Where we live in Pennsylvania, the leaves are hitting their peak – so everywhere you look, you see all the reds, oranges, and yellows. It really is my favorite time of the year. As a mom, I love watching my girls enjoy this time of year too. Yesterday was a slow Sunday for us. We really needed it because, like all families, our weeks just get so busy running around balancing school, work, projects, and everything else.
Through all of that crazy, we forget to look around us and take in all the colors. And we forget to play. So that’s what yesterday was, and it was perfect. We stayed home and played in the yard with our bunnies – we have two! Holland Lops (ig: irisandjuniper) – and then made leaf piles and played in them. We were out there for hours.
Later on, we collected leaves for a little project that we were working on. I have done this every year for Thanksgiving with Aubrey since she was about three. Now Presley can join in on it too, and I love to hear both of their responses. We talk a little bit about what it means to be thankful for something/someone. And then we come up with a little list and decorate it with our leaves. Here is this years!
I am so thankful for slow Sunday’s like this one, for my girls, and for all the memories we make together. I really feel like we have slowed down and embraced this season together. This is proof that you don’t need to go very far, or spend any money, to have fun, make things, or see something beautiful. Chances are, it’s right in front of you and all around you.
I have always wanted to visit Vermont in the Fall, and it did not disappoint! We went to Stowe, Vermont last weekend and had the best time!
I was obsessed with our a-frame that we stayed in! It was so bright and all the windows had views of the autumn colors outside. It rained a bit while we were there, and it was so cozy to watch the rain on the all windows with a blanket too.
Of course, the first thing we did in the morning was go grab a coffee and breakfast. We went to PK Coffee and I got the maple latte – so good! Taking in the colors and mountains around us while the girls ate their blueberry muffins, and I sipped my coffee, was the perfect way to start our day! After breakfast, we took a walk along a trail that goes right through Stowe and took in the views. The girls had so much fun playing in the leaves.
After our walk, we walked along the main street where a lot of cute shops are and did some shopping!
One of the things that I really wanted to do while we were in Stowe was ride the Gondola Skyride. It takes you up Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest mountain. We were able to see the fall foliage from up high, and there was a lot of fog at some points – which was also such a cool experience too! I’m not a huge fan of heights, but was fine on this and the kids loved it! This was definitely the highlight of our trip!
We had such a cozy, fall weekend in Vermont and can’t wait to go back sometime!
Good day! Yesterday, Aubrey and I went to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire with some friends, and we had quite a day! I had only been one other time and that was years ago, so I was super excited to go. Of course, we had to dress up – ’tis the season, after all! It was a beautiful Fall day, and there was so much to see and drink and eat. There were tons of performers and shows, and it was so much fun to see everyone’s costumes. I really need to brush up on my Renaissance lingo for next year and step my game up because we will 100% be going again! Aubrey’s favorite part was getting a seashell from a mermaid, and we both loved meeting the queen herself. Have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire?! Fare thee well, and God save the queen!
Happy Fall! It’s officially our favorite season, we love all the festive fun things to get into and the changing leaves! Here’s our bucket list this year, what’s on yours?
I was so excited for this trip, and it definitely did not disappoint. I brought my best friend along with me – here’s what our time in Salem looked like!
WHERE WE STAYED:
We stayed at an adorable airbnb in Beverly – less than 10 minutes away from Salem. There is, of course, the Hawthorne Hotel and the Salem Inn right in town. There were several options of places to stay in the area, but I would suggest finding a place on airbnb because its generally cheaper to do so. We also decided to go in September instead of the very very popular month of October, making it slightly less expensive.
Our airbnb was called The Hideaway, and we were OBSESSED with it! Our hosts were so nice and there were just so many little details about their place to make their guests feel so comfortable. They literally thought of everything, it was just amazing. I definitely recommend staying here!
WHERE WE ATE:
During our weekend in Salem, we visited three coffee shops for coffee and breakfast in the morning and liked all three : Wolf Next Door, Brew Box, & Crave.
Out of the restaurants that we went to, my top two favorites were Fibber McGee’s in Beverly and The Tavern in the Hawthorne Hotel. The food and the atmosphere at both places were just so sooo good. We got to try a pumpkin martini at Fibber’s too – 10/10 recommend that. We also ate at Rockafellas, which I wanted to go to because I had remembered hearing a little bit about the building’s history before and how it is said to be haunted by “a lady in blue”. So, when I saw a drink called lady in blue, I had to order it. We also had drinks on our last night at Opus and loved the vibe there. There were so many options for restaurants, coffee shops, and bars and not enough time to try them all! Some other places we wanted to try, but didn’t have time for was The Roof and Settler.
WHAT TO DO:
Hocus Pocus Filming Locations
yeah, this is just a must when in Salem and needed a separate post of it’s own, which you can read here.
Salem Witch Museum
We really liked our visit to this museum, where you see two presentations on witches and the trials that took place in Salem. They do not allow videos and photos to be taken inside the museum.
The Witch House
This is the only building left in Salem with direct ties to the Salem witch trials. It was the home of Judge Corwin. You can buy tickets to tour The Witch House and gift shop! No pictures or videos were allowed inside!
Tarot Reading
When you’re in Salem, it only makes sense to go get a tarot reading done, right?! We decided to get ours at ASCEND Get Lifted – a really cute shop in downtown Salem. I won’t go into too much detail here, but we got separate readings and both of us cried during them because of how amazing it was. Things were said that were just so accurate and spot on, which really validated it for me and it was just incredible.
Shop
Speaking of shops, there are soooo many amazing places to shop in Salem! I already mentioned ASCEND where we got our readings done, and they also sell incense, crystals, jewelry, etc. and we loved it there!
Also right next door was The Coven’s Cottage which was so cool. They only allow a certain number of people in at one time to protect the energy in the room, so there’s most likely going to be a line to get in – but I would say that it is definitely worth it! You also are not allowed to take pictures or videos in the store as well. They have allll kinds of herbs, stones, books, tarot/oracle cards, and more!
Twilight House of Salem has so many cool t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, and whatever kind of souvenir you can think of!
We just happened to walk by this costume studio early in the morning, and we knew we had to go in! You choose a set, get dressed up like a witch, and have a little photoshoot. It was so fun and we were glad we did it!
Old Burying Point/Charter Street Cemetery
Right before we left for home, we went to Charter Street Cemetery where several judges and residents from the Salem witch trials, as well as Revolutionary War victims, are buried – lots of history here, as it is the oldest cemetery in Salem(and, I believe, the second oldest cemetery in the country). There is also a memorial here for the victims of the witch trials. It’s a simple, but really beautiful, wall with granite benches and the name, date, and way that they were executed on each one. Before we left town, we stopped by to just take a moment and pay our respects to each of the twenty victims. We all go to Salem because we love Hocus Pocus and Halloween and all the history there – but we felt it was important to really take in and acknowledge what happened to these people because it was so horrific.
We did so much during our weekend in Salem, but I can’t wait to go back because I feel like there’s still so much more we didn’t get to do! Next time, I definitely want to do a candlelit ghost tour at night, visit The House of the Seven Gables, Winter Island Park, Salem Halloween Museum,Witch Dungeon Museum, and try more restaurants and coffee shops out! Until next time, Salem!
During our trip to Salem, Massachusetts, we visited the filming locations for one of our favorite movies of all time – Hocus Pocus! I grew up watching this movie on repeat, and I loved getting to see these places in person. It feels so surreal to get to be there in real life! If you’re a Hocus Pocus fan (and how could you not be?!), you MUST check out these places during your trip to Salem!
“Max likes your yabbos. In fact, he loves them.”
Our first stop was Allison’s house, which is really the Rope’s Mansion. If you’re a huge Hocus Pocus fan like us, then you would love walking up to this beautiful house where Dani and Max make up and go trick-or-treating, only to find Allison inside! If you’re not into Hocus Pocus (somehow), this place is still incredible to go see because it’s stunning and also there is a huge, peaceful garden in the back that you can stroll through and explore! Located at 318 Essex Street.
“Well, it says to form a circle of salt to protect from zombies, witches, and old boyfriends.”
Next up was Max and Dani’s house. This one is my very favorite to visit because it just feels so surreal driving up to after growing up watching the movie all the time. I just remember thinking the house was so cool, and wanting a tower in my room too. It’s right next to the water on a beautiful, quiet street. It is located at 4 Ocean Ave,but it is someone’s actual home – so you have to admire it from a respectful distance!
“Hast thou seen my sister Emily?”
You can also visit good ol’ Thackery Binx’s house from the scene in the very beginning of the movie when he wakes up to find his sister is missing. The scene was filmed at Pioneer Village – Salem in 1630. You are able to take a self-guided tour here, and go in some of these structures that were built in 1930 to emulate what a village in Salem looked like in 1630. It’s fascinating and a little spooky, and there’s even a sign outside of the cabin that was used as Binx’s home in the movie! Located at 98 West Ave.
“300 years ago, the Sanderson sisters bewitched people. And now they’ve returned from their grave!”
The ICONIC scene where the Sanderson sisters sang I Put A Spell On You was filmed at Old Town Hall located at 32 Derby Square. This is such a beautiful and historic area, and I love all the brick buildings and roads!
“How many times do I gotta tell you, my name ain’t Ernie no more. It’s ICE.”
You should definitely head over to the cemetary where Max rides his bike after school and gets his new crosstrainers stolen. This cemetary is so beautiful, with a ton of history there. It isn’t technically in Salem, but is just a short drive from Max’s house. It’s called Old Burial Hill Cemetary and is located in Marblehead.
There you have it! If you’re a fourth Sanderson sister, you will LOVE visiting these places in Salem. You’ll be singing Come Little Children and Amok Amok Amok while exploring all day long!
We crossed another national park off our list this week! We spent four days in Indiana exploring, and I really feel like we got to see so much. We arrived there in the afternoon and realized we had an hour before we could check in to the hotel (hello CDT), so we headed to downtown Valparaiso to get something to eat at Radius. Nothing could have kicked off our little adventure better then a mimosa and a burger. It was so good and much needed after the ten hour drive!
After we ate, we got checked in and situated at our hotel. At this point, it was evening, and we wanted to be on a beach for sunset. We headed over to Porter Beach, and the kids got to have fun playing while I got to relax. I had never seen Lake Michigan before and was amazed by how much it is like an ocean. It’s so beautiful, and you can also see Chicago in the distance. The sunset on the beach that first night was so stunning, and was such a great way to start our little trip!
The next day, we headed over to Kemil Beach. We brought acai bowls to have for breakfast because we got there super early. After our beach day, we got cleaned up and went out to eat in downtown Valparaiso again. There are so many charming restaurants and shops there! This time we ate at Peddler’s Pizza Pub. We also grabbed a coffee from Blackbird Cafe. Both places were wonderful and sooo cute inside too!
And after dinner, we headed over to the Century of Progress Historic District to see the homes that are part of the historic tour. There are five and they were built for the 1933 Chicago World Fair. They are all really different and fun to see, but my favorite was the “pink house” – which is actually called the Florida Tropical House. We ended our night by getting ice cream at Bubbles Ice Cream Parlor in Michigan City. This drive was a little out of the way, but was so so worth it because the ice cream was delicious!
The next day, we headed over to the park’s West Beach for some hiking. There were some really beautiful views on our hike from the top of the Dune Succession Trail stairs, and there seemed to be a few different types of landscapes – which was pretty cool to see at one place. After hiking all morning, we went to the Indiana Dunes Visitor Center to check out their shop and get our National Park sign picture. After shopping and exploring there for a little while, we went on over to Toast and Jam in Schererville for Lunch. This place was sooo good, and was also absolutely adorable inside too!
That night, we decided to check out Dagger Mountain Roastery in Valparaiso for coffee. This coffee shop was so dreamy inside, and the coffee was heavenly. I literally could have sat there for hours, it is so bright and welcoming. I even bought a shirt and sticker here because I seriously couldn’t get enough – loved it so much! We went back on our last day to get one last fix before heading out!
The next day, we went to see Mt. Baldy – which is a living dune that moves 5-10 ft. a year. It is 126 ft. above the water level of Lake Michigan. You can see it from the parking lot, but to get a really good view we went on the beach trail. The beach trail is pretty short, with a steep climb down the sand to the beach. The only way back out is going back up the steep hill, so I wouldn’t bring a lot with you (coolers, beach toys, etc.) – just take in the views! There is a trail to go on the summit, but you have to have an authorized ranger take you up the summit and there are scheduled times for those hikes at different times of the year.
After Mt. Baldy, we decided to find our way back over to Michigan City and visit the Friendship Botanic Gardens . This was a nice, quiet, and relaxing walk through the gardens after spending our morning in the hot sand and sun. Next, we drove all the way down Lake Front Drive from one end to the other to see the views of Lake Michigan, as well as all the really cool houses on that street. They are so unique and fun to look at. We ate at Goblin and the Grocer – it was so scrumptious! (and has a lot of healthy choices too!) We got a tasty charcuterie board, and the girls got a small kids one too, which I thought was so adorable.
After eating, we wanted to do a little shopping. Our first stop was actually closed, and we were so bummed because it looked like they had a lot of really cute stuff in their front window! If you’re ever in the area, be sure to check out Over Yonder Dunes Gift Shop – just check out their hours first! 😉 Valparaiso has really lovely shops and boutiques. I loved Aster and Grey and Ella Jayms. I could have spent hours in both places looking at every little pretty thing, but I have kids so that didn’t happen 😉 Luckily, they both have online shops so I can now shop with them whenever! Another really cute boutique in Valpo is Edie.
We ended our last night by grabbing coffees from FLUID Coffee Roasters – another place with really amazing coffee – and letting the kids play in the splash pad in the middle of town until it closed. It’s so nice to sit there and relax with a coffee, and just watch everyone and everything around you. With so many great breweries and restaurants around, its fun to hear live music and just hang out.
That being said, all of the stores, coffee shops, and restaurants that we went to were great experiences because the owners and employees were SO friendly and welcoming. They all took the time to chat with us and answer questions, and made us feel so invited (even if they were closing up in two minutes! 😉 ) We had a great time exploring this part of Indiana – If you’re ever in this area, be sure to check these places out and say hello! There was something for everyone in Indiana Dunes National Park, it was a great way to end our Summer!
Sometimes, you just need to be spontaneous. Pack your bags, and pick a place. Life has a tendency to become overwhelming, and for me, there’s no better cure for that then an adventure. Whether it’s near or far, the best remedy is going somewhere new to explore. That’s what our trip to Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio was. Aubrey and I went there together for a weekend – veryyyy last minute – just for a change of scenery and to go hiking.
We left right after I got done work on Friday and drove straight through a wild storm, getting to our hotel in Ohio a little after midnight. We spent the weekend exploring Cuyahoga Valley. With this park, you get nature and city life so close together – so there’s lots to see. Our highlights were spending a morning at Brandywine Falls (the morning light through the trees and the sound of the waterfall was perfect), and hiking the Virginia Kendall Ledges Trail. The Ledges is about an hour or two hike (maybe more if you have kids or stop a lot to explore the rocks and little caves) and is just really beautiful – definitely worth doing! We also liked walking the Bridal Veil Falls in the northern part of the park. We can’t wait to go back with Presley and ride the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad!
Lovely Little Atlas 