The Sheaffer family travels - with their kids. Read travel tips, destination reviews, and get travel product recommendations.
Driving into San Diego is an awakening of sorts. The green trees are lush. The misty sea air makes you want to roll down your windows and breathe. The casual vibe of confidence and energy is everywhere. It's no surprise that this coastal metropolis is the 8th largest city in the U.S. If you journey […]
Take a trip back to the 1880's - a wild and dangerous time when covered wagons rolled past mountains and cowboys sang below starry skies. Rawhide Western Town and Steakhouse, located at 5700 West North Loop Road in Chandler Arizona, is open seasonally as a themed amusement park. The premises include a steakhouse, a confection's […]
"I haven't seen this much variety of fresh produce all in one spot for 18,000 miles," Tim remarked as we nudged our way into the Wenatchee Valley. Produce stands and trees abounded - cherries, apples, apricots, spearmint, peppermint...not to mention farm eggs and local honey. We stayed at the Wenatchee River County Park, a lovely […]
When I think "Washington State," I tend to think "rain." Relentless rain. Grey skies. Days without the yellow glitter of the sunshine. In reality, however, Washington is much brighter than novels often portray it. Especially eastern and central Washington. Take Spokane, for instance. The city (which is the 2nd largest in Washington) averages 260 days […]
"We could move HERE for a year," Tim glanced over at me as we drove into the glory of the state of Montana. I knew he was completely serious. He would like the mountain life - a log home, a sparkling creek, a porch swing, snowy winters, little ones running in the wild flowers, long […]
"We could easily stay here a whole week," Tim said as we drove back after a full day of spectacular outdoor sightseeing. I nodded my head in weary, happy agreement. Mount Rushmore was positively majestic. We walked along the President's Trail, took photos, and awed at the handiwork of the artist. Afterward, we took […]
Rochester, Minnesota is a city that surprised me. I expected a tiny town with nothing to do...but found an active place with a peppy, modern downtown. The heartbeat of this Minnesota city (which is just 1.5 hours south of Minneapolis) is the Mayo Clinic, a not-for-profit medical group and medical research group. Mayo Clinic Rochester […]
Isn't it nice when something exceeds your expectations? That's how Cincinnati was for us. We pulled into the Winton Woods Campground and were immediately impressed. The well-manicured campground is part of the larger Winton Woods county park, which includes wide biking/walking trails, several playgrounds, a lake for fishing & boating, AND a splash park […]