Travel, Tropical, US National Parks

🚤 Renting a Dinghy in St. John, USVI – North Shore Beach Hopping

Renting and captaining our own dinghy along St. John’s North Shore ended up being one of the most fun and unique adventures of our week. Instead of following a guided boat tour, we could choose our own route, pull our dinghy directly onto secluded beaches and spend as much or as little time at each stop as we wanted. We prioritized harder-to-reach Scott Beach and Gibney/Oppenheimer Beach, where we found abandoned resort buildings hidden behind the palms, explored Oppenheimer’s historic beachfront property and even met a beach cat we promptly named Oppenheimer. We finished at Maho Bay, where we immediately saw a sea turtle swimming near the dinghy landing. Between the beach hopping, snorkeling, history, wildlife and adventure of navigating our own little boat, the dinghy gave us a completely different way to experience St. John.

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September 24, 2026 by
Hikes, Travel, Tropical, US National Parks

🥾 Ram Head Trail Along Salt Pond Bay – Desert Meets the Caribbean

Ram Head Trail was easily one of the highlights of our week in St. John – and one of the most unique Caribbean hikes we’ve ever done. Instead of the lush tropical scenery we expected, the trail winds past Salt Pond Beach and Blue Cobblestone Beach before climbing through cactus-covered hills toward the dramatic southern tip of the island. With turquoise Caribbean water on both sides, rugged cliffs and increasingly spectacular views as we climbed, it felt like the desert had somehow landed in paradise. We followed the hike with snorkeling, a stingray sighting and picnic at Salt Pond Beach, making this one of our favorite adventure days of the trip.

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September 21, 2026 by
Asia, Travel

Patong Songkran: Water-Fight Madness on Bangla Road, Phuket

We thought we knew what to expect from Songkran after celebrating in Bangkok, but Patong immediately changed our plans. We headed into town on April 13, 2026 intending to catch a longtail boat to Freedom Beach, only to stumble into a huge music festival and full-blown Songkran celebration around Patong Beach and Bangla Road. The energy was too good to pass up, so we ditched the beach plan and joined the water fight instead. We’re very glad we did because April 13 turned out to be the final day of the official Phuket Water Festival at Patong Beach that year. When we returned on April 15 with our water guns expecting round two, the water battles were already over and we were the only ones carrying them. Had we stuck with Freedom Beach that first day, we could have missed Patong’s Songkran celebration entirely.

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September 20, 2026 by
Asia, Gluten-Free, Travel

Bangkok, Thailand in Two Days: Temples, Rooftops & Songkran Splashes

Bangkok was originally supposed to be a quick stop on our 2026 Asia adventure, but the more we researched it, the more we wanted to give it a couple of days. Scott was skeptical because he’s not a huge fan of massive cities, but Bangkok completely won him over. In just two nights, we packed in what ended up feeling like the city’s greatest hits: extravagant temples, rooftop bars overlooking Wat Arun, the over-the-top ICONSIAM mall and the absolute chaos of Songkran on Khao San Road. Staying along the river at Riva Arun Bangkok made our ridiculously short visit surprisingly manageable, putting many of the historic sights within walking distance while giving us incredible Wat Arun views right from our balcony. Two nights was nowhere near enough, but Bangkok still became one of the most colorful, surprising and memorable stops of our entire Asia trip.

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September 8, 2026 by
Asia, Travel

Bangkok Songkran: From Temple Traditions to Khao San Road Chaos

We knew Songkran was famous for turning Thailand into one enormous water fight, but experiencing it in Bangkok showed us just how much more there is to Thailand’s traditional New Year. In a single day, we went from receiving a water blessing and watching Buddhist traditions at Wat Pho, to getting soaked beneath a giant spraying elephant at ICONSIAM, to shuffling shoulder-to-shoulder through the completely unhinged water fights, foam and music of Khao San Road. Starting with the spiritual side gave us a much better appreciation for Songkran’s traditions of cleansing, renewal and merit-making before Bangkok made sure we finished the holiday looking like we’d been pressure-washed through a nightclub. 😂💦

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September 7, 2026 by
Baseball, Monumental Moments, St. Louis, Travel

âš¾ Fans At Bat at Busch Stadium: Chasing the Elusive Home Run

We’ve watched plenty of baseball from the stands at Busch Stadium, but getting to actually step onto the field and play there is a completely different ballgame. Our first opportunity came in 2021, when Scott won a Schnucks contest that let us practice with former Cardinals, and we’ve since returned for the Cardinals’ Fans At Bat experience in 2025 and 2026. Somewhere along the way, though, these visits turned into a very specific mission: Scott wants to hit a home run at Busch Stadium. He sent three balls to the warning track during that first experience, came back in 2025 after learning that no fan had apparently homered during Fans At Bat, and reached the warning track yet again in 2026. What started as a lucky contest win has officially turned into our ongoing quest for the elusive Busch Stadium home run.

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September 6, 2026 by
Asia, Travel

Bangkok’s Best Temples: Wat Pho, Grand Palace & Wat Arun

Bangkok’s historic riverfront made it surprisingly easy to experience three of the city’s most spectacular sights in a single day: Wat Pho, the Grand Palace and Wat Arun. We started with the enorm’o'[us Reclining Buddha and traditional Songkran celebrations at Wat Pho, got completely overwhelmed by gold at the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew, then crossed the Chao Phraya River to climb the spectacular Wat Arun. Visiting during Songkran made the day even more memorable, especially at Wat Pho, where we got to see a much more traditional side of Thailand’s New Year alongside Bangkok’s famous temples.

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September 4, 2026 by
Asia, Gluten-Free, Travel

Bangkok’s Best Wat Arun Views: Riva Arun, Rooftop Bars & Sunsets

One of our favorite things about staying along Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River was having Wat Arun practically outside our window. We stayed at Riva Arun Bangkok, where our balcony looked directly across the river at the Temple of Dawn, then spent our first night rooftop hopping between Above Riva and Sala Rattanakosin. Our delayed flight meant we arrived later than planned and missed the sunset dinner we had originally envisioned, but Bangkok still gave us a fantastic first night with illuminated Wat Arun, cocktails, a surprise birthday celebration and one hilariously sugary drink. We loved Riva Arun as a home base, especially for the balcony views, but Sala Rattanakosin was our favorite rooftop stop for its atmosphere, drinks and close nighttime perspective of Wat Arun. Bangkok has plenty of more famous sky-high bars, but these convenient and intimate riverfront bars were the perfect balance for our short time in Bangkok.

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September 3, 2026 by
St. Louis, Travel

Laumeier Sculpture Park: A Walk on St. Louis’ Artsy Side

Laumeier Sculpture Park is one of those uniquely St. Louis places where art, nature and nostalgia all collide – sometimes in the form of a 55-ton pile of giant red steel tubes. I grew up visiting Laumeier, and my favorite sculpture has always been Alexander Liberman’s The Way, the enormous bright-red structure that I remember playing around as a kid. Today, I still love wandering among the oversized sculptures, but I also enjoy running through the park, following the main loop past its biggest works and ducking onto shaded wooded trails where you can get a little lost and discover something new every time. Whether we’re stopping for goofy photos, sprinting between sculptures Yes Man-style, or just exploring at a slower pace, Laumeier feels more like an outdoor art adventure than a traditional museum.

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August 30, 2026 by
St. Louis, Travel

Grant’s Farm Summer Nights: Wildlife, Lights & Drones

We’ve visited Grant’s Farm many times, but Summer Nights gave us a completely different way to experience this St. Louis favorite. We biked in via Grant’s Trail, fed goats and parakeets, rode the glowing carousel for the first time, caught a gorgeous sunset over the Bauernhof, enjoyed a fun 90s-themed courtyard with a live band, had our best tram ride through Deer Park yet, and finished the night watching 150 drones light up the sky. The cooler evening temperatures made the entire experience especially pleasant and may have helped explain why so many animals were active during the tram ride. Our favorite drone formations included the Budweiser Clydesdales, Gateway Arch and a flying jet – making our August 2026 Summer Nights adventure one of our favorite Grant’s Farm visits yet.

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August 29, 2026 by