8 Fall Road Trip Ideas from Chicago

We do have a couple of more weeks of summer to enjoy---and, boy, I will be enjoying them! Yet, fall is right around the corner so you may want to look ahead and plan those fall road trips! Here are a few ideas for a fall getaway!

Spring Grove and McHenry, Illinois

Two of my FAVORITE fall destinations can be found not too far off of 12 as you head north to Wisconsin. Stade's Shades of Autumn Festival is such an old fashioned good time! A fun petting zoo, corn cannons, pumpkin cannon, corn maze, pedal cars, zipline and more will keep your kids busy and smiling! I love that Stade's sells a bracelet for unlimited attractions (with the exception of two). This is great for younger kids!

Spring Grove is home to Richardson Adventure Farm--famous for the World's Largest Corn Maze! The Corn Maze features different designs each year and is a total work of art to behold! Of course, running it is fun and there are different challenges you can accept! There are plenty of exits, so worry not! The Farm is more than the Corn Maze though--all sorts of amusements including my daughter's favorite--the ziplines will make for a wonderful family day!

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Road Trip Day 2: Atlanta History Center Leaves Us in Awe

The Swan House

**Disclosure: Our admission was free due to a reciprocal membership. No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

On the second day of our trip, we planned to stop at the Atlanta History Center to give us a break during our drive from Nashville to Savannah. We originally honed in on the Atlanta History Center because it is part of the reciprocal program we have through our Morton Arboretum membership. I have to say we completely lucked out because the Atlanta History Center is AMAZING! The main campus includes a family farm, the breathtaking Swan House, gardens and a museum. The setting is in a pleasant tree filled area. There are many huge and beautiful homes nearby, so driving to the History Center was a treat itself!

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Summer Road Trip Day 1: Stop in Nashville, Tennessee

** Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Nashville, Tennessee is only about a 7-8 hour drive from the Chicagoland area. Since we have never been to Nashville before and we knew that arriving there would mean we had made a big leap towards our ultimate destination, the city seemed to be the ideal stop on our first evening. Now mind you, Nashville truly deserves much more time for a visit. However, we had a couple of Nashville attractions on our list for quite some time, so we thought we would take advantage.

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Summer Road Trip: Chicago to Wilmington and Oak Island, North Carolina

We had been thinking about a beach vacation for a long time. We finally had our chance to steal away to the beach this summer and packed up for a trip to the Wilmington and Oak Island area of North Carolina. My sister has been vacationing in the area for years, so we just knew we were going to have a great time! Reflecting upon our visit, I can truly say that the area offers so many opportunities for family fun and relaxation! Of course, there are gorgeous beaches and all of the amusements that come along with them--with plenty of space to also enjoy the tranquility and beauty nature can provide. However, the area is so full of history from pirates to the Revolution and a growing country to the Civil War with daring blockade runners and more. Additionally, the area has become a "Hollywood East" with many television programs and movies being filmed there. Add to that talented local artists, good food and overall friendly atmosphere and you will have a vacation that everyone can enjoy!

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Celebrate Fall with Early Autumn Events at Chicago Botanic Garden {September Fun}

Image courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

While you are busy putting together schedules for the first month of school, don't forget to add a couple of fun and educational events at Chicago Botanic Garden to your to do list. In September, the Chicago Botanic Garden will be hosting an opportunity for the public to explore the world of mushrooms and even purchase some of their own. Later in the month, the gourd sale and show will visit the garden. Both events will incorporate children's activities to help children learn more about mushrooms and gourds and their roles. Both events are free of charge, parking at the Chicago Botanic Garden is $25 per car (free for members). Here are a few more details about each:

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Williams Bay Beach: Sun and Fun on Geneva Lake, Wisconsin

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

When looking for peace and relaxation, we try our best to avoid hustle bustle. From time to time, we enjoy strolling through Lake Geneva to browse the shops. If we are looking for a peaceful afternoon, however, we often shoot past Lake Geneva proper and head over to the small hamlet of Williams Bay. Williams Bay has a lovely beach on Geneva Lake that tends to be more tranquil than Lake Geneva itself. The beach is really a beautiful spot and a place where we enjoy a little summer respite.

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Weber Grill Celebrates 25th Anniversary Next Week with Deals (August 25-31}

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Did you know that the first Weber Grill opened in Wheeling 25 years ago! I had no idea! Weber Grill restaurants actually began as a way to show that more than hotdogs and burgers can be cooked on the famous charcoal grills. Twenty-five years later, the inspiration is still going strong!

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Add Whimsy to your Labor Day Drinks with Candy Cocktails {Review}

Photo Credit Katherine Good

**Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Candy Cocktails: Fun and Flirty Drinks with a Sugar-Kissed Twist in order to conduct an accurate review. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

Summer always brings back memories of enjoying cotton candy on the boardwalk, chasing the ice cream truck and licking vibrant pinwheel lollipops at the fair. Labor Day is around the corner and many of us are busy planning some end of summer festivities. Wouldn't it be fun to add a whimsical and sweet candy-inspired cocktail to your line up? Summer is all about indulging in childhood favorites--so adult beverages made from your favorite candy that even taste just like your childhood favorite with a little something extra would be a perfect addition to a summer party!

Pictured: Bubble Gum Mojito; Credit: Steve Legato

Authors Katherine and Flannery Good wanted to put the FUN into cocktails, hence they embarked on a journey to create cocktails that let imaginations run wild. They began with the blog Fashionably Bombed  featuring many of their zany concoctions. The blog is really worth a stop--especially with summer's last hurrah rapidly approaching! I am sure that you will find some candy-cocktail delight to tickle your fancy! Now, Katherine and Flannery have created a bound volume of their creations.

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Images From the Destination Asia Summer Festival {The Morton Arboretum}

**Disclosure: we did give away complimentary tickets to this event on this blog. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I attended the Destination Asia Summer Festival at The Morton Arboretum and I thought that would share a little bit about the festival. We frequent The Morton Arboretum in the the warmer months to admire its beauty and let our daughter run around in the Children's Garden and among the Treehouse. The destination festivals this summer have added a little more flavor splashing a little more visual and hands-on exploration to a gorgeous natural space.

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Our Day at the Museum of Science and Industry {Chicago}

**Disclosure: I won our tickets through a contest. No compensation was received. All opinions are 100% my own.

We had been holding some tickets that I won for the Museum of Science and Industry for quite some time. The plan was to use them over the summer.However, the days just flew by. So, about mid-July, we panicked and realized we had to use our tickets. Can't pass up this treasure! We finally were able to go last weekend and it turned out to be the perfect weekend. We went on a Sunday thinking we would be fighting the crowds. We were wrong--most of the time we were at the museum it seemed to be relatively empty. Cool! No problem seeing the exhibits!

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Plenty of Tastes with Share Menu at Barbakoa!

Image via Barbakoa

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

The hubs and I went on a date night last week and we wanted to try somewhere new. From time to time, we are in the Downers Grove-Lombard-Oak Brook area. We have passed the newish Latin restaurant Barbakoa a few times, so we thought our free evening would be a great time to give it a try. Barbakoa blends various Latin flavors from Peruvian to Argentine to Mexican and Spanish for a bit of a fresh take on some of our favorite dishes. Sounds worth exploring!

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The Village Store: A Source of Locally Made Products in Three Oaks, Michigan

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

During our recent visit to Three Oaks, Michigan, we happened to be strolling down Elm Street and discovered a new store in town: The Village Store. The Village Shop is one of those places that just speaks to us because the products are all locally made--most made in the surrounding area in Michigan. {We did spy a chocolate bar made in Indiana, but American-made is always good with me!} A wide range of crafts, food items, beauty products and curiosities can be found throughout the store.

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Language Stars Hosts Back To School Open House Through August 16, 2014! {& A Giveaway!}

**This is a sponsored post brought to you on behalf of Language Stars. All opinions are 100% my own.

The back-to-school season is the perfect time of year to start something new. Over the next few weeks, we will all be getting ourselves organized for the new academic year and will be considering what activities to sign the kids up for. Have you ever considered language learning as part of your child's activities? Young children are at a particular advantage for language learning and can pick up another language quite quickly and adeptly. My daughter has been enrolled in the French language programming at Language Stars for the past few years and I have to say that I have been pretty impressed with her ability to pick up the language--in particular the accent! When we have a conversation in French, she often corrects my accent--which is very much welcome because it is not the best!

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National Night Out This Week {Many Events August 5th}

National Night Out is happening across the country this week. National Night Out is a good way for kids to learn about crime prevention and the people that keep us safe every day. Our local National Night Out has crime prevention information for kids as well as opportunities to meet policeman, military personnel, EMTs, firemen and more. Plus, we have a touch-a-truck, games, a balloon sculptor, a moonwalk and more---for free! You can check the National Night Out website for more information. Kidwinks has a great list of National Night Out activities in the Chicagoland area. Most of the events are on August 5th but not all. Activities will vary by town but it is a lot of great free fun! The Arlington Heights event will be on August 5th from 5:30PM-8:30PM in North School Park.

National Night Out has been going strong since 1984! Amazing!

Image via NNO

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Journeyman Distillery: Handcrafting Spirits in Small Town Michigan

**Disclosure: No compensation was received for this post. All opinions are 100% my own.

Journeyman Distillery in Three Oaks, Michigan has been on our list for some time. A whiskey distillery, Journeyman is located inside the historic Featherbone Factory which once served as a factory for corsets and buggy whips. Already, you can tell a trip to Journeyman is fascinating.

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