For the third year in a row, we continued our Thanksgiving tradition of taking off and exploring a different city for the holiday. The first year was Chicago, 2017 was a whirlwind trip to Disney World, and this year was – Nashville! Our best buds at 21c Museum Hotel Nashville hosted our stay, so our trip was nothing less than marvelous.

Not only was this our third Thanksgiving trip, but it was also our third stay at a 21c Museum Hotel. Bentonville and Oklahoma City were our previous visits, but I’d now like to make it my mission to explore each and every one. As for Nashville, our eight-hour drive was surprisingly easy-breezy. We arrived mid-afternoon which allowed us time to relax at the hotel before we headed out to explore. Conveniently located downtown, everywhere we went was either a short walk or quick Uber ride away. You honestly can’t get any better location-wise.

I’m a sucker for a nice hotel and with 21c Museum Hotels I always look forward to the details. From the Malin + Goetz bath amenities, to Nespresso coffee maker, and of course the crisp linens – I could live in this hotel room. And I’m pretty sure Iris would happily live here with me because of the teal penguins alone. Every 21c Museum Hotel has these ginormous penguin statues that guests are welcome to move around. When Iris found out we were staying at the hotel, her first question was what color the penguins were. And when she found out they were her absolute favorite color, she reacted as if she had won the lottery. So naturally we snuck one into our room… Oh. And Todd will also be joining us in our new abode thanks to the local craft beer always stocked in the mini fridge.

Of course with any 21c, the coolest part about the stay is 24/7 access to a museum. We love exploring the art throughout the property, so we make it a point to stop on every floor to ensure nothing is missed. In Nasvhille, much of the art was interactive which of course scores big with a seven-year-old. We spent a fair amount of time in a room that featured videos, along with twirling chairs that made you feel like you were going to fall with every spin (spoiler alert: you won’t ever fall, but it sure is fun). Iris loved that part so much I joked I was going to send down her blanket and pillow and see her in the morning. She was very disappointed to learn I was only kidding.

Another favorite was the on-site restaurant – We frequented Gray & Dudley as much as we did our hotel room! Breakfast, lunch, and Thanksgiving dinner. This is the third year we’ve had our big meal at a hotel and the third year I haven’t regretted it for a second. No cooking, no clean-up, no rushing around. Just eating, drinking, and relaxing! For the Thanksgiving dinner at Gray & Dudley, you chose your main course, then the appetizers and sides were served family-style. They even had a cute little menu for the kiddos.

Beyond the Thanksgiving meal, Gray & Dudley is a lovely spot for brunch (Iris recommends the smoothie) and the bar is a perfect spot to break from exploring the art (I recommend alllll the wine). If I lived in Nashville, this would be my place.

It’s kind of funny that our “non-traditional Thanksgiving” has turned into our own tradition, but I love it. If you are considering doing something similar this season, they have a great “Explore More” holiday offer going on right now. Stay three consecutive nights through February 28, 2019 at any 21c Museum Hotel, and save $100 on the third night. Treat yourself to an escape when you probably need it the most. Find out all the details over on their website.

THANK YOU 21c Museum Hotel Nashville for incredible service (seriously – everyone was SO hospitable) and a Thanksgiving we will always remember!

This post is in partnership with Magic Springs. Get your discounted tickets here!

It’s OCTOBER – the best month of the year! And what better way to kick off our favorite month by going on an adventure to Hot Springs (for my birthday weekend, no less)? Magic Springs invited us to visit their annual Magic Screams event on opening weekend, which ended up being the best way to dive straight into autumn. We decided to make a weekend out of it so after grabbing Iris as soon as school let out, we hit the road. Typically we visit this quaint, historic town when the horse races are happening, but it was fun to see the city from a different perspective. Arriving just in time for dinner, we checked out a brewery and pizza joint Todd wanted to try, SQZBX. Tasty!

On Saturday, my birthday, we managed to sleep in until almost 9:00 the next morning, which was a birthday present all in itself. Before Magic Springs opened for the day, we wandered around Hot Springs’ charming downtown area and had nice little lunch. Getting to the park in the afternoon, we went straight for the rides. Never knowing how brave Iris will be, she impressed us by riding one roller coaster four times in a row!

But the true magic was how Magic Springs had been transformed into Magic Screams – a spooky Halloween-themed destination that’s fun for all ages. I appreciated how they had a lot of stuff for the younger (or easily frightened) folks in the earlier hours and, as it got later, everything turned a bit more frightening. The only thing is that if you want to experience Magic Screams, you gotta do it soon! For the month of October it’s open beginning at noon Saturdays until 11 p.m. and Sundays until 9 p.m. The spooks last until October 28, so if you are anywhere nearby, make a fun weekend out of it like we did. Hot Springs is only about three and a half hours from Fayetteville, less than three hours from my hometown of Memphis, and less than an hour away from Little Rock.

My favorite part of Magic Screams is that you get to experience the best of both worlds – during the day we rode all the rides our hearts desired (with little or no wait times), and then as it got closer to dark more Halloween activities started popping up. From the six themed haunted houses, to the trick-or-treat trail where kids got to play carnival games for candy, Iris quite a blast. And so did we! Did I mention that they actually have a beer garden in the park? We stopped for a drink and a jello shot, which of course was also in theme and presented in a syringe.

So if you are headed to Magic Screams, I have an insider special on tickets just for you guys! Get your tickets using this link right here. It will give you an $8 savings per gate ticket and is even $3 cheaper than the Magic Springs’ online discounted price. Also, there’s even an option to buy 2019 season passes that are not only discounted, but you can use them at the 2018 Magic Screams, all of the 2019 Season including concerts, special events, and 2019 Magic Screams. And if that isn’t enough, I’m giving away four free tickets to Magic Screams on Instagram, so be sure to check head over and check it out. The giveaway will open on Thursday evening, October 11 and will end on Friday, October 12. It’s a quick turnaround time so that we make sure the winner can use them before Magic Screams comes to a close.

As the sun went down, we could tell things were getting creepier by the minute. After we had all the fun (and spooks) we could stand, we made our way back to our hotel. We took one last Hot Springs pit-stop though at The Purple Cow where we were treated to dinner and their famous purple milkshakes. From there it was off to bed, exhausted but happy and full. And wouldn’t you know it? We managed to sleep until almost 9 am the next morning too.

Thanks for having us, Magic Screams! See you next year!