Tag: cultural events
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Christmas Markets, Courtyards, & Wishes on a Tree in Basel {Switzerland}
Our last stop on this festive trip was Basel—a city uniquely positioned at the crossroads of France, Germany, and Switzerland. It turned out to be the perfect place to end a trip built not on plans, but on wandering—where even something as simple as crossing a border became part of the experience. The logistics alone…
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Fairytale Towns & Christmas Markets of the Alsace {France}
When we first started planning this trip, we knew we wanted to visit the Alsace region of France. This area is made up of so many beautiful small towns, many of them just a short distance from Colmar, making it easy to set out for a day—or even a couple of days—of wandering, exploring, and…
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The Capital of Christmas in Strasbourg {France}
After leaving Paris, we made our way east to the Alsace region, where our first stop was Strasbourg—a city that fully embraces the magic of the season as the Capital of Christmas. This is a city shaped by centuries of change. Today, it is known as the seat of the European Parliament, but during the…
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A Month of Food, Festivals, and Fall {Tennessee & Indiana}
Fall is my favorite time of year. There’s something about those first hints of color in the trees, the cooler air, and the feeling that everything is coming back to life after the long heat of summer. I love the details of the season—hay bale displays, deep orange and red flowers, and what feels like…
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Pumpkins & Stories – Exploring the Pumpkin Walk in North Logan {Utah}
My favorite season has always been fall. There’s something about the cool air, the shifting colors in the trees, and the sheer abundance of orange pumpkins that feels like a reset for the soul. When I lived in North Logan, one of my absolute favorite fall traditions was visiting the annual Pumpkin Walk in Cache…
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Celebrating Independence Day in Colonial Williamsburg {Virginia}
Spending Independence Day in Colonial Williamsburg felt like stepping directly into the story of the country’s beginnings. With its preserved buildings, costumed interpreters, and living history demonstrations, Williamsburg offers one of the most immersive ways to experience colonial America—especially on the Fourth of July. A visit to Colonial Williamsburg on the Fourth of July includes…
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From Races to Blueberries- A Month of Summer Fun {Georgia & Tennessee}
This past month has been filled with the most unexpected mix of adventures—some planned, some stumbled into, and all of them memorable in their own way. On their own, each outing would have made for a great day, but together they tell a story of a summer that has been wonderfully unpredictable. This kind of…
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Celebrating Lunar New Year: Year of the Dragon at Middle Tennessee State University {Tennessee}
One of the great things about working at a university is getting to experience the wide variety of events and cultural programs that happen across campus. It also means being “in the know” about some truly special places that many people—sometimes even those who work here—don’t realize exist. One of those hidden gems is the…
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Lanterns & Pandas at IllumiNights-Zoo Atlanta {Georgia}
After experiencing the Chinese lantern festival at the Nashville Zoo the year before, we already knew how magical these nighttime lantern events could feel. So while we were visiting the Atlanta area and discovered that Zoo Atlanta hosted its own lantern festival called IllumiNights at Zoo Atlanta, we immediately added it to our plans. The…
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Coffee, Cocoa, Sugar Cane & Unexpected Cultural Celebrations {Costa Rica}
From pressing fresh sugar cane and making chocolate to learning about Costa Rica’s famous coffee industry, the Don Juan Plantation offers one of the most engaging cultural experiences in Monteverde. Our day ended with an unexpected parade filled with traditional dancers, music, and beautifully painted oxcarts.