Amy Laundrie

If you’re anything like me, you sometimes need a break and a bit of me-time. I enjoyed my recent hiatus from column deadlines. I luxuriated in long hikes, took writing classes, prepared for the release of a new children’s book,…

When a friend mentioned Copper Harbor, Michigan the other day, my mind immediately rewound to the summer I met a group there for a week-long camping adventure on Isle Royale. The trip was worrisome since I’d never wilderness camped and…

My dog Josie sat in my lap while we waited in the kayak for my younger daughter to join us. To my surprise, she rose, stepped to the front of the kayak, jumped off into the shallow water, and headed…

“If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look it any further than my own back yard.” Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz My husband and I had a marvelous time touring European countries, but on…

When my husband and I toured Washington D.C., I had expected to be wowed by the spring cherry blossoms and educated by the museums and memorials. I hadn’t expected to be inspired or to see democracy in action. Our trip…

Beth Hays, at the age of 63, completed her goal. Hiking 4-15 miles each time she set off, in spring, summer, fall, and winter, her wool socks and Columbia hiking boots logged an astounding 1238 miles and she completed the…

“I’ve been helped by acts of kindness from strangers. That’s why we’re here, after all, to help others.” — Carol Burnett  Last week, I stood in line behind a young man purchasing books at the Kilbourn Library book sale. “Mrs.…

Our Mayflower River Cruise began in the Netherlands, where my husband and I toured the famous Keukenhof Tulip Gardens. Striped, bright, exotic, scented or not, each tulip, hyacinth, or daffodil was unique. But viewing the expanse of the various flowers…

Jewels in My Memory Box “You didn’t!” My mouth dropped at a detail my brother shared about a hunting trip he’d taken out west. Jeff and I were enjoying a glass of wine together on the sundeck during Mayflower’s “Tulip…

Twenty-four days before we were set to embark on the trip of a lifetime, my husband Frank had a major health crisis. For months, we had planned this Rhine River cruise through the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Switzerland. Then Frank…