New Orleans is more than what to see and do. It's more than beads hanging off of street signs. New Orleans is tasting powdered sugar on the fingers, cobblestones that rise and fall with every step; big porches with small details. It's big music, marching through the streets and gentle hospitality.

Along one of the turns, we saw a crashed van pulling a boat on the side of the road where yellow caution tape was up. We all had our theories about what possibly could have happened. Did the van get too close to the edge? Did foul play happen because it looked like gunshots in the windows? We’ll never know. We pulled over by the lake for a picnic lunch and enjoyed the serene views. When we got to the dam, we stopped and marveled at the history of all that this land holds and tried to imagine riding this trail via stagecoach. It was an adventure even by car.

If you want that cozy, holiday, cabin feel, even in the middle of summer,...

The Clay Mine Trail is a 1.6-mile trail that is also shared with horses and riders in the Cave Creek Recreational Area.   You would think after seeing one cactus or desert bloom you have seen it all, but seriously each trail is so unique and beautiful, and continues to take my breath away! Lovely way to start our adventures for the Cave Mine Tour.

My previous winters in Chicago always left me wishing I could be somewhere warm...