Experience Review

Millennium Park – An Exciting Must See to Believe FREE Activity!

January 20, 2023 By Joni Kinney Leave a Comment

Are you seeking an exciting, free activity that won’t break the bank? Look no further than Millennium Park in Chicago! One of the most popular tourist destinations in Chicago, this incredible park is a great spot to escape from your hectic everyday routine and have fun. With over 25 acres of public gardens, art installations, sculptures, and performance venues—it’s possible to find something for everyone at Millennium Park.

What is there to do in Millennium Park?

There are almost too many activities to mention going on at this location. It’s no surprise to those that have visited why it’s the 2nd most visited tourist attraction in Chicago. Filled with events and activities, there is always something fun to see and do. With that said, there are always a few MUST-see activities.

First up is the “Bean,” which isn’t a bean. Cloud gate is inspired by liquid mercury and is regularly power washed to keep its shine.
Second, on my list is the Crown Fountain. This fountain features the faces of the people of Chicago and is a great place to cool off the kids.
Third, up is Lurie Garden. Now in full disclosure, I love botanical gardens and places you can leisurely walk through pretty flowers.
My Fourth MUST-do activity is checking out any free entertainment from the Jay Pritzker Pavilion. I’ve seen some cool concerts featuring seats and lawn sitting areas. It’s fun to hear bands, concerts, or plays being performed.

So how much does all this cost?

I’m happy to report the park is FREE! Millenium park is open from 6 am to 11 pm daily. The welcome center is open from 9 am to 5 pm. The park sometimes has to close unexpectedly, so it’s always a good idea to check them on Social Media before heading out.

So how do you get there?

Millennium Park is located in the Loop neighborhood of Chicago and is an easy walk from public transportation. If you are driving there are a number of parking lots and garages within easy walking distance. However, if you are staying downtown your best bet is to walk. Refer to your local map to find your fastest option.

The park can be found in the northwest corner of Chicago’s Grant Park. The address is 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60602.

What else can you do in Chicago?

Wrapping UP!

There is a LOT to do when visiting Millennium Park, and it is the perfect place to spend a day if you’re looking for free, exciting activities. Check out their events calendar if you want to visit something in particular, but things are always going on. With so much to see and do, this incredible park has something for everyone.

If you’re ready to escape your daily routine and explore everything that Millennium Park has to offer, check out Expedia and the great deals you can get! Book your trip today!

Pioneer Plaza in Dallas, Texas: A Fun Way to Commemorate the Dallas History

August 4, 2022 By Joni Kinney Leave a Comment

Looking for something fun to do in Dallas, Texas? Check out Pioneer Plaza! This beautiful public square is near some of the city’s major attractions, including the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher Sculpture Center. It commemorates the history of Dallas and is a great place to take photos or enjoy a picnic lunch.

History of Pioneer Plaza In Dallas

Pioneer Plaza in Dallas has larger-than-life bronze sculptures of 40 steers and 3 cowboys in the midst of a cattle drive. As you can imagine, this site is visited by many tourists. The Pioneer Park Cemetery adjoins the plaza, and the Confederate War Memorial can be found there. It is the Dallas central business district’s largest publicly accessible open space.

The $9 million project began in 1992 and was completed in 1994. Private donations provided almost 1/2 of the money. The park is adjacent to the Dallas Convention Center. The plaza is the city’s second most popular attraction (The first place belongs to Dealey Plaza). In 1996 the Dallas Convention center took over maintaining the park.

Sculptures

These amazing Cattle Drive Sculptures were created by Robert Summers from Glen Rose, Texas at the corner of Young and Griffin street. He is an accomplished artist who has been creating sculptures for more than 40 years. You can tell by the details that these were created with the history of Dallas in mind. He accurately recorded the many markings used to identify cattle on the pathways, including a brand on the left hip.

There are 4 main sculptures to consider. The 3 cowboys; Trail Boss, Black Cutter Cowboy, Vaquero, and the Texas Longhorns. I will let you look up the significance of the cowboys and the steers if you are interested but suffice to say, they are very interesting.

In addition to the amazingly detailed sculptures, the plaza hosts man-made cliffs, native plant life, and historical details embronzed on the sculptures themselves.

Pioneer Plaza Conclusion

Pioneer Plaza in Dallas is a great place to visit when you are in Dallas, Texas! It is close to other attractions, has a rich history, and features beautiful sculptures. You will not be disappointed if you add Pioneer Plaza to your list of places to see.

If you are ready to book a great vacation, click here to get started!

Things to do in Las Vegas for FREE!

May 16, 2019 By Jason Kinney Leave a Comment

Las Vegas can be an expensive vacation but can be cheap depending on what activities you do. As casinos have started to nickel and dime the visitors with the addition of parking and resort fees. Here are some of my favorite things to do in Las Vegas for FREE!

Bellagio

Everyone starts with the Bellagio fountains and there is a reason for this as it is the most popular thing to do in Las Vegas for Free. Beginning in the afternoon, they go off every half hour but around 8 pm they start going off every 15 minutes. The best time to see them is at nights with the backdrop of the lights. They rotate through songs so during a trip you may hear the same song a couple times, but each time it is an experience that is unique. Both Cheyenne and Joni like to find an area up front and watch them for an hour or so as they go off at night.

Bellagio Conservatory is a great place to have pictures taken. They rotate scenes throughout the year. Almost everything the display is made out of flowers and is always very busy as people walk through. With it being “alive” there will be times throughout the year that it is closed as they update the display.

Bellagio Chocolate Waterfall is in the walkway between the Bellagio, Vdara and the tram. There is a small dessert place that has the largest chocolate waterfall in the world and it is pretty spectacular to see. This is one of those not as well known things that I like to make sure to show newcomers on their first trip. Especially if they have a sweet tooth!

Mirage

I still have a soft spot for the Volcano at the Mirage. It has changed over the years. Watching fire dance on the water is always awesome to see over and over. They use gas tubing that then lights the gas as it goes off with an island drum going off in the background. You can feel the heat as you sit and watch it. This does not go off as often as the fountains and is a farther walking distance from the fountains so you will need to plan accordingly to catch these.

Cosmopolitan

The chandelier at the Cosmopolitan is always a quick fun stop for pictures. If you are on the high road walkway bridge between City Center and Planet Hollywood, at the intersecting corner, you can enter into the Cosmopolitan. Just a couple steps in you can look over the Chandelier Bar which has a multi-store Chandelier in place. You can get some stunning pictures with that chadelier as the backdrop, which is why it makes our list of things to do in Las Vegas for free.

The funny thing is, the original company that was building the Cosmopolitan before they ran out of funding originally was planning on putting a giant robot in that spot. I think it is safe to say the chandelier was the better choice.

Las Vegas Sign

Last but not least one of the things to do in Las Vegas for free is to visit the Las Vegas Sign. Depending on the route you take from the airport to get to the strip, you could drive right past it. It is on the south side of the strip past Mandalay Bay. I would recommend not walking due to the traffic and the on/off ramps for I-15, and 515 is a dangerous area to walk. Also, try planning to stop by earlier in the morning to minimize waiting in line.

No trip is complete with a stop at the Las Vegas sign. Depending on your route you take from the airport to get to the strip, you could drive right past it. It is on the south side of the strip past Mandalay Bay. I would recommend not walking due to the traffic and the on/off ramps for I-15, and 515 is a dangerous area to walk. Also, try planning to stop by earlier in the morning to minimize waiting in line.

Route 91 Festival

May 9, 2019 By Jason Kinney Leave a Comment

It seems like it was forever ago but also like it was just yesterday. If it weren’t for the UFC fights the week after, I would have been there for the Route 91 festival when the shooting took place. I would have been in the crowd as Jason Aldean would have been one of the main acts I would have wanted to see.

Route 91 Shooting

Part of me changed the day of the with all the what ifs. Now Cheyenne will be going with me on the next trip at the end of the month. She knows of everything out there, she knows how close I was to being there at that time. Cheyenne has asked a lot of questions over the last several months, but even more recently about Las Vegas. A lot has changed in the 7 and a half years since she was there last.

Las Vegas Changes

The strange thing is the little things that have even changed in the last several months. I have been there eight times since the shooting, and you pick up on small things that you didn’t see before.

I have noticed more secondary security throughout the casinos along with upgraded elevator security.
Some of the higher end casinos always had a guard at the elevators.
Now even some of the lower to mid-end casinos have either guards placed or at least working badge scans that lock the elevators down from going up without an active room key.
You do see an increase in the cameras watching above if you look closely as you walk around The Strip.
There seems to be more police presence on the street, and they are now more grouped together; it seems but never makes it feel like the area is unsafe.

They have been able to maintain that ‘free spirit’ attitude on the strip but also seems more secure as you look around and notice the small things.

At the age of six, Cheyenne wanted Bellagio Fountains and Mirage Volcano…Now at the age of 13, it is still those attractions, but now it also is the Las Vegas Sign and Mandalay Bay and the fence across the Route 91 festival grounds to pay her respects.

Matsumoto Shave Ice – Review

December 3, 2018 By Joni Kinney Leave a Comment

When I first heard about Matsumoto Shave Ice I admit I didn’t think it could possible be all that great. I mean what could possible be so special about ice in a bowl with some flavors thrown on top. Well let me tell you all, I was so wrong.

Matsumoto Shave Ice

When we visited Oahu in August 2018 we happened to be there when Hurricane Lane decided to pay the islands a little visit. This meant a lot of the things we had originally planned to do were unavailable or got moved around. We had never even planned to visit Matsumoto Shave Ice.

On one of our tours, we couldn’t go to see a couple of the scheduled things they had originally planned. This left us with extra time so the tour guide decided to drop us off in Haleiwa to do some shopping. We had purchased most of our souveniers already so we decided to head to Matsumoto Shave Ice instead.

The line was super short due to the Hurricane coming and most of the businesses were starting to close up. This was great for us because we got to skip straight to the front of the line. We each got a bowl and sat down to eat, and we were blown away.

Matsumoto Shave Ice in August 2018. So amazingly delicious! #matsumoto #shavedice #shaveice #hawaii

There is just something magical about this treat. It was amazing. We had some amazing food while we were in Hawaii including KoKo Head Cafe. Trying new foods is one of the things we look forward on all of our family trips, so I am super happy we found time to do this one.

This treat was amazing and probably one of the best things we did on the whole trip. Want to know what else we enjoyed? Read about some of our favorite breakfast spots in Hawaii

What are some of your favorite activities to do while on vacation? Write us a comment and let us know!