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Celebrating Ice Cream Days in Le Mars, Iowa

By Jody Halsted June 23, 2011

LeMars, Iowa is the Ice Cream capital of the World. And each year they celebrate that distinction with a huge party - and plenty of ice cream!

The United States is a country that loves its ice cream- individually we eat nearly 6 gallons a year.  And of those millions of gallons purchased annually over 100 million gallons come from Wells Enterprises, maker of Blue Bunny, in the small Iowa town of LeMars. Ice Cream Days Festival Few realize that tiny LeMars […]

9 Comments · Filed Under: USA · Tagged With: ice cream, Iowa, Midwest

An Update: Amana Colonies, Iowa, USA

By Jody Halsted July 21, 2008

One of our favorite Iowa destinations is the Amana Colonies. We can wander around the villages all day and never get bored. Now the Amana Colonies have made it even easier for visitors to tour the villages and learn about their history. A visitor center has opened in the center of Amana. Housed in an […]

3 Comments · Filed Under: USA · Tagged With: Amana Colonies, eating, food, handy tips, Midwest

Camping Gear That Does Double Duty in Your Backyard

By Jody Halsted July 10, 2018

Parachute Hammock- camping gear that does double duty

Winter in the Midwest can be long. Really long. So when warm weather finally arrives we like to spend as much time outdoors as we can. For my family that means a lot of camping. But the girls are getting older and their activities, interests, and desire to spend time with friends, keeps us home […]

1 Comment · Filed Under: Camping & RVing · Tagged With: backyard, camping gear, summer fun

Cure Cabin Fever with a Winter Cabin Getaway

By Jody Halsted February 5, 2021

Sunset Thomas Mitchell Park Polk County IA

Is cabin fever hitting you a little bit harder this year? I know it is for me! While I don’t travel extensively during the winter, I usually have one trip in January to help break up the ‘winter blahs’. Unfortunately that trip was cancelled this year and the need to get away- even just for […]

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: USA · Tagged With: cabin, county park, Iowa, Midwest

Exploring Allerton

By Jody Halsted June 4, 2015

Who's a pretty Fu Dog? Fu Dog Garden at Allerton Park & Retreat Center in Monticello, Illinois. The expansive formal gardens and woodland trails are free to visit and open daily.

I used to love watching America’s Castles on A&E. The grandeur, the extravagance, the undisguised abundance of wealth that the late 19th and early 20th century ‘robber barons’ had to work with was simply unimaginable. One of these ‘robber barons’ in Chicago, a man by the name of Samuel Allerton, made his money by purchasing pork […]

2 Comments · Filed Under: USA · Tagged With: Illinois, Midwest

Planning Your First Lake of the Ozarks Vacation

By Jody Halsted August 3, 2020

outdoor dining_ Seven Springs Winery, Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri

Looking for a fabulous lake getaway in the Midwest? A Lake of the Ozarks vacation offers more activities than you imagine! Lake of the Ozarks plays host to more than 5 million visitors each year, with a large percentage of those travelers planning their trip during the warm summer months and into fall for the […]

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Travel, USA · Tagged With: lake, Midwest, Missouri

Visiting Door County, Wisconsin? Fun Facts for Your Trip

By Jody Halsted May 26, 2020

sunset and storms over Lake Michigan. Door County, Wisconsin

If you live in the Midwest just the mention of Door County, Wisconsin brings visions of towering pines, cool lake breezes, and outdoor adventure of all types. Click Here to pin this to your Midwest Travel board! While the county has long been a getaway for Chicagoans escaping the city for a different view of […]

3 Comments · Filed Under: Travel, USA · Tagged With: Midwest, Wisconsin

Living Like Laura in DeSmet, South Dakota

By Jody Halsted May 19, 2020

I can remember reading the ‘Little House’ books by Laura Ingalls Wilder over and over again as a child growing up in southwest Iowa. I never tired of Laura’s stories of life on the western frontier. And though I knew Laura’s story was (mostly) true it never occurred to me that I could visit the places […]

1 Comment · Filed Under: USA · Tagged With: camping, Children's Museum, family travel, Farm, Fun for Kids, history, South Dakota

Out From Killarney

By Jody Halsted May 5, 2008

Since I had been to Killarney and County Kerry previously I had things in mind that I wanted to share with my family. And, of course, there were many things we didn’t do. These are just a few other activities close to Killarney. Ring of Kerry The Iveraugh peninsula is probably the most traveled area […]

1 Comment · Filed Under: Driving, Ireland · Tagged With: County Kerry, Dingle, Fun for Kids

Chicago With Kids: Visit the City’s Best-Kept Secrets

By Jody Halsted December 10, 2015

Downtown Chicago reflected in the Cloud Gate Sculpture (aka "the bean")

Chicago has its fair share of family attractions- museums, a massive aquarium, miles of beaches, and a mile of fabulous shopping, to name just a few. But Chicago offers more than the ‘known attractions’. The next time you visit Chicago with kids, check out the city’s best kept secrets! Chicago’s Best Kept Secrets for Families […]

Leave a Comment · Filed Under: Travel · Tagged With: Chicago, family travel, Illinois, Midwest

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