Travel
Kauai Itinerary: Plan a Trip to Paradise
When planning a trip to the paradise island of Kauai, take a good look at an ariel map in order to appreciate all the island has to offer. Check out this Kauai Itinerary of our trip to paradise. We spent seven full days on the island and feel like we could have spent seven more days discovering all this beautiful place has to offer.
North Shore
The island of Kauai can be separated into four sections: North, South, East, and West. An abundance of flora is evident on the North shore as well as spectacular views. Accommodations are luxurious here without the significant price tag of the south shore.
We stayed in the area of Princeville in a three bedroom, two and a half bath condo known as the Villas of Kamalii. This condo community has a wonderful BBQ, pool, and hot tub area to hang out and relax. Nearby pristine golf courses afford amazing views in every direction.
Favorite locations along the North shore are: the town of Hanalei, Hanalei Valley Lookout, Tunnels Beach, Wishing Well Shave Ice, and Tahiti Nui. This quaint town is filled with little shops to explore and lots of tucked away beaches.
Things to do on the North Shore:
For fun things to do: visit any and all of the local farmer’s markets. Locations of farmer’s markets change depending on the day. The Hanalei Valley Lookout is a pull over spot and doesn’t require hiking to view the stunning views of the valley. Be forewarned, Kauai is known as the Garden Isle because of its lush flora which flourishes because of its abundance of rain. I share this because sometimes beautiful views may be blocked by clouds and fog. Put Hanalei Pier on your to-do list – it was a great beach to hang out at all day.
Shave Ice is a thing in Kauai – and it is “Shave Ice” not “shaved ice”. Wishing Well Shave Ice was my personal favorite place to aquire some pretty unique concoctions of shave ice. I recommend The Local.
While exploring, we hiked a portion of the Kalalau Trail. Our intention was to view the Hanakaepei Falls; however, we only made it about 1 3/4 mile in before we circled back for a total of 3 and half miles of hiking with increases of 600 feet above sea level elevation. Even though we did not make it to the falls, this hike was one of our favorite activities because every view was absolutely stunning. Below is one of our snapshots along the hike.
East Shore
While the east shore of Kauai is more budget friendly, the vibe is more industrial instead of island. We spent a little time here driving by the Wailua Falls, visiting Lydgate Beach, and attending the Smith Family Luau.
We did enjoy a trip to Costco while here – ha! We could get to anywhere on the island within an hour to an hour and a half so it was no big deal for us to explore during the day then return to our condo. A majority of the island is not accessible by road.
South Shore
Kauai’s south shore holds lots of luxurious resorts as well as one of our favorite activities – Capt’n Andy’s! Capt’n Andy’s is a boating company that offers a variety of nautical experiences while on the island of Kauai.
The beach at Poipeu is a popular location for sightings of monk seals and sea turtles sunbathing. My youngest and I actually got to swim with a sea turtle.
Na Pali Coast
The west shore houses the magnificent Na Pali Coast. Viewing of the west shore of Kuaui is mainly possible by boat, helicopter, or plane. Movies such as Jurassic Park make the Na Pali Coast easily recognizable.
Sailing along the Na Pali Coast with the dolphins, sea turtles, fish, and even one sighted hammerhead shark was a treat! Our boating excursion was an all day event that included breakfast and lunch.
Visiting beautiful sights across the world and country is such a treasure! Looking for more travel itineraries? Check out our Greece Itinerary if you want to visit this ancient country one day.
Summer Travel Planning: What You Need to Know Before You Go
We are in the throws of summer and if you have not already, you might be in the middle of summer travel planning. The following are my essential tips and considerations for having the ultimate summer travel!
1. Budget
I’m uncertain anyone likes to be hemmed in by something like a budget; however, knowing the amount of money you have available for your trip will give guidelines to your trip expectations. Categories in your budget should include: transportation, food, souvenirs, accommodations, and experiences.
Because we have taken some big trips in the past couple of years, the transportation category has been the biggest chunk of our budget. However, for smaller trips, I would say accommodations and experiences would be larger spending categories.
You determine what your budget will be and how you will make it work for you during your trip.
2. Weather
Checking to see what type of weather a location has throughout the year can help you determine when the best time for you to visit will be. For example, in Kuaui, it is the rainiest of the Hawaiian islands. It’s drier months are May-July. If I was only able to visit during March or April, I would need to be prepared to have certain excursions hindered by the volume of rain and rough currents.
3. Must-Dos
Talk with your spouse and/or family and ask what are the must-dos of the trip. When we visited Greece for my son’s senior trip, he wanted to make certain he was able to see some famous sites. When it was my daughter’s turn for her senior trip to Kuaui, she wanted to focus more on relaxing times at the various beaches over the island.
What are the must-dos that will make your vacation special? Over the years I have tried to share various trip itineraries to my blog. You can access my family’s Greece itinerary, here.
If you only have a certain amount to spend on experiences, then I recommend listing them in order of importance and by cost. Once you and your family have viewed the list, you can choose which experiences you will participate in. For example, on our recent trip to Kuaui, my daughter wanted to do a helicopter ride. After looking up multiple sites for costs and determining one 50 minute helicopter ride for our family of five would be over $2,000, we realized that would be an experience we would not be doing for this trip. We were however able to book an entire day’s excusion on a catamaran boat with food included for half that price. We selected the catamaran excursion as one of our experiences.
4. Accommodations
My best advice for selecting accommodations is to look for certain features. My top features are: 8+ rating, A/C, and free cancellation.
The only time I have ever used a travel agent is when we went to Disney World and the agent was well worth her expertise. For all other travel, I do the research and planning on my own. Sites that I hit up for travel accommodations are: booking.com, VRBO, airbnb, and even occassionally, hotels.com .
For booking.com, I look for 8+ ratings for any and all accommodations I book. For VRBO and AirBnB, I deep-dive on the reviews – not just the first one or two. I read MANY reviews before I book with one of these two sites.
With features like “free cancellation”, it is not always necessary to purchase travel insurance. You will have to determine what is your risk when traveling and what money can be recouped.
5. Transportation
When traveling to a vacation destination, decide before you go how you will get around your travel local. Will it be best to take city transportation? Do you need to rent your own car? Once you have decided your mode of transportation, do a deep-dive on the ins and outs of that mode. For example, if you are choosing city transportation, look up maps, schedules, and fees all before you leave for your trip. Know the difference between a bus, a subway, and the Metro (ask me why this is important to me). We learned this lesson the hard way while in Athens, Greece. I thought city transportation meant a city bus system; however, after three hours of wandering the streets of Athens, we learned the city not only had a bus system but an underground metro system. Knowing exactly how you will travel from point to point on your vacation will greatly decrease your stress.
There you have it: my top 5 areas to consider when summer travel planning. Happy travels!
The Ultimate Guide to Traveling with Kids: Packing & Planning Tips
Make no mistake, this is not a blog post promising traveling with kids will be stress-free. That is a unicorn that cannot be found. Instead, read on for tips that will help make traveling with kids go more smoothly.
1. Pack their own bags.
I’ve purchased a rolling carry-on for each member of our family. In fact, I try my best to fit all of their items in a carry-on to avoid checked luggage or at the very least reduce the amount of checked luggage. Packing bags for each one of my kids allows for everyone to keep track of their own items. We even put different colored name tags on each piece.
Utilizing packing cubes like these are a game changer in my book.(As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission – at no cost to you – off any viable links) These cubes make finding each day’s outfit a piece of cake! I’ve shared more packing tips in a blog post here.
2. Have them carry their own backpack.
Backpacks are another big help. I love a travel backpack but any school backpack will do as well. Backpacks tend to hold phones, personal devices, books, pens, etc. for each kiddo. A travel pillow and small blanket might be included in a backpack as well.
3. Create a snacks bin.
Snacks are always a fun addition to any travel plans. Your mode of transportation can impact your snack bin. For example, if we travel via car, then I place all possible snacks in a tote bag with handles that sits in the middle of the car and can be easily accessible. If we travel via plane, then snacks are packed in individual backpacks to avoid having to pass snacks across an airplane.
4. Allow some flexibility.
In our house we have a screen time allottment. However, on travel days, I tend to be more flexible on this rule. I do have my kids break up their screen time so they are not zeroed in on a screen for hours at a time.
Also it should be noted that while we are training our kids in how to behave and become adults, they do not always know how to process the emotions that go into travel. Delays and hiccups in the vacation plans can be taxing. Practicing patience will come in handy during vacations.
While a majority of my kids are practically grown, I still want to encourage parents of younger kids to start small with your travel. For example, start with a half day trip then transition to a whole day outing. Once expectations are created, move to an overnight trip. After you have had some success with an overnight trip, try 2-3 days together before you break out in a 1-2 week vacation. Traveling and vacations are fun but they can also be overwhelming and thwart a child’s daily structure. We need structure to a certain extent and may need help learning how to adjust to vacation mode.
5. Plan only 1-2 activities a day.
I have slowly learned this tidbit (with the exception of Disney World). Because I want us to experience ALL the things, I have fallen into the trap of cramming each day full of activities. I’ve discovered the family has less fun when we are running to mark multiple experiences off of our to-do list. When one to two main activities are planned per day, it opens the traveling experience up to spontaneous moments of fun.
No matter where you are traveling, I hope you will find these tips to be the ultimate guide to traveling with kids.
5 Fun Things to Do in the Fall
Fall is my absolute favorite time of year! And while it feels like marketing is steamrolling into the holidays, here are 5 fun things to do in the Fall.
Pick Apples from an Orchard
Google apple orchards in your area and see what turns up. There is an amazing apple orchard just down the road from our house in our previous town and regretfully, I never attended. However, this year, we are planning to make a trip to pick some apples – what better way to kick off the fall season? Steele Orchard seems like a perfect day trip.
Make a day of romping through an apple orchard taking pictures, sampling apples and all apple products, and creating sweet memories with your family.
Sew, knit, or crochet
Here me out before you read on – there is something about working with your hands that creates peace. While I am no expert at sewing, my mother’s advice along with YouTube videos have helped me navigate my way to showing off some sewing creativity. Spending time alone making something brings a sense of comfort and accomplishment. Can you just envision yourself sitting by the fire or in front of a good tv show making something with your hands? Try a YouTube video tutorial for any of the above: sewing, knitting, or crocheting. Let me know how it goes!
Bake an Apple Pie
With the apples you pick from your apple orchard trip, bake an apple pie! What better fun thing to do in the fall then to bake a delicious apple pie? This recipe from The Pioneer Woman sounds delicious. For me half the joy of the fall season are all the wonderful smells: apple, cinnamon, pumpkin – oh my!
Go for a Scenic Drive
Friends of mine who were limited on funds got creative with their vacations. They chose to visit all 67 counties of the state of Alabama. What a fun thing to do! Of course, some of their trips were longer than others but some pretty great scenic drives can be made in a day.
My favorite is when I find a pin on Pinterest that has a wonderful road trip already mapped out.
Visit a Pumpkin Farm or Farmer’s Market
My family is fortunate to live near a lovely farmer’s market. Pepper Place Market is located in downtown Birmingham and has a host of vendors that are lovely to peruse.
If downtown city is too much city for you, find a local pumpkin patch and enjoy the sights and scents of fall.
Another wonderful fall activity is camping. To me, when the air is chilly is the perfect time to start up a campfire and enjoy the scenes of nature. A good fall camping location is outlined here in a previous post.This is a fabulous season to complete five fun things to do in the fall!
Sizzling Summer: A Peak Into My Summer Routine
No doubt about it, my summer has definitely been sizzling! Read along to sneak a peak into my summer routine.
Summer with Kids
This by far has been our busiest summer. It is the end of a season in our lives, our second son graduated in May and will head off to college at the end of the summer. I was not prepared for how busy his last summer at home would be. He has participated in many wonderful opportunities this summer and I am just sad to see it come to an end. With that being said, much of our summer routine revolves around the kids’ activities.
My summer routine included many drop offs and pick ups from various camps: church camp, choir tour, Boy Scouts camp, and student leadership retreat. Add in our fabulous trip to Greece – which you can read about here – and there is a bulk of my summer routine. When the kids were younger, we kept a much more structured weekly summer schedule similar to the one I will post below; however, as the kids have grown and have more functions through various organizations, we have less time to devote to a daily summer schedule.
Many summers we followed a similar schedule. Daily Rituals
My daily rituals in the summer include: sleeping in, enjoying a peaceful devotional time with a hot cup of coffee, and getting ready for the day. Most Thursdays this summer, I attend an online Professional Development course to maintain my teaching certification. Also, I participated in a brief, six week Bible Study of the book of Philippians.
Now that my kids are older and sports, activities, and church events guide our routines, I think back to the days of the summer schedule similar to the one shown above. That schedule helped keep three littles on track and me sane. I appreciate this mom’s post of how she structured her summer routines, “just enough”.
Relaxing Vibes
While I personally believe there is always plenty to do at home, relaxing vibes are always my goal. Summer routines serve the best relaxing vibes. We are seldom stressed to get out the door at an early time during the summer. Maybe the extra time at home this summer afforded me the opportunity to online shop a little too much – ha! I have enjoyed ordering some of my favorite travel outfits from Amazon.
This dress has been an absolute favorite all summer long! *As an Amazon Associate, I may earn commission on any eligible links. Special Treasures
Part of what makes summer so awesome are the special treasures tucked in throughout the summer months. We have enjoyed so many sweet treasures this summer: trip to Greece, a wedding for my nephew, and camp trips.
How has your summer been? Would you call it, sizzling? Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you!
Access my Greece Itinerary + What I would change about my trip
An overseas trip for my family is a big deal. We do not have these opportunities often so planning out a detailed trip ensures that we make the most of a trip of a lifetime. We recently went on the trip of a lifetime to Greece. Here I will give you access to my Greece Itinerary along with what I would change about my trip.
3 Days and 3 Nights in Santorini
My family and I spent 3 nights and 3 days in Santorini which is a part of the Kiklahdes islands of Greece. We stayed in the Exo Gonia area, centrally located in Santorini. Over the course of 3 days we explored the southern and northern portions of the island. The island is only three miles wide and a total of 10 miles long. When deciding which locations of Greece to visit, I loved gleaning information from Amanda Monique Brown and her Instagram and blog posts.
The architecture of Santorini and food were amazing. Spending time exploring various villages such as Emperio and Megalochori were lovely to stroll around. Fira, Imergovoli, and Oia were beautiful as well; however, crowds in Oia were not enjoyable.
On our second night in Santorini, we ate at Metaxi Mas in Exo Gonia and it was an amazing dinner experience. The environment and vibe of the place was welcoming and relaxed. The restaurant is tucked away down a street that is behind a church. Without the sign at the main road you would not know it exists but it is a delightful experience. One aspect of Greek culture I loved was every evening meal was meant to be enjoyed late at night with no rush. Our dinner reservations were not until 9:30 p.m. The restaurant provided complementary aperitifs and appetizers as well as dessert to close out the meal. When discussing our trip, the whole family remembers this evening fondly.
Skaros Rock and Imerovigli, Santorini 3 Days and 2 Nights in Milos
Milos was amazing! I wish we would have stayed longer in Milos. It is such a wonderful island. While it is larger than Santorini, it very much has a small town feel with buses taking you to many locations for only 2 euros per person.
We entered the port town of Adamas in the evening after taking a ferry over from Santorini. The ferry ride was around three hours long. We were able to walk from the port to our accommodations, The White Suites of Milos. After settling in, we strolled down to the waterfront and ate at Gyros of Milos. It was such a wonderful outdoor eating experience.
For our only full day in Milos, we rented a semi-private sailboat excursion with Polco Sailing. Hands down, this experience was the highlight of our entire trip. We left port at 9:00 a.m. and did not return until after 7:00 p.m. While aboard, we were fed breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. Our excursion stopped at four different locations allowing for us to swim, snorkle, paddle board, and explore – a pirates cove was included! Kleftiko beach and the Blue Lagoon were our favorite stops. While sailing we passed the colorful fishing village of Klima.
The evening after our sailing excursion, we ate at Mikros Apoplous. This was a fantastic restaurant that I wish we would have been more alert to enjoy. A day at sea drained us but the seaside setting of this restaurant was gorgeous. The service was amazing and the food delicious with complimentary lemon souffle`s at the end.
The gorgeous waters of Milos, Greece. On our last day in Milos, we took a bus to Sarikiniko Beach which is known as the “moon beach” because of the white rock that covers the entire area. This beach was unlike any other beach I have ever visited. It was stunning! Buses run multiple times a day to Sarikiniko, just make certain you pay attention to the last bus leaving the beach.
1 Day and 2 Nights in Athens
My family flew in and out of Athens. Based on a friend’s recommendation, we checked out Athens at the end of our trip. While the history is amazing, my family and I greatly enjoyed the islands moreso than the city of Athens. Multiple outlets shared that Athens would not be worth more than a full day’s visit.
Athens is a large city and there are very pretty portions of the city. There are other areas that look pretty run down. My overall complaint was the heat. It was not enjoyable to walk around in 94 degree heat.
My son and I did check out the magnificent Acropolis and its lovely history and architecture. We arrived just before 9:00 a.m. and the crowds were already heavy. I would recommend booking a ticket time for 8:00 a.m. at its opening in order to hopefully have smaller crowds.
After touring the Acropolis, we met up with the rest of my family and ate lunch in the Plaka neighborhood then toured the National Archeological Museum of Athens. Plaka is a beautiful neighborhood and I would have liked to explore it a little more.
For our last evening in Greece, we were very chill. We ended up walking to a restaurant that was just a few blocks away from our hotel. We stayed at the Delice Hotel in Athens. Our last meal in Greece was an authentic, local fare filled with gyros and kebabs. The name of the restaurant was in Greek but translated it means, “Olive & Bread”. After dinner we strolled to a nearby grocery store to load up on new snacks to take on our journey home as well as stopped by a local bakery, International Classic Patisserie, to get some sweet treats.
One of many artifacts on display at the National Archeological Museum in Athens. What I Would Change…
Transportation – make sure you know everything there is to know about your mode of transportation between destinations. In hindsight, I would not have waited at the airport seven more hours for a quick flight to Santorini. I would have booked the six hour ferry and we would have been moving in the direction of our destination instead of waiting in an airport terminal (which was delayed by an hour due to plane technical difficulties).
The metro was the cheapest and easiest way to navigate Athens but it was extremely difficult to locate the actual entrance to the metro. I would make sure I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt where the Metro was located before heading out to catch a ride.
Lastly, I would have changed the order of days at our destinations. Instead of staying in Santorini for 3 days and 3 nights, I would have stayed there 2 nights and 2 days. This change would have allowed us to stay in Milos for 3 nights and 4 days. Milos was absolutely stunning and we didn’t even get to explore all of the island. Milos is much less crowded than Santorini and it had many more beach options to visit.
Creating an itinerary gives a little guidance as to what sites and excursions are available at a destination. Planning my own travel ititnerary is one of my favorite things to do. I share some of my tips for itinerary planning, here. I would love for you to check it out! Please take and use this blog post as a help to you when planning your own Greece trip!
How to Start a Blog: Tips to Make it Happen
In today’s fast paced culture, one would think a blog is antiquated. However, blogs are a thriving mode for communicating with a mass audience covering any topic of interest. Read along as I share how to start a blog: tips to make it happen.
Family photo at Rosemary Beach 1. Select a niche.
I almost hate using this phrase for a subheading. If you spend any time at all online, you will hear the buzzword, “niche”. Honestly, sometimes it is stressful when I hear, “select a niche” or “niche down”. Take a deep breath and do not fear, selecting a niche might be easier than you think. What is it that you want to share? What perspective do you have that you want the world to know? For me, I like sharing about my home and family – our lifestyle. I have selected the niche of “Lifestyle Blogger”. When creating your own blog, select a niche ideal for you.
Much of my blog inspiration comes from what I share on my Instagram account. 2. Utilize a host site.
It is almost comical that I have a blog when being tech savvy is not my forte. The good news is, there are YouTube tutorials that can walk you through a step-by-step process for setting up your blog. These tutorials do a great job of helping you understand the ways to begin to monetize your blog. I decided to use WordPress to create my blog. WordPress has a wide range of templates to use when designing your blog.
Over and over again as I started my blogging journey, I saw information about bluehost.com. This is my host site for my blog. It allows me to own the name of my blog and its place on the internet. I pay an annual fee for the website name and site upkeep.
3. Determine a schedule.
Once you have hammered out the nitty gritty of a niche and have taken the time to set up and create the look of your blog, it is time to determine a schedule. Admittedly, this last one has been my weakness. For the 2024 year, one of my two goals for the year was to write 52 blog posts. I wanted to consistently show up on my blog in a way I had not previously done. Notice, I did not say I would post once a week – ha! I know myself too well and wanted to give myself grace in the event that something happened one week and I could not generate a blog post on a specific day of the week. Currently I am targeting releasing a new blog every week. A bulk of my blog posts have been released on Wednesdays with few exceptions. Determine a schedule that works for you and stick to it!
My hope is that these tips are just the motivation you need to start your own blog! Please let me know in the comments if you have a blog and what its name is. I would love to check it out!
Tips for Planning Your Own Travel Itinerary
Summer is the perfect time for travel! With kids out of school, beautiful weather, and vacation days, travel sounds like a great idea. You can check out another favorite vacation spot of ours here. Feeling overwhelmed with the idea of planning your vacation? Here are some tips for planning your own travel itinerary.
Conwy Castle
Tip 1: Pole your partner or family on desired location
Ask your partner or family members what locations they would like to visit. I’ve even heard of some family members creating PowerPoints with the highlights of their desired destination! Getting input from your traveling party allows you to consider what locales will best meet everyone’s ideals.
Tip 2: Utilize Pinterest and Google
Once you have a location, spend quite a bit of time researching the locale. Pinterest and Google are big supports in researching information regarding vacation destinations and amenities. My personal favorite is Pinterest. You can check out my Wales/Ireland board here.
I did use Google for Google Flights and booked my airline tickets through this site. Google Flights also required travel insurance purchase for the airfare. This is beneficial in case of an emergency that would require you to cancel your trip. We did not get travel insurance for the rest of our trip because it was not all-inclusive. Our car rental and hotel stays had their own cancellation policies that provided the necessary “insurance” to protect our interests in the event of a need to cancel. Whether or not to purchase travel insurance is a decision only you can make – you know your personal situation best.
Tip 3: Create a Google Doc
As you formulate a draft of what you would like to see and do on vacation, create a Google Doc for your Itinerary. This format will be easy to edit and add to as you gain more knowledge of your accommodations and activities. For our recent trip to Wales, I added all of my Google Map links to the itinerary to assist with traveling from one location to the next. I also included all of my accommodation confirmation numbers and ticket purchase verification numbers. Our flight numbers were also typed into this itinerary and was easily accessible via Google Docs.
Newborough Beach
Tip 4: Don’t plan too much
Vacation should be just that – a vacation. I planned three activities at most for each day of our vacation with the understanding that we might not get to everything. I wanted enough options to keep us entertained but wanted the ability to opt out if we were feeling tired or overwhelmed.
Another factor to consider in your planning is the physical abilities of all of your travel party. You may have some highly active, physically fit members of your party as well as some members that struggle with stairs. Consider everyone’s activity levels when making your travel experience plans. For example, Wales had a variety of activity levels from a “Ziplining World” to train rides to see the local scenery. We crafted an itinerary that met our physical abilities.
Tip 5: Expect the unexpected
Know that no matter how much planning you do prior to your vacation, something can and will go wrong. Try to roll with the punches and appreciate each moment. For example, our vacation went beautifully until the last day. We had three legs of our flights. Our first leg of the flight from Dublin to London went as planned, the last two legs of the flight were delayed for 24 hours. We made it home and remembering all the fun we had on our vacation helped lesson the dissappointment of delayed flights.
Did I leave anything out? Do you have another tip in mind when creating your own travel itinerary?
Tips for Successful College Campus Tours
Brainstorm Colleges of Choice
I’ve been cautioned for years that this season of life approaches and passes quickly. Oh how true that is! The season of planning for college is upon us. From my experience, I want to share some tips for successful college campus tours.
Tip #1 is to sit down with your high school junior and discuss: career interests, college location interests, and financial obligations for college. Having these discussions early during junior year is ideal. Have your junior create a list of possible colleges he/she would like to visit.
As you can tell here, I love to travel! And visiting colleges offers multiple opportunities to see new places.
Auburn University’s Football Stadium
Set Up College Campus Tours
Returning to work outside of the home this year, I really felt behind on setting up college visits for my son. However, we picked an evening with no distractions and sat down with our computer and calendar to schedule college campus visits.
I learned during this process that some colleges only have Monday visits available. In my mind, I thought all college visits would take place on the weekend. That is not always the case. For example, the University of South Alabama held their college Pre-Med tour day on a Monday and since my son is interested in the medical field, we needed to schedule our visit for this particular day.
Out of the four schools we visited (University of South Alabama, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Auburn University and Mississippi State University), two tours were held on Mondays and the other two were held on weekends.
Include All Relevant Tours
Typically at each school, there will be a variety of tours offered. The standard tour is the campus tour; however, some colleges request their housing tours be booked separately as well as their recreational center tours. Take the time to look at all the tours available and schedule any tour that might be of interest to your student.
We booked campus, housing, and recreational center tours. In some cases, we scheduled meetings with the department chairs of the College of Math and Science. Scheduling meetings with specific department chairs allows you to ask detailed questions about the major your student is interested in pursuing.
A part of our campus tour at Mississippi State University.
Take in the Extras
If the college your student chooses is their home for the next four, six, or longer years, then take in the extras. What do I mean by that? If the college/university is a distance away from your home, book a hotel and stay a night or two. Allowing your student to experience the surrounding town of the college/university will afford him/her the opportunity to get a feel for what life will be like while they are in school.
We love asking the locals where to eat. I enjoy seeing what famous spots the towns are known for. For example, if visiting Auburn University, then Toomer’s Drugstore is a must stop for their world famous lemonade. The picture below is of the cute area of downtown Starkville, Mississippi where Mississippi State University resides.
The beautiful downtown area of Starkville, Missississippi – home of Mississippi State University.
Hopefully these tips will help guide you as you tackle this developmental milestone. May you have many successful college campus tours!
Five Day Trips in Alabama for Labor Day
Labor Day is quickly approaching and I have crafted five day trips in Alabama for Labor Day! As a child, I heard a speaker once share that she was clueless to the notion of Labor Day being a holiday because her father had convinced her family it was a day to labor on cleaning their property. Ha! That was a pretty smart father until his children became teenagers and aware that others were not cleaning their properties on Labor Day.
In preparation for the upcoming HOLIDAY, I have put together five day trips in Alabama that would make for quite a fun Labor Day.
1. Visit WildWater Cullman.
Here in Alabama, there is a new water park located in central Alabama, Wildwater Cullman. About an hour north of Birmingham, this water park would provide a wonderful day of water fun for the holiday. If you live outside of Alabama, do a quick Google search and see what water parks are near you. For most water activities, Labor Day marks the end of the season and a perfect way to celebrate the summer’s end.
2. Plan a hike.
Spend the day outdoors on a beautiful nature trail. Red Mountain Park is a nearby locale that provides miles of trails to hike and explore. Hiking is not the only activity available here. This is a place you can walk, hike, and mountain bike. There is also a dog park on the property.
Red Mountain Park provides ample trails similar to this one to hike and explore. 3. Host a cookout.
Don’t want to go far? Have no desire to get in your car and go for Labor Day? Don’t! Host a cookout in your backyard or in my case, an alleyway. Invite friends, neighbors, or family over to eat and fellowship together. A cookout is another great way to celebrate the summer’s end. Pinterest lends a hand when finding guides like this one for how to host a cookout.
4. Visit a waterfall.
What is it about a waterfall that makes life seem peaceful? Located north of my home is Bankhead National Forest. It has been nicknamed “Land of a 1,000 Waterfalls”. What an apt name for a locale that hosts such amazing beauty. Labor Day provides a wonderful pause in life to go exploring a waterfall.
Sougahoagdee Falls in Bankhead National Forest 5. Visit a Labor Day Celebration
Tannehill State Park will host a Tannehill Labor Day Celebration on Labor Day. This includes Alabama’s largest Moon Pie eating contest. In addition to this celebration, Bham Now includes other Labor Day Weekend activities to explore. Tannehill State Park is a wonderful campground that we have visited in the past. We love to go camping and we recently purchased a popup camper and put our own decor touch on it. You can read all about our camper and what to do when camping, here.
Bonus activities.
Choose Labor Day to get out and go biking. Another bonus idea is to check out a new spot you have not visited. With the hosting of the World Games, Birmingham did a wonderful job of creating a City Walk. My family and I have yet to visit it. Labor Day would be a good time to check it out! Leave a comment below and let me know what you are doing this Labor Day.
