Wandering With Baggage

The Plum Market bistro area of The Henry Ford (outside of Detroit) has some fun GF/DF snack options!

Looking for ways to love on teachers? A self-care bag is an idea I got from www.educationwithanapron.com -especially for a new, uncertain education environment. I included: nuts, popcorn, hand sanitizer, hand lotion, headache meds, nail files, peppermints, chocolates, mouthwash, tissue, and some blank notecards.

Looking for a good GF/DF snack in Disneyland?? Go to Clarabelle’s. Get the Mangonada. Enjoy. Thank me later.

Looking for something RANDOM to do with (or without!!) the kiddos on your next trip? Go diamond hunting. That’s right-in Southwest Arkansas, about two hours’ drive from Little Rock, is a state park called Crater of Diamonds. And you get to KEEP whatever you find. Now.... just remember that most of the diamonds found are closer to the size of a grain of rice than a sweet pea. (Translation: TINY!!) But the coolest part of the park to me was just digging in the dirt with my kids and seeing the OTHER kinds of rocks/minerals we found.

The Stewart Hotel in Midtown Manhattan is FABULOUS. We have our own room... the kiddos are on a pullout in the living room... and we have a KITCHENETTE!! Our kids’ first experience with NYC is totally going to spoil them.

Boss Burgers in Estes Park, CO is amazing!! I had a delicious elk burger on an Udi’s bun. If you’re celiac, you probably don’t want to eat any of the sides that are fried in the shared fryer, but this burger was so big that I’m not missing out.

The Southeast Wyoming Welcome Center is so very cool! With or without kids, be sure to stop by before 5:00PM so you can access the displays. From an entire mammoth skeleton to a fun jail break section... even an interactive hall discussing energy conservation in Wyoming... this place is so fun!

Our room was spacious, clean, and (most wonderfully) comfortable. We stayed on the third floor and were undisturbed by the resident ghost. 😉 The staff was wonderful and welcoming with our kiddos, so it was the perfect place to retreat a bit.

Denver Airport. We arrived around 7:45 PM MT, so it was a bit of a crunch to find GF/DF to go. Enter Mesa Verde To Go. It’s in Concourse A, upstairs, and I was able to get chicken enchiladas. Even without the three kids of cheese and the crema, it’s sooooo yummy. 👍🏻👍🏻

The McDonald’s in the square in Leiden not only has GF burger buns and fries, it’s got an amazing play area with seating just for kiddos! It checks every one of our boxes, including being cheap.

Hagel Slag Puur. The best breakfast tradition I’ve discovered. So yummy-and on Schär Bread with soy butter it’s gluten free and dairy free! I found all three at the Jumbo near Leiden Centraal station. I’m definitely bringing some home with me!!

Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has something for everyone! Plan on spending at least a day here. There’s also a downloadable interactive family game... but we didn’t even need it. If you stop in, make sure you look for Rembrandt’s face peeping out at you from The Night Watch!

And also know-the “maple syrup” on the menu isn’t really what we (as Americans) know as maple syrup. It’s actually just regular syrup. But the stuff in the photo-the Stroop Syrup, I think it was called? It was exactly like the really strong cane syrup that I grew up eating in North Louisiana. If you like strong flavors, then Holland is definitely for you!

Slate’s, in Hallowell, ME, have a ton of GF options! So excited about this find!

MAJOR FAIL, Omni Grove Park Inn. When I visit #Asheville I expect #AshevilleMade products. ESPECIALLY pottery. I know that Omni is not based in the US, so let me explain. #Asheville is home to the BEST ceramics in the US. Nothing against the pottery made in the rest of the nation (one of my favorite artists is actually located in the Ozarks and another is here in North Alabama).... But when folks make a trip somewhere renowned for something, you make SURE it’s available.

Ireland in the winter is gorgeous. The receding waves sounded like thundering applause as they pulled back over the rocks. I got to enjoy listening while my children threw innumerable rocks back into the water. They loved it, as did I.