• Hospitality adventures

    ByKristin adventure, books, community, faith
    God has made each season beautiful and appropriate in its own time. - Kristin Hill Taylor, Bringing Home More Than Groceries #morethangroceries

    I was a little nervous about moving to the country, where friends and stores aren’t quite as convenient. “Living out of town” in small- town lingo meant we were fifteen minutes away instead of three. I grew up in a subdivision with one entrance where I befriended certain neighbors and knew plenty about the other ones. I spent four years of college living in a dorm with my best friends in my room, through the shared bathroom, down the hall, or no farther than across campus. After college, I lived in apartments in Kentucky’s two largest cities. Even in small-town Murray, I lived in two different houses off the busiest four-lane where I could walk to the park, restaurants, and stores.

    I wasn’t sure what a change to country scenery would do for our social life, but the move felt right. We’re still here in a house surrounded by woods and creeks. And, guess what, friends have shown up for small group meetings, game nights filled with roasted potatoes and Settlers of Catan, lunches with chicken salad and other adoptive moms.

    Rachel learned to climb stairs before we moved to the country and how I was grateful for a single-level home for my fearless girl to explore. She walked in the living room four months after we moved in and hasn’t stopped getting into things yet. She runs in the wide-open fields and loves riding through our woods and down the logging road in our Kawasaki mule.

    Four years after we moved, we spent much time at home during the worldwide coronavirus epidemic. I loved my days at home, where I could drown out the chaos of the world and rest in peace at the creeks and walks down tree-lined paths. When I ventured to town to get groceries, I brought anxiety home with me. Our world shifted that spring and I’m thankful our country home calmed my heart, even though we did miss opening our doors to others during that time.

    Maybe a move eight miles outside a small town doesn’t seem significant, but for me it has been. I learned dreams change and God binds together his people. I know God has me where he has me for reasons I’ve experienced deeply and ones I don’t even know about yet. …

    We didn’t live here in the spring we bought this property, but we stopped by to check on things periodically. Living here when the grass and trees become greener brings healing and adventures. Now I know where the daffodils pop up, often in February, and I wonder if they’ll really survive March. Somehow they do.

    Adventures don’t always come easily to me because I like order, but I’m part of a family that’s full of adventurers. And now I live in a place that beckons me to come out—out of my house and out of my comfort zone. My kids are growing up here, where the stars are easier to see and the trees shelter so much life. Since we’ve moved to the country, they’ve outgrown many pairs of shoes and pants, lost their teeth and Nerf bullets, and moved up so many notches on the growth charts.

    I’ve grown up too. Greg and I have had some of the best years of our marriage here in the country, where my soul feels more relaxed and the pressure to keep too-quick a pace is less. I’ve bought muck boots, know the best entrances to the creek, and keep an eye on the turkey and deer who like to call our yard home too.

    Spring on our property and in my soul makes it seem like life is always changing and being made new. But my faith remains in a constant God who faithfully ushers me into a connection with Him and my people in all the seasons. Hospitality allows us to adventure because we’re anchored to where we’ve been, where we are, and the unknown that’s still to come. Through it all, God is unchanging and asks us to seek Him all of our days.

    *****

    Happy Spring, friends! In honor of the new season blooming in our lives, I wanted to share an excerpt from my book, Bringing Home More Than Groceries: Stories About Gathering & Nourishing People. I also have a pretty download to encourage you to open your home and heart to those around you, regardless of the season. Learn more about the book and hospitality here.

  • Why cruising is worth it

    ByKristin adventure, family

    I like to travel. Each trip allows my family and I to see more of the world, get out of our bubbles, and make memories together. But each trip doesn’t have to be the same. 

    Cruises are a legit vacation. Most everything is pre-planned or just available if/when you want to do it. The cruise line app told me when to show up for dinner, entertainment, and activities. My kids have some freedom to do what they prefer. The food is good — and I don’t have to prepare it or think about it. Cruises allow moms (and probably dads and teenagers) to take a mental break from chores and work and school and whatever else. I didn’t look at my calendar for a week and only tended to two “work” tasks.

    We needed a cruise this vacation. 

    I recognize traveling is a privilege — and I try to teach my kids that. I’m so thankful we get to do this regularly in our life and return to share the stories. This was our family’s fourth cruise. I don’t think that makes us experts, but we’ve learned some things that are worth sharing if you’re thinking about a cruise. 

    Disclaimer: There are lots of cruise line options. Regardless of which company you choose, the ship matters. Some are more family-friendly than others. We’ve cruised on four ships — two Disney ships and two Royal Caribbean ships. My friend Misty Grogan is an expert, so contact her if you want to book a cruise. Even if you’re a seasoned traveler, using a travel agent helps lock in the best deals and offers another planner with trips and tricks – all while being FREE to use!

    Until then, here are some tips from #TeamTaylor, party of five. This cruise we had two teenagers and a third-grader with us plus our friends with three adults and another teenager.

    • Don’t pay more for a balcony, but do try to get a bigger window and adjoining rooms if your party is three or more. 
    • At dinner, just go to the main dining option. Don’t pay for specialty meals. And when you’re drooling over the menu choices — just order two appetizers and desserts. And ask for more meat, if that’s what you want. 
    • Hold off-the-ship plans loosely because the weather can affect things. During a previous cruise, we couldn’t port at Costa Maya because the wind made doing so dangerous. This time we ported on the opposite of Grand Cayman and our land-and-sea tour was reduced to only a land tour because Milton made the sea crazy. 
    • Buy magnetic hooks to hang things — lightweight bags, swimsuits that need to dry, clothes you want to use again — on the metal walls. 
    • That’s right, wear clothes more than once. Who cares if you’re wearing the same cotton dress to dinner on Monday and Thursday. 
    • Bring extra bags that pack easily and can be used for beach or pool bags or to pack dirty laundry home. 

    Cruise specifics

    We were on Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas, which is smaller than the Allure of the Seas, which we cruised on in April 2023. There are perks to both, but, overall, I think I’d choose Freedom again. I’m not sure my 14-year-old son would agree, but he had a great time even boogie-boarding on the narrower FlowRider wave. 

    This was a seven-night cruise with four ports. My family loves to get off and explore the different stops. Not everyone in our traveling group got off the ship as much as we did, but that’s the beauty of cruising. 

    We left Fort Lauderdale on Sunday then docked at Royal Caribbean’s CocoCay in the Bahahams on Monday. We had waterpark passes, but it was steadily raining all day so the kids and Greg rode all the slides (some more than once), we all lunched at a table under an umbrella, Ben and I walked around the island, and then decided it was nice to go in from the rain. Rachel would have stayed as long as we would have let her! 

    Also, a tip, courtesy of my travel agent friend Misty: Ask for the “secret sandwich” at The Snack Shack. Ben loved it!

    Days 3 and 7 of our cruise were sailing. We hung out in the pools, ate, rested, played trivia games, snacked, and walked. On Day 3, I read an entire book. On Day 7, I wasn’t feeling well (probably that not-to-be-named respiratory virus that’s been interrupting lives our lives since 2020 …) so I rested, including a two-hour nap in a really comfortable chair on Deck 4. Rachel ice skated both days. 

    Days 4-6 were port days: Labadee, Haiti; Falmouth, Jamaica; and Grand Cayman. 

    We had all the feelings in our group about getting off the ship in Haiti because of what the news had told us. Yes, it’s super important to be aware of where you’re traveling, but I also didn’t think a major cruise line would bring 4,000 tourists to an unsafe destination. Turns out, Royal Caribbean leases the land that is Labadee from the Haitian government so it’s secure with an actual gate and private security. The workers and artisans who sell things in the market are approved to be there.

    In Haiti, we hung out at the beach, snorkeled, had lunch, and shopped. It may have been our favorite stop of the whole week!

    In Jamaica, we went river tubing and hung out at Adventure Falls, which was a nice pool, water slide, and waterfall by the river. We also ate delicious jerk chicken. 

    In Grand Cayman, we were supposed to dock at George Town and go on a land and sea tour, but Milton made the water at George Town crazy, so we anchored on the other side of the island and only went on the land portion of the tour. We did get to stop at a couple of beaches and see the small town of Hell, where there is a large patch of dead coral and lots of funny souvenirs. 

    Answers to questions

    Is all the food included? Cruises work much like an all-inclusive where there are plenty of dining options included. We had breakfast and lunch at the Windjammer buffet and then dinner at the main dining room. I was the only one of our group of nine who purchased the soda package, but it was unlimited and worth it to me. There are also specialty dining packages (of which I don’t see the point) and other drink packages. But there is ice cream and pizza available basically whenever you want it! 

    Did I get seasick? Thankfully, nobody in our crew gets motion sickness and have never been bothered by sailing on a big ‘ole boat! We can feel the boat moving at times, but it’s never been a problem for us. I saw lots of people with those motion sickness patches this time. I know others who have used bracelets and non-drowsy versions of medicine. 

    Will you go on another cruise? Yes, although I’m not sure when. We have a non-cruise vacation planned for in the spring. I’m eyeing an Alaskan cruise possibly next! There are deals to book your next cruise while you’re on the ship, but we like to take lots of different kinds of trips, so we haven’t done that yet. 

    How do you fund vacations? There are lots of answers to this, but the one I want to share is we use credit card points to off set travel costs. The Capital One Venture credit card is a great card to use for travel expenses because the rewards points are good and allow you to “erase” travel purchases. You can also book hotels and other travel reservations directly through the Capital One website and get special deals. When we signed up for TSA Pre-Check, the fee was reimbursed when we used this card. (Also, sign up for TSA Pre-Check if you’re ever going to fly!)

    What else do you want to know?

    *****

    Previous cruises: 2016 Disney Dream. 2018 Disney Fantasy. 2023 Royal Caribbean Allure. 

    Obivoulys, traveling is one of my favorite things to share. Here are some of my favorite (travel) things and tips on how to take the trip (any trip).

    And here are some family-favorite trips:

  • Breathing easier in the mountains

    ByKristin adventure, vacation
    2 Comments

    I’ve been unpacked for a couple of weeks, but I’m still thinking about Colorado.

    For my 40th birthday in May, Greg planned a trip for us to go to Colorado. We postponed the original June plan a couple of months because the beginning of summer was hard for me. But we flew out three days exactly after I turned 40 on what was also our 17th anniversary to see some friends and some mountains. I’m grateful for the way Greg knows me and knew I needed this trip at this time.

    While I love planning trips, part of the joy of this gift is Greg mapped out our route and planned the general itinerary. We sat down together one night to book flights, hotels, and some activities for our four days in Colorado. I’d never been and was happy to go this way!

    Monument / Colorado Springs

    After breakfast at Snooze in Denver, we headed to Monument, just north of Colorado Springs, where my high school friend Dustin & Shelley (well, Dustin and I have been friends since middle school …) live. They fed us at a delicious, local Mexican restaurant called La Casa Fiesta, where I learned about calabacitas, before giving us a tour of Garden of the Gods.

    Pikes Peak

    Greg drove up to the summit at Pikes Peak, which is 14,115 feet high. The drive between mile markers 13 and 16 was particularly tense, but we parked at the last shuttle lot at mile marker 16 and took a shuttle to the top, where there was construction happening for a new visitors center. Even so, the views were amazing. We were at the top around noon and it was 50 degrees, compared to 80 degrees at the same time in Colorado Springs.

    Breckenridge

    The drive from Pikes Peak to Breckenridge might have been my favorite stretch of highway. The meadows and little towns between the mountains were lovely. I kept taking pictures of this drive (and all the others) and the images just don’t do the reality justice.

    (But you can see all my attempts at capturing this lovely state here.)

    We stayed at the River Mountain Lodge in downtown Breckenridge and really loved the hotel. The location was perfect and the room was spacious yet cozy. We didn’t get to explore downtown Breck as much as we had hoped because it was raining by the time we got there. We did eat a delicious meal at Blue River Bistro.

    The next morning we had breakfast at Columbine Cafe and then rode the gondola up a mountain to where there were summer activities on what would otherwise be a ski slope. We took a chairlift up farther and an alpine slide down.

    Idaho Springs

    We didn’t get much time in Breckenridge because we had an early afternoon whitewater rafting reservation with Colorado Adventure Center in Idaho Springs. We did the beginner trip and really enjoyed the trip in the creek that’s fed by snow runoff and was still 38 degrees.

    Estes Park

    After rafting, we headed toward Estes Park, mostly on the Peak to Peak Highway, which was a gorgeous drive through and around and up and down mountains. We got there in time for dinner at The Grubsteak and dessert on the strip of downtown shops. Greg had ice cream in a homemade chocolate chip cone from the Danish Cone Factory and I had the best taffy I’ve ever tasted from Purple Mountain Taffy.

    We stayed at a quaint hotel called Nicky’s Resort at which I wish we’d had more time to eat and relax. In the morning, we ate cinnamon rolls at a Cinnamon’s Bakery and then headed into Rocky National Park. Greg drove us along Trail Ridge Road, which is the highest continuously paved road. The highest point of this road that meanders right through mountain tundra is 12,183 feet. Once again, the temperatures on top of the mountain were about 30 degrees colder and prompted us to put on sweatshirts.

    We spent some more time walking around downtown Estes Park. We lunched at Bob and Tony’s Pizza before I discovered Cliffhanger Used Books, where I could have spent even more time than I did. We drove around Estes Park taking in some more lovely views before we headed back to Denver, where we visited with our college friend Sarah before heading to the airport to fly home.

    Conclusion

    The road trip really worked for us, giving us time to take in views, listen to music, and talk about whatever came to mind. I really loved Colorado and already hope to take my kids back someday, perhaps even spending more time in each location.

    I’m a details person, but the great big mountains and views of all these different places in just four days were good for my soul. I felt like I could breathe easier (figuratively, hello, altitude) and remember my place in this great big world while enjoying the adventure with my husband.