The Narrows is one of those popular hikes that lives up to the hype. When I first heard of the hike in Zion National Park a few years ago and realized that it included walking in water, I knew we should give it a try. The scenery is gorgeous, and the cooling water would be [...] The post Hiking The Narrows at Zion National Park appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

Pecan Lodge is just one of those places that people recommend for barbecue in Dallas. Because I live in Southwest Missouri, when I think of barbecue, the first city that pops into mind is Kansas City. Memphis is a close second. But one can’t ignore one of the best contenders for amazing brisket and ribs, [...] The post Pecan Lodge: Great Texas BBQ in Dallas appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

, If you’re looking for a fun weekend destination for families, look no further than Santa Claus, Indiana. This small town totally embraces the Christmas spirit, all year long. Many families flock to the area to visit Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari Water Park. There’s also a pretty amazing campground next door to the parks–Sun [...] The post A Weekend in Santa Claus, Indiana appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

What do you think of when you think of Plymouth Rock? Like everyone else, as a child, I’d heard stories about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims, and I’d imagined this huge rock marking the historic event of when the Pilgrims landed. Over the years, I’d heard that the rock wasn’t all that large. And I’d [...] The post Our Day at Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Paxtuet Museums appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

When I realized our summer road trip in 2022 would take us right by the Winchester Mystery House, I knew what we had to do. That’s right. We had to stop. The History of the Winchester Mystery House The Winchester Mystery House is a historic mansion located in San Jose, California. Its construction began in [...] The post The Winchester Mystery House appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

s, The Ritchey Mansion in Newtonia, Missouri, is a treasure! This Civil War-era home is a great artifact in the area. And its paranormal happenings make it all the better. One of our favorite things to do when traveling is to take a ghost tour. You’ll get a dose of history with some spooky on [...] The post Ghost Hunting at the Ritchey Mansion appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

Staying at Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph RV Resort is one of our favorite Halloween season experiences. We’d wanted to visit Holiday World for some time, and when a long weekend popped up on my teaching schedule, we set our plan into motion. Where to stay in Santa Claus, Indiana, the town that’s home to Holiday [...] The post Happy Halloween Weekends at Sun Outdoors Lake Rudolph appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

One of my favorite things about fall is our area’s multitude of fall festivals. Last year, we added a new one to our list, which was amazing! The Japanese Fall Festival at Springfield, Missouri’s, Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden is an annual event that occurs roughly the same time of year as some traditional festivals in [...] The post Japanese Fall Festival at Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

We’d like to thank Historic Tours of Boston for sponsoring our visit to the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. As always, all opinions are honest and our own. If you’ve followed our blog for any time at all, you’d know that we love learning more about history as we travel the United States. Our [...] The post Visit the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more

If you’re in the Nashville area, be sure to make a stop at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. This home of the seventh president of the United States is a great way to get a glimpse of life in the early 1800s. While Andrew Jackson’s legacy is complicated, I always want to learn more and teach my [...] The post Visiting Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage appeared first on Love, Laughter, and Luggage ..read more