Office to Outdoors

12/25/2024

Merry Christmas!! 🎄🎁

Wishing you a Christmas filled with laughter, love, and cozy moments ✨

I’m looking forward to spending the rest of the year at home with my family, and excited for an adventure-filled 2025. Thank you for being here ❤️

12/17/2024

A lil’ San Diego recap of all my favorites ♥️

🎄 Christmas fun at the Holiday Market

🏛️ Exploring

🍨 Yummy desserts and food

🌴 Cute decorations, even in trees 🤩

✨ Lots of walks with gorgeous views

🍜 Date night at one of our faves

✈️ Views from above

Have you been to San Diego? What’s top on your list?

12/05/2024

Wrapped 2024: Wisconsin State Parks Edition

Sound about right? What parks did you explore this year?

Huge shoutout to my friend (Pennsylvania hiking!) for the fun idea and for sharing her template - she’s very creative 🤍

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🦃

Thank you for being here with me and sharing in all the outdoor and travel joy ♥️ I’m so grateful for this online community.

And a huge shoutout to all of those who are working today and aren’t able to spend the day with their families - Sam included!

🤍🤍🤍

11/27/2024

I visited Shipshewana for the first time last summer and fell in love with this charming Amish community. There's SO MUCH good shopping. Not to mention delicious food and awesome parks and trails.

And right now is a magical time to visit for A Shipshewana Christmas. Enjoy the mile-long Walkway of Lights, the drive-through Lights of Joy (featuring over 2 million Christmas lights!!), and selfie stations to enjoy with your loved ones.

This is one holiday destination on my bucket list!

Shipshewana Visit Shipshewana Midwest Travel Network

11/26/2024

Are you ready for the St. Paul European Christmas Market? 🎄🎁

It’s back starting this weekend!

Here’s all the details for this festive market 👇

🗓️ the 4 weekends after Thanksgiving (Nov. 29 - Dec. 22)

⏰ Fridays and Saturdays from 11am-9pm, Sundays from 11am-6pm

📍 Union Depot, St. Paul

🎁 over 70 vendors (gifts, crafts, European-style food), entertainment, holiday carousel and train, mulled wine

This market is the perfect spot to enjoy a day with friends shopping for gifts while trying delicious food 😀

✨don’t forget to save this post for your 2024 holiday planning!

11/25/2024

This summer I visited Rock Island State Park for the first time - one of 50 state parks I visited on my quest to visit all Wisconsin State Parks in 2024.

It's an incredible park and if you haven't had the chance to explore it yet, I highly recommend you add it to your state park bucket list!

Getting to the park is an adventure in itself - you have to take the Washington Island Ferry from Ellison Bay (Door County) to Washington Island, and then the Karfi Ferry from Washington Island to Rock Island.

The island is quite rustic and you won't find any restaurants or shops, but you will find beautiful hiking trails, wonderful beaches, a grand boathouse, and the Pottawatomie Lighthouse.

The ferry runs from Memorial Day through the second weekend in October, so start planning your 2025 day trip or camping adventure today :)

And if you're looking for more Wisconsin fun, join the Wisconsin Outdoor Adventures!

11/25/2024

Last April I visited Visit Hilton Head for the first time and completely fell in love! There is so much to do on the island from spending your days at the beach and riding the over 100 miles of bike trails to tasting delicious sea food and exploring area museums.

I already have trip #2 fully booked for April 2025 and I can't wait! If you haven't been, I highly recommend a visit - it's great for all ages (and is especially kid-friendly).

To help you plan, I prepared a complete guide along with a 4-day itinerary. Take a look and let me know if you have any questions :)

FacebookTweetPinEmailLinkedIn If you’re looking for a beach destination that will be perfect for everyone in your group, look no further than Hilton Head Island, South Carolina – and this guide to Hilton Head Island has you covered. It’s a family destination, and after visiting once, I can see...

11/07/2024

One of my favorite places during leaf-peeping season 🍂🍁

📍Door County, Wisconsin - a TOP destination on every Midwest bucket list!

Here are a few of my favorite spots for fall colors 👇

- Peninsula State Park

- Door Bluff Headlands County Park

- The Ridges Sanctuary

- Cave Point County Park

- Sister Bay Marina

And did you see the glimpse of the northern lights from my cozy cabin at the Edgewater Resort? 🤩

Have you visited this Midwest gem yet?

11/04/2024

The Best Fall Weekend Hiking 🍂🍁

✨ Save this post for your future WI State Park adventures!

➡️ Mill Bluff State Park (Camp Douglas)
- beautiful rock formations, 2 miles of hiking trails, a gorgeous overlook (overlook requires strenuous stair climbing)

➡️ Wildcat Mountain State Park (Ontario)
- miles of hiking trails (I love the Old Settler’s Trail!), horse trails, Kickapoo River access

Both of these parks are stunning during the fall months and have overlooks where you can see for miles! The parks are about 40 minutes from one another.

Have you been to either of these Wisconsin State Parks?

10/30/2024

Last week, Sam and I took a little trip to Colorado to visit family. We flew to Denver on a Sunday (a day before the rest of the family arrived) so that I didn’t have to use any work PTO.

Sam had a Marriott Bonvoy free night voucher which covered a night at the Ga***rd Rockies Resort in Aurora, just 10 minutes from the DEN airport.

The property has an alpine vibe throughout and is great for couples, families, and hosting events. We were upgraded to a one-bedroom suite and had plenty of space to spread out.

Even though we were there for less than 24 hours, we took full advantage of the indoor/outdoor pools and hot tubs! And of course watched playoff baseball while eating dinner.

I’ll be sharing a full review of the Ga***rd Rockies on the blog soon!

Visit Colorado VISIT DENVER Ga***rd Rockies Resort & Convention Center

10/29/2024

Crunchy hikes are the best! 🍁🍃🍂

✨ Share with your friend who LOVES fall hikes 🤩

📍Wyalusing State Park, Bagley, WI

It might be past peak colors, but there are still plenty of red, orange and yellow hues to go around! And so many crunchy leaves on the trail - my favorite!

Have you done any fall hiking this year? Where are your favorite spots?

10/01/2024

Have you been to this iconic sunset spot in San Diego? 🤩

Sunset Cliffs in San Diego’s Point Loma neighborhood is a must-visit spot during any visit!

Along with sunset strolls, it’s a popular spot for surfing, oceanside-yoga, walks, and weddings.

09/30/2024

Boot Hill Distillery not only has excellent cocktails (and mocktails), but also has an impressive past!

Located in the historic Dodge City Municipal Building on Boot Hill Cemetery, Boot Hill Distillery is a local favorite. I'm so glad I got to take a tour during my hosted visit to Southwest Kansas last month.

Boot Hill is a soil-to-sip distillery, using locally-grown grains for their distilling process. There’s history both in the distilling process and in the building where the distilling occurs.

I highly recommend stopping in for a tour (available on Fridays and Saturdays at 4pm and 6pm for $10) and grabbing a tasty drink. There's also a great outdoor seating area.

Kansas Tourism

09/19/2024

One of my favorite things in life is sharing my love of the outdoors with others [AD]

As a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County, I get to share the beauty of the great outdoors with my Little Sister, Ta’Leya.

On a recent outing, I picked Ta’Leya up after school for a walk at Tenney Park followed by a yummy dinner at her current favorite restaurant, QDOBA. While the bugs were in full-force (not her favorite!), the sunset was beautiful.

In the 90 minutes we spent together, she filled me in on her first two weeks of high school, her new job, and some art projects she wants to do together. It was the perfect activity, allowing us both to decompress after busy days and enjoy each other’s company.
I dropped her back off at home just in time for her to finish her homework, shower and get 8 hours of sleep - something she reminds me is very important!

When I signed up to be a Big in 2017, I had no idea how mentoring a then seven-year-old would fit into my post-college life.

I’m here to share that being a Big doesn’t require oodles and oodles of time, and it’s so much fun to share your passions with a young and growing mind.

If you have ever thought about becoming a mentor or would like additional information, comment “BIG” and I’ll send you all the details.

Have you ever been a Big or a Little? I’d love to hear your experience!

09/10/2024

When in Visit Wichita, breakfast at Doo-Dah Diner is a must! Everything on the menu is soooo good 🤤

The line starts forming early, but tables turn fast - it’s worth the wait!

09/05/2024

Jacksonville, Florida should be top of your list as your plan your warm-weather destination this winter!

I visited this beach-filled city last March and had a blast exploring all Jax has to offer - it's so much more than beaches.

Make sure to add these outdoor spots as you plan your trip:

- Big Talbot Island State Park (specifically Boneyard Beach)

- Tree Hill Nature Center

- Art Bikes Tour in Historic Avondale

- 7 Creeks Recreation Area

- Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

Visit Jacksonville Florida State Parks VISIT FLORIDA

09/05/2024

Falls of the Ohio State Park in Clarksville, IN is one-of-a-kind! Outdoors you can look for fossils along the Ohio River and inside you can enjoy the well-done Interpretive Center.

I enjoyed my ranger-led tour of the fossil beds, which included learning more about the area and spotting fossils hidden within the rocks.

Southern Indiana Visit Indiana