Got Sports? Catch Your Favorite Team Out On The Road

Have you got some sports nuts in your travel posse? Sometimes it's hard to get everyone excited about traveling, and even if they're up for it, not everyone wants to do museums and historical stuff all the time-and I count myself in that group too..lol.  Here's a great way to get your ardent sports fans excited about road trip travel and connect on a whole other level. Whether it's major league baseball, … [Read more...]

Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington)

My friend and fellow 50 state enthusiast Lisa Orlanski told me that the Hagley Museum and Library was incredibly cool and not to be missed and I am so glad I took her advice and checked it out because it was indeed  fascinating not only from a historical perspective but also from a scientific, military and economic one as well. Hagley as it is commonly called is the former gunpowder (also known as black powder) … [Read more...]

Factory Tours!-Fascinating Fun Learning How Things Are Made

Every time we take a factory tour we feel it- enormous pride watching hard working Americans doing their best to make a quality product who are proud of what they were doing and eager to share it. This is the spirit that makes America great! Inspiration,  innovation, and dedication. My kids and I LOVE factory tours, they are what we most look forward to on any road trip.  It all started with a show I … [Read more...]

Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation Tour (Kona)

Hawaii

One of the things Kona is most famous for is its coffee and there are several plantations that you can tour.  We decided to visit the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation, a family run coffee farm that grows and roasts it's unique berries on the hillsides of Kona.  In addition to the free tour where you can learn how coffee berries are picked, dried, roasted, and then packed to sell, we decided to pay for the VIP … [Read more...]

Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory (Frankfort)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

Until I'd been to the Rebecca Ruth Candy Factory, I don't think I've ever tasted anything quite as addictive as one of their Kentucky Colonels, also known as a Bourbon Ball. We took the opportunity to tour the little factory that turns out these magical confections that marry Kentucky bourbon and chocolate into an absolute taste sensation. The factory will remind you of that candy-wrapping scene in "I Love … [Read more...]

Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory (Louisville)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

Wow, the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory was beyond fantastic and best of all it's a real factory turning out an all-American product. Did you know that most big league ball players have their own bats made to their specifications? We found that out and so much more.  We spent some time in the exhibit area while waiting for our tour to start, reading about interesting facts about the Louisville slugger bats … [Read more...]

The Ford Rouge Factory Tour (Dearborn)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

You don't want to miss The Ford Rouge Factory Tour so be  sure to get here early as it's is quite popular. We got there nice and early so we could be on the first tour, and boy was it ever worth it. We took a shuttle bus to the original factory that Henry Ford built on the Rouge River. There is an incredible short film about the factory’s history and the story of Henry Ford that you shouldn't miss.  It tells the … [Read more...]

Ye Olde Grist Mill and Velvet Ice Cream Factory (Utica)

Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky

We’ve been on quite a few factory tours by now, so we were psyched to finally see how ice cream is made at the Velvet Ice Cream Factory which is located inside an old Grist Mill. Let me just tell you, unless you have time to kill, this place is a bit of a bust. We arrived at the very picturesque location near a small creak with ducks and geese.  We hung out waiting for the "tour" to start.  There was quite a bit … [Read more...]

Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World (New Orleans)

Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama

When New Orleans is not celebrating Mardi Gras, you’ll find the majority of the floats at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. Blaine Kern is THE name in New Orleans parade floats, and they are just spectacular up-close and personal. We were given a short orientation and learned about Mardi Gras which in English means “Fat Tuesday”—the last day to party before Ash Wednesday and Lent. After watching a short film, … [Read more...]

Bush Visitor Center (Dandridge)

Bush Visitor Center (Dandridge)

Sometimes driving along the road you can encounter a really awesome experience that you missed when doing your research. That's exactly what happened when we came across the Bush Visitor Center in the town of Dandridge—What a fun little surprise this was. Of course we've all seen Bush's baked beans on the shelves at our local supermarket so we pulled over and headed right in wondering what we'd find. Inside … [Read more...]