Summer Travels: Top 10 Road Trip Songs

When I think of the best road trips I've taken, I realize that they all have the same things in common; conversation, laughter, and fun music. I will never forget the road trip to the mountains when I heard my daughters in the back seat singing along to Faith Hill's This Kiss with their little voices full of heart they belted out "BISCUITS BISCUITS". To this day, when I hear that song I can't help but sing the lyrics wrong and giggle. It was a beautiful vacation and it was made even better with music.


I recently heard of a peer to peer car rental network, Turo.com, that is helping people make money by renting their own vehicles. I think this is a really cool concept and what struck me most is that many of the car owners are making playlists, and leaving CDs for the renters to enjoy music on their road trip. This got me thinking about what songs I would put on my road trip playlist. It took me awhile to narrow it down, because there are so many great songs that I love to listen to when I travel. I think for a road trip the music needs to be a nice balance of energy and mellowness; not too hard and not too soft. If it's too energetic it's hard to sit still, and if it's too mellow you'll just want to pull over and sleep. So, it was a struggle, but here it is: the top 10 road trip songs.


A Weekend Trip to Mall of America

Back in the early 90's, I heard about this mystical mall creature with 4 floors of shopping, an aquarium, and an amusement park all under one roof. An amusement park inside the mall! I knew that someday I had to go there and see it for myself. Last week that someday came. I went to the Mall of America in Bloomington, MN.

As I walked past the Lego store and in to Nickelodeon Universe, I was instantly transformed into a kid again. This was a teenager's dream, so many stores to shop in, plus movies, rides, games, and oh so much more! Can you imagine growing up with this as your local mall hangout spot? Oh the fun!

5 Tips for Summer Travel With Dogs

Summertime is a great time to grab the leash and head outside. Take your dog hiking, head to the beach or even a road trip with your dog, you can enjoy all of these, just make sure you're following these 5 tips for traveling with dogs in the summer.


With school days coming to an end, temperatures rising, and vacation plans being made, there is no doubt that summer is upon us. Summer, is a great time to spend outdoors with family and friends, and it’s also a great time to grab a leash and head out for a trip with the dogs. I like to take my dogs on the occasional road trip, to the local dog beach, and to the coffee shop for their favorite treat; a cup of whipped cream.

No matter where you're traveling with your dog, whether it's weekend away or just a trip around the block, while you’re enjoying the summer with your favorite furry pets, keep these things in mind.

Water: Just like you get extra thirsty and can get dehydrated in the heat, so can your dogs, maybe even more so. No matter what you’re doing outside, make sure to have plenty of fresh clean water for both you and your dog. I suggest bringing a travel pet bowl to make it easy. Remember, if you do take your dog to the beach, that salt water is not any more drinkable for dogs than it is for humans.