All In A Days Work

When I think of Green Bay I automatically think of football (who doesn’t right?) But there is more to Green Bay than meets the eye – in fact, there are a lot of great places to visit that have absolutely nothing to do with football; and here are a few of my favorites.

New Zoo & Adventure Park
At the New Zoo & Adventure Park you can encounter nearly 90 different animals , enjoy some fun on the 1,000 foot racing zip lines, an aerial adventure course and a 40-foot climbing tower – all for your enjoyment 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Heritage Hill State Historical Park
A living history museum, the Heritage Hill State Historical Park is preserving the history of Northeastern Wisconsin dating back to 1672. From old school houses to churning butter, this is a great historical place to visit.

Segway Fox River Tours
If you’ve never rode a segway – well you are missing out. Head on over to Fox Rivers Tours to get a quick tutorial on how to ride, and then take off on a adventure.  Visit the local historic sites, the Fox River Trail, CityDeck and Broadway District (and yes, if you want you can take a Packers tour too).

Captains Walk Winery
Located downtown, the Captain’s Walk crafts wines in their restored pre-Civil War building. Daily wine tastings, gourmet tapas, sandwiches and pizza it makes a perfect lunch.

Bay Beach Amusement Park
Ride everything from bumper cars to ferris wheels, and a 2,500 foot roller coaster – all for under a dollar! Some rides even cost less than that, and parking and admission is free.

Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary
Right across the road from the Bay Beach Amusement Park is the Wildlife Sanctuary. Bring your camera and sense of adventure – with 700 acres featuring live animal exhibits, educational information throughout the park, miles of hiking and skiing trails, there is a ton to do and see!

This post was sponsored in part by Kolosso Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram in Appleton, WI.

Budget travel has made it far easier for the vast majority of us to see a lot more of the world. But, let’s face it, unless you are paying top dollar for a luxurious vacation, there is often the feeling that you are getting what you pay for. However, it doesn’t have to be that way.
In today’s guide, we’re going to take you through several ways that you can enjoy a more luxurious vacation – without spending a fortune. Let’s get started right away.

Cut out the travel

If you are planning on travelling to a far-flung destination, it’s going to cost a small fortune to get there. Unfortunately, there is no getting around the costs of flights and travel, as even flying half price can cost you a lot of money. Especially if you have children in tow. So, think about keeping things a lot more local. Domestic flights are far cheaper, and you can even get them free if you use a credit card that gives you air miles. Then, everything you save can be put towards treating yourself to a much more luxurious vacation than you can afford in another country.

Buy early

In general terms, the earlier you buy your vacation, the cheaper it will be. It is a rule that applies to everything, from booking your flight and hotel to finding visitor tours. You can even use apps such as Hotwire to book your car rentals a long time in advance of your trip. It’s normal for travel companies – and any other business connected with tourism – to offer early bird deals. It applies to budget travel and luxury holiday destinations, too.  And, the longer you leave it, the more you will pay.

Buy late

Another option is to be as flexible as possible and book at the last minute. Most luxury vacations will fill up quick – but there are always exceptions. If someone cancels their trip at the last minute, it’s possible to get enormous discounts on resorts and hotels that were out of your reach before.

Think about experiences rather than location

What makes a luxury vacation? For some, it is staying in the ultimate setting with everything they need a finger click away. But, there are other ways of looking at luxury, too. A beach hut on an empty Caribbean beach can be many people’s ideas of heaven, for example. Or, a log cabin in the Canadian Rockies might be someone else’s. The point is, sometimes the luxurious experience comes from within – not at one of the most expensive hotels in the world. Think about your interests and inspirations before booking, and with a little nous; you will find luxury for less.

As you can see, there are several ways of cutting back the costs of a luxury vacation. So, the next time you feel jealous of your neighbor’s trip away to a fabulous destination, think again. There might be a few smart ways you can enjoy that experience for half the price they paid.

If you are headed to Virginia this summer (even on your way to the beach) don’t forget to stop by and enjoy some of the great fun Suffolk Virginia has to offer – lots of family friendly fun! 

Bit by Bit Farm
As a horse training facility, Bit By Bit Farm offers horse shows where visitors can watch experienced riders perform tricks and maneuvers on their horses. The farm is known for its exhibition barrel races.

Regal Harbour View Grande Stadium 16
Entertainment from around the world can be found at the Regal Harbour. Enjoy the latest movies ,concerts ,comedy shows, sporting events and more!

Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge
The largest remaining area of what used to be a habitat of over one million acres.
Wildlife here includes hundreds of species of birds, black bears, grey fox, beavers, minks and more. The Suffolk Division of Tourism offers a guided nature walk within the swamp where participants will get to follow a biologist and learn about flora, fauna, and wildlife.

G-Force Karts
G-Force Karts is an amusement company that offers tons of fun for the entire family including laser tag, indoor kart racing, paintball, archery tag and more. It’s famous for its 325 foot raceway.

Portsmouth City Park
The Portsmouth City Park offers visitors access to three-tier boat ramps, a watercraft beach, and a sailboat launching area. They also offer access to a 9-hole golf learning center, a driving range and putting course.

Splash Park
A water play area the Splash Park has 15 different elements that spray and drop water – from giraffes to frogs and more this is a fun park to cool off on those hot summer days.

The Railroad Museum of Virginia
With tours of train cars, The Railroad Museum of Virginia is a fun place to visit. It includes many artifacts and railroad memorabilia such as a telephone, locomotive bell, headlight and photographs.

Victory Rover Naval Base Cruises
Naval base cruises go out daily – guest can view aircraft carriers, guided missile cruisers, and nuclear submarines from the water while enjoying the ship.

This post was sponsored in post by Starr Motors Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram.

There are plenty of places around to go get dirty and go off-roading – but a lot of those places come with trespassing fines (yes, I know from experience) and some unexpected rocks in the road (literally). So you want to make sure you have plenty of officially approved areas to go have some fun!!!

Trophy Club Park at Lake Grapevine

This is one of the few off-roading sites that separates beginners from the more experienced so they can practice where they can be safe and take the trails at their own pace. They also have separate ATV and motor cross trails, customized with over 6 miles for ATV’s and .6 miles for motor cross riders.

Northwest OHV Park

Thrill seekers can visit the 25 mile stretch of landscape that varies from dirt to rocks  with plenty of rugged recreational trails. It’s supported by the town of Bridgeport and very family-friendly. The 300 acre park is open every weekend in the spring and summer from 8 to 7.

Red River Motorcycle Trails, Inc.
Red River Motorcycle Trails is 2,700 acres of an off-road wonderland designed to get crazy! The area is known for its challenging and skill-building terrain. They even offer hiking and picnic areas nearby, and camping.

Rock Trails
ATV riders and dirt bikers can enjoy the designated trails just outside the metroplex – they allow off-roading with ATV’s, bikes, SUVs , but no one under 16 is allowed to operate an SUV and they have to be licensed with liability insurance. Helmets are also required for smaller vehicles – the park has snacks on site and they are open on Saturdays until 8 p.m.

Badlands MX
Badlands is one of the few places that allows night-riding. They offer public practices day and night, and offer rhythm section, elevation changes, numerous doubles, table-tops, a whoops section and lots and lots of road. Professional races are also held at this site.

This post was sponsored in part by Bossier Chrysler Dodge Jeep in Hillsboro, TX.

I love to travel as much as the next guy – ok, probably more. I am always looking for places to ‘go on an adventure’ as I tell my kids; try something new, learn something, to just get out and enjoy life. More than once those adventures have cost me a bit more than I had planned, so for the summer I decided that we’d cut back. But not on the adventure – just on the budget. So I found some great places we can go this year without blowing the bank, and one of the places I’m most excited to visit is Memphis Tennessee.

Graceland (home of Elvis)  Finding out that visiting Graceland was FREE OF CHARGE got me giddy. Drive right into Graceland Gates, visit the meditation garden – and walk where the hunkahunka’ burnin’ love walked.

National Civil Rights Museum  in the historic Lorraine Motel the National Civil Rights Museum gives you a in depth tour through the  civil rights. Tennessee residents can visit the museum for FREE on Mondays from 3 until close. (out of state residents can get in for just $15 for adults, and $12 for kids)

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art with over 9,000 pieces to view from around the world, the Memphis Brooks Museum has pay-what-you-can admission on Wednesday’s.

Museum of Biblical History a non-profit center that features artifacts and replicas from Hebrew Christian Scripture, it also includes an exhibit gallery, Bible Lab, and reference library as well as a museum store. Admission is free, but there is a suggested donation of $3 per person.

Shelby Farms Park is great for those visiting with kids. With over 4,500 acres full of walking trails, horseback riding, playgrounds, fishing, biking and more, it’s a perfect place to enjoy the heart of East Memphis. The park is open all day, from sunrise to sunset.

Memphis Zoo rated one of the best zoos in America, the Memphis Zoo is home to more than 3,500 animals including the endangered Panda – one of only four zoos in the country to house the panda.

Historical Walking Tour with Jimmy Ogle join local historian Jimmy on a walking tour of downtown Memphis and learn more than you ever would reading a book! Learn about history, culture, architecture and people on this unique free tour.

The Orpheum Theatre’s Sidewalk of Stars is a commemorative walk to the appearances of legendary entertainers such as Harry Houdini, Mae West, George Burns and Gracie Allen. You can see the history at the corner of South Maine and Beale Street.

Bar-B-Q Shop Restaurant
A popular acclaimed bbq restaurant in Memphis known for their sauces and dry seasonings.

Beale Street Entertainment District
One of American’s most famous streets you’ll find three blocks of restaurants, nightclubs, live music, museums and more. Follow the Walk of Fame and see hundreds of motorcycles for Bike Night, or catch the Beale Street Flippers twirling down the street.

South Main Street
On the trolley line on South Main Street in Downtown this is a culturally rich neighborhood with the Arcade restaurant, the Orpheum Theatre, art galleries, hip restaurants, a farmers market and lots of trendy shops.

This post is sponsored in part by Wolf Chase Chrysler Jeep Dodge.