Just south of Ann Arbor, is the small town of Saline.  Situated just off of US-23, with US-12 making it's way through downtown, and south of Ann Arbor, this small town provides a bustling area with a proud history.

We have spent a lot of our time driving through Saline on our way to various other spots along US-12.  As early sping started, we decided to spend one of the first nice days exploring an area we knew we wanted to discover.

First and foremost, learning how Saline was named was a question we did not think we needed an answer for.  However, we were pleasantly surprised by the story.  Built during the time of French settlement, the area held salt in some form.  At one point, there was an attempt to possibly mine salt here.  Saline is the French word for "Salt Marsh", which made so much sense when you think of things like a saline solution.

We made our way downtown and ended up finding a map that detailed a historic district just off of mainstreet.  Intrigued, we began walking.  On the map it looked like it was just over two blocks to a possible museum.  

As we made our way along the streets, we began to see why this area was considered the historic district.  We found the Union School, which had clearly beend used over time.  We also enjoyed various Victorian Era homes with sprawling porches and beautiful stories.  

The museum was at the end of the road, that was well worth the visit.  We will have now started our adventures on finding train depots, and will post about those sson.

Saline provides a variety of outdoor activties.  The downtown is an active city center, with shops and resteraunts to visit.  East of the city, there is another muesum as well, which hosts animals to visit.  It's small and quaint, and easy to spot just off the main road.

Saline also hosts a variety of festivals year round.  Side roads are closed and vistors are welcomed into the streets to participate the in the cities adventures.

Saline's history, which we found in that museum, was intriquing.  Built as a farm town, this bustling city use to be dirt roads and sheep.  As the world around Saline grew, the town become part of the expanding outside world.

Henry Ford made his way to Saline.  Here he opened one of his factories.  Just down the road, across from the dam, was a mill that he used.  This is now an event center with a beautiful park alongside it.  As Ford moved out, the city claimed the areas for future generations.

Saline continues to make it's mark on the map, as innovation continues to attempt to make a path there in the world of AI.  We also learned that the water held back by the damn was up for debate as well.

We do not live in this town, so our opinions or thoughts on these matters do not have any place.  However, after spending and afternoon exploring Saline and her sites, we can honestly say we are excited to see how this small town continues to push forward with strength and determination.  

Thanks Saline!  

Interested in more Michigan small towns?  Follow along as we highlight spots we love along the way!

Winter is a season we love.  It provides us endless opportunities, and our favorite summer spots get a fresh new look under the white of winter snow.  While the cold is bitter, and the days are short, we strive to make the most of it.

It's also a season of rest and hibernation.  The winter months tend to drive more people indoors, animals curl up and sleep, and the world becomes more still.  It's a season for calm, peace and a little reflection.

So we followed winter's lead.  We took a step back from the website and made more focused efforts on Tik Tok and Facebook.  We spent time learning what it is that people are looking for, and we spent a lot of time traveling and finding winter fun.

While we aren't yet at the spot to redo the website, we will be hosting a variety of different series.  We are going to share different travel plans, and teach about new and exciting places.  We're going to share as we continue to travel and see the world.

So welcome to a new season this spring.  The world is about to become new again, and we are excited to start sharing our next great adventures.  It's going to be wonderful!

Sometimes, you get opportunities that happen once in a lifetime, or are too good to be true, or just suddenly come up.  While ours happened to be the Winter Olympics, you truly never know when the occasion may arise that you are going to be able to plan an incredible trip quickly.  

Here are the three things you MUST have in order to be able to be on the move very quickly.

Number 1:  A Passport

At this point, if you are interested in traveling at all, a passport is a non-negotiable.  Not only do they make documentation easier, you have the ability to go anywhere at any time.  The process to get a passport can feel overwhelming.  Click the button below if you need a little help.

Number 2: Transportation 

Finding the right flight is essential.  It's extremely important to us to budget accordingly.  And this is what makes the once in a lifetime trip worth it.  Someone is going to say that they found a flight, or a train ticket, or have a car rental that is going to be affordable.  And you're going to want to take advantage when you can.  

If you're young, pile into the car and split the cost.  Find the flights to random places cities for next to nothing.  This is in the moment planning, and the more you save, the better the trip.

Number 3: Have the Right Mindset
​
No, you will never have enough money saved or time to just go away.  

Go anyway.

While there is always a level of responsiblity that goes with life, there is also a sense of freedom that comes with realizing that you can work as hard as you want, for as long as you want, and it will never be "the right time" to do much of anything.  You can always say you don't have the money, or you can't get away from work.

Go.

That's the last and greatest piece of advice.  You cannot take money with you.  You cannot make memories if you are always at work.  However, you can take memories that will last a lifetime to work with you.  

Major cities are great destinations for the holidays.  Decorated for the season, there is typically a center square that draws a crowd.  You'll usually find a tree and a variety of spots to create a night of magic. In Detroit, this spot is Campus Martius.

Located in the heart of Downtown, at the start of Detroit's famous Woodward Ave, is Campus Martius.  This square has been a longstanding landmark in Detroit, with the surveyor's point for the city located here.  As the city has continued to rebrand and rebirth itself in the 21st century, Campus Martius has become a holiday tradition for many.

We recommend parking in Greektown.  There are a number of parking areas, including the casino.  This helps keep travelers out of the dense traffic that surrounds the square.  The walk in just under a mile from the parking garage.  

Once you're at the square, there are a variety of activities to participate in.  You can ice skate, or wander along the edge of the rink and watch skaters glide under the lights of the city and the tree.  You can grab a drink in Parc, which boasts the surveyor's landmark for the city just in front of it's doors.  

Take a stroll across the street to Cadillac Market.  Shops line both sides of the walkway with unique items to find for Christmas gifts for those you love.  At the end of the market in Cadillac Lodge.  The Lodge is a cozy spot to grab a drink, play a game or two, and relax on the couches by the fire to enjoy the company of those you're with. 

There are many places to eat and drink in the area.  We stopped at The Old Shillelagh, Detroit's Irish Bar in Greektown.  Opened in 1975, the Old Shillelagh has kept up with Detroit and it's robust movement forward.  It now sources it's food locally, and supports the city around it.  (We are not affiliated!)  Check out their website for more: ​https://oldshillelagh.com/about-us/

Welcome to Christmas in Detroit. Travel to Detroit this holiday season to create your own magic this year.  The city is vibrant and growing, creating a spot to make a few memories to last a lifetime.

We are human.  We cling to routine and familiarity, even when life changes around us all the time.  There is comfort in predictability, and there is peace when the world feels familiar.  Since COVID, that familiaty has been shaken, and we are in need of new traditions to anchor ourselves in peace.

Sure, the Lions will still play on Thanksgiving day, and college football will host games throughout the holiday.  People will gather, food will be eaten, but things have changed.  People age, life moves quickly, and old traditions are left behind.  If they're not replaced, you can loose the spirit of the holiday season. 

We have a few recommendations to create new traditions for your holiday season this year.  We have traveled and found places in which we love, and hope you find a new tradition with a little bit of holiday magic as well.  We are not affiliated with any of these!  We just highly recommend!

Nite Lites at MIS Speedway
https://nitelitesshow.com/

Located at the Michigan International Speedway, this drive through light show is a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season.  You can book a train ride as well if you want to spend a little time in the experiencing Michigan's outdoors while viewing the lights!

​Check website for times and cost!

Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad
​Christmas Holiday Magic
Stroll through the collection of historic buildings at Crossroads Village when they are decorated in the magic of Christmas.  This tradition gives you a glimpse of Christmas in the past.  Grab some candy and hot chocolate before heading over and getting a ticket to the railroad.  The trip will take you on a light show for the county.  It's a wonderful way to find a little Christmas magic!
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Holly Dickens Festival
https://www.hollydickensfestival.org/​
​Spend the day stepping into the past in Holly, Michigan.  Outdoor markets and eateries line the street, as nostalgic visitors take in the historic nod to Christmas.  Players walk along dressed in period costumes, carolers share their love of music, stories are told, and fires are lit.  It's a walk back in time that has something for everyone. 

Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland
https://www.bronners.com/
​Visit Frankenmuth this holiday season and stop in to Bronner's, the world's largest Christmas store.  This store has multiple entrances, and as you wander you'll find different sections of Christmas decor.  Ornaments of every kind, Christmas decorations, and even Santa can be found.  Bronner's is open year round, yet makes the perfect getaway for a new Christmas tradition. 

On the 10th of November,
50 years to remember,
the fate of a ship lost that night.

The legend lives on,
through story and song,
of Whitefish that didn't have light.

The ship on a sea,
while Great it may be,
lost a crew that gave all their might.

Stand at the edge
of Superior's ledge,
to honor the tale full of fight.

A storm and the lake,
does dangerous make,
as the ship sits just out of sight.

So let the bell ring,
​And let Gordon Sing,
about the Edmund Fitzgerald lost that night. 

Michigan has miles and miles of lakeshore.  Surrounded by three Great Lakes that are considered more to be inland seas, she boasts a coastline greater then most on the oceans.  Michigan has beaches and cliffs and forest lined waters.  The most prominent being her National Lakeshore: Sleeping Bear Dunes.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore lies along the northwest portion of the lower peninsula, overlooking Lake Michigan.  The dunes rise high above the water, giving way to incredible views and difficult climbs.  As you spend the day exploring, you will look out and eventually see the two islands just off the coast.  The two cubs, that never made it to shore.

The story is well known in Michigan.  A mother and her cubs left the shores of Wisconsin, escaping a forest fire.  They swam across Lake Michigan, seeking refuge on the other side of the lake.  As the mother reached the shore, she turned back to find that her cubs did not.  They are eternally enshrined in the islands off the coast, while the Mother Bear laid her head to eternally sleep on the shore, waiting forever for their return.

While this tragic story has the sadness of a waiting heart, it also brings so much beauty to waiting.  The seasons come and go, and the steadfast beauty of the dunes remains, with the story of love resounding through each of the seasons.  The colors change, the leaves fall, the mother bear sleeps.  The snow blankets the coast, ice forms, and the story becomes frozen in time for the winter, knowing there is no movement.  Spring comes, and the beauty of the islands and lakeshore come to life, reviving the world and bringing joy, even through the wait.  Summer shares her shores with all those who visit and learn the story for the first time.  They leave in awe of a legend.  There's so much beauty in waiting.

We spend a lot of our life waiting for things.  We wait to grow up, wait for the right job, the right person, the right situation.  We pass through time, waiting on things that evolve through life.  Sometimes, we can become sleepy in our waiting.  We close our eyes and just wish that whatever it was we were waiting for would just get here already.

What Sleeping Bear teaches us is that there is beauty in the waiting.  Even if what we want has not yet made it to us, the world around us still changes and grows and demonstrates it's beauty.  The waiting still gives us seasons to be in awe of, and still gives us opportunities to change over time.  And like Mother Bear, we may wait eternally for one thing, but the wait is always for Love that extends beyond time and our understanding.  And that is a love that is always worth waiting for.

So as you drive along and visit the National Lakeshore of Sleeping Bear Dunes, spend some time reflecting on those things you are waiting for in life.  What islands are you continually staring at, hoping the wait will end.  And how can you turn your head away from that, even just for a moment, to take in the beauty around you that is provided in the waiting.

Live a life full of beautiful waiting.

It's October, and baseball playoff's are in full swing.  While traveling, if you have the chance to get in a baseball game, it's always worth it.  The tickets can be a decent price just to get into the game.  Baseball parks are full of incredible history and worth seeing, even if there isn't a game.  Here are three we love!

Without a doubt, American Field in Milwaukee is our favorite.  With the ability to open and close the roof, you never miss a game.  The Brewers are fun to watch and the fans are invested in this hometown team.  Definitely worth the drive!

Tiger Stadium was an icon in Detroit.  When it was replaced by Comerica Park, it was not recieved favorably by all.  Now a central part of Woodward Ave, Comerica Park has both great baseball and great views.  The city skyscapes rise above the field, with fireworks in the outfield.  There are plenty of places to eat and drink directly outside the stadium, and you can walk the entire way around.  Also, pull up to the fence just outside, and you can catch a few glimpses of the game.

The Great American Ballpark is the last on our list.  Watching the Reds play along the Ohio River is truly the most American way to watch baseball.  You settle into your seat and watch baseball from one direction, while watching the history of the building of America slowly go by in the other.  You feel a sense of longing for simple days and a historic lifestyle.  The Reds take you back to enjoy these times.

Thank you Bob Uecker!!!

So as the leaves fall, and Baseball playoffs take over your television, start planning your next field adventure.  Spring training will be here before you know it!

Scotland is an incredible travel destination.  With beautiful landscapes and wonderful culture, the people and sites make visiting more than worthwhile.  This unique country of the British Isles has something for everyone.  You just have to make the choice to go.

First, get your ticket and fly into Edinburgh.  Look around.  Flights are cheaper in some airports compared to others.  We find flights are much cheaper out of Toronto or Chicago.  Saving money on flights can help provide more funding for later adventure.  Click HERE to get your international travel gear!  (We are Amazon Affliates so we will make a small amount of compensation if you click our link and support us!)

Don't drive when you first get there.  If you're headed to the Highlands you'll want a car at some point.  But a car is not necessary within the local areas.  Hope on the bus to the city center of Edinburgh.  This walkable town will provide you everything you need.  Spend a couple of days, get your steps in, see the castle, and enjoy getting to know the capital of the Scots.

Once you're ready to move on from Edinburgh, hop on the train.  You can stay local and visit towns like Stirling.  We recommend taking the train north to Inverness, the capital of the Highlands.  You can return to Stirling later in your trip if interested.  The Highlands are worth the visit.

Inverness is well worth a day or so to visit.  Take the bus out to Culloden Battlefield.  This trip takes about half the day to explore and experience the history of Scotlands legacy with the British Empire.  Explore Inverness by walking the streets and visiting it's unique business' and churches.  The river Ness runs through town, providing incredible pictures with Inverness Castle in the background.

Here's where renting a car becomes worth it.  Head out to Inverness airport by train and pick up a car to head north or  west into the Highlands.  Each direction provides a vastly different experience.  Head north and experience the coastal culture of Scotland.  The sun shines and the ocean calls.  Head west, and the moodiness of the Highlands envelopes you.  The weather broods and the oceans mulls over the battles both lost and won among the clans of the Highlands.  

Head North:

The coastal landscapes ebb and flow as you drive north.  Preserved castles and ruins dot the landscape, providing plenty of places to spot and visit along the way.  Make your way to the Northernmost point and watch the sunet over the Orkney Islands.  If you have time, take the ferry across to Kirkwell and visit the land of viking hertigage mixed with English and Scottish history.  

Head East:

Head into the Highlands towards the Isle of Skye.  Watch the clouds roll over you and pull you into the silent songs of Scotland that live in her hills.  Bagpipes and clans make up the land that was fought over for centeries.  Cross over onto the Isle of Skye and step back into the land before time.  The ancient mountains and the tumbling surrounding sea provide endless hours of hiking and discovery.  Search for ruins of towns before the clearing, and dinosaur prints far before our time.  Fairy tales will allow your mind to imagine a world far beyond what we can understand.  

From here you can drive back to Inverness and take the train to return to the city.  If you would rather not drive into major towns, staying north is always best.  However, if you'd like to explore, head southwest to visit Glencoe and a famous bridge along the way.  

We did all of this is two different trips to Scotland.  It would take about a month to roughly see the sites we saw, and we drove to be able to have access to see more.  You can get around by train to some places, but you will not be able to access places like Skye with the train.  

Follow along as we give you plenty of places to stop and see as you make you way across the land of the Scots.