Adele singing One and Only in Chicago

Adele in Chicago

“I promise I’m worthy…..” It’s been a rough few months… (Shootings in Orlando….gators killing a child at Disney World….an Orlando friend dying in a tragic mountain hiking accident.  All of this coming right after I turned 40 – which was already stress…) …but vacation is the remedy. And not just any vacation, a vacation scheduled…

Grotto Falls

Epic Summer of Adventure

I think it’s safe to say 2015 was a summer of adventure for the Cook Family. The summer started with us kayaking our way through the canals of Marco Island, and ended with us floating down a river on the Cherokee Indian Reservation.  In between we’ve been biking, hiking, whitewater rafting and exploring great new…

Road Rules: Cook Style

Rules of the Cook Family Road Trip: No restaurant chains – only chain hotels. Exceptions include: McDonald’s once every other day if needed.  And Waffle House once on the trip. Everyone plays the license plate game The navigator, sitting in the passenger seat, controls the map and aids the driver in any needs including grabbing…

The bride & groom!

Fourth of July in Chicago

We were all most excited about the Chicago portion our adventure! This is where we would hit the main event of our trip, the big family wedding!  But also because it was finally time to see my youngest sister’s new house! And that also meant a giant family sleepover! After buying all the beer and…