Thinking about a unique weekend getaway? You should think about visiting Shipshewana, Indiana. It’s home to one of the largest Amish communities in the nation. Read below to learn more about my overnight experience! 
As I mentioned a while back, Anika and I traveled this past fall to Indianapolis so her group could compete in the National FFA Convention. A combination group of 29 students and chaperones traveled from Oregon, flew into Chicago, and the approximately four-hour trip down to Indianapolis. Along the way we made a very unique overnight stop in a place where life is just a little different from what many of us are used too. We stayed in a community where buggies outnumber cars and everywhere you look homes and landscapes are immaculately kept.
Life is great. You know what makes it even better? A weekend getaway. Or road trips where you can get away for any two days of the week. There’s no rule that says you have to go from a Friday-Sunday to have fun.
I love the concept of running away for a couple of days to a place that a.) I’ve never been to, or b.) a place that I’ve always wanted to spend a little more time at.
Perhaps the best thing about road trips is that you call the shots. You decide who you are going with, if you are traveling by car, train, or plane, how cheap (or extravagant!) you’ll be, and how many activities you’ll participate in.
The concept of a weekend road trip is simple: to get a quick break and rejuvenate yourself so that you can tackle anything the next week brings.
While I believe that weekend road trips shouldn’t take up too much time planning, there are a few things that you should have figured out ahead of time, like, you know, sleeping accommodations to say the very least. You want to plan just enough so that you’re not left stressed out last-minute but not so much that you don’t have the opportunity to explore, because sometimes when things are spontaneous the best memories are made.
How to Plan Your Perfect Weekend Getaway
Southern Oregon. My old stomping grounds. As I shared a few months ago, I returned to the area of my childhood back in September for a pre-Feast tour with Travel Oregon. We stayed in the small town of Jacksonville as well as Ashland – experiencing areas that I hadn’t had the opportunity to explore much of. I wrote all about Jacksonville before – you can catch up about that HERE. 
About Ashland, Oregon
Ashland, Oregon is only about a 15 miles from the California border. Ashland is very much a college town, as it is the home of Southern Oregon University. However, it is also a blossoming cultural area for families as well. There are numerous downtown shops, hiking trails, and other nearby activities that make Ashland a fun place to visit.
I love the idea of glamping. If you’re not familiar with glamping check out this post HERE. It’s when I took my family on our first glamping adventure.
Recently I had the opportunity to have a different sort of glamping adventure right down the road from where I live in Dayton, Oregon – at The Vintages Trailer Resort. It’s an adorable park filled with retro trailers that all have an authentic vintage yet updated feel to them.
I had family over for the holidays and since I was hosting in my small home really didn’t have enough room to comfortably seat my childhood friend who was coming up for our dinner party. So I decided to reserve a spot at The Vintages for a glamping inspired girl’s night in.
Last month when we were in San Francisco exploring, we had the opportunity to go on an evening sail courtesy of Adventure Cat Sailing Charters.
About the Adventure Cat Sailing Charters
Adventure Cat Sailing took over 40,000 passengers on their tours last year, and I quickly saw why it was so popular. What better way to get views of the water, Alcatraz Island, and the Golden Gate Bridge other than sailing by them? The sail was 90 minutes long and included a small snack buffet and two beverages ( with additional available for purchase). There were jackets available for those who needed a little extra warmth, and a warm cabin just in case it got a little chilly outside.
We lucked out and had a gorgeous evening with a beautiful sunset – which lit up beautifully behind the Golden Gate Bridge as we sailed underneath of it. Crew members gladly assisted in photo taking for the memorable moment and were very friendly and helpful during the entire sail.
As some of you know I grew up in Southern Oregon – in a small town called Merlin to be exact, which is about ten miles away from Grants Pass. I lived down there until I was 15 and still visit a couple of times a year to see family. Growing up down there we sort of lived in our little ‘bubble’. We never really visited nearby towns or spent time exploring outside of our daily lives.
A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to see some of the areas that I wasn’t familiar with in the area, as Travel Oregon invited me to attend a fun trails-to-feast pre-trip.
We made our way down the Interstate 5, stopping along the way to sample some delicious food and wines, and found ourselves about a half an hour passed Grants Pass in a quaint town called Jacksonville.
We recently visited San Francisco for the first time. It’s a place that I’ve always wanted to visit, and living in Oregon it’s a quick flight down there. Wayne and I spent two nights there for our anniversary. We left early on a Monday morning and returned back in Portland late Wednesday evening.
I spent quite a bit of time planning it all out – checking out hotels, activities, restaurants, and transportation. Many people advised to take advantage of the public transportation options that San Francisco offered because they were easy to use and affordable. We decided to give it a try.
I’ve partnered up with PrAna to create this informative post for you on what to wear traveling. As always all opinions are my own. #MamboPrAna
Traveling. I love it. How else can you really explore and experience this amazing world that we live in? When you travel you not only learn about different areas, cultures, & stories – but you wind up making so many new memories.
As I now travel more frequently than I used to I’ve come to realize that you definitely need to have some specified outfits just to wear traveling, because first and foremost comfort needs to come first when you are whether you are in a car, bus, train, or airplane. What you’ll wear will depend on whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, but here are some idea starters for you to keep in mind:
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, INC. and The Coca-Cola Company, all opinions are mine alone. #ServeWithACoke #CollectiveBias
I didn’t really grow up an ‘outdoor’ kind of girl. When I was young my sister and I would play outside with our best friends and we loved to explore, but as far as outdoor activities like water sports, camping, etc. we never really had the opportunity to experience any of that.
In my adult life I’ve dabbled in activities here and there, but nothing really consistent. You see, when you have three kids by the age of 24 you really don’t have a lot free time in your 20’s to try new things.
Now that I’m in my early 30’s and the kids are getting older it’s becoming easier to go on family hikes or try different things like kayaking. In fact, that’s exactly what we did a few weeks ago.
Summer has officially begun and here in the Pacific Northwest that means an increase in wine tourism. The Willamette Valley is in the heart of Oregon’s agriculture, and in Oregon we grow lots and lots of wine grapes. We’re mostly known for our world-renowned Pinot Noir, but there are many different varietals grown here.
Sipping away at Eola Hills Tastying Room
I live in the upper portion of the Willamette Valley, where thousands of people visit every year. Slightly further south though, around the state’s capital, Salem, you’ll find some amazing views and wine tasting options. While the tasting rooms are spread out a bit, the ambiance and variety of atmospheres you’ll get out of visiting these tasting rooms are worth taking an extra day to drive around.
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