• How to Plan the Perfect Trip to Magnolia Market in Waco Texas
    Great American Road Trip,  Texas,  Travel,  Travel Prep

    How to Plan a Trip to Magnolia Market in Waco Texas

    It goes without saying that a trip to Magnolia Market in Waco, Texas is like a trip to the heart of the farmhouse revival for fans of the show Fixer Upper. My husband called it “Disneyland for the ladies” and he’s not wrong! Joanna’s style has struck a cord with women who strive to replicate the farmhouse look in their own homes. As a result of it’s popularity, fans from all over travel to the Silos to get a taste of Chip and Joanna’s charming flagships store, Magnolia Market. I had heard from friends who had been as well as online reviews that said it was VERY crowded. I was …

  • National Parks
    Great American Road Trip,  National Parks

    Price for the National Parks Senior Pass will Increase next Month

    If you or someone you know is 62 or older, don’t forget to get a lifetime National Parks Pass before Aug. 28th! The price goes from $10 to $80. The pass pays for access to all national parks and many other public lands for life. Annual and lifetime Senior Passes provide access to more than 2,000 recreation sites managed by six federal agencies: National Park Service US Fish & Wildlife Service Bureau of Land Management Bureau of Reclamation US Forest Service US Army Corps of Engineers The pass also admits 3 additional adults. A great investment for $10! For more details regarding this price increase, go to the National Parks…

  • Crater Lake National parks passport
    Great American Road Trip,  National Parks,  Travel

    Family Adventures with our National Parks Passport

    For the past three years our family mission has been to travel to as many National Parks as we can given the constraints of school and work schedules. Thanks to our National Parks Annual Pass, we have seen some pretty amazing places all within driving distance from our home in Oregon. We bought our National Parks Passports on our first family road trip to Yellowstone in 2015 and have pretty much planned our vacations around national parks ever since. Not only can you get cancelation stamps at national parks, but there are also stamps at national monuments and national historic sites. There’s a whole list of places to check off inside the…

  • America the Beautiful, National Parks Pass
    Favorite Things,  Great American Road Trip,  Money Saving Tips,  National Parks,  Travel

    America the Beautiful National Parks Pass

    Did you know that the United States is home to 59 National Parks and 117 National Monuments? There is so much natural beauty in the US just waiting to be explored. Three years ago we set out on our first family roadtrip to one of the top national parks in the country, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. While there we purchased the standard 7-day pass for the park, but quickly upgraded to the America the Beautiful National Parks Annual Pass when we realized what a great deal it was. National Park entrance fees will run you about $30 per car for a 7-day pass for one park. This is an amazing…

  • road trip essentials
    Desert Southwest,  Great American Road Trip,  Quick Tips,  Summer,  Travel

    Top 10 Things to Bring on a SW Desert Road Trip

    Little Essentials to Make Your Road Trip to the Desert States More Enjoyable Prior to our recent road trip, I tried to be mindful of all the things that might come in handy for my family who would be spending a large amount of time in a very dry environment. I kept watching the forecast to see the temps for the Las Vegas, NV and St George, UT areas and they were both consistently over 100 degrees for days on end. The average temps were around 106 degrees. As a native Oregonian, our summers are very comfortable, usually in the mid 80’s. We typically top out at 100 degrees, but it only…