Bike camping at Blue Mounds State Park Wisconsin

ImageJune 18, 2020June 21, 2020 Matt4 Comments

This year, we had planned for a family vacation to Gatlinburg, TN. With the stay at home orders, we canceled our reservations and decided to go camping closer to home instead. I’m excited to share one of my favorite camping locations in Southwestern Wisconsin which I found at a remote campground in Blue Mounds, Wisconsin, […]

5 Essential Back To School Safety Tips For Milwaukee Families

August 19, 2019November 23, 2019 Matt

We’re proud to bring you a back-to-school safety article which, this time is a guest post by Donna Fitzgerald who is a mother of two and enjoys journaling in her free time. She also enjoys traveling and sharing her experiences with readers. You can visit her blog at goodhomehealth.net

With the end of summer coming to a close, you’re likely packing away summer gear and hitting the back to school sales. Every new school year is a bittersweet experience whether your kids are starting kindergarten or entering the halls of a middle school.

Here are some safety tips to consider while you and your kids are preparing for a brand new school year.

School Bus Safety For You and Your Kids

Even if you drive your kids to school, there’s a good chance that your child will ride a school bus at least a few times during the school year for trips or extra curricular activities. While you can expect that your child’s educators may teach some bus safety tips and appropriate behavior, it’s a good idea to remind your child how to enter and exit a bus safely, stay a safe distance away, and to always cross the street when it’s safe.
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Panning for gold at Big Thunder Gold Mine in Keystone, SD in the Black Hills

The best family adventures in the Black Hills South Dakota

July 14, 2018November 2, 2018 Matt

Bound for South Dakota with my 3 boys and mom, we opted to drive on this family vacation as we were camping ⛺️ and the drive from Wisconsin to the Black Hills, SD is only 12 hours (with the exception of our numerous stops for bathrooms, gasoline, coffee, sightseeing and food!) Our vehicle was a 4X4 SUV (seats 7) loaded with our possessions including a waterproof fabric car top carrier and a small trailor with more of our vacation gear (bedding, camping stove, food, chairs, etc.)

This post contains affiliate links which I use to keep the office lights on (and coffee.) Read the Disclosure, Terms and Privacy fineprint here, learn about the giveaway rules and note, no product samples were provided for this review and the opinions expressed here are original, unique and my ideas solely.

The first day of our family travel adventure we drove out of Wisconsin through southern Minnesota to Sioux City, SD where we enjoyed accommodations at the Dakota Lodge hotel. We capped the night on the water slide and swimming at our hotel and then I put the boys down to sleep and walked to the Crooked Pint Ale House which had 18 local craft brews on tap. The Dakota Lodge of Sioux City, South Dakota, was excellent and the Crooked Pint has a full menu of not-so pub grub, healthy food too.

On our second day of our family vacation, we were greeted by a huge statue “DIGNITY of Earth and Sky” at a rest stop in Chamberlain, SD off I-90 westbound.

The Badlands National Monument in South Dakota

Lady Dignity of Earth and Sky in Chamberlain, South Dakota

Travel as a family with Lonely Planet Kids

July 7, 2018November 2, 2018 Matt

We’re headed to South Dakota this week for our big family vacation where we’ll camp at Custer State Park for two weeks! I’m so happy to have some fun activities and books for the kids to enjoy while we road trip leaving from Wisconsin on a two day family travel adventure.

I’ve partnered up with Lonely Planet and my boys and my Mom and I will be using the Lonely Planet Kids books. There’s something special about driving for many hours while having fun books with activities to connect with each other as a family while having fun! Oh how I do love to drive!

I’ve included some introduction photos and a vid’ with my youngest son including some of the Lonely Planet Kids books which we’ll enjoy on the road as we head to and from South Dakota this month.

Check out the kids foldout maps, sticker books and other fun books by Lonely Planet Kids at https://www.lonelyplanet.com/kids/books/

Look for our Lonely Planet Books giveaway next month when we return!

Watch us ride the longest zipline-Ski Apache Windrider in NM

August 5, 2017September 8, 2017 Matt

Keller and I had a chance to ride the longest zipline in the lower 48 USA States, called Windrider at Ski Apache in Alto, NM, near Ruidoso.

This is a sponsored post however all opinions are my own.

This adventure experience was wrapped up during our family vacation from Wisconsin to New Mexico and we’re happy to let you know that the Ski Apache zipline tour near is extremely fun and well worth your family time.