When trying to decide on my travel plans for the summer, I knew I wanted to focus on road trips and discovering new Midwest cities. Located only 5 1/2 hours from Southwest Michigan, and home to a National Park (another one of my travel goals), St. Louis made the perfect choice for a long, weekend getaway. The city is home to numerous attractions and the food scene was unlike anything I'd experienced before with culinary kudos to so many different cultures. Be sure to spend time checking out the city's various neighborhoods which each offer their own unique flare. And of course you can't forget bout the 630 foot arch which in the heart of downtown! 

Keep reading to discover how we spent three days in The Gateway to the West.

"People don't notice if it's winter or summer when they're happy." -Anton Chekhov

I've recently decided to make this my new life motto. Living in Michigan all my life, I've experienced my fair share of winters and trust me, they can be brutal. I used to spend my days counting down until the summer sun was back again but there really is so much beauty (and fun) to be had in the snowy season!

I had the opportunity to pack my bags and hit the road to head north to one of my favorite Michigan towns, Petoskey, for an ultimate winter weekend getaway. We spent three days packed full of good food, wine, adventure, and even some fresh snow.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Petoskey Area Visitor's Bureau. The itinerary was created by me based on personal research and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nashville is quickly taking over as the bachelorette capital of the US with multiple groups of girls in matching tees flocking to Music City every weekend. I recently had the chance to attend a Nash Bash and I can completely understand why the city has gained so much popularity so quickly. Aside from its central location and major airport nearby, the city offers the perfect scene for both laid back girl's time and wild nights on Broadway.

Read on to find out how exactly how we spent an amazing long weekend in Nashville celebrating our bride to be!

Since becoming puppy parents to our mini golden doodle, Wrigley, our lives have been changed forever. He has been the sweetest addition to our family and brought us so much joy. As soon as we brought him home, I quickly realized that a lot of our plans were now based on whether our furry friend could come with us. We love to take him hiking, to breweries, to the beach and everywhere in between! But I have to admit, it's not always easy to find out which facilities allow dogs and it can involve a lot of research or calling around - especially if you're trying to travel somewhere you've never been before. So when I had the opportunity to team up with Traverse City Tourism and showcase all the pet-friendly attractions the city by the bay has to offer (trust me, there's a lot) I couldn't wait to start planning our itinerary. Find out more about how Wrigley and I spent three days in the Cherry Capital including our favorite wineries, restaurants, shopping and attractions.

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Traverse City Tourism. The itinerary was created by me based on personal research and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

​Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Charleston has been on my travel bucket list for quite some time. Any city with this amount of historic charm, beach access, and total foodie goals can't be missed. That's why I was so excited when it was added to our list of girl's trip destinations. In fact, two of my college roomies call the Holy City home which made our decision even easier. Because they were "locals" this was also the first trip that I didn't have to do my own extensive research before hand. I had a few must-sees on my list, but for the most part we let them give us authentic Charleston experience and they had so much fun showing us around the city they are lucky enough to call home.

Read on to find out exactly how we spent a long Memorial Day weekend in this ultimate girl's trip guide. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

Nashville. Nashvegas. Music City USA. Whatever you call it - this city is guaranteed to provide you with a good time (it does help if you're a country music fan). When my sister and I were deciding where to head for our second annual sister trip we wanted something within driving distance of Michigan (it's only about 7 hours from my house) and a city we could easily conquer over a long weekend. So we landed on Nashville!

After deciding where you're going the next step is usually figuring out where you're going to stay once you get there. There are a lot of great hotels located in the heart of downtown Nashville but they can get quite pricey - especially during the summer months. And to be honest you don't really have to stay downtown to enjoy all that it has to offer. We Ubered to Broadway two nights of our trip and each ride was no more than $10 - and totally worth not having to deal with parking. With that in mind we ended up booking the cutest Airbnb in the perfect location with easy access to 12 South and the Gulch as well as downtown. (Get $40 off your Airbnb stay here)

Nashville is one of those cities that can easily be explored within a couple days which makes it great for a long weekend trip. It's also centrally located within the U.S. which makes it an ideal location to meet up with friends who may be scattered throughout the country. We ended up jumping in the car after work on Thursday evening and hit the road. My brother lives in Indianapolis so we were able to stop halfway and drive the rest of the way on Friday morning but you could easily make the drive in one day. I'm so excited to share exactly how we spent the next three days of our trip.

It's hard to believe that any half-mile stretch could be considered a "destination" but the 12 South neighborhood in Nashville will certainly prove you wrong! While a majority of this area is residential the main strip, which is completely walkable from one end to the other, is packed full of delicious restaurants, gorgeous murals, and some of the trendiest boutiques. This area has only become popular in the last five or so years but is honestly one of my favorite areas in all of Nashville. It's easy to see everything in one afternoon so I highly recommend including some time on your itinerary to grab lunch here and walk around for a few hours. We were lucky enough to book the cutest Airbnb only a few miles away so we stopped to explore here two different times on our trip.(Get $40 off your Airbnb stay here)

Parking in this area is a little harder to come by here than in the Gulch, but there is a public lot and if you go on an off time (which you definitely should) it's easy to find free street parking. Below are some of the must sees of the 12 South area.

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.

My sister and I recently road tripped from Michigan down to Nashville for our second annual sister trip! We were there for a long weekend and aside from spending time on Broadway, which is a must for every Nashville trip, we also wanted to explore some of the surrounding neighborhoods. The Gulch is one of Nashville's fastest growing areas located between downtown and Music Row and is home to chic hotels, trendy boutiques, and drool-worthy restaurants.

​This area has only recently become popular within the last several years but now it seems like there are new shops or restaurants popping up on every corner. And be warned, when I say popular, I mean really popular! If you go on a weekend you're likely to see lines for almost every restaurant and mural and it can be a bit overwhelming. If possible try to go on a week day, or even a Sunday, for a much more enjoyable experience. However, even with the large amount of people flocking to this area the parking is ample with multiple garages within walking distance of the sites below. The garages also offer your first hour of parking for free if you're just stopping in to a couple shops or reasonable rates per hour if you plan to be there for longer.

You could easily spend an entire afternoon here - and we actually ended up going back three different times over the course of our trip. Here are some of the highlights:

I've lived in Michigan all my life and I still think "up north" is one of the most magical places on earth. It's seriously like a whole other world just a few hours drive from where we live. If you haven't had the chance to experience it yet I highly recommend adding it to your travel bucket list. Of all the times I've traveled north, it always seems to be during the summer and fall months. Check out my Traverse City guide from our anniversary trip last summer. And while both of these seasons are gorgeous in their own special ways, I was excited to be able to head north during the winter. My college friends and I decided to plan a ski trip to ring in the New Year. There are SO many great ski resorts to choose from but after doing some research, and taking lodging into consideration to fit all 10 of us, we decided on Trout Creek and Nubs Nob!

If you have a sister, you know what a special type of bond it creates. That's why when mine suggested we go on a trip together last spring - I couldn't say no. This was the first time we would be traveling just the two of us and it didn't take us long to decide on our destination: the most magical place on earth (no, not Disney World) Magnolia Market! It was an extended weekend trip - Saturday to Tuesday - so I set out to create an itinerary that would allow us to make the most of our time together. Waco, Texas is located in the middle of Dallas and Austin about and hour and a half from each city. After researching flights (I love Google Flights or Hopper app) I found a good deal on a flight from Chicago to Dallas. Although, I've heard great things about Austin as well so the next time we go back that will likely be our home base. You could certainly spend your entire trip in Waco but we decided to explore Dallas for the first half and drive to Waco just for the day. We booked an AirBnB in Lakewood near White Rock Lake which was only a short drive to downtown Dallas. 

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.