Given how expensive hotels and parking can be in Chicago, the third largest city in the US isn't the cheapest place to visit. A trip to Chicago doesn't have to break your budget though. We recently spent a couple of weeks in and around Chicago and, although we spent quite a … [Read more...] about 20 Free Things To Do In Chicago
Pet-Friendly Things To Do
Cruisin’ With Canines In Chicago, Illinois With Mercury Cruise Lines
As you may have realized from previous posts, when we're talking about water and dogs... I'm in. So when we walked past a sign while bumming around downtown Chicago that said 'Canine Cruises', I ran over to find out more information. Mercury Cruise Lines offers a sightseeing … [Read more...] about Cruisin’ With Canines In Chicago, Illinois With Mercury Cruise Lines
Review: TownePlace Suites Chicago Naperville, IL
Shae and her mom's birthdays are a day apart, so her mom and stepdad came to visit us in Illinois so that they could celebrate their birthdays together. One of the things they'd planned for their birthdays was an introduction to mermaid swimming class - tails and all! One of … [Read more...] about Review: TownePlace Suites Chicago Naperville, IL
7 Great Places To Eat In Chicago, Illinois
We ate out quite a few times while visiting Chicago on our 50 state road trip and enjoyed all of the meals. If you're planning a trip to the Windy City, here are 7 great places to eat that we can recommend. 1) Breakfast - Meli Cafe Just before checking out of the Kimpton … [Read more...] about 7 Great Places To Eat In Chicago, Illinois
Review: Kimpton Gray Hotel, Chicago IL
To celebrate our 14th anniversary, Shae and I decided to book a three night stay at the Kimpton Gray Hotel in Chicago. We had three free night certificates from renewing our IHG credit cards and the Kimpton Gray seemed to offer the best value based on the room rate during our … [Read more...] about Review: Kimpton Gray Hotel, Chicago IL
Dog’s Day Out At The Kirk Park Dog Beach Near Grand Rapids, MI
Puppers. As far as the eye could see. Our day at Kirk Park Off-Leash Dog Beach was about as close to pawfection as my life can get. Sun? Check. Sand? Check. Clear, warmish water? Check. Our little family? Check. Dogs of all shapes and sizes having fun and being so … [Read more...] about Dog’s Day Out At The Kirk Park Dog Beach Near Grand Rapids, MI
Review: The Mitten Brewing Co., Grand Rapids MI
I'm not particularly adventurous when it comes to pizza. I tend to go for whichever option has the most different kinds of meat and have them go light on the cheese. However, when meeting up with friends for dinner and drinks at The Mitten Brewing Co. in Grand Rapids, … [Read more...] about Review: The Mitten Brewing Co., Grand Rapids MI
Review: Country Inn & Suites Manteno, Illinois
When exploring our options for using hotel points in Illinois, I noticed that the Country Inn & Suites Manteno would be good value. Neither of us had heard of Manteno before, but when checking Google Maps could see that it was near Kankakee State Park, so there was at … [Read more...] about Review: Country Inn & Suites Manteno, Illinois
Hiking The Rock Creek Trail In Kankakee River State Park, Illinois
While staying in nearby Manteno, we visited Kankakee River State Park to hike the Rock Creek Trail. The Rock Creek Trail is a two mile loop which includes a cave and "waterfall" (you'll see later why that's in quotation marks). The dog-friendly trail itself is easy as it's … [Read more...] about Hiking The Rock Creek Trail In Kankakee River State Park, Illinois
Visiting Perry Farm Park, Bourbonnais IL
After leaving the somewhat boring city of Peoria, we headed northeast to the much smaller Illinois village of Manteno. Due to its size, we were a little concerned that there might not be that much to do in the area, but we needn't have worried. In fact, Manteno and the nearby … [Read more...] about Visiting Perry Farm Park, Bourbonnais IL