Vacations by Jodi

06/22/2025

Cheers May 2025

06/22/2025

🌴 DAY 24 of 30 Days of Giveaways! 🧺✨

Today’s giveaway is a family affair! 💁🏼‍♀️ My mom is one of my favorite humans (as she should be) — and fun fact: she's technically a small biz employee too! She works for Escape With Us Vacations and books dream trips for people every single day… and let me tell you, she’s really good at it. 🏖️

I mean… she handles our 40+ person trip to Mexico every year like a pro. Travelers rave about her — and now it’s your chance to get in on the magic.

So, we’re teaming up for today’s giveaway! 🎉

Here’s how to enter:
✅ Like BOTH Trendy Midwestern & Vacations by Jodi
✅ Like this post
✅ Comment below (tell us where you’d love to travel!)
✅ Tag your travel crew – each tag = extra entry
😎 Bonus: Book a vacation through my mom… and you automatically WIN. 😏😏😏😏😏

🎁 Prize: A beach-themed gift basket + a $25 Trendy Midwestern gift card!
Gift basket pictured is not the one you’ll receive — we still have to make it! 😉

Whether you’re dreaming of sand between your toes or just love a good giveaway — jump in now

06/15/2025

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads and father figures out there! 💙
Thanks for the love, the laughs, the “dadvice,” and those legendary dad jokes. The world’s a kinder, better (and funnier) place because of you.

06/12/2025

Gina Thunander McDonough this would be a game changer! Hopefully they will add this to all ships!!

We added these new lamps on the Carnival Valor during dry dock and will be doing this to other ships in future dry docks

They have USB and ummmm the smaller one and a power plug for things like CPAP perhaps. 

Would you find this useful?

A. Yes. Very. Please put these on as many ships as you can.

B. Yes. However, it’s not overly important to me.

C. No, I probably wouldn’t use these charging points

Please answer A, B or C

Cheers

Thank you, John for sending me the photo. 

06/06/2025

Happy National Donut Day!🍩🍩🍩

Dunkin' Duck Donuts Sweet Nothing Bakery YoYo Donuts

06/03/2025

Exploring the Best of Boston: A Perfect Blend of History, Adventure & Lobster Rolls.

If Boston is not on your travel radar, it absolutely should be—and when you go, I can’t recommend the Hilton Boston Park Plaza enough. Located right in the heart of the city, this hotel made exploring a breeze. Just one block from the subway and surrounded by many of Boston’s must-see landmarks, it was the perfect home base for our urban adventure.

Our days started and ended with rides on the MBTA subway system. Whether it was midday crowds or late-night returns, we felt safe and comfortable navigating the city’s efficient transit network. One of the highlights - taking the commuter train to Salem, the ride was scenic and straightforward, and the town’s spooky charm was well worth the detour.

Back in Boston, we made full use of the Old Town Trolley’s hop-on hop-off city tour. It’s a fun and easy way to get oriented and hit all the major attractions without wearing yourself out. And speaking of tours, we added a bit of eerie fun by joining the Ghosts and Gravestones tour. While it was full of ghostly tales and local legends, the presence of young kids (around 8–10 years old) made it clear that this tour leans more toward entertaining than terrifying—so don’t worry if you’re not into true scares.

For sports fans and history buffs alike, our tour of Fenway Park was a real treat. Walking through one of the oldest baseball stadiums in the country and hearing the stories behind the “Green Monster” made us feel like part of Boston’s rich sports tradition.

Another can’t-miss stop was the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum. This immersive experience brought colonial history to life in a surprisingly interactive and fun way—yes, we threw tea into the harbor!

No trip to Boston is complete without paying homage to pop culture at Cheers, the bar that inspired the classic TV show. We grabbed lunch there, enjoying the nostalgia as much as the food.

But the real star of the culinary show? Lobster. We splurged on lobster rolls and decadent lobster mac and cheese at James Hook and Company—and it was every bit as amazing as it sounds. Fresh, flavorful, and filling, it was the ultimate New England seafood experience.

From history and haunted tours to sports, and subway rides, Boston was an unforgettable mix of past and present, flavor and fun. Whether you’re a first-timer or a returning visitor, there’s always something new to discover in this vibrant city.

06/02/2025

Whoohoo, summer's arrived! No more school, time for BBQs, campfires, camping adventures, and graduation celebrations - what are your summer plans?