Jeff & Crystal

About Jeff & Crystal

We are Jeff and Crystal, a Baby Boomer couple who love exploring this big blue marble we all call home. After spending the first portion of our lives together raising a family, the empty-nest syndrome finally caught up with us. This has given us the opportunity to spend more time traveling, and seeking out new destinations. We developed this travel blog with the goal of showing how we “Visit Like A Local”. Our itineraries are designed to get us off the interstates, and into the heart of the places we visit. We believe this will allow our readers to choose a cultural experience, and eventually head home with a real flavor of the places they visit. We hope you are enjoying our website and will consider sharing it with your friends. Please come back often, as we post new articles three times per week.
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Couples Time In St. Charles

While many of our excursions are designed to showcase family-friendly travel destinations, sometimes we look for a different type of getaway. While searching for something unique, we discovered a place that would make a perfect escape for the two of us. Since we both enjoy many of the same things, we decided to spend some couples time in St. Charles, Illinois. Our research had uncovered a plethora of possibilities and we couldn't wait to visit. It didn't take long for us to fall in love with this upscale escape. We want to thank the St. Charles Business Alliance for hosting our visit. Rest assured all [...]

By |2022-09-24T05:54:38-06:00September 30th, 2022|Guides, Illinois, Midwest, St Charles|2 Comments
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Eating Our Way Through Downtown Fort Smith

For us, there is a big difference between eating to sustain and dining for pleasure. During our visit to this historic Arkansas destination, we tried to sample as many restaurant choices as we could squeeze into our schedule. As we were eating our way through downtown Fort Smith, we discovered what the locals already know. This city is packed with amazing eateries that serve a variety of cuisines. As foodies, this made our visit sensational, even if it made narrowing down our meal choices more difficult. Let's see how we did with our selections. We want to thank Experience Fort Smith for hosting our visit. [...]

By |2022-09-27T06:31:19-06:00September 27th, 2022|Arkansas, Fort Smith, Guides, Southeast|6 Comments
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Seelye Mansion – A Living Time Capsule

Who's up for a little time traveling? A visit to Abilene, Kansas can take you back to the early 1900s just by touring the Seelye Mansion. This turn-of-the-century home has 25 rooms and more than a few fascinating features. One fact that surprised us was that the furnishings cost more than the home, which was built in 1905. In 2022, it's unusual to find a place that still has the original appliances and electrical components. As we toured this massive house, we felt like we were in a living time capsule. We want to thank Travel Kansas and Visit Abilene for hosting our [...]

By |2022-09-23T06:08:52-06:00September 23rd, 2022|Abilene, Kansas, Midwest, North Central|2 Comments
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7 Reasons To Visit Madison, Wisconsin

We enjoy visiting the Upper Midwest during the summertime. Cool nights and warm days are perfect for exploring new destinations. During a multiple-city trip, we included a couple of days in Wisconsin's capital city. This gave us a chance to discover 7 reasons to visit Madison. A visit to the state capital building was number 1 on our list and we were not disappointed. With more than 100 years under its belt, the structure is in amazingly good shape. The dome rises to over 280 feet and is topped by the statue, Wisconsin. Made of white granite, from Vermont, it is the largest [...]

By |2022-09-20T03:50:10-06:00September 20th, 2022|Guides, Madison, Midwest, Wisconsin|2 Comments
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Kansas City Museum – A Renewed Purpose

For decades, schoolchildren from around the metropolitan region made the annual field trip to the Kansas City Museum. I remember visiting during the time that it focused primarily on our hometown's history. It also featured hundreds of taxidermized animals in lifelike settings. In 2008, the museum was closed for a complete renovation and repurposing. When we heard it had reopened, we were eager to see the renewed purpose of this Kansas City landmark. Located at 3218 Gladstone Boulevard, this FREE attraction is a good choice for a day of exploring. Failure Turned Into Success I have to wonder how many fortunes were started [...]

By |2022-09-16T06:25:51-06:00September 16th, 2022|Historical Visits, Kansas City, KC Fun|4 Comments
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Nebraska History Museum – Tales From The Past

Visiting capital cities offers a unique perspective on a state's history. A trip to Lincoln, Nebraska let us learn more about our neighboring state, as well as chalk up our 14th capital city visit. While it would be nearly impossible for one building to contain all of a region's history, we find that state museums are a great resource for concise overviews. Each museum offers us a chance to see and learn something new to us. Without a visit to the Nebraska History Museum, we would never have imagined that early postal delivery wagons included a stove to keep the driver warm in [...]

By |2022-09-13T06:44:48-06:00September 13th, 2022|Lincoln, Midwest, Nebraska|2 Comments
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Circus World Baraboo – Ringling’s Winter Home

How many of you remember the excitement of hearing that the circus was coming to town? There was something special about the anticipation of seeing the non-stop excitement associated with the three rings of pageantry. The flow of entertainment captivated us, as performers flew through the air or galloped across the ring. The smell of cotton candy and popcorn filled the air, while the clowns elicited laughs from the crowd. These memories are ingrained in our hearts and heads, but where did the circus go in the winter? We traveled to Circus World Baraboo, their winter headquarters, to learn about the origins of [...]

By |2022-09-02T06:27:58-06:00September 2nd, 2022|Midwest, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Dells|2 Comments
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Medley Of Meals – St. Charles, Illinois Eateries

Exploring a new destination is certainly a ton of fun, but can also work up quite an appetite. Fortunately, we found a medley of meals during our stay in St. Charles, Illinois. This Midwestern city has a broad selection of eateries, which provide about every cuisine option under the sun. You'll find opportunities for a delectable breakfast along the Fox River, like the one we had at Kava Diem. Relaxing on their riverside patio, in the morning sunshine, made this visit extra special. Let's take a look at some of the other tasty stops we found during our visit. We want to thank [...]

By |2022-08-30T06:30:47-06:00August 30th, 2022|Illinois, Midwest, St Charles|6 Comments
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Parlor KC – A Grownup Food Hall

How many times have you faced the seemingly unsurmountable task of choosing what to have for dinner? It would be nice if they put a variety of cuisines in one space, so you could pick and choose your favorite dishes. Well someone was listening to our suggestions and created Parlor KC. This glorified grownup food hall sits in the heart of the Kansas City Crossroads District, at 1707 Locust St. We've long considered KC the "melting pot of the Midwest", so a chef-inspired collaboration of this magnitude seems perfect for our city. Fun Vibe Stepping through the front entrance, diners are greeted with [...]

By |2022-08-26T06:27:01-06:00August 26th, 2022|Food Hall, Kansas City, KC Dining|4 Comments
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War and Peace – Eisenhower Presidential Library

Our trip to Abilene, Kansas would not be complete without a visit to the site that honors one of the most famous Kansans. The Eisenhower Presidential Library and Boyhood Home is a top destination for travelers from all over the country and the world. They come to Abilene to pay homage and learn more about the man who served as the 34th President of the United States. Our first visit occurred during renovations, so we were excited to get the opportunity to see the space after its facelift. This time, we were able to view the exhibits and discover how Ike handled issues he [...]

By |2022-08-23T06:25:12-06:00August 23rd, 2022|Abilene, Kansas, Midwest|4 Comments
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