All In A Days Work

Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park
Hike winding nature trails and explore wooded areas at Red Rock Wilderness Overlook Regional Park in Leesburg, Virginia. This out-of-the-way park is home to several historic buildings, and a cast of wild native plants and wildlife. Climb to the overlook to take in a scenic vista of the Potomac River.
Evergreen Sportsplex
Whether you’re looking for a challenge on one of the 13 ropes course elements or just want to fly on one of their four zip lines or scale up our two rock walls, the Adventure Park offers a fun, rewarding and convenient experience for friends, family, coworkers, clients and groups of all ages!

Leesburg Animal Park
The Leesburg Animal Park is a family-owned and operated business that opened in March of 2000. The Park has many animal residents that you can meet, pet and feed. Enter the “Contact Area” to roam around with farm animals such as goats, sheep and llamas. Jump onto a Wagon Ride, take a Pony Ride or join a Live Animal Show! They offer an up-close animal experience that you won’t get at a larger zoo.
Live Animal Shows at 11:45am, 1:45pm & 3:45pm with Pony Rides, Animal Petting & Feeding Area, Camel Rides (select weekends), Wagon Rides, 3-level indoor Jungle Play Zone for kids, Discovery Room arts & crafts, games & toys! Exotic Animal Exhibits: Lemurs, Sloth, Kookaburras, Reptiles, African Serval Cats, White-handed Gibbons, Camels, African-Crested Porcupines, Coatimundi, Patagonian Cavi, Zebras!

This is a sponsored post on behalf of Dulles Chrysler Jeep Dodge.

Morven Park
Morven Park is located in Leesburg, Virginia, in the heart of Horse Country and just a short drive from Washington, D.C.  As our community has grown, Morven Park has become the “Central Park” of our region attracting nearly 200,000 visitors every year. Whether participating in our highly competitive equestrian events, touring our three museums, picnicking, hiking, playing on our athletic fields, or just absorbing the beauty of the woodlands, mountain ridge, historic buildings, and formal gardens, visitors who come here fall in love with Morven Park. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on your donations to preserve our historic and natural resources, and to keep our gates open to the public year-round.

Historic White Ferry
Historic White’s Ferry is the last of 100 ferries that used to operate on the Potomac River. This ferry, named after the confederate Civil War General Jubal A. Early, connects Whites Ferry Road in Montgomery County, Maryland with a road by the same name in Loudoun County, Virginia. The cars line up on what looks like a boat ramp and drive down onto the ferry. Once loaded, the ferry follows a wire cable to the other side of the Potomac.

A foodie tour while out of town can be one of the best parts of a vacation. There’s so much that Leesburg offers when it comes to restaurants and wineries you may want to bring those extra stretchy pants for the ride home.

Stone Tower Winery
Wine & Cheese Tasting
Start your tour with some bubbly and a look through the winery’s production facility and barrel chai. They’ll explain their approach to artisanal winemaking and offer an up-close look at all the necessary elements and equipment for creating fine wines. Then enjoy a guided tasting through the current vintages, highlighted by select cheese pairings.

Zephaniah Farm Vineyard
Zephaniah Farm Vineyard offers vineyard tours that are held between 11 a.m. and 1 pm. where they discuss the growth of the vines throughout the season and the influence of the weather – there’s a lunch special for just $15 that includes the farm-grown wine as well as farm-raised, grass-fed beef with a veggie.
Fabbioli Cellars
Fabbioli Cellars is a small, family owned and operated vineyard and winery. They focus on growing and making high quality wines using traditional methods and 21st century knowledge. A standard tasting consists of 7 fine wines perfectly paired with small gourmet food bites. Tastings are seated, and conducted by a wine server who provides a fun, educational overview of their wines over a course of 15-20 minutes, for a truly unique and great tasting experience.

Casanel Vineyards
Established in October of 2008 Casanel Vineyards and Winery is a family-owned and operated business. Our main focus centers on our passion not only for grape growing, but also for whinemaking, emphasizing the way they produce their craft wine. Each grape is nurtured on the vine, artfully crafted in our cellar, and then finally hand-bottled and hand-labeled before their wine makes its way to your glass. They pride themselves on providing a truly unique experience in their tasting room, one that is reflected in their quiet, ambiance and tranquil setting admist the Catoctin Ridge and educational approach to tasting.

This post is sponsored by Dulles Kia.

The Vineyard & Winery at Lost Creek
The Vineyards & Winery at Lost Creek is a 50-acre boutique farm winery with 16-acres of vineyard nestled in the rolling hills of Northern Virginia between historic Route 15 and the Potomac River, Lost Creek Winery is a scenic destination and boutique winery that offers high-quality Virginia wines paired with an array of delectable culinary offerings in a casual atmosphere. The Tasting Bar is an ideal experience for first-time visitors seeking to get to know Lost Creek. Discover the high-quality 100% Virginia wines during the guided tasting of six of their wines. The tasting takes place at their tasting bar and features current releases of their Estate & Bordeaux blend collection.

Vanish Brewery
When Jonathan Staples launched Black Hops Farm in 2014 the goal was to provide local hops to Virginia’s thriving alcohol industry. This would not only support the beverage industry but also local agriculture by promoting further hop farming. With an emphasis on hops it was a no brainer that a brewery belonged on the farm. Thus, Vanish Farmwoods Brewery was born! Vanish resides on the 53 acre Black Hops Farm in beautiful Lucketts, Va. With the use of local ingredients we focus on bringing you beer that is plant to pint and seed to sip. We offer up to 20 beers on tap at a time in our massive Taproom. We boast plenty of outdoor space with scenic views as well as options for private events both big and small. Come see us and don’t miss out on our Mega Flight of 12 tasters!

Dominion Riverrock
Browns Island  – May 19 – 21st
The annual Dominion Riverrock in Richmond, Virginia, is a celebration of river life, outdoor sports and eclectic music. The three-day extravaganza features adventure races, 5k runs, rock climbing competitions, stand up paddleboard endurance challenges and kayaking contests in addition to musical performances from nationally touring bluegrass, roots, rock and alternative acts. Past performers include Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Matisyahu, Soulive and Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

Cotopaxi Questiral Adventure
Gateway Park – May 19 – 20
Comfort zones cease to exist when you take part in a Questival race. Otherwise, it’s not really an adventure, is it? Cotopaxi’s Questival Tour journeys all around the United States and Canada, bringing high-octane action in the form of outdoor challenges. In their respective cities, Teams of 2 to 6 people will compete in a multitude of stimulating activities that will inspire teamwork, friendship and a newfound sense of adventure.

Innsbrook After Hours 2017
Glen Allen, VA – May 20th
When the first concert ends, don’t be sad. There are still over 20 to go—not in one night, of course. Innsbrook After Hours is a series of concerts taking place over the course of a handful of months. But it includes more than 20 concerts and provides an eclectic mix of genres played by well-known musicians.

This post is sponsored by Pearson Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.

Virginia Renaissance Faire
Spotsylvania Courthouse – May 20-21, May 27-28, June 3-4, June 10-11
Virginia Renaissance Faire is all about providing an interactive family fun fest focused on history and the arts. And the faire achieves just that. It features street theater, period activities and a cast of costuemd characters to bring history to life in an exciting way. Everywhere you turn, you’ll find demonstrations, hands-on activities, artisans, crafters and tons of street performers of all kinds. While the street performers draw people in, the delicious period and modern foods are one of the main attractions.

Pocahontas Premieres
Amphitheater at Pocahontas State Park – weekends all summer
Sure, you can talk to trees, random animals in the woods and dudes with the most generic name in the world, but you’re crazy and probably at the wrong festival. Pocahontas Premieres brings you upbeat party and dance music, a local Virginian symphony, beach music and plenty more to accommodate your entire summer experience.

Ashland Strawberry Faire
Randolph-Macon College – June 3rd
The Faire is a strong community affair just in time for the strawberry harvest. The family-oriented faire is stuffed with activities ranging from live music all the way to a strawberry pageant. Local vendors, businesses and non-profit booths are peppered throughout the faire to tie the community together even more.

Broad Appetit
Historic Broad St – June 4th
See what the city’s best restaurants have to offer. Each local eatery converges in one spot to serve you delicious food. To wash down your meal are plenty of local and regional wines and brews. You can also catch some good tunes and learn how to make your own delicious dish with the help of chef demonstrations.

Stone Soul Music & Food Festival
Classic Ampitheater at Strawberry Hill = June 10th
f you’re a fan of hip hop and R&B, you’ll be hard pressed to find anything wrong with the Stone Soul Music & Food Festival in Richmond, Virginia. The festival features of a barrage of performances from national hip hop, R&B, inspiration and soul artists. It also features an assortment of soul food restaurants on site.
Kingsfest 2017
Kings Dominion – June 22 -24
There’s no shortage of thrills to be had at Kings Dominion, and they’ve found yet another way to make you scream at the top of your lungs. Alongside its wildest roller coasters, a slew of popular music artists will play a solid show to rev your pulse up. KingsFest features a primarily Christian lineup, so make sure to send up a prayer for all the God-given talent before they grace the stage.

Richmond Jazz Festival
Maymont – August 2017
Good music at a quality venue is hard to come by for some people. That’s a struggle that baffles the Richmond Jazz Festival. After you enjoy the scenic surroundings, world-class jazz music from an extensive lineup of great musicians, mouth-watering food from the region and good times with friends, your new struggle will be finding another music festival that tops this.

Our Lady of Lourdes Filipino Festival
Our Lady of Lourdes Church – August 11 – 12
A unique culture is deserving a unique and authentic festival. Our Lady of Lourdes Filipino Festival is the unique and authentic experience you crave that’s dedicated to Filipino culture. You and all of the guests will be treated to mouth-watering Filipino food, live music and Filipino dancing to bring the culture alive in Henrico, Virginia. In addition, the Race ‘N’ Roll 5K precedes the Filipino Festival so you’ll have the energy to engage with this colorful culture.

Carytown Watermelon Festival
Cary St – August 2017
The Carytown Watermelon Festival offers a mishmash of summer family fun. Of course, there’s plenty of ice-cold watermelon ready for the eating, but that’s just one aspect of the party, which attracts over 100,000 visitors. Live music fills the air, more than 100 exhibitors dot the grounds and a kids’ area adds to the excitement.

One of my husbands favorite hobbies that is quickly becoming my own is off-roading (i.e, ‘Jeeping, ‘mudding’, etc). In fact it’s a hobby that our whole family has grown to enjoy, and though I love my state, Ohio doesn’t have much for off-roading adventures that we haven’t already tried. When we began to research some of the best off-roading areas in the U.S., Oregon kept coming up over and over again – so with plans to take the gang out West, we put together a list of places on our bucket list for Oregon!

This post is sponsored by Legacy Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram.

Bend Jeep Tours
Located in the Deschutes National Forest in Central Oregon is an outdoor lover’s wonderland – and bend is in the heart of it. This is a guided tour, so you’ll be a passenger and be able to take in all the sites – The tour guide will take you on a sightseeing adventure where you’ll discover lava flows, waterfalls,  and a “Top of the World” view of the majestic Cascade mountain range. This scenic off-road adventure provides unique opportunities to enjoy many natural wonders that make bend the outdoor playground of the West.

Tillamook Forest (Off-Road Area)
Only a few hours from Portland Oregon this area provides endless opportunities to wheel all day – and still enjoy the sighs of the pacific Northwest. Oregon’s Tillamook Forest offers off road adventurers one of the best 4×4 areas in the West with over 250 miles of trails that range from easy to difficult. There’s even some off road trails specific for motorcycle or quads if you want to bring your other fun toys along.

Table Rock Trail

Table Rock Trail is about 8 miles of moderate difficulty and located near Molalla Oregon. The trail features some beautiful scenery including gorgeous wild flowers (be sure to bring your camera) The trail offers a ton of activity options and the best times to try it out is between March and October.

Abiqua Falls Trail

Abiqua Falls is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Oregon – though it’s located on private land the falls are accessible to visitors by getting to the trailhead (and it does require some major off roading) The trail is a little over 5 miles long and can be pretty difficult, so make sure that you have an experienced off-roader leading you.

King Mountain Truck Trail

King Mountain Truck Trail is about 5 miles located near Wolf Creek. It’s moderately difficult and people use it for hiking, trail roading as well as off-roading. There is rumor that there are several other truck routes near that aren’t ‘official’ but could be fun to explore.

Coos Bay Wagon Road
The Coos Bay Wagon Road is located near Roseburg and nearly 25 miles long! It offers scenic views and is good for all skill levels; it’s used for nature trips and off roading adventures – pack a lunch and enjoy the view.

We are just hours outside of Cleveland, so we are planning a weekend long trip to visit Cleveland this summer, and I’ve been doing some research – there is a ton of cool free stuff to do in Cleveland that the whole family will enjoy; here’s a few we plan on checking out.

West Side Market
The West Side Market is Cleveland’s oldest public market where over 100 producers, artisans, and vendors sell their wares. Market stalls brim with charcuterie and meats, succulent seafood, freshly picked fruits and veggies, dairy products, fresh flowers, spices, nuts and more. Bakers also sell homemade baked bread, pastries, and more. Artisan chefs and cooks offer delicious ready-to-eat meals. The market offers authentic and culturally diverse shopping experience to locals and visitors, one of the best foodie adventures in Cleveland!

Cleveland Museum of Art
Free and open to the public, the Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the country’s most distinguished cultural institutions and of the of the top attractions in Cleveland. Housed in a beautifully preserved neo- classic building of white marble, the museum lies at the center of the city’s Fine Arts Garden. It has an awesome collection of more than 30,000 works of wart that span over 5,000 years – works from ancient Egypt, world-renowned masterpieces from Europe, Asia and Africa including permanent collection boasting Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh and Warhol.

Greater Cleveland Aquarium
The aquarium opened in 2012 and spread over more than 70,000 square feet of exhibition areas, a 230,000 gallon tank with a unique walk through acrylic shark tunnel, and a variety of exhibits with local and exotic species of fish. There’s many different exhibits that are quite fascinating and I can’t wait to walk through – Lakes and Rivers of the World, the Indo-Pacific Zone, Discovery Zone, Coastal and (my favorite) the Coral Reef. There’s also a 175 foot shark tunnel that offers panoramic views including lots of different shark species.

Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland – Learning Center & Money Museum
Ever wondered how we bought things before money existed? And, who makes our money anyway? These questions and more are answered at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Learning Center and Money Museum.

This post is sponsored by Junction Auto Sales.

Little Italy
Little Italy is a culturally rich area located around Mayfield road – that brings a slice of Italy to the heart of Cleveland. Established by Italian sculptor Joseph Carrabelli in the 1880’s when he began sculpting granite and marble works, the area soon began to fill up with Italian families and the heritage of Little Italy is still celebrated. It’s brimming with art galleries, restaurants, cafes, and delis and the area is one of the most beloved cities in the area – and talk about the night life. Dining and entertainment is booming – and Little Italy really comes alive during various festivals and special occasions such as The Feast of the Assumption, the Art Walks, and all types of fun-filled summer nights.

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Museum
Last but certainly not least, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum. It’s dedicated to showcasing some of the best rock and roll’s greatest performers and contributors. It was designed by a world-renowned architect and it’s located on the shores of Lake Erie. This world class museum engages and inspires visitors with the power of good ol’ rock & roll with its impressive collections, exhibits and displays. The museum also has featured exhibits like the Rock Portraits by Herb Ritts, The Pink Floyd Wall, Legends of Rock, and more. This is definitely one spot you do not want to miss!