 Hidden Gems in Branson, MO”After a long day of traveling, kayaking, jamming out at Rib Fest, and eating, the Flints were ready for a hot shower and comfy accommodations. We found exactly that at the Courtyard by Marriott in Mankato, MN. Visiting Mankato, MN was so much fun, but they kept us on the run!
After traveling several hours, grabbing some yummy lunch, and spending the afternoon on the river we were ready to take a hot shower! (Did I mention that we got wet from the rapids on the kayaks along with a few sprinkles?) I’m sure we looked like drowned rats when we entered the Courtyard, but their staff did a fantastic job making us feel as special as the guests that were part of the wedding there!
Continue “Family Friendly Accomodations at the Courtyard by Marriott: Mankato, MN”
Who doesn’t love finding good Mexican food? Well, we recently found some at Plaza Veracruz in Iowa Falls, IA! 
I love good authentic Mexican food! T, however, struggles with it and truly misses our “local” Carlos O’Kelley’s. He prefers Tex-Mex, but sometimes we just crave some fresh salsa and chips, so we’ve been traveling around North Iowa in search of a Mexican restaurant that will get both of our approvals! I’m happy to announce that we finally found it!
I’m a sucker for history as that was my major in college and I love agriculture! I come from farming families and T is in the agriculture profession, so it’s something that I am very passionate about. When I found out we were going to visit the Agricultural Hall of Fame & National Center, Wyandotte County Museum, and the Grinter Place Museum…I was so excited to check them out!
