Welcome to our Travel Blog!
Welcome to our travel blog!
My name is Maureen and I will be providing the content for the travel site & blog. My boyfriend, Mike is the creative director, providing the design for the website. We both enjoy photography and have collaborated, both on taking pictures and incorporating them into this blog.
We both are from the Chicagoland area and graduated from Northern Illinois University. I received my Bachelor’s in Marketing, while Mike received his Master’s in Physical Education. We started our career moving across the country for different teaching jobs. We moved 5 times in just a few years for different teaching opportunities. As there were few marketing opportunities in the small towns we relocated to, I decided to start a travel blog. Relocating so many times for so many moves, combined with my love of writing, fitness, and discovering new places, really set the stage for a lifetime of exploration.
From a desolate town in the Nevada desert, to an isolated island in Maine, to small town Idaho, to the Boston metro area, we experienced many different areas and cultures in just a few years. Many of these jobs brought us to small towns where we did not know a single person. We began to take more roadtrips, seek out natural wonders, and spend our weekend exploring new sights. After seeing so many different parts of the country in such a short period of time, we grew to love traveling more and more. Hiking, biking, exploring historical sites, trying out new restaurants and coffeeshops, enjoying regional events, and seeking out natural wonders began to fill up our weekend itineraries. Mike eventually started his own company (Action Coding) and now works as a web developer and designer.
12 States and 15+ Cities in 12 Years!
We no longer have to move every year for a teaching job, however, we have chosen to move every few years purely due to our love of travel and exploring different areas. We believe that by living in an area for at least a year, we can more fully experience the culture, seasons, people, and activities of the area. All of our content is totally original as we are local residents versus weekend tourists. In the last 12 years, we have lived in 12 states and more than 15 cities (Nevada, Maine, Illinois, California, Idaho, Florida, Massachusetts, Arizona, South Carolina, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania). We have put a lot of effort into each move and spend our weekends taking in the culture of the area and exploring nearby destinations.
Currently, we are only highlighting our US travels, as we believe you do not have to travel abroad to see something amazing. Join us as we detail our experiences traveling throughout the US. We love trying out local healthy food, and enjoying local attractions & activities. Our main focus will center around adventure activities and healthy living. Whether biking, hiking, or exploring nature…we are always looking for unique life experiences. We also love history, haunted destinations, and unusual places.
Why our blog is different
Our blog is quite different from most others as we believe in spotlighting areas from a local’s point of view. You really cannot experience an area fully without actually living in it. Visiting the desert of Arizona for one weekend is much different than living in the harsh (but enchanting) conditions for over 2 years as a local. We move nearly every year to fully discover an area and partake in the unique culture, as well as enjoy surrounding roadtrips and attractions. As opposed to most travel bloggers who take a weekend trip to a popular destination like Yellowstone and claim to have expert knowledge, living in the region gives us a better overall feeling of the vibe, culture, and character of an area, putting us in a position to better spotlight an area’s best qualities.
No stock photos, no guest posts, no sponsored posts, no comps or freebies, no AI generated content – we have paid for 100% of our drives, flights, vacations, dining, and activities. We have put in over 10 years of long moves, even longer road trips, not to mention hundreds upon hundreds of miles spent hiking, biking, and walking on foot exploring each destination. We have actually lived in an estimated 80% of the areas spotlighted, so all our info is as genuine as can be.
A few of our most memorable moments
- Getting stung by a jellyfish at North Redington Beach, Florida.
- Getting stung by a cactus at Usery Mountain Park in Mesa.
- Seeing a bobcat up close and personal on the Linda Vista trail in Tucson.
- Swimming 5 feet from a manatee at North Redington Beach, Florida.
- Snowshoeing through 3 feet of snow in Flagstaff, Arizona following one of the biggest blizzards.
- Hiking through brutal 100+ degree heat in the Sonoran Desert.
- Hiking the Grand Canyon to Skeleton Point during an intense and very scary monsoon.
- Up close and personal sightings of dangerous snakes at Sabino Canyon in Tucson.
- Seeing a seahorse up close in the wild at Indian Rocks Beach on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
- Visiting some of the country’s most haunted destinations.
- Living on a deserted island (Islesboro) off the coast of Maine.
Our favorite experiences
- Running The Strip at Night for the Vegas Rock N’Roll Half Marathon.
- Hiking the Grand Canyon to the first river viewpoint.
- Feeling the vortex energy in Sedona & hiking amidst 200+ million year old red rocks.
- Hiking the Appalachian Trail.
- Driving through the Redwood National Forest.
- Visiting the world’s largest seaglass beach.
- Hiking the highest mountain range in Arizona, the 12,637ft San Fran Peaks.
- Walking The Freedom Trail.
- Enjoying the best city view in the world via the Empire State Building.
- Self guided waterfall tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
- Exploring “The Land of Waterfalls” in Western North Carolina.
- Cruising the Pacific Coast Highway.
- Driving the Grand Loop at Yellowstone & seeing bison up close.
- Seeing a bear in action while hiking the Smokies.
- Braving the crowds & cold at the iconic NYC Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in person.
- Exploring exotic oddities like White Sands National Monument.
- Exploring 200+ million year old petrified wood in Northern Arizona.
- Getting up close and personal with the enchanting Saguaro cacti of Arizona.
- Seeing alligators in the wild (not via an airboat ride!)
- Staying in the most haunted inn…and hearing a ghost! 😉
- Climbing the highest peak on the East Coast.
- Whale watching in Plymouth.
- Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge.
- Exploring ancient petroglyphs in New Mexico.
- Taking a self-guided tour of John Hughes movie filming locations in Chicago.
- Ghost hunting in Massachusetts.
Favorite Historical Destinations
- Boston
- Savannah
- Philadelphia
- Washington, D.C.
- Plymouth
Favorite City Destinations
- New York
- Las Vegas
- Chicago
- Boston
- Washington D.C.
Small City Charmers
- Camden, Maine
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Newport, Rhode Island
- Flagstaff, Arizona
- Bozeman, Montana
Favorite Nature Destinations
- Yellowstone
- Blue Ridge Parkway
- Sedona/Flagstaff
- Lake Tahoe
- Cape Cod
Favorite hiking destinations
- Sedona/Flagstaff
- Sonoran Desert – Phoenix & Tucson
- Western North Carolina
- Santa Monica Mountains
- Southeast Massachusetts
Hopefully, you enjoy reading about our travels and appreciate the genuine photos and experiences we have shared. Be sure to check out our Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest pages to stay updated on new posts & pictures!
Paul Fussell
“All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.”
