“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald

​One of my favorite parts of living in Southwest Michigan is getting to experience all four seasons and the changes that come along with each. While summers along the lakeshore are hard to beat, there is really something so special about harvest time in the fall. As the air begins to get cooler, the days grow shorter and the leaves change to a kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, and oranges, it's time to plan your fall weekend getaway to Michigan's Great Southwest. Sip on a glass of cider and pick apples at a local orchard, hit the Makers trail as the smell of grapes begins to waft through the air, or hike over towering sand dunes surrounded by colorful trees on either side. Discover my favorite fall activities and start creating your own bucket list!

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Southwest Michigan Tourist Council. The itinerary was created by me based on personal research and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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.

Located only an hour and a half from downtown Denver, we knew we had to make a trip to Rocky Mountain National Park on our recent weekend getaway to the Mile High City. As much as I travel, I had never been to a National Park before and was excited to check this one off my list. And boy have I been missing out all these years! Rocky Mountain National Park was absolutely breathtaking - I've never seen anything like it before. We only had an afternoon to enjoy the beauty of the park so we tried to pack in as much adventure as possible in a short amount of time. After a delicious breakfast at Denver Biscuit Company, we hit the road for Estes Park and arrived around 10:30 a.m. 

Roads in the park are busiest from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. during the summer months which boasted over 4.6 million visitors in 2018. Plan to arrive early or late to avoid crowds. Parking can also be hard to come by in certain areas of the park, with popular trailheads filling up as early as 6:30 a.m. We opted to park at the Estes Visitor Center (which has a garage and many free all day spots) and hop on the free shuttle bus. Although the bus is free, you'll still need to purchase a one day park pass ($25) in order to board the bus. Once you've got your confirmation email, be sure to screenshot it as service/wifi is limited when you get in the park. We took the Hiker Shuttle at the Visitor's Center up to the Park and Ride lot. There was open parking in this lot so you can try and drive up to this lot as well. From here we boarded a second bus to Bear Lake for our first hike of the day. ​

If there's one site you shouldn't miss when visiting Kauai, it's Waimea Canyon. Also called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, this monstrous landmark offers gorgeous deep red and bright green views and is a great way to spend the afternoon. Located on the west side of the island, it took us about 45 minutes to get to the start of Highway 550 from Kapa'a where the journey begins. 

​Be sure to gas up before you start driving as it's only one windy road up to the top without any gas stations. We also packed some snacks and ate lunch at the halfway point of our hike. The weather can vary greatly and most guides will tell you to try and get there early as it can get quite cloudy which really hinders the views. We didn't get to the start of the drive until about 9:30 a.m. and had a clear view for the majority of the day. But don't fear, in true Hawaii fashion at one point the whole canyon was covered in fog on the way back from our hike only to clear out in 20 minutes. 

This August we celebrated one year of marriage - my how time flies! We knew we were planning to go back to Hawaii next winter, so for our anniversary trip we were in search of somewhere within driving distance that wound still have plenty of adventure and beautiful scenery. Thankfully, we live in the Great Lakes State and we didn't have to look any further than simply driving north. I may be a bit biased, but if you haven't experienced northern Michigan (particularly in the summer or fall) you are really missing out. There are SO many sites to see and the upper peninsula is truly like its own little world. For this trip we planned to explore Sleeping Bear Dunes, Traverse City, and Bellaire.