3 Piece Trips Travel Blog, Birmingham, AL (2025)

07/26/2025

PENNSYLVANIA SAMPLER
Piece 2: Hershey/Lancaster PA
(Photo) View of Hershey Chocolate World

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A little over an hour drive northeast from Gettysburg is Hershey PA, where the smell of chocolate wafts through the air.

Our first stop was Hershey Park, located in the northern part of town (100 Hershey Park Drive). Originally established by chocolatier Milton Hershey as a place of leisure and recreation for his employees, the amusement park now features a wide variety of rides and attractions. We visited one evening during its Halloween event; fun place.

The next day we went to Hershey’s Chocolate World (101 Chocolate World Way), which features several interactive attractions to help visitors learn how the company produces its candies.

Perhaps our favorite experience in Hershey was the trolley tour of the town, which originates at Chocolate World and includes candy samples, history about the company and its founder, Milton Hershey, and a nice overview of the community. The streetlight globes are shaped like “chocolate kisses.”

We next traveled about 40 minutes southeast of Hershey to Lancaster PA. The Amish parts of this area are interesting to explore; the countryside is largely void of electricity infrastructure, and horse-drawn buggies and wagons are the common form of transportation.

We visited an Amish shop that sold many handcrafted items (bought a combination pillow/quilt called a “quillow”) and enjoyed a wonderful meal at the Bird-In-Hand Family Restaurant & Smorgasbord, featuring locally-sourced produce, meat, and poultry.

Finally, we couldn’t resist testing our “trial and error” problem-solving skills at one of the many challenging corn mazes in the Lancaster area. Made it back out; phew!

07/23/2025

PENNSYLVANIA SAMPLER
Piece 1: Gettysburg PA
(Photo) The “wheat field” Civil War battle site

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Flying into Baltimore-Washington Airport, we rented a car and made a pleasant 90-minute drive to Gettysburg, located in the south-central part of Pennsylvania. The site of perhaps the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War, Gettysburg has a lot for history buffs to experience.

The National Military Park, managed by the National Park Service, offers a wonderful visitor center and museum at its entrance. Using a battlefield map from the visitor center, we drove through a series of stops that featured key conflict points of the infamous 3-day engagement of North and South troops in early July of 1863.

We spent a good bit of time near some of the fiercest fighting sites of day two; Devil’s Den, the Peach Orchard, Little Round Top, and the Wheat Field. The roughly 2-hour auto tour concluded near Cemetery Hill, where Confederate General Pickett led an ill-fated charge against a better prepared Union army.

There are a number of museums in Gettysburg to explore; we went to the Heritage Center (297 Steinwehr Avenue) located about five minutes from the National Military Park. It provides a unique perspective about what civilian life was like in the community during the Civil War battle there.

07/20/2025

(Photo) View of The Art Institute of Chicago.
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Located in downtown Chicago IL near Millennium Park, the Art Institute of Chicago is considered one of the best museums in the world. Visitors will find many noteworthy works on permanent display, including Grant Wood’s “American Gothic,” a 1930 oil painting depicting a farmer and his daughter standing in front of their Carpenter Gothic-style home.

07/20/2025

WISCONSIN SAMPLER
Piece 3: Stevens Point, WI.
(Photo) A boardwalk in Schmeeckle Reserve

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Heading west from Green Bay, Stevens Point WI is just over a 90-minute drive. This college town (University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point) features a wonderful conservancy area called Schmeeckle Reserve (2419 Northport Drive).

We started at the Reserve’s visitor center for a map, then began our recreational nature walk. There are five miles of trails and boardwalks to explore, winding through a variety of trees, plants, and wildlife. Schmeeckle also has several examples of habitat restoration to observe; the wetland restoration is particularly interesting.

Our 2.5-hour route back to Milwaukee from Stevens Point was a pleasant drive that included a pass through Oshkosh WI along the western edge of Lake Winnebago. It’s fun to look at the dairy farm feed silos along the way; some are very colorful.

07/19/2025

(Photo) View of the Brown Hotel in Louisville KY.

Experience the historic Brown Hotel in downtown Louisville KY. Points of interest close to the Brown include Cave Hill Cemetery (7-minute drive), Churchill Downs (12-minute drive), and the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory (5-minute drive).

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07/18/2025

WISCONSIN SAMPLER
Piece 2: Green Bay WI
(Photo) View of Lambeau Field & Packer Players*

*From left to right, Green Bay Packer legends Max McGee, Paul Hornung, and Bart Starr.
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Taking Interstate 43 north from Milwaukee, it’s a scenic two hour drive to Green Bay WI. The first 75 minutes of the route runs close to the Lake Michigan shoreline and culminates near Manitowoc WI, which has several wonderful dairy and cheese shops. A great opportunity to get some fresh curds to snack on.

It has always fascinated us how Green Bay, a modestly-sized community of just over 100,000 people in northern Wisconsin, has been able to sustain a National Football League (NFL) franchise for so long. Lambeau Field has been the home of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers since 1957, was named after team founder Curly Lambeau, and has a current seating capacity of just over 81,000.

One of our favorite parts of the stadium is the 50-foot tall replica of the Lombardi Trophy located in the lobby at the eastern entrance. The trophy was named after famed Packer coach Vince Lombardi and is awarded annually to the NFL Super Bowl Champion.

Another unique characteristic of Lambeau is its close proximity to a traditional neighborhood, full of ordinary single family homes.

07/16/2025

Still time left for a summer beach trip.

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07/15/2025

WISCONSIN SAMPLER
Piece 1: Milwaukee Brewery District
(Photo) View of the On Tap Pub

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STAY AT THE BREWHOUSE INN & SUITES
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Located in the Juneau Neighborhood of Milwaukee WI is the Brewhouse Inn & Suites (1215 North 10th Street). Established in 2013 in the original Pabst Brewery (which closed in 1996 after 150 years of operation), the hotel is more than just a place to stay, it’s an experience.

There are many vestiges in the Brewhouse Inn from the structure’s previous identity. Some of the massive copper brewing kettles used for beer making have been preserved inside a large common space adjacent to many of the guest rooms. In this same area is a large stained glass window featuring King Gambrinus (the so-called “patron saint of beer”). Guests with good observation skills will also notice copper domes imbedded in the ceiling on the main floor; these were the tops of the original brewhouse kettles.

Finally, take some time to enjoy the vintage Pabst Blue Ribbon commercials and descriptive footage of the hotel building restoration on video screens positioned in the lobby.

The Brewhouse Inn is part of the Brewery District, a seven-block mixed use area that features several historical buildings and stretches of cobblestone brick roads.

Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery is a relic of the old brewery campus that features a statue of company namesake Frederick Pabst out front.
Inside the building is a great gift shop that has lots of Pabst and other related beer brand memorabilia, and a variety of new and retro merchandise. We found a set of vintage Pabst Blue Ribbon cardboard coasters featuring a striped shirted barkeep balancing three glasses of beer on his arm and holding a fourth one.

When it was time to eat, the On Tap Pub in the Brewhouse was a great choice. We sat at the bar and enjoyed a Pabst draft beer with some delicious macaroni and Wisconsin cheese. Great start to this trip!

07/14/2025

(Photo) View of the Peabody Hotel lobby.

Experience the historic Peabody Hotel (and its famous duck march) in downtown Memphis TN. Just steps away from Rendezvous Barbecue Ribs and legendary Beale Street, and a short drive to Elvis’ Graceland.

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07/12/2025

MIDTOWN ATLANTA FOOD & COCKTAIL TOUR

Experience Atlanta’s thriving foodie scene like a local with unique dishes at popular establishments and hidden gems. Participants in this small group walking tour will eat a 4-course meal with craft alcohol pairings along the way.

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07/12/2025

MANHATTAN BOROUGH (NYC) SAMPLER
Piece 3: Rockefeller Center Complex
(Photo) View of Radio City Music Hall

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Located in Midtown Manhattan a few blocks south of MoMA, the Rockefeller Center Complex offers visitors several fun experiences. We were there during the winter months and saw the famous outdoor skating rink, the large Christmas tree, and the Prometheus sculpture (which symbolizes progress).

The observation deck at the top of Rockefeller Plaza (known as “Top of the Rock”) offers spectacular views of the city skyline from open air terraces facing each direction, including a great perspective of the Empire State Building. The glass ceiling elevator ride up is also thrilling.

Finally, Radio City Music Hall is an ornate 6,000-seat auditorium with three mezzanines and a beautiful curved ceiling. We saw the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes there and it was wonderful.

The theater’s iconic marquee wraps around 6th Avenue and 50th street; a great photo opportunity!

07/09/2025

MANHATTAN BOROUGH (NYC) SAMPLER
Piece 2: Central Park/Times Square
(Photo) Alice in Wonderland Sculpture

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STAY CLOSE TO CENTRAL PARK!
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Nestled between the upper east and west sides of Manhattan is Central Park. Covering almost 850 acres, the park offers a variety of natural features to experience and enjoy; including rock outcroppings, forested areas, large lawn spaces, and several bodies of water.

One of the highlights of our time in Central Park was walking through the Mall, a beautiful elm tree-lined path that includes a “Literary Walk” featuring statues of famous authors such as Sir Walter Scott and William Shakespeare.

Just east of the Mall is the sculpture of Balto, the heroic Alaskan sled dog that led delivery of a serum to combat a disease outbreak. Further north in the park, just past the model boat pond, is the popular Alice in Wonderland sculpture.

Lots to see in Central Park. Just make sure to wear comfortable shoes and get a park map.

Times Square, a major commercial intersection in Midtown Manhattan, is a short subway ride south from Central Park. Notable signage there includes the One Times Square building billboards at the New Year’s Eve ball drop path, the curved NASDAQ sign, and the “stare-worthy” Coca-Cola sign.

The area is full of restaurants and retail stores, so come with an appetite and a credit card.

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