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Chasing the Corp of Discovery – Nine Notable Sites From Kansas City to Bismarck
Have you ever decided to go somewhere just to get out of town? Have you ever decided to go somewhere just because you have never been? Have you ever decided to go somewhere without much planning ahead? Our last road trip for the summer screamed yes to each of these questions! We were slated to fly to Phoenix and visit Scottsdale and Joshua Tree National Park (I know they aren’t that close really, but I was going to make it happen) over spring break. Well, the trip got postponed until August due to Covid. August rolled around, and numbers were even worse than in the spring, so our trip got…
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Accessing Archaeology for Academic Engagement
Think back to your childhood for a moment. What did you want to be when you were a kid? Me? First, I wanted to be a marine biologist. Then, I saw Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, and that sealed the deal. I was going to be an archaeologist! I even practiced my “Indy” skills once by jumping off of the train at the Kansas City Zoo and running back down the track to collect a treasure – I had lost one of my favorite earrings. (I had clip-ons at the time – I know…I know!) I just happened to see it on the ground as we rode past,…
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Surprising Stonehenge
Where are you traveling or have you traveled this summer? If you are like me, archaeological sites and other historical locations are high on your bucket list of top destinations. One place that has always intrigued me is Stonehenge. Now I obviously could not travel to Stonehenge in the UK, as Europe has closed its doors to Americans for now, and I can’t say that I blame them. BUT I DID visit America’s Stonehenge this summer! What? You’ve never heard of it? Well, I had never heard of it before either until I ran across a brief description in my DK New England guidebook! As a history teacher, the name…
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Eleven States in Seven Days A Sisadventure
Well here we go! My little sis and I are off on our seven day vacation, an Avoid the Rona Road Trip. Yes, mom, we have our masks and we are wearing them. We will be driving (and camping) in my sister’s Tesla Model 3, which she calls Nik (#NiksNotReal). My sister is a science teacher, and way more techy than me. If EV’s are your thing, you can check out her blog too for all of the details about how great they are here! I will stick to history and hilarity! For those who know my sister and I, you know this trip is sure to be a riot, although…
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Mediterranean Cruise Series Episode 5 France, Spain & Ireland
The Final Three Countries: France, Spain, Ireland This will be the last episode in the Mediterranean Cruise Series. I hope you have enjoyed journeying with us so far and learned something new. I hope you have found some inspiration to travel to new places when the time is right! Toulon France Day 11 included a stop in Toulon, France. There is not much to tell about this particular stop. It was very short, and did not leave time for shore excursions. I really wanted to visit a lavender farm, but there just was not enough time. This port is an alternative to Marseille, and is more geared toward naval purposes. There…
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Mediterranean Cruise Series Episode 4 Pisa & Florence
Welcome back! Thanks for joining me on our Mediterranean Cruise adventure! This is the next to last installment for this series. We will be exploring the port of Livorno in Italy which gives access to Pisa & Florence! Pisa Italy Our tour today, day 10, was the Exclusive Best of Florence and Pisa through Shore Excursions Group, of course! After a beautiful drive through Tuscany, our first stop of the day was in Pisa. Our guide flip flopped our itinerary to go to Pisa in the morning as it gets pretty crowded in the afternoons. Also, a warning I would give, unfortunately, is to be aware of pickpockets. I have…
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Mediterranean Cruise Series Episode 3 Naples & Rome
All roads lead to Rome, and that is true in the case of this post! Welcome back to our Mediterranean Cruise adventure! After exploring Greece and Turkey, day 7 was another day at sea while we cruised to the eastern coast of Italy. This was the day for one of my embarrassing moments. I completely forgot about the dress code at the Windows Dining Room, and got sent to change out of my capris into pants! Oops! This evening we cruised through the Strait of Messina and watched the sun set over Sicily and Mount Etna. It was gorgeous! We were also going to pass by Stromboli, Italy’s most active…
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Mediterranean Cruise Series Episode 2 Greece & Turkey
Bon Voyage! Thanks for traveling with me! Welcome to Episode 2 of the Mediterranean Cruise Series. Our first two days on board ship were “At Sea.” We had to get from Venice, on the northernmost part of Adriatic Sea, to Athens in the Aegean Sea. We had plenty to do. We were not bored. We spent plenty of time on the pool deck, and staff were great at helping find deck chairs. We played a few games in the casino, and visited the Galaxy Lounge, and of course we ate. A lot. The food was great. We always ate breakfast at Ruffies -no really it was Ruffles. My daughter misread…
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Mediterranean Cruise Series Episode 1 Venice
Six Countries. Two Continents. Two Weeks. Welcome back! Is it even possible to visit 6 countries and 2 continents in just 14 days? The answer is yes, if you plan/choose a Mediterranean Cruise carefully! This will be the first in a series of posts exploring ports of call for the Mediterranean Cruise my daughter and I took when she graduated high school. After doing A LOT of research (which by the way, really is the key to an enjoyable trip), I decided to book a 12 night Mediterranean Cruise offered by Norwegian Cruise Line. I was a little nervous and a lot excited! Nervous because this would be our first…
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Unexpected Arkansas Adventure
Who knew there was a submarine in the middle of the nation? When my daughter called to see if I would go on a weekend road trip with her last fall, I was of course on board. She is working on her Master’s degree in history and is particularly interested in maritime and naval history, so when she told me we were going to see a submarine, I wasn’t necessarily surprised. I WAS surprised that we were going to North Little Rock, Arkansas! I mean, what is a submarine doing in North Little Rock, Arkansas?! Keeping in mind that we only had the weekend, we had to prioritize our activities.…
