The first month of the year is the perfect time to dive into the books we’ve been meaning to read, and the No Chapter Left Behind Book Club kicked off the year with an inspiring selection! Each month, members choose books from their own shelves—no pressure, just progress—and have the option to follow a fun…
If you give a widow a house, she’ll roll it off into the country… History is full of odd little stories like this one. Most of them will remain hidden in the past but every now and then, one of them is discovered, dusted off, and brought into the light of the present day to…
Have you ever worked in a sports stadium? Are you curious about all the different moving parts it takes for an event to run smoothly? Here are just a few of the different stadium event jobs: Today’s deep dive and walk down memory lane started with, of course, a podcast episode! Meet Jonah the Vendor…
Does this idea intrigue you? If you passed by a museum of ordinary people on your next vacation would you stop inside to see what it’s all about? I definitely would! I love all museums but I hold a soft spot in my heart for the small, quirky museums dotted around the countryside. Museums created…
We don’t make many stops in Louisiana on our summer road trips because it’s just too hot. But on Big Trip 15 we visited the Tabasco® Factory and Museum and it is one of our favorites from all the years. Tabasco History Tabasco Sauce is made by McIlhenny Company, which was founded by Edmund McIlhenny…
When I researched for my first post about Bob Ross, I discovered that you can visit the studio where he filmed The Joy of Painting. The Bob Ross Experience is part of the Minnetrista Museum and Gardens in Muncie, Indiana. Minnetrista sits on the property where the Ball family – founders of the famous Ball…
Everyone knows about the Pony Express. It’s one of the most romanticized failed business ventures in American history. I am one of many Americans fascinated by the legend of the Pony Express. I have visited a Pony Express museum, and a Pony Express station, and even sent letters via the Pony Express. Clearly, I am…
Utah is known for its magnificent red rocks and is home to the Big 5 National Parks. But… in Southern Utah you will find a small, hidden gem that my kids and I loved. Cedar Breaks National Monument. A. Maz. Ing. Cedar Breaks is an easy 30 miles from the I-15 interstate so you really…
There’s a SPAM museum? That’s usually the first question I get when mentioning our visit there (Big Trip 15!) And yes, it’s true. There’s a SPAM museum. They even give out SPAMples! ☺️ Regardless about how you feel about SPAM itself (in my experience, you either love it or hate it – and I definitely…
The wide open spaces of North Dakota are the perfect place for an Enchanted Highway full of larger-than-life metal sculptures. What is the Enchanted Highway? The Enchanted Highway is a 35-mile stretch of road in western North Dakota where you can see the world’s largest scrap metal sculptures. The northern end of the Enchanted Highway,…
Now that we are empty nesters, our annual Big Trip is a thing of the past. But I still love to road trip and see new things so I’m planning to continue my road trips but in a different way. Think Mini Trips instead! Last month my husband and I spent a weekend at the…
I recently attended an (online) event at the Smithsonian Postal Museum about Rural Mail Carriers where I learned that the mail was once delivered on horseback. This should not have been a surprise to me and yet it was. The speaker, Emily Hilliard, was specifically interviewing Appalachian mail carriers and the horseback mail delivery immediately…