I love exploring revitalized historic districts like Omaha’s Old Market District. 1880s brick buildings line the district’s cobblestone streets. Unique shops, art galleries and interesting pubs and restaurants fill those buildings. Omaha resident and fellow travel blogger Lisa Trudell, half of The Walking Tourists, introduced my husband and me to the area. Read more
No matter your age, it’s always fun to step back to the 1950s, the era of diners with soda fountains and juke boxes that played your favorite rock-and-roll songs. Bristol 45 Diner in Bristol, Wisconsin, lets you do exactly that. We stopped in for breakfast during our July trip to the Kenosha area and were impressed with both the fun ‘50s atmosphere and the delicious food we were served. Read more
By October most farmers markets are fizzling out for the season. Once the pumpkins and squash are gone, the fall breeze turns to winter wind, and the vendors leave for the winter. Not so in South Bend, where the market is open year-round. Read more
Swiss immigrants brought eighteen heifers and three calves to New Glarus, Wisconsin, in 1846. That was the beginning of what eventually grew into a rich cheese making heritage in Green County. Once home to 300 cheese factories, the number has dwindled to 12 today. However, Green County is still one of the nation’s leading cheese manufacturers. The National Historic Cheesemaking Center in Monroe, Wisconsin, shares Green County’s cheese making history with visitors. Read more
Bowers Harbor Inn, built in the 1880s on Traverse City, Michigan’s, Old Mission Peninsula, was the summer home of Chicago lumber baron J.W. Stickney and his wife Genevive. Today the building houses the Jolly Pumpkin, a casual restaurant and brewery, and Mission Table, an upscale restaurant. However, even though the property has passed through several hands since the Stickney’s owned it, some say Genevive hasn’t left.
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Tucked away at the end of a drive through a residential neighborhood, the Chapel in the Hills, like the ponderosa pine that surround it on three sides, rises to the sky, growing narrower as it grows taller. Built completely of Douglas fir, the chapel blends with the natural beauty of South Dakota’s hills and is worth a visit on your Rapid City trip, if not for the spiritual aspect, then for the serenity of the grounds and architecture of the chapel. Read more
