Mike Writes Travel Blogs..

The things we’ve learned in our travels or at least laughed at. New travel blogs coming monthly.

Telling stories has been a love of mine since I was a kid. I now channel that energy into trying to write meaningful work about people, places, and life as we know it near and far. Travel writing is something I’m working on growing in and continually trying to get better at. Let me know what you’d like to hear more of from lists of what to see and do to stories from our experiences.

High above an alpine lake on our travels in Norway

Planning Your Visit to Rib Mountain State Park

149801 State Park Rd – Wausau, WI 54401 If you live in or around Wisconsin you’ve probably heard of Rib Mountain for its skiing in the winter at Granite Peak. This is certainly one of the premier places to visit in Wisconsin. Located at the top of the ski run is Rib Mountain State Park….
The Humbling Power of Silence in Geirangerfjord

A Winding Road In You are on the verge of something amazing following the winding journey on the Ørnevegen, “Eagle Road”. As you navigate the 11 hairpin turns from the top of the mountain and steal glances out of the window, it is abundantly clear that you are about to experience an extraordinary place on…
How to Train Your Dog To Wear Shoes

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. I never anticipated being someone who put clothes on their dog. I didn’t necessarily choose this life, it chose me. We live in Wisconsin, and a few weeks ago, we were in…
Paying Cash for Travel in 2024

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. At the end of 2022 we wrote about how we were paying for Travel in 2023. For travel in 2024, we have decided to do things differently. Credit card points took us…
Traveling Together, 5 Tips to Make it Memorable

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. Traveling with your spouse is the dream, right? In our dreams everything is perfect. The sun is always warm, the water is always blue and the wait times in restaurants are completely…
Trip of a lifetime, swimming in Hanakapiai Falls

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. Located within the breathtaking Nā Pali Coast is the Kalalau Trail. The Kalalau Trail is an expert rated trail that can be used for short day trips or multi-day backpacking. This article will…
Camp Chef, 4 Easy Meal Ideas

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. For many people new to camping the idea of what to eat might seem intimidating. If you want something beyond Peanut Butter and Jellys or Cold Cuts for your camping meals, here’s…
I Think They Just Took Our Money, Pickpockets in Europe

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. If you are going to be a pickpocket, you should pray for someone from the Midwest to walk by you. I was an easy target but the unfortunate truth is, it wasn’t…
Camping in Kauai, how to do it and our honest take.

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. There is nothing romantic about sweating in a sleeping bag atop a whisper-thin sleeping pad in a tent you rented from the internet. While you might be fooled, no amount of photos…
A Taste of Kauai, 6 Places You’ll Want to Try

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. Kauai is known for its’ natural beauty and landscape and while that’s what originally brought us here. We quickly realize, the food should not be glossed over. Culinary artists and creators take…
Door County
Grown Up Summer Camp: Our time at Camp Wandawega

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. Written at the forefront of everyone’s bucket list adventures surely sits, Elkhorn, Wisconsin. Minutes from the well known tourist hub of Lake Geneva lies a hidden gem. See, inside of Elkhorn, down…
More like an expedition, a winter trip to Trolltunga.

In March of 2023 we traveled with a group of college students for a spring break trip in Norway. While there we took on the expert rated Trolltunga hike.
Frontier Airlines GoWild Pass for $399.00 Reviewed

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. Frontier Airlines recently announced the release of their GoWild summer pass for an introductory rate of $399.00. Some of the travel groups I follow on social media have been bumping with questions…
4 Important Things Before Booking Hotels

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. We have all been susceptible to it. When we think of telling the vacation story, we sometimes get stuck telling the details about how beautiful the place we stayed was. That’s all…
How To Save $400 and Sleep Better

49% of Americans don’t have $400.00 in case of an Emergency In May 2022, the Economic Security Project released the results of a YouGov survey they completed which stated that 49% of the 1,214 respondents would not rely solely on cash to cover a $400 emergency. Most personal finance professionals agree that $1,000 is the…
Unlock Travel: The Key to Your Travel Dreams is Being Open.

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. The Key to Travel If you haven’t been everywhere, you should consider going anywhere. That is the simple key to unlocking travel so you can get out more often for less. Allow…
How To Pay For Travel in 2023

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. After being cooped up for a few years, most of us were left with a solid case of cabin fever and the itch to travel. Court and I have been extremely blessed…
Surviving Your First Madison winter.

This page contains affiliate links, and we may receive compensation if you click on a link. You can read our full advertising disclosure here. Congrats! You, like many others in this city, have just taken a job in Madison. You’ve got a big ole brain and have likely found yourself working in tech, healthcare, research, or…
An Update: Greetings from Married Life

Hello! So much has happened over the last few weeks and this morning I was feeling inspired to share it with some of you who follow our journey. We got married a couple weeks ago! October 22nd to be exact, surrounded by our family we got to start our life together officially. The weeks that…