There are a lot of places along Route 66 that claim a special connection to the Mother Road, but Springfield has one of the strongest: it’s widely known as the birthplace of Route 66. In 1926, a telegram sent from the Colonial Hotel in downtown Springfield confirmed the highway’s now-famous…
Our Route 66 trip officially began from our home base in the Chicago suburbs, but we intentionally skipped Illinois (for now). After exploring much of Illinois Route 66 over the years, we’re planning a separate summer road trip (without the RV) to properly revisit and document those stops. We also…
The Weldon Spring Site is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management–controlled nuclear waste disposal site with a public interpretive center. That combination alone makes it memorable. During our Route 66 Centennial road trip, we were staying at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park just outside of…
During our three months at home base for winter, we squeezed in a few smaller trips without the RV. In January, we flew out to visit my dad in Oregon and spent a weekend at a conference in southern Illinois. Then in February, we headed out for a long weekend…
We spent a long weekend in Madison while Josh was working a vendor booth, and in between coffee dates and exploring with friends, I carved out a Saturday morning for something a little different, a free tour of the Wisconsin State Capitol. What I expected to be a quick, “sure,…
I visited the L.R. Ingersoll Wonders of Physics Museum with two of my good friends, and we spent the entire day happily geeking out over science. After working in higher education for most of my career, I’ve never quite lost my love for wandering college campuses. They’re such hidden treasure…
Washington, DC is packed with incredible museums, and while everyone knows the big-name federal stops like the White House, U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, National Archives, and Library of Congress, there’s a whole world of lesser-known federal museums and visitor experiences hiding in plain sight across DC, Northern Virginia, and nearby…
Charleston, South Carolina is one of those cities that completely pulls you in, where centuries of history meet coastal charm, Spanish moss hangs over quiet streets, and every corner seems to tell a different story. From Revolutionary War sites and Civil War landmarks to quirky museums, historic cemeteries, nature preserves,…
If you’ve ever spotted the World’s Largest Pistachio rising out of the New Mexico desert and wondered if it was worth pulling over… the answer is yes. McGinn’s PistachioLand is one of those quirky roadside attractions that starts with a photo op and quickly turns into a full experience. Located…
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is one of those stops that impressed us so much, we made time for it on both of our trips to Oregon, and honestly, that says a lot. Located in Newport, this coastal aquarium blends immersive exhibits, thoughtful animal care, and a strong focus on Pacific…