How to Make the Most of Summer Before It’s Gone

Evening view from a deck overlooking a backyard patio with string lights, flowers, and soft summer lighting.

It’s the last week of July. I just looked at the calendar and realized we’re four days from August. I seem to have this realization every year. Summer always feels longer when it’s ahead of you than when you’re living it. We’ve had a good summer. We took the train to Chicago, went to a … Read more

Winter Micro-Adventures: 12 Simple Ideas You Can Do in 2 Hours or Less

Warm mug and open notebook on a winter table symbolizing a calm holiday reset and mindful eating.

Tiny outings that reset your brain, get you moving, and help you feel like you again—without a full day off or a big trip plan. Winter has a way of shrinking life. It’s darker earlier. It’s easier to stay in. And if you’ve been busy, tired, or stretched thin, you can go days (or weeks) … Read more

Ha Ha Tonka State Park: What to See and Do When You Go

Ha Ha Tonka is one of our favorite places to visit at the Lake of the Ozarks. The castle ruins are what get most of the attention, and they’re absolutely worth seeing. But they’re only one part of the park. There are trails, bluffs, caves and rock formations, a huge natural spring, and some pretty … Read more

Everyday Adventure Isn’t a Plane Ticket. Sometimes It’s a Tuesday.

St. Louis ARch

Everyday adventure doesn’t require a passport, a vacation day, or a plan that takes longer than ten minutes to make. It took me years to understand that. For a long time, I thought adventure lived somewhere else. On a vacation calendar. At an airport. In a place I wasn’t currently standing. Most of us learn … Read more