Hungry for Adventurez

 The Apostle Islands National Lake Shore is a fantastic travel destination for almost anyone, from families with children to the most adventurous explorers, foodies, and beach bums. Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular activities in the Bayfield Penisula in northern Wisconsin. I will break down these activities into summer and winter seasons, so you can navigate to the more appropriate list based on when you will be traveling.  This article is a follow-up to my last post about where to stay while visiting Apostle Islands National Lake Shore. While that article is not exclusively for campers, I made sure to summaries all the amenities that would be most important for car camping folks to figure out where to stay.  NOTE: Due to changes in staffing and funding in 2025, please check with any NPS or National Forest sites you plan on visiting to confirm that campgrounds and amenities are still open. Summer in and around Apostle Islands Hiking The Bayfield Peninsula ...

Last year I had the privilege of spending a week near the beautiful Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Let's break down the best places to camp, and what to do while you are there! This region is densely packed with fantastic campgrounds, incredible Midwest vistas, great history, and so much more!  Apostle Islands Overview The Apostle's Islands is an island group in Lake Superior, around the Bayfield Penisula of northern Wisconsin. The National Lakeshore includes most of these islands and the shoreline at the northern point of the peninsula. The primary exception is Madeline Island, the largest island, which is the only commercially developed island. The peninsula's interior is largely National Forest land, and most of the area's towns are on the coast. Most human activity in the Apostle Islands area centers around Bayfield, Wisconsin's smallest official city. I have included a simplified map below to better explain the important locations I will be mentioning. Cam...

Do you need a new travel podcast to keep you occupied in the car or at work? Need new travel inspo? Do you want to travel, but don't have enough information on how to make it happen for you? I have recommendations! Here are some of my favorite travel-themed YouTube channels and Podcasts.  Best Podcast for Travel Motivation and Inspiration Zero to Travel This podcast set the stage for for me to start saving money for travel and taking travel seriously as a goal. People tend to prioritize career goals and health goals. We take professional development classes and head to the gym with the mantra, "No pain, go gain!" But, for some people, travel might be important enough as a goal that it deserves the same attention, sacrifice, and training. Zero to Travel is a great podcast for learning different ways that people prioritize traveling, sometimes in extreme ways, but also in easy and casual ways.  Best Podcasts for Exploring Van Set-ups and Equipment Van Life Lab Have you ever...

IOverlander is a free, crowd-sourced app designed for roadtrippers, RVers and Car campers. I have recently started to use it to plan out my weekend adventures in Iowa, and find free places to stay overnight. Lately I have been camping solo almost every weekend. While campgrounds are much cheaper than hotels, I have been starting to wonder if I can illuminate the cost and hassle of staying at the more popular campgrounds. (If you want to learn more about ultra low budget travel, read this !) Plus, in the busy summer season, sometimes the popular campgrounds, like Makokita cave and Backbone State Parks are completely booked. iOverlander helps provide some great options to explore a little differently.  How the iOverlander app works  iOverlander is a crowd-sourced app. That means that anybody can log a pin in the app and leave notes on the quality and type of location. People who visit a place later can also add check-ins with pictures and notes to help future travelers. If you a...

 I recently visited Yellow River State Forest and stayed at Little Paint Campground. This park is expansive, more so than any Iowa State Park or forest I have visited so far. Let's talk about what activities are available here, and who should pay Yellow River State Forest a visit.  The view from the lookout point near the fire tower The Layout of Yellow River State Forest By Iowa standards, Yellow River State Forest is a massive park. It is north of Marquette and south of Harper’s Ferry. Combined with neighboring Effigy Mounds National Monument, Pikes Peak State Park, and Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge, the area is an unofficial national park (in my opinion).  Yellow River State Forest is not one contiguous park. It is made of several smaller units. The largest one is called the Paint Creek Unit, which has multiple campgrounds.  The main road of Paint Creek is State Forest Road. It offers some fantastic views as you drive through the park....

  When I moved to Iowa from Minnesota for college, I heard a lot of people tell me that Iowa would be the most boring place I would ever visit - a true flyover state. I heard the stereotype that driving is nothing but fields of corn, and the only thing you can do for fun is drink. Now that I have been living here full time for several years, do I agree? How does this affect my views on local travel? Let’s dive in. Living In Iowa is more likely to be boring than traveling in Iowa I think before we start I need to clarify that when measuring how fun or boring a place is, you need to differentiate between living in one location full time, and traveling. Iowan towns tend to be more spread out and smaller than the part of Minnesota where I grew up, which has specific cons for people who permanently live here. For example, you have to travel further for specialized healthcare, specialty shopping, and some kinds of urban entertainment like theater or pop concerts. And since Iowa has very ...

  I just came back from my second annual trip to see the tulips in Pella, Iowa. If you have never been to this adorable Dutch inspired city, it is definitely worth the road trip; here’s why! Why Should I Visit Pella For Tulip Time?  Pella is a unique community that was founded by a group of Dutch immigrants in the mid 1800s. The city of Pella has retained so much of that authentic Dutch culture and “flavor”. In fact, I would say it's about as close as you can get to the feeling of being in Europe while still being in Iowa. From the dutch themed shops, to local heritage groups, to the dutch inspired architecture, it’s everywhere! Pella also carries on the Dutch tradition of Tulip Time, a springtime festival marked by hundreds and hundreds of colorful tulips!  Tulip Time in Pella is a really great weekend trip because it offers something for everyone. It can be as active or relaxed as you want the trip to be. Furthermore, It really is one of the most unique and quintessent...

  I love whimsical places places that pretend to be somewhere else. It’s part of what got me into following the theme park industry as a hobby. Whether it is a festival celebrating a time and place that never technically existed, or cute little immigrant towns imitating the architecture of their homeland, I love a little whimsy! Here are some of my top picks for destinations you should consider if you live in the Midwest and are craving a little bit of extra whimsy in your life. The Minnesota Renaissance Festival    The most whimsical time to go: Any time its open! Minnesota loves big fairs and festivals. Minnesota is home to the most attended state fair, many impressive county fairs, but most importantly, the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. It is one of the largest in the country, and well loved by locals and guests alike. It's a place I love visiting because it perfectly transports me to this semi historical, semi-fairy tail dimension. If that's not whimsical, I don't ...