Attractions

The Uptake Attractions Blog Team is such a great group of bloggers and I want to take a moment to introduce them. We come from all over the U.S. – Linda from Minnesota, Barbara from Florida, via Chicago and the East Coast, Rhea in Texas, Shannon in Louisiana, and myself from Northern California. Together, we write each week about fun things to do in our area.

Each of us is passionate about our locale and we enjoy sharing our knowledge with others. The Attractions blog is a great way for us to share our secrets with you!

Linda’s Favorite Vacations: My favorite vacation was a family trip to Chicago with three kids in strollers and one on foot.  The tall buildings, commuter trains, Lake Michigan, and museums galore were a great change of pace from our farm life, and I loved giving the kids the chance to experience these new things at a young age.  Traveling with four children under the age of seven was a challenge, but it was so much fun to be in the “big city” together, seeing new sites.

Linda’s Top Uptake Posts:

Ten Places to Remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

My Top 10 National Park Service Passport Stamps

Top 10 Romantic Valentine’s Day Locations

Linda also blogs at Minnemom.

Barbara’s Favorite Vacations: I prefer to travel without reservations or a concrete schedule, which allows me to take advantages of opportunities I would otherwise miss if I had to stick to an itinerary. Hostels are my favorite places to stay, because backpackers are an invaluable source of information about undiscovered destinations where I can have a “real” travel experience. I love Spain, New Zealand, Bali, and Italy, although Thailand remains my all-time favorite destination, and I found living with the Maasai in Tanzania to be an eye-opening experience that put me fully in touch with my gratitude.

Barbara’s Top Uptake Posts:

2009 Fair Season Begins Across Florida

Things to Do in Tampa Bay, Florida

Florida Strawberry Festival, Plant City

Barbara also blogs at Hole in the Donut.

Rhea’s Favorite Vacation: My favorite vacation is really hard to pin down. I’ve been all over the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe and hope to see much more of the world.  I have lived in a convent in Spain for a month in high school, played chess with life-sized pieces in England, experienced the Autobahn in Germany in a miniature car and peed in the ruins of Pompeii (does any know the Italian statute of limitations on such a crime?).

Rhea’s Top Uptake Posts:

Monkeying Around in Fort Worth

The Chicken Ranch in La Grange, Texas

Third Monday Trade Days in McKinney, Texas

Rhea also blogs at Texas Word Tangle.

Shannon’s Favorite Vacations: I’ve lived my entire life in Louisiana. I took my first solo trip at age seven and traveled internationally for the first time at age 22. I haven’t stopped traveling since then and have passed the travel bug on to my children. We love to pack up and take last minute trips, exploring someplace new each time. Quirky roadside attractions, theme parks, and historical spots are a few of the adventures included in our family vacations.

Shannon’s Top Uptake Posts:

Ali’i Kula Lavendar Farm, Maui, Hawaii

Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida

Port Hudson State Historic Site in Louisiana

Shannon also blogs at Traveling Mamas.

Gudrun Enger

Gudrun’s Favorite Vacations: My husband and I love planning trips, focusing a good deal of effort on where to eat in each location. Our family still gives us a hard time about our first trip, as a couple, to New York – our entire schedule was built around the restaurants that we wanted to try! Nowadays, with two kids, we enjoy experiencing travel through their eyes and stomachs. Recent tasting adventures include pain au chocolate in Paris, fresh halibut in Alaska, and our favorite, shave ice in Hawaii!

Gudrun’s Top Uptake Posts:

Pez Museum, Burlingame, California

Fort Funston, San Francisco, California

Ferry to Sausalito, California

I also blog at Kitchen Gadget Girl.