Category: Travel Adventures

Iowa

2018 Trips & Adventures

— Katy Flint6 Comments

I love reflecting each year on all the trips and adventures we’ve taken at the end of the year. When people ask me which one was my favorite, it’s usually so hard to choose one and 2018 is no different! We were so blessed to be hosting in amazing places like New Ulm, MN; Mankato, MN; Kansas City, KS; and Red Cedar Lodge in Charles City, IA! Truthfully, they are all my favorites for many different reason! But, this isn’t about me, this is about which trips you guys loved the most in the past year, so here we go!

The Top 5 Things to Do in New Ulm, MN

Of all the places we visited this year, I think New Ulm suprised us the most! This quaint community is rich in history and culture but also provides a sense of entertainment! A visit to the historic Harkin Store, the Hermann Monument, and German Park is a great way to start your weekend! But, make sure to tour Schell’s Brewery and stop by and see our friends at Morgan Creek Winery!

The Best Iowa Restaurants

I love traveling all over the Midwest and the country, but at the end of the day, Iowa holds my heart and I love talking about all the great places to visit and eat here in the heartland! It only seemed right to do a round-up of the places that my fellow bloggers and myself think are the best restaurants!

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Iowa

Spend the Holidays in Charles City, Iowa

— Katy Flint4 Comments
Spend the Holidays in Charles City, Iowa

If you’re looking for somewhere to get into the Christmas spirit this year, spend the holidays in Charles City, Iowa.

There’s something about Christmas in the City, or town, or small rural village! Really, there is something so special about Christmas and all that it entails! And this year, if you’re feeling less than jolly, I highly recommend spending the holidays in Charles City, Iowa.

Spending 36 hours in Charles City in December, it’s hard not to get into the holiday spirit.  There are several ways to enjoy the holidays in North Central Iowa!

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Midwest Travel

3 Historic Stops in New Ulm, Minnesota

— Katy Flint2 Comments
3 Historic Stops in New Ulm, Minnesota

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.

The Harkin Store

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Travel Adventures

An Overnight Stop in Franklin, TN

— Katy Flint8 Comments
An Overnight Stop in Franklin, TN

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!

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Iowa

The 4 Best Things About Visiting Hansen’s Dairy

— Katy Flint12 Comments

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.

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Midwest Travel

Family Friendly Accomodations at the Courtyard by Marriott: Mankato, MN

— Katy Flint10 Comments

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!

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Iowa

Plaza Veracruz: Delicious Mexican Food

— Katy Flint14 Comments
Plaza Veracruz: Delicious Mexican Food

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!

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Midwest Travel

History & Agriculture in Kansas City, KS

— Katy Flint4 Comments
History & Agriculture in Kansas City, KS

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!

Grinter Place Museum

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Midwest Travel

The Wow! Zone in Mankato, MN: Good Family Fun

— Katy Flint10 Comments

Family fun comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes!  One of the many reasons we loved our visit to Mankato, MN was all the different ways for our family to have fun and one of those was definitely at The WOW! Zone – Family Entertainment Center! From bowling to arcade games to delicious food, they have it all there!  Plus, you can pick and choose what you and your crew want to do!

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