Travel Information Index
Now that I have lots of travel stories and links to my published stories posted here on my web site I decided that I needed to create an index with links to help my readers quickly find stories by searching their area of interest. NOTE: Some links will be listed multiple times when the diversity of an area offers multiple travel experiences.
Originally I categorized stories by location. I will still post to the location categories listed on my home page and note the location/state/region here for quick reference with link.
Thank you for your interest in my travel commentaries. Wishing you safe and pleasant travels – ALWAYS! Becky Linhardt - Travel Writer, MTWA
ACCOMMODATION/PLACES TO STAY
FL Rosemary Beach Cottage Rentals
FL Gibson Inn – Apalachicola
IL The Carleton of Oak Park - Oak Park/Chicago
IN The Villa Inn - Indianapolis
IN Stay and Play Golf - Indianapolis area
IN Madison Vineyards Winery Bed & Breakfast - Madison
KY Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill - near Lexington
KY Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn – Bardstown
KY Beaumont Inn – Harrodsburg
KY Hall Place Bed & Breakfast - Glasgow
KY Rose Hill Inn Bed & Breakfast - Lexington area
KY Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant - Berea
KY Weavers Rest Cottage - Berea
KY Myrtledene Bed & Breakfast - Lebanon, near Bardstown – General Morgan headquartered in this fine Ante-Bellum Home
MI Middle Island Keeper’s Lodge - north of Alpena – stay on a lighthouse island
MI Mission Point Resort - Mackinac Island
MI Harbor Grand Inn - New Buffalo - far southwest corner of Michigan not far from Chicago, IL or the Indiana Dunes in NW Indiana
MI The Inn on Ferry Street – Midtown Detroit
MI Westin Book Cadillac – Downtown Detroit
OH English Manor Bed & Breakfast - Miamisburg/Dayton
OH Stockport Mill Inn - Stockport – near Marietta and Athens
OH Hyde House – Nelsonville
OH The Inn at Cedar Falls - Logan/Hocking Hills
OH Kelleys Island State Park – shoreline camping
OH Glenlaurel: A Scottish Country Inn - Hocking Hills/Logan NEW feature: The Scottish Links at Glenlaurel
OH The Inn on Kelleys Island - Kelleys Island – north of Sandusky
OH Kalahari Waterpark Resort - Sandusky
SC The Westin - downtown Greenville
TN Delta Queen Hotel - Chattanogga – Stay overnight on a historic steamboat
ADVICE/ESSAYS
Beyond Regional – To Tour or Not to Tour
ART/CRAFT RELATED – Festivals, Museums, Events
CANADA – TIFF - Toronto International Film Festival
ITALY – Norman Chapel - Palermo, Sicily
ITALY – Greek Ruins at Selinunte, Sicily
IN Theater Town - Valparaiso
IN Museum of Miniature Houses - Carmel/Indianapolis area
IN The Sanctuary - The Art of Nancy Noel – Zionsville near Indianapolis
KY Paint Your Own Stoneware - Louisville Stoneware
KY Crafts in Berea - Festival, Workshops, Shops, and Studios.
KY Little Loomhouse - Traditional Weaving - Louisville
KY Flame Run - Hot Shop and Glass Art Gallery – Louisville
KY The Stephen Foster Story - musical theater – Bardstown
KY My Old Kentucky Home - Outdoor summer musicals
KY Beaumont Inn – includes Arts Council of Mercer County Gallery
MI Detroit Institute of Art – Midtown Detroit
MI Motown Historical Museum - music, music, music!
OH Short North Arts District - Columbus
OH The Dairy Barn Arts Center - Athens
OH Arts on The Square – Nelsonville
OH American Sign Museum - Cincinnati
OH Art in Bloom event at the Cincinnati Art Museum
OH Stuart Opera House – Nelsonville
OH Photography – Cincinnati
OH 2nd FotoFocus Biennial – Cincinnati
OH The Cleveland Museum of Art
OH The Arts in Over the Rhine - Cincinnati
OH Showboat Majestic - Cincinnati – Last working showboat in the USA
OH DooDah Parade - Columbus – Short North Arts District – July 4th
OH Wildflowers in the Hocking Hills Shoot the Hills Annual Photography Competition – Hocking Hills – April
OH Summer Music - Cincinnati
OH Cowan’s Auctions - Cincinnati
OH Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Cleveland
SC The Greenville County Museuem of Art - Largest collection of Andrew Wyeth watercolors
TN Arts and Artists in Gatlinburg
TN Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts - Gatlinburg. Enjoy a week of creativity.
TN The Music Scene in Nashville - NSAI
TN Dogwood Arts Festival - Knoxville
WI Door County - Hands On Art Studio – DIY
AUTOMOBILES/AUTO TOURING
IL Double Decker Bus Tours - Chicago
IL Gangster Tours - let the “driver” deal with South Side Chicago traffic
IN Roads Less Traveled in Southern Indiana
IN Amish Country - Heritage and Quilt Garden Self-Drive Tours
KY/WV Hatfield-McCoy – Audio-Driving Tour - Pikeville, KY and nearby WV
KY Urban Bourbon Trail and Kentucky Bourbon Trail – Louisville and central Kentucky
KY Self-guided tour of craft studios - Berea
KY Beaumont Inn – included Walking & Driving Tour of Mercer County
MI Driving America at the Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
OH Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Mansfield
OH Auto driving tour at Dawes Arboretum - Newark
OH The Wilds - Safari in an open bus
TN Tennessee’s Civil War Trails - Eastern Tennessee
TN Great Smoky Mountains - Autumn Glory – A colorful drive over the mountains
BEACHES
FL St George and the barrier islands of Apalachicola Bay
IN Indiana Dunes - NW Indiana/Lake Michigan
MI Traverse City - Life is a beach – and a bowl of cherries
MI Middle Island Keeper’s Lodge - north of Alpena – stay on a lighthouse island, the rock beaches are great to explore and the views are incredible
OH Kelleys Island State Park Beach
OH Kalahari Waterpark Resort – Sandusky
WI Door County - Peninsula State Park, Whitefish Dunes State Park and more
CHOCOLATE
IN Trader’s Point Creamery - near Indianapolis
IN The Sanctuary - Ghyslain Chocolates – Zionsville near Indianapolis
IN Ganache Chocolatier - Zionsville near Indianapolis
IN Endangered Species Chocolate - Factory Tours FREE – Indianapolis
IN The Best Chocolate in Town - Indianapolis – Downtown
KY Rebecca-Ruth Candy - Bourbon Chocolates, Factory Tours – Frankfort, KY
KY Bellevue – includes Witt’s End Candy, Schneider’s Sweet Shop
MI Moomer’s Ice Cream - Traverse City (seasonal)
MI Screams Ice Cream - Hell
MI Cherry Republic - Glen Arbor, Traverse City, Charlevoix – dark chocolate covered dried cherries heavenly!
OH Goumas Candyland – Granville Foodies Love Ohio’s Small College Towns
OH Putnam Chocolates – Marietta - Foodies Love Ohio’s Small College Towns
OH Fountain Square – Cincinnati – Graeter’s Ice Cream - yummy!
Creati-Vacation
KY Paint Your Own Stoneware - Louisville Stoneware – Design and decorate your own keepsake plate, bowl, platter, etc.
KY Little Loomhouse - Traditional Weaving - Louisville – Weaving lessons available
KY LearnShops and Make It, Take It, and Give It – Craft Workshops in Berea
TN Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts - Gatlinburg. Weekend and week-long arts and crafts workshops
WI Door County - Hands On Arts Studio. The complex of building offers 4 studio spaces in which to create your own art using wood, metal, glass, or ceramics. Make it one day; come back to pick it up the next – or have it shipped home.
ETHNIC PRIDE & HISTORY
ITALY – Norman Chapel - Palermo, Sicily
ITALY – Greek Ruins at Selinunte, Sicily
IL – Devon Avenue - Chicago
MI Arab American National Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
MI Polish Heritage - Hamtramck/Detroit
MI Tulip Festival and Dutch Culture - Holland
MI Jimaan Paddle - Petosky – Paddle a Native American lake canoe on the bay – bonus: regional tales
MI Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History – Midtown Detroit
MI Detroit’s African American Heritage
OH Fort Ancient - Native American History, Archaeology, Events, and June Programs
OH Japanese Garden at Dawes Arboretum - Newark
TN Nashville’s African American Heritage
WI Door County - Stavkirke and Scandinavian heritage sites
FOOD & WINE – and Beer
FL Rosemary Beach - Dining and Retail
IN Indiana Wine Trail - SE Indiana
IN Madison Vineyards Winery - Madison
IN Trader’s Point Creamery - near Indianapolis
IN The Sanctuary - Zionsville near Indianapolis
KY Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill - Country Cooking and Historic Recipes
KY Bourbon Manor Bed & Breakfast Inn – Bardstown
KY Bellevue – Witt’s End Candy – full line of Moon Pies
KY Urban Bourbon Trail - Louisville
KY Beaumont Inn – includes private Bourbon tastings; true Southern fried chicken and country ham
KY Historic Boone Tavern Hotel and Restaurant - Berea
KY/OH Foodies love Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
MI Jiffy Mix Factory Tours - FREE – Chelsea – near Ann Arbor
MI Mission Point Resort - Mackinac Island
MI Polish Heritage - Hamtramck/Detroit
MI Tulip Festival and Dutch Culture - Holland - New Holland Brewing Company, the Dutch love their beer
MI Screams Ice Cream - Hell/Howell north of Ann Arbor - The ice cream is good but the presentation is fantastic – fun not spooky.
MI Moomer’s Ice Cream - Traverse City (seasonal)
MI Cherry Republic - Glen Arbor, Traverse City, Charlevoix
MI Traverse City – Life is a beach …. and a bowl of cherries
MI The Whitney – Midtown Detroit
MI Lamy’s Diner at the Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
OH Athens – Locavore – “30-mile meal”
OH Terry’s Turf Club – see * Foodie BONUS on the posting for the American Sign Museum re: one of Cincinnati’s favorite burgers
OH Foodies Love Ohio’s Small College Towns - Regional and ethnic specialties, “Loca-vore”, and more.
OH Rhapsody Restaurant – Nelsonville – Hocking College Culinary School
OH Rockmill Brewery Tasting Room - Lancaster
OH Somerset Herbs - Perry County
OH Ice Cream Museum and Factory Tours – Utica
OH Short North Arts District - Columbus
OH Fountain Square – Cincinnati
OH Graeter’s Ice Cream - Chunky Chocolate Chips
OH The Mustard Club - Beer, Brats and Spicy Mustards
SC Main Street Restraunt scene – Greenville
WI Door County - Ligonberry pancakes and more at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant
WV Holl’s Swiss Chocolatier - Parkersburg
FUN FOR KIDS
FL Apalachicola Bay & St. George Island
IL Gangster Tours - let the “driver” deal with South Side Chicago traffic
IL Chicago Botanical Garden - programs, play areas, gardening experiences
IN Indiana Dunes - Junior Ranger Program
IN Children’s Museum of Indianapolis - DINOSAURS and more
IN Museum of Miniature Houses - to scale miniature houses and toy soldiers – Carmel
IN Amish Country - horses, Amish dress and culture
IN/KY Falls of the Ohio State Park - Clarksville, IN across from Louisville, KY
IN Children’s Museum of Indianapolis – Treasures of the Earth
IN Trader’s Point Creamery - near Indianapolis
IN Carter’s Toy Museum - Zionsville near Indianapolis
IN Endangered Species Chocolate - Factory Tours FREE – Indianapolis
IN Children’s Museum of Indianapolis - Treasures of the Earth – permanent exhibition
KY Louisville Zoo - Polar bears and more
KY Kentucky Horse Park - Lexington
KY MegaCavern – Underground Cold War Secrets – Louisville – It’s a bit spooky!
KY Elk & Bison Prairie - Land Between the Lakes
KY Beaumont Inn – includes information on Old Fort Harrod State Park
KY The Stephen Foster Story – musical theater in Bardstown
KY Old Louisville Ghost Tours - Louisville
KY Bellevue – Candy shops and events
KY River Discovery Center – Paducah
KY Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill - historic farm and craft demos
MI Mission Point Resort - Mackinac Island
MI Middle Island Keeper’s Lodge - north of Alpena – stay on a lighthouse island to have kids experience life without electricity and explore the natural world
MI Jimaan Paddle - Petosky – Paddle a Native American lake canoe on the bay – bonus: regional tales
MI Matthaei Botanical Gardens/Children’s Garden - Ann Arbor
MI Moomer’s Ice Cream - Traverse City (seasonal)
MI Jiffy Mix Factory Tours - FREE – Chelsea – near Ann Arbor
MI Gallup Pond - Ann Arbor – fun on the water
MI Locking through at Sault St. Marie - FREE – The BIG boats, feats of engineering, lots of water – what’s not to like.
MI Oswald’s Bear Ranch - Upper Peninsula – west of Sault. St. Marie
MI Tulip Festival and Dutch Culture - Holland – kids love the working windmill and the gardens
MI Screams Ice Cream - Hell/Howell north of Ann Arbor - The ice cream is good but the presentation is fantastic – fun not spooky. Other attractions in Hell include goofy golf and the Halloween themed merchandise at Screams, year round.
MI People Mover – Detroit’s Downtown Monorail
MI Traverse City – Life is a beach …. and a bowl of cherries
MI Driving America at the Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
OH Athens – “30-mile meal” – great food and opportunities to visit the farms where local foods are grown
OH Mountain Biking - Hocking Hills
OH Polar Frontier at the Columbus Zoo
OH EnterTRAINMENT Junction – West Chester/Cincinnati
OH Kelleys Island State Park – swimming, shoreline camping, nature trails, etc.
OH Kalahari Waterpark Resort - Sandusky
OH Mad River Mountain - Bellefontaine – ski, snowboard, tubing
OH Great Lakes Science Center - Cleveland
OH Hot Dog Museum at O’Betty’s - Athens
OH Dawes Arboretum - Discovery Center and Nature Programs
OH Over the Rhine - Cincinnati – Children’s Play Area in downtown Washington Park
OH Polar Frontier at the Columbus Zoo
OH Inland Seas Maritime Museum - Vermilion – Shipwrecks, Big Boats and more!
OH The Wilds - An African Safari in Ohio – Cumberland south of Cambridge
OH Ice Cream Museum and Factory Tours – Utica
OH Fountain Square – Cincinnati – Graeter’s Ice Cream - yummy!
OH Annie Oakley Center at the Garst Museum - Greenville
OH Fort Ancient - Native American History, Archaeology, Events, and Programs
OH Butler County Parks - SW/Hamilton
OH The United States Air Force Museum - Dayton – Free fun
OH Kelleys Island - State Park, Inscription Rock, Glacial Grooves
OH Hocking Valley Scenic Railroad – Nelsonville
SC Falls Park on the Reedy – Greenville
TN Great Smoky Mountains National Park
WI Door County - beaches, children’s art programs, farm visits
WV Blennerhasset Island’s Wild Side - south of Parkersburg
GARDENS
IL Chicago Botanical Garden - Chicago
IN Quilt Gardens - Amish Country
KY Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill - historic farm and herb gardening
KY My Old Kentucky Home - Bardstown
MI Matthaei Botanical Gardens - Ann Arbor
MI Tulip Festival and Dutch Culture - Holland – early May for the Tulip Festival: lots of tulip in bloom – then colorful annuals in the summer brighten the heritage area
OH Somerset Herbs - Perry County
OH Kelleys Island State Park - Lilac Walk in May
OH Japanese Garden at Dawes Arboretum - Newark
OH Washington Park – Over the Rhine - Cincinnati
OH Kelleys Island State Park Lilac Walk
OH Wildflowers in the Hocking Hills
TN Dogwood Arts Festival - Knoxville
WV Blennerhassett Island State Park - Parkersburg area
HISTORIC PLACES/MUSEUMS/TOURS
ITALY – Norman Chapel - Palermo, Sicily
ITALY – Greek Ruins at Selinunte, Sicily
IL Gangster Tours - Chicago
IL Double Decker Bus Tours - Chicago
IN Amish Country - near Elkhart – Self-Drive Heritage and Quilt Garden Tours
IN Museum of Miniature Houses - Carmel
IN/KY Falls of the Ohio State Park - Clarksville, IN across from Louisville, KY
IN Carter’s Toy Museum - Zionsville near Indianapolis
IN Children’s Museum of Indianapolis - Treasures of the Earth – permanent exhibition
IN Dinosaurs at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis
KY/WV Hatfield-McCoy – Audio-Driving Tour - Pikeville, KY and nearby WV
KY Lincoln Birthplace and Boyhood Home - Hodgenville
KY My Old Kentucky Home - Bardstown
KY The Stephen Foster Story – historic/musical – Bardstown
KY Beaumont Inn – includes information on historic Harrodsburg
KY River Heritage Center – Paducah
KY Urban Bourbon Trail - Louisville – Historic hotels, bars and restaurants
KY Millennnium World Peace Bell - Newport
KY Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill - near Lexington
KY Kentucky Horse Park - Lexington
KY Little Loomhouse - Traditional Weaving - Louisville
KY MegaCavern – Underground Cold War Secrets - Louisville
KY John Hunt Morgan House - Civil War General – Lexington
KY Myrtledene Bed & Breakfast - Lebanon, near Bardstown – General Morgan headquartered in this fine Ante-Bellum Home
KY Old Louisville Ghost Tours - Louisville
MI Mission Point Resort - Mackinac Island Tower of History and Fort Mackinac
MI Middle Island Keeper’s Lodge - north of Alpena – stay on a lighthouse island or just take a day trip for a guided tour of the island and its historic lighthouse.
MI Arab American National Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
MI Locking through at Sault St. Marie - Kids love seeing the BIG boats – FREE
MI Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History - Midtown Detroit
MI Downtown Detroit - Pub Crawls and Historic Tours of downtown
MI Detroit’s African American Heritage
MI Driving America at the Henry Ford Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
OH Stockport Mill - Stockport – water-powered, producing electricity now
OH Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - Cleveland
OH American Sign Museum - Cincinnati
OH – Cowan’s Auctions - Cincinnati
OH Great Lakes Science Center - Cleveland
OH Inland Seas Maritime Museum - Vermilion
OH Ohio Statehouse – Columbus
OH Veterans Plaza – Capital Square – Columbus
OH Ice Cream Museum and Factory Tours – Utica
OH Annie Oakley Center at the Garst Museum - Greenville
OH Fort Ancient - Native American History, Archaeology, Events, and Programs
OH Showboat Majestic - Cincinnati – Last working showboat in the USA
OH The United States Air Force Museum - Dayton – Free fun
OH Fountain Square - free movie nights during the summer season; ice skating in winter.
OH History/Antiques at the Wooden Nickle
SC Upcountry History Museum – Greenville
TN Nashville’s African American Heritage
TN Tennessee’s Civil War Trails
TN Delta Queen Hotel - Chattanogga – Stay overnight on a historic steamboat
TN Great Smoky Mountains Heritage Center and Little River Train Museum - Townsend
WI Door County - Washington Island Farm Museum
WV Blennerhasset Island State Park with historic recreation of early 1800′s mansion – south of Parkersburg
NATURE & OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
FL Rosemary Beach - On the Water
FL Kayaking Apalachicola Bay
IN Indiana Dunes - NW Indiana
IN/KY Falls of the Ohio State Park - Clarksville, IN across from Louisville, KY
KY Elk & Bison Prairie - Land Between the Lakes
MI Matthaei Botanical Gardens - Ann Arbor – great walking trails
MI Middle Island Keeper’s Lodge - north of Alpena – stay on a lighthouse island – no electricity but propane supplies hot water, lights, and refirgeration so that you can enjoy getting out into the nature that surrounds you.
MI Gallup Pond - Ann Arbor – part of the Huron River Water Trail
MI Oswald’s Bear Ranch - Upper Peninsula – west of Sault. St. Marie
MI Jimaan Paddle - Petosky – Paddle a Native American lake canoe on the bay – bonus: regional tales
OH Mountain Biking - Hocking Hills
OH Kelleys Island State Park - kayaking, September circumnavigation of the 17-mile shoreline.
OH Mad River Mountain - Ohio’s largest ski resort
OH Polar Frontier at the Columbus Zoo
OH Dawes Arboretum - Eight miles of hiking trails
OH Kelleys Island Audubon Club Birding Programs - Kelleys Island near Cedar Point/Sandusky
OH Spring Wildflowers in the Hocking Hills
OH Polar Frontier at the Columbus Zoo
OH The Wilds - An African Safari in Ohio – Cumberland south of Cambridge
OH Kayaking in the Hocking Hills - Athens/Logan
OH Butler County Parks - SW/Hamilton
OH Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Mansfield
TN Great Smoky Mountains/Cades Cove/Townsend
TN Great Smoky Mountains – Autumn Glory TN to NC
WI Door County - kayaks, water bikes, fishing, hiking, camping and more
WV Blennerhasset Island’s Wild Side - south of Parkersburg
OVERVIEWS
Foreign Travel – To Tour or Not to Tour
FL Apalachicola Bay/St. George Island
IN Indiana Wine Trail - SE Indiana
IN Roads Less Traveled in Southern Indiana
KY Fine Craft Culture - Berea
KY Beaumont Inn and Harrodsburg area
KY Bellevue – historic town across the Ohio River from Cincinnati
KY/OH Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Riverfront
MI Middle Island Keeper’s Lodge - north of Alpena – stay on a lighthouse island where you and your guest have the whole island to yourselves – small island, big overview
MI Traverse City area
OH/KY Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky Riverfront
OH Fountain Square - Cincinnati
OH Arts on the Square – Nelsonville
OH Summer Music - Cincinnati – many concerts are FREE
OH Kelleys Island - Lake Erie Islands north of Sandusky
SC Southern Charm and Urban Energy – Greenville
TN Arts and Artists in Gatlinburg
TN Nashville
TN Great Smoky Mountains/Cades Cove/Townsend
TN Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Autumn Glory
TN Knoxville
WI Door County
SHOPPING/UNIQUE MARKETS
ITALY Strategic Shopping - Overseas
IL Devon Avenue - Ethnic Treasures – Chicago
IN Amish Country- Auctions - near Elkhart
KY Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill - Shaker-style furniture and crafts
KY Little Loomhouse - Traditional Weaving - Country Arts styling – Louisville
KY Traditional and Contemporary Fine Crafts - Shops and Festivals – Berea
KY Bellevue - artisan shops and quirky gifts
MI Arab American National Museum - Dearborn/Detroit
MI Polish Heritage - Hamtramck/Detroit
OH Short North Arts District - Columbus
OH Antiques and Architectural Treasures - Cincinnati
OH Cowan’s Auctions - Cincinnati
OH Hocking Hills - Antiques Rockbridge & Logan
TN Arts and Artists in Gatlinburg
SPORTS
IN “Stay and Play” – Golf in Hamilton County – Indianapolis area
OH Glenlaurel: A Scottish Country Inn - Hocking Hills/Logan NEW feature: The Scottish Links at Glenlaurel
OH Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Mansfield
OH Mad River Mountain - Ohio’s largest ski resort
OH Kayak Poker Paddle - 17 miles around Kelleys Island – annual September event