Suzanne, Author at Adventures of Empty Nesters

Attention Bourbon Lovers :: A Fantasy Trip to the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky

May 4, 2020October 29, 2019

trip to Bourbon Trail — Humorous sign at Mammy’s in Bardstown, KY

An Epic Trip to the Bourbon Trail

A trip to the Bourbon Trail… is this on your list too? Ever since our grown kids came home from college loving this delicious brown spirit, I have been paying attention. Truthfully, at the time of their discovery, I was still favoring the ubiquitous Cosmo. I then moved on from the Cosmopolitan to a vodka martini which was made up of “Chopin, up, two olives and a twist.”

However, in the last year, my favorite adult beverage is now a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, because I love the aroma and smooth flavor of a good quality bourbon.

This leads me to the story of our most recent vacation, an adventurous trip to the Bourbon Trail. We began our tour in Louisville, Kentucky, traveled over to Lexington, KY and then finished our trip in Nashville, Tennessee. Not surprisingly, it was one of our favorite trips in years!

Our 35th Wedding Anniversary – The Adventures Continue in a BIG Way

February 21, 2020October 24, 2019

Our 35th Wedding Anniversary – A Love Story

When and where did this marriage adventure begin? For me it was love at first sight and without boring you with too many details, this is our sweet story: We were in Spanish class together. I was young, excited to be in high school and there was this handsome brown-eyed, music loving, irreverent, young man sitting behind me. We went on to different colleges, broke up several times during our seven year courtship, but met so young that we needed time to pass so we could mature enough to justify getting married. My parents were always so worried that we would want to get married before we graduated from college. That was never our plan, but I understand their concern.

It seems like yesterday when I wrote about our 30^th wedding anniversary. Now we are celebrating magic number 35. Where did the time go? Funny thing is that I still feel just like that sweet, naïve 23 year old who couldn’t wait to marry the man of her dreams.

Sneak Peak: We’re Getting a Makeover Over At Adventures of Empty Nesters!

October 8, 2019

We are so excited over here at Adventures of Empty Nesters!

Newsflash! Here at Adventures of Empty Nester Headquarters, we are thoughtfully adding the finishing touches to our brand NEW website. We’re getting a makeover, in a BIG WAY!

Adventures of Empty Nesters has grown so much over the last 5 years, and this new design and platform not only reflects who we are today, but also focuses on YOU; our readers and partners! Whether you come here for news, inspiration, collaboration or a regular dose of happiness, we are here to support you to #findadventure in your own life!

A Spectacular Road Trip Through South Dakota Should Be on Your List!

May 4, 2020September 30, 2019

A Spectacular Road Trip Through South Dakota

Our road trip through South Dakota was way bigger and way grander than we ever imagined it could be. I was in Medora, North Dakota (another place you should visit) to attend a travel conference. So because the Dakotas are so close to each other, our vacation plan was to visit Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, explore the other areas of the state we were familiar with like Custer State Park and enjoy the beautiful panorama.

What we didn’t realize was just how spectacular this South Dakota scenery would be! The sheer size (242,756 acres) and vastness of the South Dakota Badlands absolutely blew our minds. Located in southwest South Dakota, this national park protects buttes and pinnacles along with the largest mixed grass prairie in the United States.

A Visit to Sylvan Lake – Why Didn’t Anyone Ever Tell Me About This Place?

February 21, 2020September 17, 2019

Our Visit to Sylvan Lake, The Needles Highway and Crazy Horse

I kept thinking, “Why didn’t anyone ever tell me about this place?” Nearly speechless, I stood silently in awe. I knew the landscape was created by nature, but it was just so unusual, with the staggeringly huge rocks, so smooth and perfect it looked like a ride at Disneyland. How could this be real?

In addition to being blown away by the natural elements of the shores of Sylvan Lake, we also arrived just after a small rain shower and the sky was mostly clear and the lake like a mirror, not a ripple. The mirror image of the enormous boulders above and below on the water was magical.

It’s Fun to Let Your Hair Down & Be a Tourist (Sometimes)

February 21, 2020September 9, 2019

It’s ok to just be a tourist

As travelers, it can be a struggle to decide when to just fit in to the landscape, enjoy the surroundings, soak up the local culture and take in what this new city has to offer. However, sometimes it is FUN to take that selfie on the famous bridge and be a tourist. Heck everybody else is! Right?

When I was in Prague last summer the crowds on the famous Charles Bridge were so large that you literally had to jump in the stream of fellow tourists and swim upstream. People were everywhere. They stop in the middle in order to take just the right photo, they bump into you, they are (mostly) clueless. When facing a situation like this, you have to take a deep breath and forge forward.

A Girls Trip to Seattle – My Favorite Itinerary Can Now Be Yours!

February 21, 2020September 4, 2019

A girls trip to Seattle has been on my radar for quite some time. I am kind of embarrassed to admit how long it took for me to coordinate this trip for three dear, long-time girlfriends. Two of them have been to Seattle several times, but we had one newby in the group, Barbara.

Barbara has been all over this great big beautiful globe, but never has spent any time in one of my favorite cities! We managed to coordinate three different schedules around Karin’s trip to Alaska, made a date and stuck to it! It was a miracle of timing, but we did it!

Sitting in First Class Isn’t Always a Party – A Travel Story

February 21, 2020August 30, 2019

A Funny Travel Story About Sitting in First Class

On a recent short flight to Seattle my sweet, frequent-flier husband gave me his upgrade to sit in First Class.The airline had just renovated the seating in this area of the plane and the cabin was spacious and clean.

I looked forward to just sit and drink my tea and read my new book in peace…. But this is NOT what happened.

Our LA to OK Adventure – A Visit to The Pioneer Woman Boarding House

May 4, 2020August 19, 2019

Smithsonian Magazine listed Pawhuska, OK as one of the 15 Best Small Towns in America to Visit in 2019

Our visit to The Pioneer Woman Boarding House

It is kind of surreal, but I am actually typing this introduction as I look across the aisle of my plane to Ree Drummond, The Pioneer Woman. Yes it’s true, she is on our flight home to Los Angeles. Check my Fairy Tale Ending at the bottom of the post for more details of our encounter. Our visit to The Pioneer Woman Boarding House in Pawhuska, OK was a gift to my husband’s mom, Claudia and it was an adventure of epic proportions. Please read on…

Exciting Empty Nester Travel, A Podcast Interview & Tomatoes! What?

August 9, 2019

Good Morning!

I just wanted to check in to see how your Summer was coming along? Have you taken any trips? Are you attempting to #findadventure? Enjoying the peace & quiet in the empty nest?

I think we land somewhere in the middle. My travel schedule is so hectic that staying home is a real treat. Last year at this time, I was in Italy on a multigenerational trip to see The Palio with our family and then on to a hosted Viking Cruise from Berlin to Prague. It was a very ambitious, yet satisfying adventure!

However, while I was traveling, my garden suffered from the high, summer temps and we lost several plants. That may not be so tragic to some of you, but we lovingly cared for this yard from conception to planting after our home renovation. This year, the vegetable garden is beginning to bear fruit and nothing has died. Yay! Read on my friends…