How to Save Money on Your Next Road Trip Before You Even Hit the Road

Expenses for family road trips can add up quick! Find out my #1 tip for How to Save Money on Your Next Road Trip Before You Even Hit the Road...

This post was created in partnership with Kroger. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

The end of the school year & the beginning of summertime always means one thing for my kids & I- it is the official start of road trip season in our home. Whether we are driving just an hour or two to spend the day hiking or embarking on a 6+ hour drive to a cabin in the Tennessee mountains, we are always game for a good family road trip. 

But when you factor in gas, stops for snacks, road tolls (ugh- am I right?), the expenses for those family road trips can start adding up pretty quick. That is why our local Kroger store has now become our first official stop on our road trips before we even hit the road. 

The Best Way to Book Your Favorite Attractions in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Looking to save time, money, & a little sanity when planning that Pigeon Forge, Tennessee family vacation? Then be sure to check out The Best Way to Book Your Favorite Pigeon Forge Attractions...

This post was created in partnership with TripAdvisor. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

When you think back on some of your favorite family vacations & road trips, what is it about those particular trips that set them apart from the others? What made those vacations more memorable for you and your family? For myself & my kids, it is always about the experiences we had there- the things we did & saw, the one-of-a-kind attractions at that particular destination, and the memories we made while enjoying them all together. 

Obviously the getting there (road trip? plane ride? train ticket?) and booking a place to stay are also important when planning a memorable family vacation, but as soon as I have those two things squared away I start turning my attention to the must-do's & must-see's at that particular destination. That is where TripAdvisor's Things To Do tab comes in handy! :) 

Just last week my kids & I headed to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee for a 3 day cabin getaway. A week or so before our trip date, I clicked on over to TripAdvisor to check out the reviews on some of the most popular attractions in the area & to book tickets for a couple of them in advance...

A Family Friendly Travel Guide to Butler County, Ohio

Spanning five different cities across the county, this is a family friendly travel guide of where to go, what to see, and where to eat while visiting Butler County, Ohio with your family...

This post was created in partnership with the Butler County Visitors Bureau. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

If you have been searching for the perfect unexpected family destination in Ohio, your quest is over! Butler County, located just to the north of Cincinnati & about 2 hours southwest of Columbus, may just be the place you have been looking for. With a famed donut trail, a thriving hands-on art scene, and plenty of quirky & family friendly attractions, Butler County has a little something to satisfy and thrill every member of your family. 

If you and your family haven't visited the Butler County, Ohio area before, let this travel guide serve as a little taste of what all you have been missing. Spanning five different cities across the county, this is where to go, what to see, and where to eat while visiting Butler County with your family...

Where to Eat & Drink in Fort Wayne, Indiana

From ice cream stuffed donuts to pizza by the slice to locally brewed beer, here is Where to Eat & Drink in Fort Wayne, Indiana... 

This post was created in partnership with Visit Fort Wayne. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

When my family & I visited Fort Wayne, Indiana this past summer, I wasn't sure what to expect from this Midwestern city. It hadn't necessarily been a destination that had been on our radar for a family getaway. After spending 3 days there exploring the sites & the local food scene, I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that Fort Wayne was a pleasant surprise- definitely a family friendly destination that far exceeded my expectations. 

Even though there is much to do in and around the city (think baseball games, art museums, science centers, zoos, kayaking, & more), I was most excited to discover & dig into the some of the best local food & booze that the city had to offer. And Fort Wayne certainly did not disappoint, folks! ;) 

We got to experience a true taste of Fort Wayne during our 3 day stay in the city. From kid friendly to pizza by the slice to decadent sweet treats, Fort Wayne's local food scene ended up being way more diverse & delicious than I could have ever possibly imagined prior to our a little family road trip to the Midwest.

Exploring Fort Wayne in 3 Days: A Family Friendly Itinerary

From kayaking with views of the city to a budget friendly baseball game to a hands-on science museum, here is a family friendly itinerary for exploring Fort Wayne, Indiana is just 3 days...

This post was created in partnership with Visit Fort Wayne. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

I will be the first to admit it that Fort Wayne, Indiana is not typically the first destination that comes to mind when planning a vacation packed with family friendly fun. But my family & I's three day visit to Fort Wayne earlier this summer totally changed my preconceived notions of this Midwestern city. 

Fort Wayne is a vibrant & diverse city that deserves more credit & props than I originally afforded it. From kayaking with views of the city to a budget friendly & fun minor league baseball game to a larger than life, hands-on science museum, Fort Wayne just may be the perfect family friendly getaway that you & your family have been looking for. :)

Since there is so much to do & see in Fort Wayne, I thought I would share our 3 day itinerary with you all to help you narrow down some of the must-see & must-do attractions & activities in and around the city. You will find that most every place we visited in this post is no more than a 10 minute drive from one another. That is one of the things we found most attractive about Fort Wayne as far as a family friendly destination goes- the city was extremely accessible, easy to navigate, & most everything there is to do and see there is fairly close together. 

6 Hands-On History Museums to Visit in Anderson County, TN

These 6 Hands-On History Museums in Anderson County, Tennessee really bring the history of this southern Appalachian region & its people to life...

This post was created in partnership with Adventure Anderson County. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

The Anderson County area in eastern Tennessee is a region with a rich & diverse local history. From the early days of Appalachian living to the coal mining disasters & wars to it's place in history as one of only 3 secretive & heavily guarded locations of the Manhattan Project during World War II, Anderson County is a history buff's dream come true. Drawing on its role as a pivotal player in the country's & the region's history, this area is home to many amazing museums & historical locations.

During our visit to Tennessee earlier this summer, my family & I got to experience 6 hands-on history museums that really brought the history of Anderson County & its people to life. These museums encouraged its patrons to touch, to explore, to ask questions, & to really immerse themselves in the historical narrative of eastern Tennessee. 

I firmly believe that now more than ever it is important for families to visit places of historical significance and to explore our nation's past & to have these pivotal conversations about where we have been as a country, where we are as a country, & in which direction we would like to head in as a nation now.

5 Essentials for Your Road Trip Survival Kit

Ensure the survival of everyone's sanity in the car on your next family road trip with these 5 Essentials for Your Road Trip Survival Kit...

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media.

We are gearing up for our last big family road trip of the summer & heading to the Midwest next week (Be sure to give me on a follow on Instagram to discover exactly where we will be traveling to & to follow along with our travel adventures!). Our hotel rooms are booked, the route to our destinations have been plugged into the GPS, our itineraries are just about finalized, & I am starting to throw together our road trip survival kit. And yes, I said survival. Because it is ALL about the survival of everyone's sanity when there is a restless 5 year old in the backseat. ;)

In addition to the usual road trip must-haves (think coloring books & crayons, snacks, water bottles, headphones for each member of the family, etc.), I will also be adding the 5 essentials listed below to my family's road trip survival kit...

5 Family Friendly Outdoor Adventures in Anderson County, Tennessee

With it's rolling mountains & valleys, as well as serene rivers, & lakes, Anderson County in eastern Tennessee is the perfect family friendly destination for outdoor enthusiasts & adventure seekers...

This post was created in partnership with Adventure Anderson County. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

With it's rolling mountains & valleys, Anderson County in eastern Tennessee naturally sets the stage for a family friendly & adventure packed vacation. Whether you and your family members happen to be hiking enthusiasts, avid fishermen, nature lovers, or perhaps prefer something a little more adrenaline inducing, Anderson County is the perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts & adventure seekers. 

My family and I spent 4 days in Anderson County discovering & exploring exactly what it's mountains, valleys, rivers, and lakes have to offer the adventure seeking family.  Below are my top 5 recommendations of family friendly outdoor adventures to experience in the Anderson County area of Tennessee...

Family Friendly Luxury at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

From AAA 5 Star-Diamond dining to an amazingly luxurious spa to a kids' club that goes above and beyond, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is sure to surpass the expectations of every member of your family...

This post was created in partnership with Amelia Island tourism & The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

While exploring the wonderful & charming area of Amelia Island on the northeastern Atlantic coast of Florida, I was also afforded the opportunity to stay at one of the island's most acclaimed luxury resorts, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. 

As would be expected from any resort in the Ritz-Carlton family of hotels, the Ritz on Amelia Island offers its guests countless luxuries & accommodations. But what really took me by surprise is just how family friendly and accommodating The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is towards their much younger guests. 

From AAA 5 Star-Diamond dining to an amazingly luxurious spa to a kids' club that goes above and beyond, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island is sure to surpass the expectations of every member of your family... :)

The Top 6 Traveling Frugal Foodie Mama Posts of 2016

From travel tips to historical destinations to amazing family dining, here are the Top 6 Traveling Frugal Foodie Mama Posts of 2016 as clicked on & shared by you...

When I decided to publish my first ever travel post on Frugal Foodie Mama in 2013, I really didn't set out with the intention of merging my predominantly food & recipe blog with a family friendly travel blog. My family and I had stayed at a bed & breakfast in Virginia for a little weekend getaway, and I was impressed with how the innkeepers had went above and beyond to accommodate us. I wanted to show my appreciation and gratitude, so I thought why not write up a little review of our stay on my blog and share it with my social media followers as a way to thank them for their generous hospitality? I had no idea how my loyal readers would react to a travel piece, but I figured it was just one post so why not?

Luckily for me, my first ever travel review was well received by you all. But I wasn't entirely convinced that I should delve head first into travel writing, so it took me over a year to write and publish my second ever travel post. When that post was also pretty well received, it dawned on me that I might be onto to something here and Traveling Frugal Foodie Mama (or #TravelingFFM, as it is known on social media) was born! :)

Since that time, I have published a total of 39 travel posts to the blog- 16 of those being from 2016 alone. Yep, I really upped my travel game in the past year, folks. While I am not sharing all 16 travel posts from last year with you all here today, I am sharing my top 6 travel posts from 2016. Hopefully, you all will find a little family travel inspiration for 2017 below... 

5 Reasons to Plan a Family Vacation to Amelia Island

Located on the northeast coast of Florida, Amelia Island is the perfect family friendly travel destination brimming with historic charm & miles of pristine beaches...

This post was created in partnership with Amelia Island tourism. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

Last month I had the pleasure of spending 4 amazing days exploring Amelia Island on the northeast coast of Florida. In addition to discovering the amazing beaches, the fresh from the sea local food scene, & the historic charm of this seaside destination, I also had the chance to stay at not one but two of the island's premier family friendly resorts. 

To say that I was utterly impressed by what all Amelia Island has to offer as a family vacation spot would definitely be an understatement. 

Amelia Island quite literally has something to offer every member of your family- from the foodie to the history buff to the outdoor enthusiast. And many of the resorts on the island offer programs and perks specifically tailored to the kiddos in your family whether they are 3 years old or in their teens. 

While I could probably rattle off at least 100 reasons why you should plan your next family vacation to Amelia Island, here are my top 5... ;)

How to Roar & Explore in Columbus, Ohio

Not only is the fun-packed Columbus Roar & Explore Getaway budget friendly, but it also offers a little something for everyone in the family from the preschooler to the teenager to the adults...

My family & I were were offered the Columbus Roar & Explore Getaway package to review courtesy of Experience Columbus. 

As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

My family & I have deemed the summer of 2016 as the summer of our family weekend road trips. Instead of going on a longer week long vacation to just one destination like we usually do in the summertime, we are opting for 2-3 days visits to 3-4 different family friendly spots instead. First on our family summer road trip list was the Columbus Roar & Explore Getaway. Not only was this fun-packed getaway budget friendly, but it also had a little something for everyone in our family from the preschooler to the teenager to the adults.

We started our visit to Columbus, Ohio with a little Roar first and headed to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium in Powell...

The Best Resources for Planning a Summer Family Vacation

From deciding where to go, how to get there, & how to get the most bang for your buck, here are The Best Resources for Planning a Summer Family Vacation...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Scholastic. The opinions and text are all mine.

Another school year is quickly coming to a close, and soon the kiddos will be home for summer school break. Time for long summer days at the pool, s'mores around the fire pit, weekend road trips, and the annual summer family vacation. 

Okay, so maybe you hadn't really thought about that last bit quite yet. But there is no need to panic, folks. I gathered up some of the best resources for planning a summer family vacation to share with you all today. So whether you need a little help deciding where to go or maybe you just need some tips for the actual traveling part, I got covered in today's post!

Deciding Where to Go.

If you haven't already pinpointed just where you and the family will be packing up and heading off to this summer, then this is where you need to start. 

Now you can either close your eyes and throw a dart at a map (hey, I am not necessarily ruling that one out ;) ), or you can start by asking yourself a few key questions-

Where to Eat in Gettysburg

Gettysburg isn't just for history buffs! This city also offers its visitors a very delicious and vibrant local food scene making it the perfect getaway for die hard foodies as well...

This post was created in partnership with Destination Gettysburg. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

(Updated May 2023)

Food happens to be a big part of our family travels. I genuinely believe it is one of the best ways to get a true feel for the flavor & local vibe of any new city or area that we visit. We do have a few rules in place when dining out while we are traveling though...

1. No fast food restaurants or national chains, aka nothing that we can eat back in our hometown on any ole day of the week.
2. Locally owned & operated. Bonus points if most or all of their menu happens to be locally sourced as well.
3. And they must be family friendly (a decent kids' menu, friendly atmosphere), but still appeal to the adults (aka, the hard core foodies) and the almost adult in the family. ;)

During our recent visit to Gettysburg a few weekends ago, not only did we get to immerse ourselves in the rich history and Civil War heritage of the city, but we also got a taste of the city's local food scene largely thanks to our friends at Destination Gettysburg. 

From local coffee spots to dining in buildings where history was created to locally crafted brews, Gettysburg is not just for history buffs, folks. Gettysburg also has a very delicious and vibrant local food scene making it the perfect getaway for die hard foodies as well...

5 Reasons to Travel with Your Preschooler Now

Come find out why there is no time like the present to get traveling with your little ones with these 5 Reasons to Travel with Your Preschooler Now...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Disney. The opinions and text are all mine.

I speak from experience when I say that traveling with younger ones can be challenging and downright exhausting at times- we started traveling with Little Miss when she was about 5 months old. :) But even with all it's challenges (disrupted routines, missed naps, car sickness, etc), we have always believed that traveling with our kiddos from a young age was definitely doing them much more good than harm. 

You can only show and teach so much to your children from books or a television show. Sometimes you just have to take them to the source, let them get their hands in it all (yep, and sometimes that means getting a little dirty ;) ), and experience the world around them hands-on and in-person. 

While I am not really going to touch on solutions for the challenges and obstacles that traveling with a preschooler (and younger) can present, I am going to chat with you all about why you should shove those fears and concerns aside, pack up the car, and hit the road or head to the airport with your little ones. 

I will just let Scholastic.com and their Ultimate Preschool Travel Guide handle all of those other tips and advice on traveling with your younger kiddos for you. You can click on over to those once I have convinced you all that there is no time like the present to get traveling with your little ones with my 5 Reasons to Travel with Your Preschooler Now... 

3 Historical Must-Do's in Gettysburg

Immerse yourself in the history, heritage, and charm of a town that helped shape the Civil War with these 3 Historical Must-Do's in Gettysburg...

Photo Credit

This post was created in partnership with Destination Gettysburg. As always, all opinions & thoughts expressed below are 100% my own.

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

When you think of American cities steeped in the rich history of our country, a few probably make your short list- Boston, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Savannah, and of course, Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. 

Gettysburg was forever burned into the tapestry of American history during 3 fateful days in July of 1863. It was during those 3 days in the heat of summer that Union forces and Confederate troops would happen upon each other in what would be become the deadliest battle of the Civil War. 

The battle was fought in the fields and orchards surrounding Gettysburg, but much of the fighting happened right through the middle of the city as well. 

In fact, many of the buildings there still carry the scars of those battles- filled-in bullet holes and lodged artillery shells. Just about everywhere you look, walk, and venture in and around Gettysburg is a link to to the past, a relic and tribute to a hard fought battle that was considered a major turning point in the war...