Tag: cultural travel
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Family Heritage Travel: Helping Kids Connect to Their Roots
There are some trips that stay with you because of what you saw. And then there are the ones that stay with you because of what you felt. Years ago, I traveled to Ireland with a couple of my aunts. At the time, I didn’t realize just how meaningful that trip would become. It wasn’t…
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An Ode to the Mother Road: Driving Route 66 One Stretch at a Time
This year the road of all roads — the Mother Road — celebrates an incredible milestone: 100 years of U.S. Route 66. What I love about Route 66 is that it began as something fairly simple — a highway created to help travelers move between Chicago and Santa Monica. But over the decades it has…
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Experiencing Christmas, Holy Doors & A Jubilee Year {Vatican City}
Our visit to Rome and Vatican City happened to fall during an especially unique time. When we arrived, the Christmas tree was already standing tall in St. Peter’s Square, and workers were putting the finishing touches on the nativity scene beside it. We watched as Christmas market stalls slowly appeared along the sweeping colonnades, transforming…
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Cowboys & Cattle Drives at the Fort Worth Stockyards {Texas}
For the longest time, the two places our daughter has wanted to see are Alaska and Texas. So when we told her that on our way home we would be landing in Texas, her excitement was immediate. As we flew into the Dallas–Fort Worth airport, she pressed her face to the window and asked, “Are…
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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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Christmas in Colmar {France}
Our next stop in the Alsace region brought us to the beautiful city of Colmar—one of those places that feels almost too picturesque to be real, especially during the Christmas season. Colmar has an impressively long history, first mentioned in 884 by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars. Over the centuries, it has shifted between powers—granted…
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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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Pavillons de Bercy – Musée des Arts Forains {France}
Paris is known for its iconic landmarks—but some of its most magical experiences are the ones you don’t hear about as often. For us, that hidden gem was Pavillons de Bercy, home to the enchanting Musée des Arts Forains. A family friend suggested we visit, and it quickly became one of our favorite experiences in…
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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…