Patina General

Glensheen, The Congdon Mansion-Part 2... My Favorites

Here's a small sampling of my favorites during our visit to the Congdon Mansion in Duluth, Minnesota.

Minnesota State Fair

Last week was the beginning of "The Great Minnesota Get Together", and the weather was perfect to enjoy it fully without getting too hot or wet! We went the first day, and what struck me the most this year was the beautiful gardens and foliage everywhere. 

Glensheen...The Congdon Mansion in Duluth Minnesota, Part 1

During our recent trip to the Northshore, Bethany was excited to tour the Congdon Mansion. The guys opted out and took in the train museum instead.

A Few Days Away... the Northshore

A few days away with no schedules to keep and some quality time for our family, just what we needed before Jonathan headed back to college and Bethany full speed ahead into soccer season.

S.S. Badger Ferry Ride

We ended our College Visits and College Friends Tour on the Michigan side of Lake Michigan. Rather than drive back down through Chicago, we decided to go on an adventure by taking a ferry ride across the Lake from Ludington, Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin. What a historic, slice of Americana!

Majestic Hotel and Chicago Street Beauty

When we finally found our hotel, at the end of a long day of Chicago college visiting, we were pleasantly surprised that it was not just another hum-drum, modern high rise. We threw this trip together rather quickly, and I was honestly just happy to be able to book a room in downtown Chicago.

College Visits and College Friends Tour 2016

A lot of this summer has been about getting Happy Girl ready for senior year, and college thereafter. The school year just seems to be too busy to really concentrate our search, so taking some trips this summer, mother/daughter style was at the top of the agenda.

Andrew Jackson's Hermitage

I think there's no better way to learn about our nation's history than to experience it in the places where it actually occcurred. The details stick in the grey matter of the brain so much more than reading them in a textbook. So whenever we can, we take our kids to historical places to encourage our family dialog about history and the pivotal characters that shaped our world. As the Hermitage brochure said, "Knowing where we come from is essential to understanding who we are now...and how to get where we want to go next."

Beautiful Belmont

As I sift through the mound of college brochures, I realize many of them claim to have "one of the most beautiful campuses" in the U.S. But after visiting Belmont University in Nashville, they've got my vote. The architecture of the historic buildings and how they've built the new buildings to harmonize with the old, along with the classic gardens, fountains, courtyards and spring in full bloom had me wishing I could do it all over. Whether or not Happy Girl decides this is the one, my beauty tank got filled with this southern gem's charms!

Nashville: Sights and Sounds

You know what you do on spring break when you have a junior? Yep...look at colleges. This year was the year for a road trip, checking out Belmont University in Nashville Tennessee, a city we'd never visited before. And it was a blast!