Last month, I had a family vacation in Texas, and I’m excited to tell *y’all* about it. We spent a total of five days traveling and sightseeing in both San Antonio and Dallas.

When we first landed in Texas, I spotted a Dutch Bros Coffee and just had to stop. I ordered a Caramel Pumpkin Brulee Cold Brew; it was absolutely delicious. After getting caffeinated, it was time to get to our hotel and check-in. On the first night of the trip, we stayed at the Sheraton Gunter Hotel in San Antonio. The hotel was very posh and pretty.

That same night, we enjoyed a San Antonio River Boat Tour. It was dark out, and the streets along the river were beautifully lit up. Our tour guide pointed out some historically important spots along the river and even gave us intel on haunted locations. Our hotel was, unfortunately, on the haunted locations list, but I don’t recall experiencing anything too paranormal.

After the boat ride, we grabbed dinner at Rio Rio Cantina. They had 10/10 margaritas and a perfect veggie quesadilla. What can I say, it hit the spot.

On day two, we checked out The Alamo (aka the place you kinda have to check out if you go to San Antonio). We also stopped by “The Oldest Saloon in Texas,” The Buckhorn. The Buckhorn was more than just a bar; it was also a pretty sizable museum featuring Texas Ranger memorabilia, lots of mounted animals, a replica Bonnie & Clyde car, and more. I know the “mounted animals” part sounds a bit odd, but the story behind the animals is quite interesting. My favorite part about this place was a section of the museum that looked just like an old western town. You could walk through swinging saloon doors and peek in old-time shop windows. Overall, The Buckhorn is a fun tourist spot to check out!

The second half of our Texas trip brought us to the Dallas area. Here, we saw the Cowboys’ AT&T Stadium. It was neat to see another NFL stadium but, admittedly, the Green Bay Packers’ tour is better.

Post-tour, we grabbed food at Mellow Mushroom: a groovy pizza chain. The food was good, and the aesthetic was very cool. I mean, take a look at that lava lamp chandelier!

We spent our last night in Texas watching a Cowboys game at Texas Live. The Live Arena was packed full of energized fans. This place has a few different bars and restaurants inside and lots of TV screens for game days. If you find yourself in Arlington, definitely check out Texas Live.

I’m happy I got the chance to see so many new-to-me places on this latest trip to Texas! Feel free to let me know in the comments, or on Instagram, if you’ve ever been to Texas or have any favorite spots. I’d love to hear about your experience too!

Last month, I hit the road to Kentucky with my S.O. and family. We saw and explored a lot during the three-day road trip.

We left Green Bay, WI on a Thursday night to begin the drive. After a few hours, we made it to Fair Oaks, Indiana. We decided to spend the night at the Fairfield Inn by Fair Oaks Farm.

This hotel was very cute and unique. The outside looked like a literal barn, and an actual farm was a short walk away. It was fun to explore the farm store, the hotel, and the property that the hotel was on. I appreciated the very *aesthetic* cow statues that were in the lobby.

Staying here gave us all the rest we needed to continue the drive Friday morning.

It took most of the day to make it to our cabin in the Red River Gorge area in Kentucky, but we made it before dark. We stayed at the “Along the Ridge” rental. It was roomy, beautifully tucked away, and it even had a hot tub.

On Saturday, we went on a few hikes. First, we explored Gray’s Arch. Then, we walked across the Sky Bridge. Both trails were gorgeous with amazing views. As someone who doesn’t typically hike, I found these trails more than doable. It made me want to explore more hiking trails on future trips, as well as back home.

After a long day of adventuring, we made it back to the cabin to enjoy family time and mules.

We got up fairly early the next day to finish sightseeing before heading home. On the road to Churchill Downs, we got to stop at a Buc-ee’s. I’d describe it as the Disneyland of c-stores. Seriously, they had everything (not to mention a bronze beaver statue in front of their store).

Arriving at the Churchill Downs gate was incredible. I felt like an ant next to the entrance. In case you didn’t already know, Churchill Downs is where the Kentucky Derby happens, but they host other horse races throughout the year. It was cool to see the place and a few races in person. Of course, I had to get a mint julep to really take in the atmosphere.

We got back to Green Bay early Monday morning, so after some sleep, it was time to get back into the swing of things. I feel like we definitely made the most of our time in Kentucky, and I enjoyed seeing so many new sights. I’d love to go back sometime and maybe even see the Kentucky Derby.

Have you ever been to Kentucky? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

Last weekend, my S.O. and I went for a weekend trip to Chicago. We definitely made the most of our two full days in the city.

Our first stop upon arrival was the Starbucks Reserve Roastery that’s downtown. Fun fact: this is actually the world’s largest Starbucks! I ordered us a couple of cold brews and a big cinnamon roll. It was delicious, of course.

Once energized, we headed over to Shedd Aquarium. It had been years since I was there, so it was cool to see it again! There were tons of exhibits to check out; we almost didn’t realize that there were multiple floors. The shark and stingray section has remained my favorite.

After exploring the aquarium, we got checked into our hotel.

We decided to stay at the Moxy since it was walking distance from everywhere that we wanted to go. Our room was on the third floor, so it ended up having a nice view.

We hung out in the lobby bar after getting settled and grabbed drinks. We discovered a lot of new games; the Moxy had a bunch of card, board, and other games just sitting out. Quickly, Space Force became an addiction.

Soon it was time to grab some dinner, so we headed over to Radio Room.

I ordered some fish tacos and a drink by the name “Spice World.” I couldn’t resist ordering a spicy marg named after the Spice Girls.

The next day, we grabbed coffee at Heritage and then grabbed breakfast at Edie’s. If you like pink, you’d love the interior decor of Edie’s. It was a super aesthetic place with a good menu.

Once again caffeinated, we walked over to Millenium Park. We walked around and took a bunch of pictures in the bean. We also stumbled upon a mini-golf course, so we gave it a go. Each hole had its own Chicago-themed challenge. I was not victorious in this game, but it was still very fun.

Once we covered everything that we wanted to see at the park, we headed to Navy Pier.

We rode the huge ferris wheel and grabbed a marg at Margaritaville. Is the ferris wheel overhyped? Maybe, but if you didn’t ride it, did you really get the Navy Pier experience? Also, it is pretty cool to look out on the city from that height. I’d say it’s worth the ride ticket.

After a while, we left the pier to do a bit of shopping. I scored a cute top to wear to dinner at Zara (you may have seen it on the ‘gram, here). Speaking of dinner, we ended up at Pink Taco! I enjoyed their shrimp tacos and a cilantro cucumber marg.

The next day, it was time to head back home to Green Bay. I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t exhausted after our big walking day. It felt good to have the time to sleep in and then make the drive back.

It was fun to see the windy city again. I’m sure I’ll be back sometime!

Have you ever been to Chicago? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!

Warning: I may be posting (too many) Instagram pictures from the Windy City soon.

Recently, I got a mini-trip to Chicago all planned and booked! I’m looking forward to taking a few days off and exploring. I’ve been to Chicago many times before, but it has been a while since I’ve actually been downtown.

I’m planning on enjoying some of the classic tourist spots, like Shedd Aquarium and Navy Pier. Also, you can’t forget Millennium Park and the world’s largest Starbucks. Of course, I’m looking forward to some iconic Chicago deep-dish pizza too. If you have any recommendations, let me know!

I’m planning on exploring some new-to-me areas of Chicago as well. For example, my stay is booked at the Moxy downtown. I was sold as soon as I saw that the hotel had a taco bar in the lobby. I was even more excited when I saw some of the spots to check out around the Moxy. For example, there’s a radio-themed bar/restaurant just a couple of blocks down. Understandably, this may just be cool to me since I work in the industry. But, if the food/drinks are good, I’m sure I can convince my travel partner that it’s a good place to be.

Once I’m back from the trip, I plan on recapping it on the blog like I did with my Nashville getaway! Then, I can share some of my thoughts and recommendations for what to do in Chicago.

In the meantime, I do have a few tips for you if you’re planning a trip to Chicago:

Purchase your parking ahead of time. If you’re driving to your destination, plan where you are parking! Also, beware that not all hotels have parking. For my stay, I pre-paid a 3-day parking pass at a nearby ramp.

Purchase your passes ahead of time. This will also save you a headache and some money. If there is something that you want to see or do, don’t wait until the last minute to buy tickets. Often, tourist stops have higher prices at the door than online.

Stay loyal to a hotel chain. Many hotel chains or groups have loyalty programs that are free to join. I’m part of Marriott‘s rewards program, so I typically try to book with Marriott. Then, I get better rates and can rack up points!

Download OpenTable. A lot of restaurants use OpenTable to manage reservations. With the app, you can easily make dinner plans on the go and avoid waiting for a table.

Make a list of what you want to do. Prioritize the items that you 100% want to experience, and keep some bonus items in your back pocket. This ensures that you will get the most out of your trip!

Have fun! I know this is an obvious point, but it’s the most important. Sometimes staring at a computer screen and booking hotels isn’t the most exciting process, but it’s part of the bigger picture: your vacation! Enjoy the process of customizing your trip and curating an experience for yourself.

Have you ever explored Chicago? What are some of your recommendations? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!