School has started, but we’re not letting it cramp our style. We’re still planning weekend getaways and adventures around soccer practice and tennis matches and homework.
A few weeks ago, we squeezed in a trip to Fort Wayne, Indiana. The forecast predicted a few rain showers, but we pretended it wasn’t there and headed north. From Indy, Fort Wayne is an easy two-hour drive. I love that Indianapolis is central to so many great cities. You can spend a weekend in a different city with very little effort (we can get to Cincinnati, Ohio, or Louisville, Kentucky, in about two hours also!).
The weather ended up being perfect. We got to spend hours at the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo and an afternoon at their new Promenade Park. Promenade Park just opened this month; it’s over four acres of public space, playground, water features, amphitheater, and dining along the banks of The St. Mary’s. We hung out on their large porch swings as riverboat cruises, kayaks, and bar boats floated by.
When I visited Fort Wayne in the spring, the whole area was a muddy, still-in-progress construction zone, and it was awesome to see it completed.










If you subscribe to my emails, you know we’re big fans of visiting libraries in new places. I already knew I loved the Allen County Public Library from the genealogy research I was able to do last time, but this time we got to spend a few hours in the air conditioning, resting and reading books before heading to our next stop. Their children’s section does not disappoint.
Once we were done introverting for a little bit, we were re-energized and ready for the Ft. Wayne TinCaps game. The TinCaps are a minor league baseball team with an amazing ball park; it’s often voted the number one minor league ball park in America and seeing a game there was a bucket list item for us.
The girls loved the game, the food, and Harper got a ball the first baseman threw into the stands, so it was a successful night at the stadium.
One perk about visiting minor league stadiums is the ticket prices are much more manageable than major league parks. If you’d love to watch more professional baseball games, but budget is an issue, I highly recommend taking a road trip to a nearby minor league park.
At our small group meeting recently, I made a comment about how summer was over and everyone lost their minds. SUMMER IS NOT OVER YET! It’s just the beginning of August! How DARE YOU.
I laughed because the majority of my life has been planned around a school calendar: elementary school, college, teaching, and now with our daughters in school. My understanding of seasons is based solely on school calendars and not weather or moon phases.
So what I’m saying is *technically* summer is not yet over. The weather is still wonderful and you can still answer the call of the road as long as you do all your homework first.
*DISCLOSURE: This is a sponsored post in partnership with Visit Fort Wayne, but all opinions are mine.
One of the best reasons to live in the Midwest is for the distinct range of seasons. Summers are hot and humid. Falls are cool and crisp. Winters are snowy and frigid, and springs are colorful and hopeful.
Midwest is best, guys.
What’s also great about our seasons is the range we can get with a good pair of rain boots.
Summer morning dew covering the grass as I tend to my garden? Totes Cirrus Rainboots.
Fall apple-picking? Totes Cirrus Rainboots.
Forging a path in the snow to get the mail? Totes Cirrus Rainboots.
Spring thunderstorm? Totes Cirrus Rainboots.
There’s never a time to *not* wear my Totes Cirrus Rainboots, if you haven’t noticed.
Ellie and I wore our new lightweight boots as we picked the last of the summer tomatoes from our garden beds and stomped around trees picking apples for pies and cider.
My grandparents planted apple trees along the perimeter of our land so each fall we get the sweet smell of apples in the air as the temperatures start to drop. There’s nothing better than getting cozy at a bonfire surrounded by apple trees.
I love the durable and versatile styles Totes Cirrus Rainboots come in–both tall and shorter–for kids and adults. And their Everywear™ technology makes them comfortable for all day wear, because they’re 60% lighter than other boots. (And not to call Ellie out, but she’s been wearing her boots non-stop. She has yet to find an outfit or situation where they aren’t appropriate so that’s a pretty great testament to the comfort level of these boots.) Now is a great time to get yourself a pair of these new boots, because Totes Cirrus is offering my readers 25% off with the code CIRRUSLOVE25.
After our walk foraging for fruits and veggies last week, our boots wiped down easily and looked brand new again. These new boots from Totes are perfect for year-round wear, whether it’s actually raining outside or not. No more heavy clunky boots weighing you down, Totes Cirrus Rainboots help you keep a pep in your step as you adventure outside.
Now who’s got a good apple pie recipe?
Photography by Huff Photography
*Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are mine.
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