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Blog
Categories
- Travel
  - Asia
    - Japan
  - Europe
  - North America
    - Mexico
    - United States
      - Midwest
      - Northeast
      - Southeast
      - Southwest
      - West
  - Oceania
    - New Zealand
  - South America
    - Colombia
    - Peru
- Tennessee State Parks
- Nashville Local
- Books
- Motherhood
About
- My Story
- Work with Me
Press
Contact

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Day: July 15, 2025

Travel

7 (Nearly) Free & Unique New York City Views for Kids—and Grown-ups, Too!

July 15, 2025

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So yes, my trip to Prince Edward Island was in lar

So yes, my trip to Prince Edward Island was in large part a quest for Anne of Green Gables IRL.

The 1985 mini-series and its sequel are the only film adaptations that matter (fight me on it!), but turns out, not a ton was actually filmed on P.E.I. The island’s scenery is all knock-out level and is obviously on point for AoGG vibes, but as a die-hard fan, I had to hunt down the filming locations that do exist to see them for myself.

👉 First off, you gotta visit the Green Gables Heritage Place, which is the house that inspired the place to begin with. It’s a museum and lovely and my kids wanted to move in (“but with our TVs and lights”, said my eldest).

📍 Thunder Cove Beach | Found at the end of a narrow dirt road (one of the island’s zillion), past a dilapidated old lighthouse, with some beautiful dunes, cliffs, and rock formations.

📍 Cavendish Cliffs | Has a beautiful lookout near the actually-named Lake of Shining Waters. Nearby Cavendish Beach is great for a day visit (with parking and amenities).

📍 New London Lighthouse | A lovely one tucked in the dunes. This video legit makes my MIL cry every time she sees it.

📍 Dalvay by the Sea | aka the White Sands Hotel, and I highly recommend getting slightly fancy for dinner on a night with live music. Gorgeous cozy interior with loads of history and even a fireplace burning in June.
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#pei #explorepei #canada #anneofgreengables

Same lighthouse, different views. How many light

Same lighthouse, different views.

How many lighthouse photos is TOO MANY lighthouse photos to post to my grid?
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#pei #explorepei #explorecanada #lighthouse

At some point on our trip, I realized I kept filmi

At some point on our trip, I realized I kept filming the same shot of my kids in different locations, so only about 30% of these were staged. 🙃 (Can you tell which ones?)

👇 Locations on the beautiful Prince Edward Island:

📍New London Lighthouse
📍Green Gables Heritage Place
📍Point Prim Lighthouse
📍Lover’s Lane @ Green Gables
📍The Bottle Houses and Gardens
📍Cape Egmont Lighthouse
📍North Rustico Beach
📍Covehead Harbor Lighthouse
📍Thunder Cove Beach
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#explorepei #princeedwardisland #explorecanada #coastalliving

P.E.I. photo dump 🦞 This has been a dream vaca

P.E.I. photo dump 🦞

This has been a dream vacation destination for me as long as I can remember.

It’s rural and overwhelmingly agricultural. Communities are small and scattered. The roads leave your car covered in red dirt. But you can crest a hill and see 180° of ocean, eat fresh seafood for every meal, and receive a warm welcome from every person you encounter.

I’ll admit, P.E.I. was a bit different than I expected, but it definitely did not disappoint. 💛
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#princeedwardisland #pei #explorepei #explorecanada #coastal

It’s National Trails Day! And while getting kids

It’s National Trails Day! And while getting kids to enjoy a hike can sometimes feel like an exercise in futility, some of my best tips for family hiking success include:

1️⃣ Bringing a bag to collect treasures
2️⃣ Giving them a camera
3️⃣ Creating a scavenger hunt beforehand of things to find
4️⃣ Narrating your journey as an imaginary adventure—highly recommend a pirate battle and treasure hunt
5️⃣ Packing endless snacks for bribery
6️⃣ Inviting friends or other families so there are more kids to distract
7️⃣ ALWAYS answering “we’re almost there” when asked how much longer

Have you got any foolproof ideas to add?

📍Henry Horton State Park, Chickasaw State Park, Lake Guntersville State Park (AL), Paris Landing State Park
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#nationaltrailsday #tnstateparks #alstateparks #outdoorfamily #whyihike #takeyourkidsoutside #optoutside

👋 It’s been a long time, friends! This last

👋 It’s been a long time, friends!

This last school year (my 11th!) was the busiest and most draining that I’ve had in a long time. I’m always glad for summer break, but this one feels even more needed and deserved!

As soon as school ended, I rushed off to NYC (funnily enough, my second visit of the month) for a friend reunion, then returned home for a couple marathon days of celebratory kid-picked activities before finally succumbing to the exhaustion cold my body has been fighting for probably weeks.

Now it’s week 2 of summer break, and I’m finally able to exhale—nothing but books, gardening, and travel adventures on the horizon.

May some carefree days be on your horizon, as well. Happy summer! 🌞

📷 flowers in Staithes, England
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#staithes #discoveryorkshirecoast #visitengland #uktravel #capturingbritain

New York on the move—moments from last weekend⚡️
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#nyc #iheartny #cityliving

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