What do you think of when you think of Malibu? Hollywood stars? Expensive homes? Barbie? (Yes, I’m a child of the 80s.) I think of all of these things, so when we had a chance to make a quick stop to Malibu Beach, we took it. Malibu: The Plan or More Accurately, the Non-Plan When we planned our first trip to California in 2019, we knew we wanted to include some beach time. Kristin and I had never even been near the Pacific Ocean, so squeezing in a beach visit or two was definitely a goal. There are a lot of choices, of course, but in the end, we chose Malibu and Santa Monica Pier. One reason we chose Santa Monica is that it’s the end of Route 66, and we live blocks away from the historic highway in Joplin, Missouri. If you want to check out more about our…
Orca Whale Tour at Friday Harbor on San Juan Island
I’d always wanted to do a whale tour. As we were planning this trip, we were hoping we somewhere along the way, we could…
One Day at Knott’s Berry Farm
When we began planning our first trip to Disneyland and Southern California, Knott’s Berry Farm came up in our planning. I’d always wanted to…
Ghost Tour at the Pythian Castle
At Halloween, some families go trick-or-treating. Some have parties or scary movie marathons. This year, our family decided to do a ghost tour in…
Twilight and More in Forks, Washington
I was not a Twilight fan. As we planned the road trip that eventually would include Olympic National Park, I didn’t know that Forks…
Oogie Boogie Bash and Disneyland at Halloween
Disney Dreamin’: The Background We’d never been to a Disney park in any other season but summer. June and July, to be exact. When…
Staying at Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone
Ever since I learned that the historic Old Faithful Inn was a place, I knew I needed to stay there one day. My dream…
Exploring Bear Lake at Rocky Mountain National Park
One of our favorite experiences at Rocky Mountain National Park was hiking along Bear Lake. It’s a relatively easy hike; the terrain is relatively…
Dinner and Shopping at The Pioneer Woman Mercantile
If you’ve ever watched the Food Network, you’re probably at least familiar with Ree Drummond, also known as The Pioneer Woman. Actually, I admire…