Last weekend, Bjorn and I drove out to South Dakota to visit his cousin Marie and her husband Matt on their farm place! It was such a special weekend, and full of good memories, belly laughs, and some surprisingly warm February days. :) We had been talking for a long time about making a trip out there and finally decided on a weekend in February. I'm so glad we were able to make it work - it was the perfect break from life back home, and quality time spent with relatives is always a … [Read more...]
Why You Should Use Airbnb When You Travel
I'd heard of Airbnb before we started to plan for our Europe trip...but we'd never actually stayed at one. Now, having traveled for 14 days in Europe and staying only at Airbnbs every night of our trip...we are huge fans!! It's such a genius idea - you book either a room or entire house/apartment in someone's actual home instead of a hotel, and in the area you want! Here's the actual quote from the main page of their site: "LIVE THERE. Book homes from local hosts in 191+ countries and … [Read more...]
The Iris Garden at the MN Landscape Arboretum
If you read this post, you know that I love the MN Landscape Arboretum!! I learned how to drive there on their 3-mile-drive. I grew up having picnics there. I took my nanny kids to play there. Bjorn and I got our engagement photos taken there. And we even held our wedding reception at the Arboretum! It's a gorgeous place and I really enjoyed sharing snapshots of their Rose Garden recently. I think raindrops on roses ARE one of my favorite things! ;) On that outing, we also visited the Iris … [Read more...]
6 Things You Can Do To Satisfy The Travel Bug
We don't really have a big vacation coming up for the next few months, besides some fun outings with friends and weekends spent with different family members! But come summer, Bjorn and I are really excited to be traveling to Europe! It's the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Verdun...so, being married to a history teacher, I won't be missing out on that one! I visited Europe back in high school but I'm looking forward to exploring different parts of it and really soaking in the information … [Read more...]
Exploring Monticello: Thomas Jefferson’s Beloved Retreat From the World
I'm excited to share pictures from the morning Bjorn and I spent at Monticello in Virginia. This was one of my favorite Virginia excursions, by far! Bjorn and I lived in Virginia for the entire summer after we got married (more on why here), and although I did put up a post about Monticello over a year ago, the post I'm sharing with you today is full of photos that I've culled through and finally edited! On a Saturday, Bjorn and I drove to the western part of the state to visit Thomas … [Read more...]
Exploring the Grounds at Carnton Plantation
Today I'm excited to show you snapshots of another place Bjorn and I toured on our Tennessee road trip! We spent time at the beautiful Carnton Plantation one afternoon. Carnton was built in 1826, and was used as a hospital for soldiers during the Battle of Franklin in the Civil War. The mansion is drenched in history and exudes such timeless grace. The grounds themselves are breathtaking! We also toured the inside of the house (which is so fun! Bjorn always sketches out the floor plan during … [Read more...]
Our Visit to Johnsonville, Tennessee
As you may recall, my husband and I spent about a week in July road-tripping through the south! We got to spend time with some of my relatives, as well as get some camping and historic sightseeing in! When we made our way through Tennessee back towards home, we stopped by beautiful Johnsonville to learn about the battle that had happened there during the Civil War. I was again surprised at how lovely the area was, being a battlefield and all. As we've been doing for these … [Read more...]
Belle Meade Plantation in Tennessee
One of my very favorite things about this season of life we're in is the freedom Bjorn and I have to adventure together! Bjorn and I had a blast road tripping through the south back in July! Even though I did write a post on Andrew Jackson's home, we visited a lot more than that! Today I'm sharing about our tour of Belle Meade Plantation in Tennessee. This place was definitely a favorite for us! We are fascinated with architecture and history, so touring a huge historical home is always … [Read more...]