Panama City Beach Trip

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August 19, 2024 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

We planned a family beach vacation around Alex’s baseball tournament in Panama City Beach, Florida.

It was absolutely glorious and the first time Alex has been to the beach in his memory! He was born in Hawaii, but we moved to Utah when he was just a few months old.

We left Ohio on 14 June, and stayed in Homewood Suites (super nice!) south of Birmingham. We got Zaxby’s for dinner and ate by the pool.

We arrived in Panama City Beach on Saturday evening, 15 June.

I chose Tidewater Resort for their two pools and other fun amenities like a cute bar and shop, its proximity to the beach, walking to restaurants and Pier Park, and near the baseball facilities.

It was a nice place. Lots of street construction going on, but no real concerns and they have a lovely parking garage and walk over bridge.

There are rules for where you can place beach tents and chairs. Security patrols the property and we felt safe and protected. There are kitties who live under the boardwalk!

Our condo was on the 18th floor.

Balcony beach view:

View from our front door of a lagoon and Pier Park:

I thought everything was just lovely and clean and beautiful. My only real complaint were no hooks to hang towels or wet swimwear which I thought was a sad oversight.

I had read the horrifying reviews about the elevators, and they did take a while, but we only had two or three times when we actually waited more than 10 minutes. We had to plan at checkin and checkout with the luggage trolleys which take up a lot of space and weight. Many people were irritable, but it is what it is. I thought all the staff was very friendly and helpful.

We were pretty exhausted after driving two days and unloading the cars. We just got Marco’s pizza that first night.

Sunday and Monday were fun beach days for us, and the only days the water, waves, currents weren’t that scary.

It was red and double red flags every day after that. Some people even died which was so tragic.

Sunday was Father’s Day and the evening was absolutely torrential rain! We just ended up at Whataburger for dinner. Some local bars and restaurants actually got flooded. It was a mess!

Monday, mostly the whole team ate at Sharky’s and it was just adorable.

Craig, our waiter, was outstanding! The food is great and fun drinks in cute souvenir cups! Playgrounds and sand volleyball for the kids. A lovely experience all around.

Tori and I chose to walk back to our condo and we stopped at Pier Park to walk around. We stopped in a few of the tourist shops. There are some restaurants and bars and boutiques in Pier Park, popular places like Margaritaville and Dick’s Last Resort. At the circle, there is Sky Wheel and amusements like IMAX and Dave and Buster’s and some other places. It connects to the nicer shopping mall with Target, Dillard’s and JCPenney off 98/30A.

Tuesday, 18 June, was the official beginning of the baseball tournament and the boys won both their pool play games. In the afternoon, there were very disorganized skills competitions with misinformation, but the boys had fun.

Some of the boys got a golf cart with older brothers to cruise around. Alex said that was his favorite part of the trip!

We ate dinner at Sandbar. Three generations veteran family-owned and lots of veteran memorabilia inside. It was great, with live music and delicious food.

Wednesday and Thursday was double elimination tournament play. We didn’t make it to Thursday.

Wednesday night, 19 June, was a coach dinner at Diego’s Burrito Factory & Margarita Bar, as a consolation. It’s a really cute little beach taco bar. Counter orders and then they bring the food. Order drinks at the bar. Very basic menu excellently executed.

Thursday night, 20 June, we went to Swampy Jack’s Wongo Adventure, which is built on the old site of The Miracle Strip.

They tried to keep the memory alive of the Miracle Strip fun games and rides and it was a rush down memory lane for me!

They have an absolutely beautiful putt-putt course.

Friday, 21 June, we met another baseball family at Runaway Island and I got some gorgeous flounder.

Saturday, 22 June, Aaron and Alex left early and stayed in Huntsville to see a Trash Pandas game, then home for a local baseball camp.

We went shopping at some local thrift stores.

The Best thrift store in PCB is Save the Closet that helps hurricane victims.

We found some fun and silly things, like artsy sunglasses and a vintage handmade polyester pantsuit.

The photos are from when Miracle Strip was destroyed in the hurricane Opal in 1995.

The best ice cream is at Bruster’s!

We had dinner at Salty Sue’s and the fish and shrimp were overcooked, but the okra and hush puppies were great!

Sunday, 23 June, we drove to the Destin outlet mall. There’s a Häagen-Dazs shop there! Vans and Converse!

We stopped at Donut Hole for a snack!

We stopped in Seaside on the way back and that is the most beautiful white sand beach!

We ate dinner on the boardwalk. It’s not much different than my memories!

Monday, 24 June, we found some other thrift stores and drove around. It was our last day.

We checked out Rosemary Beach for some photos. It’s a lovely little place.

We ate dinner on the Pier at Hook’d right at sunset. The food was so fresh and delicious. The staff is wonderful!

We walked the beach back to our condo.

We left Tuesday, 25 June, stayed a night in Athens, AL, then home. It was hot in Alabama – 105°!

We loved the beach and Alex can’t wait to go back. I have done a good job raising him right.

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Cleveland Trip

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August 21, 2023 By Jennifer Lambert 8 Comments

We haven’t had a family vacation in a long time!

We’d heard that Cleveland was a great place to visit and it’s far enough away that we needed to stay a few days. The kids were involved in planning what they wanted to see and do.

We drove from Dayton to Cleveland for a five-day trip to see some museums and Lake Erie.

The House

We direct-rented a little 3-bedroom house a block or so away from Headlands Beach State Park.

It smelled like wet dog when we arrived, even with an air purifier running.

I had to sprinkle essential oils on tissues and place them around the house and crack the bathroom window for a while to get rid of the smell. I developed an ear infection that I really don’t know if it had to do with any allergies in the house or not.

The decor was confusing: industrial shabby chic lake cottage vibes. We assume they bought a rundown house, gutted it, and remodeled as cheaply as possible for a rental income. I loathe open shelving.

The kitchen/dining room was nice and it was funny to have the same dining table that we own at home! We were excited to have a gas stove. The sofa was comfy. The beds were comfy.

I really do try not to be picky. We like renting houses or apartments for our larger family so we can eat breakfast and sometimes dinner instead of dining out every meal. It’s cheaper and more convenient than hotels for us.

The refrigerator had a water/ice dispenser, but the filter sensor was flashing red and we had no ice. There was a Brita pitcher inside the fridge. We bought ice.

All the drinkware was plastic except for tiny ceramic coffee mugs. There was not a serving platter at all. There was no foil, and only one dish tab for the dishwasher. We bought some.

There were only 1.5 bathroom tissue rolls in each of the two bathrooms for five people for five nights. We had to go buy more. It’s not a huge deal and maybe this is expected? But for the price of the rental, I would expect more.

Day 1

We stopped in Mt. Vernon to see the fountain!

Everyone seems to rave about this fountain in all my Ohio travel groups.

I mean, it’s super cute, but so much smaller than I expected, and not worth driving too far out of the way for. We snapped a few photos and drove on to our destination.

The little town didn’t have much and we moved on.

We stopped at Das Schnitzel Haus in Parma for a very late lunch/early dinner. Wow, is that a great place! Best German food we’ve had since leaving Europe. They brew their own beer across the street at Schnitz Ale Brewery and offer bar foods there. They were out of the Kölsch, but the Hefeweizen and Pilsner were lovely.

I don’t have a single picture of the food. It was amazing and we scarfed it all down!

We checked out our rental house and ran to Meijer to stock up on a few things, like actual drinking glasses and some food items we didn’t bring in our coolers.

We walked along the beach, looking for neat rocks and glass.

Day 2

We went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

This is where Tori really wanted to go. Honestly, the rest of us didn’t much care about it.

We parked in the garage at the Great Lakes Science Museum.

I think it’s pricey, loud and bright. It got very crowded about halfway through for us, and I’m glad we were able to quickly finish up our tour.

One of the escalators is very narrow and shallow and I had an anxiety attack going up to the 4th floor to see the Pink Floyd Wall.

There are some nice history exhibits and famous items.

Elvis and The Beatles have huge areas with info about how they changed the music industry.

One of the Cleveland signs is right behind the Rock Hall and it has a lovely city backdrop.

We walked downtown to see some sites.

It was so hot and sunny that day, more than any other day of our trip!

We ate a late lunch at Geraci’s Slice Shop.

This was the only thing my son really wanted to do.

I imagine the pizza is best fresh. There are pizzas in a window and they heat up a slice like at a mall from the 1980’s. We showed up about 2 PM, so it was ok.

They have two free table top video games!

We stopped at Heinen’s and bought some steaks to cook for dinner.

It’s a very nice local grocery chain. I wish Dayton had some better quality stores!

Cleveland Main Library has a very fun Floral Immersive Exhibition by British Artist Rebecca Louise Law. We surprised our artist Akantha with a stop and to enjoy the air conditioning.

We were exhausted after walking in the city in the heat. Everything took so much longer than I expected.

Day 3

We went to the Cleveland Museum of Art.

This was the main event for Akantha, but Tori and I love art museums too.

I looked up online lots of reviews and expectations for how long it would take and most said a couple hours. I don’t know what people do in art museums, but we were there for a looooong time. This place is huge!

Lots of Asian and African art, as well as some lovely Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance, and Modern pieces.

We ate an early dinner at Guarino’s and they let us dine on their lovely patio – even though we didn’t have a reservation!

Free valet parking. It’s the oldest restaurant in Cleveland. Lovely service – they didn’t even rush us. It was delicious! The best Italian food I’ve had since leaving Europe.

Alex got chicken piccata. Tori and I got two veal dishes and shared. Akantha got lasagna. Aaron got ravioli.

Great cocktails. Great salad and soup.

The proscuitto wrapped shrimp appetizer is divine. We got emotional about it.

We got gelato at Rosso. It was ok. No cones, only cups.

We drove through Lake View Cemetery.

It’s very lovely and easy to navigate. Signs point to the main sites and they’re available on online maps.

We thought these deer were statues until one licked his nose. Wow.

It was along day and we did everything on my list!

Day 4

We drove to see the longest covered bridge. I guess we should’ve packed lunches and done a bridge tour.

It was hot and there were lots of wasps flying around.

We drove through the strip at Geneva-on-the-Lake. I’m sure I’m going to hurt some feelings, but that place was awful.

We counted two axe throwing bars, a gun range, several 21+ night clubs, and a Nazi biker bar. There was one little arcade with Eddie’s and a DQ. There were two gravel-covered paid parking lots. Lots of little slummy motels and tiny cabins. We didn’t think it was worth it to stop and eat at Eddie’s.

The beach was small and crowded. We didn’t check out the Lodge and I’ve never been able to make a reservation for our large family; they’re always booked and very expensive anyway.

We were very disappointed since everyone seems to rave about how cute Geneva is. We weren’t very impressed with any of the lake towns we saw. Maybe the ones between Cleveland and Toledo are better?

We stopped at Sam’s Club for burger patties and grilled those for dinner and later walked along Headlands Beach and found a ton of glass after a storm!

The water was receded more tonight and we could walk on soft sand barefooted. It was a lovely evening.

Day 5

It was pouring rain when we woke up.

Aaron didn’t want to go fishing and Alex was very disappointed.

We went to the Cleveland Aquarium.

It was actually delightful even though they’re all teens. We all still do love zoos and aquariums.

We got to have the most adorable little shrimp crawl all over our hands.

The aquarium was super cute, in the old Foundry building.

Just when we thought we were maybe halfway through, there were sharks, then the gift shop. It was small, but we had fun.

We drove to West Side Market and got some lovely pasties and pies at an Irish vendor for lunch. I bought some sausage, figs, and mangos to bring home.

We walked to see the Guardians at Hope Bridge.

The Guardians symbolize progress in transportation. Each Guardian holds a different vehicle in its hands: a hay wagon, a covered wagon, a stagecoach, and a 1930s-era automobile, as well as four types of motorized trucks used for construction.

They’re magnificent.

My husband and son drove to see some some other Cleveland signs, The Christmas Story house (and bought a leg lamp Xmas ornament), and went to the Guardians and Blue Jays baseball game.

Akantha didn’t want to do any of that and Tori decided to stay with us. We were a little disappointed we didn’t get to see the house or game.

I took my other two kids out to dinner at Brennan’s in Fairport Harbor. They don’t have to advertise. It was lovely.

Overall, this wasn’t our best or most memorable trip.

It’s getting difficult traveling with teens who have so many different preferences and interests – even when I make sure each one has a day and tour they prefer.

We are not all that impressed with Ohio, but we keep exploring.

Linking up: Randomosity, Eclectic Red Barn, Artsy Fartsy Mama, Gay NYC Dad, Life Tales Books, Perfectly Imperfect, Growing Garden, Joanne Viola, Fluster Buster, Ridge Haven, Try it Like it, InstaEncouragements, Grammy’s Grid, My Life Abundant, Slices of Life, Anita Ojeda, Silverado, Random Musings, Esme Salon, Mostly Blogging, Suburbia, Jenerally Informed, LouLou Girls, 2Chicks, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Lisa Notes, Modern Monticello, Katherine’s Corner, Pam’s Party, Pieced Pastimes, Shelbee on the Edge, CreatewJoy,

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Gulf Shores

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June 19, 2023 By Jennifer Lambert 10 Comments

I took a little beach trip with two of my kids to Gulf Shores, Alabama.

The kids haven’t been to a real beach in so many years.

We lived in Hawaii for three years when they were toddlers.

When we lived in Germany, we traveled to Normandy, Netherlands, and Bruges, but those beaches were cold and windy.

We’ve been to lakes in Utah and Ohio, but there is nothing like the ocean.

We won’t travel to Florida for political and personal reasons, so Alabama is a great choice.

I have fond memories of beach vacations when I was growing up. My parents and I took a week every summer to visit Florida, the Gulf, or the Atlantic coast.

My daughter attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama, so we picked her up and headed further south.

We left Huntsville right after Space Camp graduation and ate an early dinner at Whataburger.

We arrived at our condo at 9:30 at night.

We couldn’t get in.

The codes didn’t work.

I called the 800 number and after the agent did some research and called me back, they gave me a code that worked. The instructions for entry were all outdated and it should not have been complicated.

We were so exhausted and stressed out for our first evening. We unloaded our bags and rushed down to see the shore in the dark.

The condo building was right on the beach, at the end of the strip, right before the state park.

The beach was so beautiful!

We had an easy schedule:

We ate breakfast in our condo, then spent every morning at the beach, walking, looking for shells, playing in the sand and waves.

Early afternoon, we packed up our beach stuff, ate lunch in our condo, and went out for the afternoon, shopping and exploring, then ate a nice dinner out.

Tori and I walked the beach at dusk each night and saw little sand crabs and mole crabs and minnows. There is a protected area where a sea turtle laid her eggs!

We crashed pretty early every night! I remember having more energy when I was younger, and we would do mini golf, or get ice cream, or walk around, but whew, not this week.

Day 1

The first morning, after looking at the beach and playing in the water a bit, we went to Walmart and Publix and stocked up on breakfast, lunch, and snack foods. We also got Publix subs because those are amazing.

We got sand toys and boogie boards. Just because they’re 16 and 17 doesn’t mean they can’t play!

Then the code to the condo stopped working the next afternoon. Seriously? One of the codes from my notes worked the rest of our stay, whew! I did not write a good review on their rental site.

We hit the tourist trap stores near our condo and got shirts and some fun pictures.

We got the best shaved ice. Very generous servings for only $3 cash only.

The first night, we ate at Caribbean Grill, right across the street from our condo. It was a fun place; food was ok. Tori got crawfish and shrimp pasta. Akantha got chicken strips. I got shrimp scampi and a festive fruity drink called What the Duck. It came with a little rubber duckie that the bartender squeaked before plopping in the glass.

Day 2

We went to the super cute town of Foley and shopped in the used DVD/CD/books stores. Got caught in a little thunderstorm.

Then we shopped in the Tanger outlet mall (kinda sparse compared to 20 years ago). We got Mellow Mushroom pizza for a “snack.” It’s not quite as good as I remember and very expensive.

The second night, we ate at Mikee’s. It was a little bit better, nice ambience.

My kids got red snapper and fried shrimp. I got the local redfish. Huge portions.

Day 3

We went to Alligator Alley, a rescue center for gators. There are about 700 gators in the park and a little zoo of other reptiles.

We got feed them nuggets; we paid for a bucket.

We got to hold a baby!

We got to see the big feeding time and hear about their preserve.

The kids said it was the highlight of the trip!

The third night, we ate at DeSoto’s and it was absolutely amazing!

They had adorable little mini loaves of bread and honey butter.

I got the flounder amandine with shrimp and scallops and I got very emotional because I haven’t had such fresh seafood in so many years. It was so beautiful.

My kids got the Caribbean triggerfish and fried fish and shrimp combo.

Day 4

We hit some thrift stores. Most are closed Sundays and Mondays. They all close pretty early – between 3 and 5 in the afternoon.

The last night, we ate at Lambert’s Cafe…because throwed rolls!

It was great fun and amazing food, generous portions, fun atmosphere. We got lots of souvenirs.

They serve some meals in a huge frying pan. I got country ham. My kids got catfish and chicken dumplings. They have the best fried okra I’ve ever eaten in my life.

Day 5

We headed towards home and hit a couple more thrift stores on our way out of town.

We stopped off again in Huntsville to rest a night on our way home to Ohio. There is just no way I can drive straight through for 12+ hours.

We got Zaxby’s for dinner and it’s so good. We only have Raising Cane’s in Ohio, and the kids agreed that Zaxby’s is very good, and certainly way better than CFA.

I love Gulf Shores so much that I could buy a beach house there. Maybe in 5-10 years when I have no more pressing responsibilities.

My kids were glad to be home and one said it is really not their thing; they prefer city trips. I love all the trips: beach, mountains, cities. There is always something fun to see and learn.

Linking up: Eclectic Red Barn, God’s Growing Garden, Pinch of Joy, Silverado, Grammy’s Grid, Simply Coffee, Lisa notes, Monticello, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Try it Like it, Imparting Grace, Slices of Life, Life Abundant, Joanne Viola, InstaEncouragments, Ridge Haven, Fluster Buster, Suburbia, Random Musings, Jeanne Takenaka, Jenerally Informed, Mostly Blogging, Create with Joy, Pam’s Party, Pieced Pastimes, LouLou Girls,

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Burr Oak Review

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September 5, 2022 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

We have been wanting to get out and explore some natural wonders of Ohio and I’m so glad we chose Burr Oak!

We haven’t gone on a real trip in so long.

There have been significant obstacles to our traveling these last few years: various unexpected expenses, sprained ankles and a broken leg!, COVID restrictions, my husband’s retirement and new job, extracurricular classes, my son’s elite baseball schedule, and my teen’s part-time job.

While waiting for a time of calm, I realized I just had to jump at a weekend that looked somewhat open and have my people ask off work for a few days.

We rented a cabin at Burr Oak National Park.

My husband actually called them to book the reservation after I had trouble with their online site. They have lots of deals for veterans and teachers and we got a free night for staying three nights. There are fun packages too.

We drove through Hocking Hills and hit three major sites on the way to our cabin.

The cabins are newly remodeled and worked fine for us.

One bedroom with a queen bed and another bedroom with two bunk sets. The one bathroom was small but it worked out. We never have enough towels and there was nowhere to really hang them.

There’s a lovely screened in back porch with a little cast iron bistro table and two chairs and I ate my breakfast our there every morning.

We brought some basics to make meals just like we eat at home. I brought my rice cooker, water cooker and teapot for tea, and my favorite frying pan and knives. My husband brought his pour-over for his coffee. We brought olive oil, an onion, minced garlic, butter, and salt, pepper, and Italian spice grinders. I now know to bring lemon juice next time. We missed it.

I packed coolers with marinated meats for the grill and zucchini from our garden. We had burgers and dogs with chips, Asian steak and rice, and chicken breasts with boiled potatoes.

We brought room temp farm eggs from our egg lady, bacon and sausage, and pancake mix for breakfasts.

The kitchen was ok. I don’t mind hand washing dishes. The stove and oven worked great. There weren’t any spatulas and we don’t like plastic cups. There was no bakeware so I had to buy some aluminum pans.

We went to the little Kroger in the nearby town of Glouster and bought sponges and cups and spatulas. We got fixings for sandwiches and salad and donuts.

We rented a pontoon and kayaks. Neither my kids nor my husband had ever been boating and they all loved it! They are first come, first served, so it’s best to get to the rental dock early. We got the last pontoon and kayaks our second day – whew!

The lake is lovely and easy to navigate for beginners. The lodge had a beautiful view from the deck and from the water.

We saw so many herons – blue and green! We saw ducks and turtles. The American lilies were in bloom. We even saw an osprey dive down for a fish!

Tori and I kayaked all over the lake, and then we met up with my husband and other two kids in the pontoon for lunch.

We were so tickled by this picnic table right in the lake by a tiny little sandy beach. It was a perfect spot to rest for a bit.

Akantha and Alex wanted to try the kayaks and they realized very quickly how much work it is!

We were all so excited to see the American water lilies in bloom. They smell heavenly and are a lovely source of food for their lotus pods with seeds, and their roots.

The lily pads are HUGE. Like humongous, some almost a yard across. They float but are attached to their tuber root down in the mud.

The white lilies have long stalks above the water.

The pink lilies have shorter stalks and there is another much smaller lily in among the big ones that might be a different species.

Tori caught the only fish from the pontoon, when we anchored near the lilies. She was proud of this catfish and I taught them how to remove it without getting stung – by wrapping him in a towel. He was a feisty bugger.

I used to fish from boats and shore at Lake Allatoona every summer with my Aunt Betty and she taught me everything she knew.

Our last evening, we fished off the little dock by the lodge and Alex caught fish after fish – all little ones but he was so happy!

While we ate our dinners in our cabin, I took the kids to the lodge restaurant for cake after dinner and we got to enjoy the view and sunset. There’s a full bar and the bartender is just lovely. The wait staff gets a little overwhelmed. The menu has pizza and barbecue and apparently a lovely breakfast bar on weekends.

We enjoyed our short time at Burr Oak and it was a lovely respite after COVID restrictions and isolation and a last hurrah before the hustle and bustle of autumn.

Linking up: Eclectic Red Barn, OMHG, Slices of Life Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, LouLou Girls, Jenerally Informed, Shelbee on the Edge, God’s Growing Garden, Simply Coffee, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, CWJ, Being a Wordsmith, Modern Monticello Homestead, Fluster Buster, Ducks in a Row, Pinch of Joy, Create with Joy, Mostly Blogging, Suburbia, Silverado, Grammy’s Grid, Ridge Haven, Pieced Pastimes, Pam’s Party, Random Musings,

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Hocking Hills

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September 5, 2022 By Jennifer Lambert 3 Comments

I have wanted to see Hocking Hills since before we even moved to Ohio. So, about six or more years now.

It’s just far enough away that we didn’t think we could swing it in a day trip. Three hours there, hiking all day, then three hours home? Whew!

I have looked to no avail for a cabin to rent that didn’t break the bank and could house all of us. I prefer to have a kitchen and separate bedrooms instead of renting two hotel rooms and it’s usually cheaper. I’ve seen so many cabins for 4, but so few for 5 or more. And all the cabins book up really fast and I couldn’t figure out how to plan that far ahead with our busy schedules.

I will say that traveling with teens and older kids is so much fun and I love that they’re independent and don’t need me as constantly as when they were younger.

Luckily, I found a cabin for a long weekend at Burr Oak, and we planned to drive out early and hit some major Hocking Hills sites before checking in.

I recommend downloading or screenshotting maps since cell service is spotty in the area.

We parked at three trail heads to easily access the sites.

Ash Cave

The parking lot was very tight and full of deep pot holes full of water.

There were only permanent portapotties.

There is a very nice pavilion with grills.

The path to the cave is paved and signs say one-way, but if you have a stroller or accessibility issues, you have to return this way.

It was really exciting when we caught our first view of the magnitude of this rocky cave from the path.

We climbed up the stairs and returned on the treacherous high path through the woods.

Cedar Falls

The paved parking lot is nice at Cedar Falls trailhead.

There are real bathrooms that seem pretty well-kept.

The wide walkway was really beautiful and full of ferns and mushrooms. There was one big muddy stretch and we had to climb up and over to the side by some rocks and tree roots or risk getting completely muddy and stuck.

The views were really beautiful and we took a long time here looking at all the plants and bugs.

Old Man’s Cave

This site is right off the huge paved parking area for the Hocking Hills visitor center.

The shop wasn’t great. There are fun activities inside for little kids. There are great bathrooms. There are park rangers with maps and info at a desk. It’s a pretty center.

The trailheads weren’t well-marked and we wanted the quickest option since we were tired and this was our last stop.

To be honest, this was disappointing after seeing Ash Cave and Cedar Falls.

We could almost view it from the parking lot. We walked the short way in to get some pictures and went right back to our car. I mean, it’s pretty, but we were glad it was our last stop and we loved the other sites so much more.

Hocking Hills is a beautiful region and I would love to see the leaves in autumn. We hope to return to see some other sites now that we are more familiar with the area.

We stayed at a Burr Oak cabin and that was cost effective and easy for us this time around.

Linking up: Eclectic Red Barn, God’s Growing Garden, Shelbee on the Edge, OMHG, LouLou Girls, Jenerally Informed, Pinch of Joy, Create with Joy, Mostly Blogging, Suburbia, Silverado, Grammy’s Grid, Ridge Haven, Simply Coffee, Pieced Pastimes, Pam’s Party, Answer is Choco, Momfessionals, CWJ, Being a Wordsmith, Modern Monticello, Slices of Life Katherine’s Corner, Penny’s Passion, Homestead, Fluster Buster, Ducks in a Row, Random Musings,

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Easy Lunch Storage

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January 18, 2022 By Jennifer Lambert 11 Comments

My husband recently retired from the Air Force after twenty years. He’s the lab manager at a local hospital now.

Suddenly, he wants to carry lunches to work and he needs all sorts of lunch containers.

My daughter also started a part time job and carries lunches to work.

It helps to have access to a break room with all the typical break room amenities.

Taking meals to work saves time and money while being healthier, since we know the ingredients rather than getting greasy fast food.

For lunch, we often have dinner leftovers or purchase organic healthy quick meals.

We like to use fun colorful containers to keep foods separate for field trips and road trips too.

I love containers with little compartments to keep everything fresh and separate. Bonus if they stack in our cooler or lunch bag to make it easy to carry.

Easy Lunch Storage

Bentgo® Stackable Salad

These are great to keep salad items fresh! Bentgo has lots of fun travel options for the whole family!

OXO Good Grips Lunch and Salad Set

Perfect system to keep salad items fresh and crunchy.

Sistema

My kids upgraded to these bento boxes last summer for art camp. They love the compartments for all their little snacks and different things to eat. There are lots of configurations.

Bentgo®

Super cute and sturdy bento boxes in different colors.

Yumbox

Super cute bento for younger kids.

Sandwich boxes

We like our sandwiches to stay fresh and fluffy instead of crushed in a baggie at the bottom of the lunch sack.

EasyLunchboxes®

We have used these for years and years – for co-op, picnics, field trips, day trips. They’re so easy and convenient and color coded! They’ve held up so well for us.

Thermos

Great for drinks or soups and stews.

Snapware

We use this for all our leftovers. I love how stackable they are in my fridge. We can take them from the refrigerator to the oven or microwave to the dishwasher. They’re portable and easy!

Reusable Food Storage Bags

Better than single use plastic!

Cute Ice Packs

Why not have something better than plain to keep things cool?

ECOLunchboxes

See my review here.

Wildkin lunch boxes

Great insulated lunch bags with lots of room and fun prints for all ages.

MAZFORCE Original Lunch Box

Extra tough and modern lunch bag for all ages.

Bamboo Travel Utensils

Easy and safe eating utensils for all ages. Reusable!

Portable Flatware Set with Case

A great set with options for older kids and adults. I love the little case. Dishwasher safe!

What’s your favorite lunch to pack from home?

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SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park

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January 5, 2020 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

The Mission of SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park is to protect, preserve and research the cultural remains of the SunWatch National Historic Landmark archaeological site and to serve as a visitor and educational center for archaeology, Native American culture, and heritage stewardship as they relate to the site.

Our Boonshoft membership is reciprocal with Sunwatch and Fort Ancient.

SunWatch has an historical video about how the site was found and the work they’re doing here.

There’s a nice little museum and shop, and then, of course, the recreated village.

Village model:

There are artifacts, bones, and reenacted displays:

The village is still an archaeological site:

Visit SunWatch:

Adults $7.00
Seniors (60+) $6.00
Students (6-17) $6.00

April–November
Tuesday-Saturday
9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Sunday: noon-5:00 p.m.
Closed on Mondays

December–March
Closed except for special events or by appointment. Call 937.268.8199 to book your group visit or field trip!

Closed: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Easter

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Chicago with Kids

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October 14, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 26 Comments

We spent a long weekend in Chicago in April 2018. It’s one of my favorite cities.

The kids have never been to Chicago. Aaron grew up about an hour south of there and Liz and I have been twice. We took Liz to the Museum of Science and Industry and saw Navy Pier years ago. Somehow, we never seem to be able to fit in the Field Museum on our trips!

The Weber Grill is super fun, but we didn’t manage it this trip. We’ve eaten at the original Giordano’s. There are so many great restaurants!

We found an apartment in a townhouse (with a hot tub!) near Guaranteed Rate Field. It is no longer available as a rental but that’s a nice area if you don’t want to drive downtown. We got to park inside the garage so that was nice.

We were close to the train station, just a few blocks walk. There was a huge Mariano’s store, a Kroger affiliate just down the street and plenty of nearby restaurants.

We ate breakfast in our townhouse, then set off to explore each day.

We wound down in our hot tub each evening.

Day 1: Chinatown

We did drive a couple train stations away to Chinatown and parked near the Nine Dragons Gate.

We walked around and bought some special tea to take home and looked in the shop windows.

Fun zodiac animals in a central square

We had the most amazing Mandarin Chinese food I’ve ever eaten at Potsticker House.

Day 2: Cubs Game

We took the train to Wrigley Field.

We got there early to get some cool Cubs gear.

The kids got certificates for their first Cubs game!

The kids watched the warm-up. It was nice in the sun.

It was free blanket day and I am sure glad because it was freezing! I always underestimate the cold wind.

CUBS WIN!

We ate local Chicago pizza for dinner near our apartment at Ricobene’s. It was great and easy for families. They had delicious arancini!

Day 3: Art Institute

We took the train downtown and viewed the street art down to the Art Institute.

I love, love, love the street art in Chicago.

This vermilion steel 50-ton, 53-feet tall flamingo by Alexander Calder:

The Four Seasons mosaic by Marc Chagall is 70 feet long, 14 feet high, 10 feet wide.

The Picasso is 50 feet tall and weighs 162 short tons.

We Will by Richard Hunt is a welded stainless steel sculpture – 35’H x 8’W x 8’D

Bronze Cow Statue – 57 inches high, 92 inches long.

Depicted as reflections in the eyes of the cow are two famous Chicago landmarks, the “Chicago Picasso” sculpture and the Historic Water Tower.

The plaque reads ….
In 1999 a herd of fiberglass cows united citizens, visitors, artists and businesses through a unique community-based public art event. This bronze cow is a gift to all Chicagoans in gratitude for the support of the cows and other art in public places.
A gift to the city of Chicago from the Hanig family and anonymous donors.
November 2001.
Bronze Cow cast at Wagner Foundry, Inc., Chicago, IL.

The Cloud Gate sculpture is nicknamed The Bean because of its shape. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It measures 33 by 66 by 42 feet and weighs 110 short tons.

At the Art Institute, the North Lion is “On the Prowl” by Edward Kemeys. The South Lion is “stands in an attitude of defiance.”

We ate a lovely lunch at Terzo Piano. I think it’s only for private events now.

The Art Institute is open daily 10:30–5:00 and Thursdays until 8:00. Adults $25. Illinois residents on Thursdays, military members, Chicago children under 18, all children under 13 are FREE.

We saw so many favorites we have studied in our homeschool!

Then we walked to look at some other fun sites.

Lucent is a shining 13-foot sculpture created by English artist Wolfgang Buttress, with the help of astrophysicist, Dr. Daniel Bayliss, made of 3,115 lights, the number of visible stars in the Northern Hemisphere. It is amplified even more against a mirrored ceiling above and a reflecting pool below. It hangs in the lobby of the John Hancock Building.

We trekked down to the American Girl store at Water Tower Place.

We had dinner at Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch. It’s super fun and has a little museum inside.

Day 4: Shedd Aquarium

We saw more lovely street art on the way to the Shedd Aquarium.

Reproduced from the original historic Metro entrances of Paris, designed by Hector Guimard:

Bird Boy Mural

Agora is designed by Polish artist Magdalena Abakanowicz, on the southwest side of Grant Park, and is made up of 106 9-foot headless and armless torsos fabricated from cast iron.

Shedd Aquarium was the first inland aquarium with permanent saltwater exhibits as well as freshwater habitats. It opened on May 30, 1930.

Regular hours
Weekdays: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Weekends: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Extended summer hours (June 15-Aug. 18, 2019)
All days: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with the exception of July 27

General admission: Adult $39.95*, child (3-11) $29.95*
Chicago residents: Adult $19.95*, child (3-11) $14.95*

Active-duty U.S. military personnel receive FREE general admission with proper ID.

Blue Star Families Program
Memorial Day through Labor Day, active-duty U.S. military and up to five family members receive free general admission to Shedd. Proper ID is required.

We love aquariums and try to visit them in every city we travel. Shedd is exceptional.

We loved the Belugas, Aquatic Presentation, and all 8 around the world exhibits. We’re so pleased with how much conservation they support.

Shedd is a full day of fun!

We had dinner at Santorini. It is now permanently closed and I am so sad.

We stopped by one last monument before heading home the next morning, the old stockyard gate:

There’s never enough time to see everything, but I think we used our time well and saw so much!

What’s your favorite site in Chicago?

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Ohio Caverns

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August 12, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert Leave a Comment

We visited Ohio Caverns in May 2019. We chose the Natural Wonder Tour.

I recommend wearing raincoats and boots. The guides do provide ponchos.

We loved the rock formations and colors from the minerals.

Lots of water down there. There were water lines from past floods.

Visit Ohio Caverns.

Natural Wonder Tour Info

Historic Tour Info

Ohio Caverns is Open All Year. We only close on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Hours

Summer Session (May 1 – September 30) : 9 am to 5 pm (Last tour starts at 5 pm)
Winter Session (January 1 – April 30; October 1 – December 31) : 10 am to 4 pm (Last tour starts at 4 pm)

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Day Trip to Cologne

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February 11, 2019 By Jennifer Lambert 1 Comment

We had long wanted to visit Köln or Cologne, the fourth largest city in Germany.

We were counting down to our move back to the States and had to make it a day trip. We had to get a special emissions test and sticker to travel into the city.

We parked and walked around the Cathedral.

Our first stop was Früh.

Even though 90% of the city was destroyed during WWII, the brewery was spared.

While we didn’t partake in traditional Halve Hahn, we did have a lovely meal of fish, cold beef, potatoes, veggies, and salad.

After lunch, we toured the Cathedral.

One of my favorite carols is I Saw Three Ships.

The lyrics mention the ships sailing into Bethlehem, but the nearest body of water is the Dead Sea about 20 miles (32 km) away. The reference to three ships is thought to originate in the three ships that bore the purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century. Another possible reference is to Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, who bore a coat of arms “Azure three galleys argent”. Another suggestion is that the ships are actually the camels used by the Magi, as camels are frequently referred to as “ships of the desert”.

St. Agilulfus altar and shrine: