vacation – thoughts of Melissa

The Great American Road Trip: Part III

Posted on July 19, 2024 by melissaburgess

With the bulk of our trip behind us, it was finally time to start the trek home.

Day Nine: Rapid City, SD ⮞ Grand Forks, ND

When we initially set out on this trip, we wanted to stay flexible, and gave ourselves the option of making the trek home in two or three days. We’d done so much driving and some long days already, and we wanted to make sure that we didn’t overwork ourselves too much.

So, naturally, we said “the heck with it!” and detoured back into North Dakota for a night, to add a little more depth to our trip and get the chance to visit some additional friends!

Continue reading →

Travel & Experiences

The Great American Road Trip: Part II

Posted on July 18, 2024July 18, 2024 by melissaburgess

When I say we really made the most of this trip, I mean it.

If you missed part one, start there.

And now, we continue — in Colorado & beyond.

Day Five: Around Colorado

Our first stop was a visit to the United States Mint, where they produce coin currency! I’d read online that their tours (which are limited, and can accommodate a limited number of participants) were often hard to get into, so it was recommended that we show up at the ticket booth early. Honestly? I expected there to be a line, or the early tours sold out, and we faced absolutely… none of that. We got there at 8 AM sharp, nabbed tickets for the 9 AM tour, and then had time to even go grab breakfast!

Continue reading →

Travel & Experiences

The Great American Road Trip: Part I

Posted on July 6, 2024July 18, 2024 by melissaburgess

Eighteen states. 5,000 miles – on the dot. Eleven days.

That is the journey that my husband and I just completed, and boy, was it a whirlwind of adventure, wonder, gas station bathroom breaks, sightseeing, incredible food and even more phenomenal views and time with family and friends that’s left me so incredibly fulfilled.

It was a long, great trip, one that I wanted to memorialize in a way other than just a handful of posts on Twitter and Instagram or a photo album on Facebook. So here we are – for part I, which covers the first four days of vacation.

Continue reading →

Travel & Experiences

My First Indy 500 Experience

Posted on June 3, 2024July 6, 2024 by melissaburgess

What an experience my first Indy 500 was. This was my second IndyCar event, having previously been to the Honda Indy Toronto a few years ago, and my fourth big racing event overall. Of course, the Indy 500 is an animal in & of itself, unlike any other racing experience out there. It’s not often that you get 340,000+ people in one place!

Our group left from Buffalo, NY for Indianapolis on Thursday, May 23. Our first event at Indianapolis Motor Speedway was Friday’s Carb Day, catching practice and the Pit Stop Challenge. We returned to the track on Sunday for the Indianapolis 500 main event, taking Saturday to explore the city itself.

Having never been before, I did my research online before, visiting several blogs with tips for first-time Indy 500 goers, but now, having done it, I want to share my own thoughts and tips, including what worked well and what I’d do differently next time.

Continue reading →

Travel & Experiences

Travel: A Week in North Carolina

Posted on August 27, 2019 by melissaburgess

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

My (likely) final trip of the 2019 calendar year is now behind me, after a wonderful week spent down in North Carolina with my sister and nephews. I’m really glad I was able to make this trip happen; they moved from Buffalo in 2016, and this was my first time going down to visit them. It was also quite an adventure considering I went alone, got on a plane (for just the second trip of my life) and drove 800+ miles around the state (more driving than I do in a month typically.)

Here’s a rundown of my trip and some recommendations I have along the way!

Continue reading “Travel: A Week in North Carolina” →