Category Archives: Travel

Oct19

Welcome To Rome!

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Welcome To Rome!

Hello!! My family and I enjoyed the most wonderful vacation in Italy and spent ten days traveling and city hopping. This tour was compliments of AAA and Collette and it really was a whirlwind adventure. Johnny, myself, my parents, and older brother went here, there, and everywhere with thirty-five other people and our amazing tour guide, Savio. We made forever friends, unforgettable memories, and fostered a love and knowledge for every location we visited and its surrounding areas. This was our first time out of the country and it truly couldn’t have gone better thanks to the meticulous planning and guidance of our beloved Savio. We may be back in the A-K-Rowdy, but Italy will never be far from our hearts.

Our travels began with margaritas at the airport at ten in the morning (obviously), a quick flight to Chicago where more margs were consumed (obviously), and an overnight flight that brought us to Rome for the start of our tour. Due to the other members of our group all arriving at different times, we were able to get ourselves checked into the hotel to rest, spend some time in the city, and have a big welcome dinner that evening. As soon as we made it to the Mediterraneo Hotel (I will be reviewing every hotel we stayed at), Johnny and I freshened up and made our way into Rome for some shopping as his sunglasses broke on the flight. That is when our adventure really began…

Johnny and I emerged onto the streets of Rome with no other plan then to find him some sunnies. We decided to ask the first people we saw who looked close to our age and learned that they were not from Rome but Austria. We chatted, laughed, and made up in the air plans to meet up for drinks after our welcome dinner. Rather than keep asking for help, we took it to the streets and hit up a bunch of different stores. Johnny and I found sunglasses and I also purchased a GORGEOUS purse which you will see later! After our shopping we returned to the hotel to have some drinks and wait for our dinner featuring regional specialties.

Our welcome dinner was absolutely delicious and I was so appreciative to the attentiveness of our tour guide to ensure that my mom and I always had vegetarian options. The meal started with a yummy flatbread and a rich pasta with veggies. Next was a divine pastry filled with cheese (I was in heaven) and the most tasty pistachio ice cream for dessert. It was actually one of my favorite sweets we had on the entire trip! And, of course, the wine flowed freely as we dined and got to know all of the other guests who felt like family within days.

After our meal, the fun didn’t stop because Johnny and I hit up the rooftop bar at the hotel to meet with our new friends from Austria. Guys… We got absolutely wasted and spent hours drinking Prosecco, sharing stories of our respective countries, and laughing hysterically. One of our new pals wants to visit us in Ohio for a “hillybilly time” of drinking moonshine and shooting guns and we’d love to make it happen lolol. We are still in contact with them! As much as we would have loved to keep the night going, Johnny and I were beat and had an early following day filled with sightseeing. This day set the vibe for the whole trip and it promised to be fabulous. I can’t wait to tell you all more about it so stay tuned because lifewithlilred is having an Italian takeover!

In under two weeks, Italy felt like home. We are thankful beyond measure for this beautiful time with friends and family and I am so excited to relive it all here with my dear readers. Keep it posted!

Have you been on vacation this year? Where did you go? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct14

I’m Back!!!!!

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I’m Back!!!!!

Yoohoo!!! I have been mentioning a trip to Italy and today is the day that I return home. Prior to the big trip, I was working my nads off to schedule content out on lifewithlilred and the social media page that I manage. It was a lot of work and for the past three weeks I was clocking in ten plus hour days between working from home and with my clients. It was well worth all of the effort to ensure that my blog baby and social media was tended to because you already know I have to keep that daily content streak going!! Yes, the extra work was exhausting but it felt SO good to steadily check each post off of my to do list so I could fully relax on my first vacation in five years. And all the way to Italy, no less!

This is my first time traveling internationally and I cannot wait to share my voyage with my dear readers. Starting next week it’s going to be All Italy Everything. We’re talking food (And wine!!!), killer OOTDs, sightseeing, and so much more. The so much more is TBD because I am writing this the morning that we depart from Cleveland, Ohio! This was my future self writing in this post and we will be back to present day soon. All I have to say is, shout out to future and past me for keeping lifewithlilred going strong even when I’m thousands of miles away from the A-K-Rowdy. And, shout out to all of you for joining me! ❤

I am leaving this morning but writing about being back home and it kind of feels like a Twilight Zone episode lol. Stick around for my adventures and we’ll all be back on the same time frame before you know it! ❤

Did you go on vacation this year? Where to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct12

Fall Hiking Spree

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Fall Hiking Spree

Hello! My brother, Andrew, and I are avid hikers and we just love exploring all of the beautiful Metro Parks that we are so lucky to live close to. Every year the Metro Parks host a fall and spring hiking spree and it is our time to shine! We are right in the midst of our fall hiking spree and have completed six out of the eight hikes needed to earn another shield for our walking sticks. The hiking spree offers a list of tons of hiking trails within a thirty or so mile radius and we always try to hit up the ones we have never been to before. It’s so exciting and we have found countless new favorite trails through the hiking spree process. The weather has been wonderful, the company is even better, and I can’t wait to hit the trails again!

A majority of people who live in Northeast Ohio would describe it as “boring” and most times, I have to concur lol. There is never much of anything going on! The hiking sprees, however, make me eat my words because how could all of that gorgeous scenery ever be boring?! Every time we begin a hike, I am in awe of the nature surrounding us. The tall trees, falling leaves, and wildlife are straight out of story books and we like to keep track of all of the animals we see on our adventures. During a recent walk along the water we saw twenty-two turtles! That might seem like a lot but it doesn’t come close to our world record hike of spotting fifty-five turtles, a beaver, a river otter, blue herons, and a million baby ducks all in one afternoon!

The fall hiking spree is, truly, our most beloved adventure of the year and it’s so cool to visit places in Ohio that we have never been to before. It really opens up a whole new world! For example, we did some shopping at a store in Medina called Sweets & Geeks and I had a brain blast to find a Metro Park nearby to serve as our “pick your own” hike. We settled on Buckeye Woods and were astounded by its sheer enormity. There were soccer fields, baseball diamonds, playgrounds, and a seemingly endless amount of trails to trek on. The trail we selected brought us deep into the woods and there were already lots of crunchy leaves on the ground to stomp on. My favorite! If it weren’t for the hiking spree, we never would have known about the park and that is what it’s all about. Yeah, Northeast Ohio isn’t so boring after all. 🙂

Take a hike! Seriously, it will do you a world of good and you will feel fabulous afterwards. There is nothing better than finding brand new paths in your own backyard!

Do you hike often? What is your favorite trail? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep14

Let’s Shop At Sweets & Geeks

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Let’s Shop At Sweets & Geeks

Hey! This past Friday I went on an adventure with Johnny and my brother, Andrew, to have a little fun in Medina. Our plan was to hit up Alien Vacation Mini Golf but, first, some shopping at Sweets & Geeks was in order. Sweets & Geeks is right up the street from our mini golf destination and we just had to check it out as we have all heard nothing but amazing things about it. All of the rumors were definitely true because this was one of the coolest shops we have ever been to! I think we could have spent the entire day and a lot more money in it lol. Stay tuned for a walking tour on my TikTok but let’s discuss further here:

^^^ Obvi had to get the AC/DC Monopoly! More on that later. 🙂

When we first stepped into Sweets & Geeks, I think we were all a tad awestruck from the sheer enormity of product and the size of the store. This place was almost like a labyrinth with countless different rooms to explore all featuring sugary delights or memorabilia from literally every fandom known to mankind. There was anime, superheroes, Star Wars, Pokemon, Hello Kitty, music, and everything in between. Shelves were adorned with models and Funko Pops, adorable backpacks were on display, and there was an entire wall dedicated to Pokemon and anime plushies. This was, indeed, a nerd’s paradise and I mean that in the best, most loving way possible as I, too, am a nerd!

While it was neat to look through the insane candy selection, we were all pretty set on checking out our favorite fandoms and simply walking the space. We couldn’t believe our eyes at the immense amount of playing cards lining walls in cases, massive containers of posters throughout the store, life size replicas of superheroes and villains, and some of the biggest plushies we have ever seen. It really was like being in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory and everywhere we turned showed us something brand new.

Johnny and I walked away with a new Horrified board, AC/DC Monopoly, some novelty snacks, and anime themed sparkling water. By the time we made our rounds throughout the store, we were all eager to pay for the goodies in our basket lest we spend any more money lol. Believe you me, that would not have been hard to do! Sweets & Geeks was basically like shopping through vendors at a Comicon all in one place and the best part is that we don’t have to wait for a yearly event. We can make the drive to Sweets & Geeks whenever! 😀

If you are ever in my neck of the woods, Sweets & Geeks is a must see destination. There is truly something for everyone and you will have a blast!!

What is your favorite fandom? Do you have a store like Sweets & Geeks near you? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Sep7

Buc Off!!

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Buc Off!!

Hi!! You might have seen in the news or, in mine and Johnny’s case, on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver about the ongoing saga of Buc-ees suing small businesses with animal logos that don’t even resemble their own. It is absolutely ridiculous and is such a David and Goliath tale of big corporations screwing over beloved local staples. In a recent instance, Buc-ees turned their focus to a small town in Ohio called Beavercreek. As you can imagine, a lot of businesses there have beaver themed names and mascots since they’re… In Beavercreek? Lol, it makes perfect sense!! Buc-ees currently has their sights set on Beaver’s Mini Mart and, let me tell you, Ohio is pissed.

A majority of people in Ohio frequent and support local businesses every day. We love the comradery of getting to know the staff and regulars and in many instances for myself and Johnny included, we have made new friends. So for some big corporation with a busted beaver logo to pick a fight over a mini mart IN Beavercreek was infuriating. In support of the current lawsuit against the mini mart, people have traveled to make purchases, businesses changed their logos in solidarity, and fundraisers were created to assist with legal fees. Although we didn’t make the drive to Beavercreek, Johnny and I did purchase two matching shirts with twenty-five percent of the sales going directly to Beaver’s Mini Mart. Check it out:

^^^ You can purchase a shirt here to stand strong with the mini mart!

It’s no secret that it is hard and expensive work to own and operate a small business and Buc-ees’ insane lawsuits have rubbed countless people the wrong way. And it should!! This is truly a situation of “pick on someone your own size” and it just feels rotten that go to community staples are being targeted by a bunch of suits. We should all be supporting local but we have to protect local too. That means doing your part to patron small businesses and bypassing big box stores, use your preferred form of protest, and educate yourself and inform others. There is literally no reason why Buc-ees should have any say in any other business’s mascots but in Beavercreek, no less? Come the F on. *Massive eye roll*

This is a household that is proud of Ohio businesses like Beaver’s Mini Mart. We might not be in Beavercreek but we’ll be wearing our new swag all around Akron!! ❤

What is your favorite local business? Has Buc-ees targeted any businesses in your neck of the woods? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug16

WE SAW IT!!!!!

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WE SAW IT!!!!!

Hi! After celebrating my bestie girl’s engagement, Johnny and I continued the festivities by celebrating another monumental occasion: The Oscar Mayer Weenie Mobile made a stop in downtown Cuyahoga Falls. As the brewery we were at for the engagement partay was just down the street from our downtown hub called the Riverfront, Johnny and I obviously had to make a cameo. My Johnny is a hot dog loving guy. Lol so much so that he even has one tattooed on his arm! Needless to say, seeing the Weenie Mobile IRL was a must and we scored big time. Johnny got a Weenie Whistle as well as a hilarious sticker with the Weenie Mobile on it that simply says “I SAW IT”. We came, we saw, and it was a hoot!

^^^ Pure ecstasy!!

Downtown Cuyahoga Falls rules and it has been spruced up so nicely over the years as a one stop destination for shopping, dining, and community events. There are countless sweet boutiques and antique shops, a delicious ice creamery, and a candy store that we love taking our nieces to for a shopping spree. Their parents can deal with the sugar rush afterwards! 😀 The Riverfront also hosts lots of concerts, festivals, and movie nights as a lovely way for the community to come together and have some fun. There are splash pads in the summer, a skating rink in the winter, and fireworks on special occasions. We are very lucky to have this spot for folks young and old to enjoy throughout the year.

All of the aforementioned is great but, honestly, the Oscar Mayer Weenie Mobile really took the cake lol. I have been to many a Riverfront event with excellent turnouts but the joint was JUMPING on Weenie Mobile day – as it should! There were food trucks galore, music playing, kiddos running around in the splash pads, games, face painting, and basically every Cuyahoga Falls resident within a ten mile radius. We were there for the Oscar Mayer but stayed for the true joy of being out and about with our friends and neighbors. There is nothing better than an entire community coming together and the Riverfront does exactly that. If the Weenie Mobile comes around more often, then I think we have lots of evenings in downtown CFalls to look forward to!

WE SAW IT and our lives are the better for it. Shout out to my hometown for kicking ass and taking names!!

Do you have an event center in your neck of the woods? Does your city host festivals often? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Aug14

6 Smart Ways To Lower The Cost Of Travel

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6 Smart Ways To Lower The Cost Of Travel

If you love to travel but hate the price tag that comes with it, then this guide is for you. We are going to look at some of the most brilliant ways people have come up with to lower the cost of flying overseas and experiencing new cultures and adventures. Here are some of the ways you can cut expenses without sacrificing trip quality:

Travel in the shoulder seasons:

If you’re looking to travel at a lower cost then going in the shoulder seasons is the obvious solution. February to May and September to November tend to be far cheaper, which is something you’ll notice if you regularly book flights throughout the year. What’s more, many destinations are still worth visiting during these shoulder seasons. Weather is often pleasant, avoiding extreme heat or cold.

Use flight deal alerts:

We’d also recommend using flight deal alerts to lower the cost of travel. For many trips, the cost of the flight is the biggest item and often larger than staying in accommodation, especially if you’re traveling to a long-distance destination. Signing up for airfare is easy these days. Just find your favorite flight aggregator and get them to send you their weekly newsletter. They can tell you which destinations will be cheaper to book for the following week, giving you more flexibility.

Win back money:

There are numerous competitions available these days that allow you to win back money on your travel expenses. Playing a lot of these on average can help you reduce the cost of your travel significantly and even enable you to get things that you wouldn’t ordinarily be able to obtain on a regular budget. The key here is volume. The more games you play, the more likely you are to win. Many games are free to enter.

Hack your accommodations:

Flights are usually the largest travel expense with accommodations coming in second. You can lower your budget significantly by looking into alternatives to conventional rentals or hotel stays. For example, you might sign up for a house-sitting platform or go to reputable hostels with private rooms. You could also look at short-term apartment rentals away from sightseeing hot spots. All of these options can significantly lower the price of staying in a particular city or location.

Travel light:

Another popular option is to travel light to avoid baggage fees. More people are mastering the art of packing everything they need into a single personal item-sized backpack. Most airlines won’t charge for this as long as it’s under around 7 kg. When you travel light, you avoid the hassle of stowing your regular baggage or having to pick it up from baggage collection. Usually, you can save around 10 to 15% of the price of a flight by traveling this way.

Eat like a local:

Finally, to seriously cut the cost of travel, you could skip the restaurants located directly next to major tourist monuments and go to the ones that the locals use instead. The best way to find these is to look for eateries outside the city center with hundreds of thousands of reviews on Google Maps.

^^^ Unsplash Image

Travel smarter and cheaper with the tips above! Bon voyage!

Featured Image By: Unsplash

Jul23

Akron Zoo Adventure

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Akron Zoo Adventure

Hi! I recently visited the Akron Zoo and, honestly, it forever blows my mind that we have the most lovely zoo a few minutes beyond the central hub of downtown Akron. In the midst of all of that hustle and bustle there are lions, tigers, and bears, oh my! And it’s so easy to forget where you are after spending a few hours walking around the zoo. It’s always a shock to the senses to leave and be right smack dab in the middle of hospitals, universities, restaurants, and event venues! This particular trip to the zoo was very noteworthy as a few new animals were introduced, one being intentional and the other not so much. Check it out:

Lol! Cheese!!!

Baby Leuco getting the hang of swinging!

My dinosaur robot friend!

What is a cat doing…?

Especially in the bald eagle enclosure!!!

As we made our rounds throughout the zoo, it was a delight to see so many new additions including mountain lions, porcupines, chinchillas, tamarins, conures, and white-faced sakis. The Akron Zoo has been expanding so nicely over the past several years and it will even be the home to giraffes in 2028. I can’t wait! After saying hello to all of the new animals the zoo has introduced this past year, we came upon a creature from the land of old with a modern update – a dinosaur robot! The Akron Zoo hosts the Dino Trek every year featuring huge animatronic dinosaurs and the baby robots are brand new this year. The zookeepers put on demonstrations to “train” the dinosaurs and attendants young and old so enjoyed the show. It was so cute to see this little buddy toddling all around and I wish I could get one as a pet lol.

After exploring the bottom portion of the zoo, it was time to climb the hill into Grizzly Bear Ridge to see grizzlies, otters, wolves, coyotes, and bald eagles. We definitely got more than we bargained for in the bald eagle exhibit as there was a stray cat inside!! I have no idea how this kitty cat got into the habitat to begin with but it was there and sipping on water in the pond. Blessedly, a zookeeper was already aware of the cat intruder and was able to get it out safely. Thank goodness because as much as I would have loved to see an unlikely animal friendship form, this was not the time or place for the cat!!

The last exciting occurrence happened at the final stop of our adventure, the East Asia exhibit which is home to a family of white-cheeked gibbons. At the end of June of last year, baby Leuco was born and it has been so cool to see him grow. This one year old is on the move now and after many visits of seeing him tucked in his mom’s arms, he has started swinging! Leuco was jumping and swinging all over his huge enclosure while his proud parents watched on from the side. I think they were both feeling happy to have a break while he played and entertained everyone passing by. I could have watched him for forever!!

This was an Akron Zoo Adventure, for sure, and I am so looking forward to even more improvements to this absolute gem in our city!

Has your zoo welcomed new animals recently? Which zoo do you like to go to? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul6

Nature Walk

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Nature Walk

Hi! My brother, Andrew, and I are avid hikers and it is our absolute favorite form of exercise. There is nothing better than hitting the beautiful trails in our neck of the woods and chatting away while immersed in nature and it’s safe to say that I live for our biweekly walks. We have recently decided to travel thirty minutes or so to explore even more trails and it has been so exciting to check out new to us Metro Parks. This past week we took a little road trip to the Barberton Trailhead and it was easily the best hike and bike trail we have been to yet. We saw more wildlife on this trail than all of our hikes of the past year combined!

The Barberton Trailhead is a flat, paved path directly across from a lake like body of water and right off the bat we were seeing animals left and right. Seconds after we began walking, we saw something we have never seen before – a river otter!!! River otters returned to Ohio a few years back and it has been my mission to catch a glimpse of one during our hikes that never came to fruition until now. It was SO cool to see its sleek body weaving in the water and the little face popping up for air. In a similar breath, we also saw a beaver for the first time too. We enjoy hiking at a trail called Beaver Marsh and ironically have never seen any there in the water so this was such a great added bonus. 😀

And then, there were the turtles. We saw fifty-five of them to be exact during our three mile trek! Posted up on logs, swimming, or camouflaging in the algae, we surpassed our original personal turtle sighting best of seventeen by far. Spotting them was literally like playing I Spy in nature and it was a thrill every time we added another one to our tally. As if all of this weren’t enough, we also saw five Blue Herons, two of which that flew directly in front of us. Seeing Blue Herons is like seeing a dinosaur in real life and they were so majestic! As you can see in the last picture, I think that Heron was ready to catch itself some lunch!

Finally in our wildlife jamboree, we saw more baby ducks than we could possibly count. We stopped at thirty something because it was just too much and also too much cuteness! There were baby ducks swimming, resting on the grass, and playing peek a boo behind the logs in the water. The cuteness overload went simply over the top when we were in the right place at the right time. We walked past a family of baby ducks tentatively stepping into the water and then taking off at a rapid pace. I’ll post a video on my TikTok soon so stay tuned because holy adorable. ❤

After our excursion, we treated ourselves to Skoops for a well earned frozen treat. All the while recounting the amazing wildlife we were so lucky to see. We can’t wait to go back!

Do you have a favorite hiking spot? What kind of wildlife do you see on your hikes? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jul1

Glow Sticks Mini Golf

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Glow Sticks Mini Golf

Hi! Johnny and I freaking LOVE to play mini golf and we visited an ultra cool new indoor course in Chagrin Falls called Glow Sticks this past weekend with my brother, Andrew. Several months ago I saw on Facebook that Glow Sticks would be opening and it was themed around music from the 1950s to the 1990s. I made a mental note of it because it combines our two great passions, music and mini golf, and I just knew it would be a blast. It sure was!! Glow Sticks was absolutely amazing from start to finish and we cannot wait to go back! Take a look at these many MANY pictures and let’s discuss:

So I might have gone a little picture crazy but, in my defense, how could I not?! There was so much awesome artwork, golf puns, and excitement that I wanted to capture it all! The Glow Sticks course consisted of different rooms set up for different decades where we started in the 50s and took a musical tour into the 1990s. Each room played the music of the times and the walls were adorned with the icons of that era. The murals were totally and completely fabulous and we really appreciated all of the golf humor! We are very partial to Stevie Nicks encouraging us to putt your own way and and KISS letting us know that they want to putt and golf all night. Lolol, we were in stitches!

As if all of the music and art weren’t enough, we were delighted by the unique and challenging play through of the Glow Sticks course. As you can see, one of the holes was a literal loopdiloop which we have never seen before! We learned that you had to whack the ball really hard for it to go all the way around. When it was my turn, I told Andrew and Johnny to stay far away so they don’t get a concussion lol. Other noteworthy parts of the course include hitting the ball through a giant Rolling Stones tongue statue, playing on Freddie Mercury’s stage, a skateboard half pipe, and even a 1970s style camper decked out in peace and love decals.

We were simply blown away by the creativity of the Glow Sticks course and everywhere we looked featured something fresh and exciting. Johnny’s favorite part was the mural of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards on the putting green. I was a huge fan of the of the Roy Orbison “pretty putter putting on the green” portrait and Andrew enjoyed the statues of The Beatles. Glow Sticks was the perfect tip of the cap to the music that we all know and love and we were singing along to the rocking tunes the whole way through. What a fun afternoon!

If you are in the greater Northeastern Ohio area or are visiting, a stop in at Glow Sticks is a must. You will have a ball!

What is your favorite era of music? Do you prefer outdoor or indoor mini golf courses? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah