We are an adventure driven family, especially when it comes to food and travel. There are two main reasons we pick our travel destinations: 1) Who we're visiting - typically family and close friends, and 2) the food scene - restaurants, bakeries, farmers markets, etc.
How do you pick your vacation spots?
There is a ton of work that goes into traveling, especially with two young kiddos. After going on countless road trips together, we've nailed down a system to make it easier. Now the worst part is unpacking when we get back and doing numerous loads of laundry!
We've returned from trips where my kids have extremely soiled their clothing - from rolling in mud, to throwing dirt, to belly flopping into a doughnut.
I'd like to share with you our 5 favorite travel spots as a family. We have other favorites that could have easily made this list, like Dallas, Florida, and Southern California, but these are the 5 places we travel to and have explored the most. These are also spots where we plan to continue visiting repeatedly through our future years.
- Birmingham, Alabama - I list Birmingham first because it is special to my immediate family (my husband and our kids) in that it's the only place we visit on our own accord and not to visit friends or family. It's within 4 hours of driving. We love its vibrant food scene and the Ross Bridge Castle resort.
- Nashville, Tennessee - If I could live anywhere, it would be a southern suburb of Nashville. Beautiful rolling meadows, eclectic restaurants, and music galore. I did live in Nashville during college and it has changed a great deal since then. But, we have visited many times and my best friend lives there. Every time we visit, we plan to pack on a bunch of calories as we eat out practically every meal in order to fit in as many new culinary experiences as possible.
- Grand Rapids, Michigan - My family lives here and it's also where I grew up. If you are going to visit, you can choose basically any season and enjoy the adventures Michigan offers to its full capacity. Winters you can ski, ice skate and sled. Spring you can fish and hike. Swim in the gorgeous pure fresh water lakes in the summer. And, my favorite, pick apples and enjoy the vibrant leaves and numerous festivals in the fall. We visit every October and occasionally in the summers.
- Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Ben's family lives here. Surprisingly enough, they have an up and coming food scene and they have an established art presence. We visit Winston-Salem a couple times a year and love exploring new restaurants and family-friendly activities every time.
- Chicago, Illinois - Who doesn't love Chicago? We lived in a western suburb of Chicago for our first six years of marriage. Although it's been a few years since we've been back to visit, it is still one of our favorite cities. Everyone knows that Chicago dominates in the food realm, and you do not get bored with countless things to do and see. Our plan is to try and visit in the next year or two so that Judah can see where he was born, and we can see our friends again!
I would love to hear your favorite travel spots!
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