Looking for an inexpensive family getaway?  Then a visit to a nearby state park may be the perfect getaway.  Visiting a state park is a great way to explore the rich vastness of landscape and history in your state and contribute to your state's economy.   Recently, my family and I visited Petit Jean State Park.  It's one of our favorite state parks.  The kids love the legend of Petit Jean.  Legend has it that a young girl was so in love that she disguised herself as a cabin boy so she could join her lover.  She was known as "Petit Jean" (French for Little John) due to her small stature.  She became sick during the travels and it was only then that her true identity was discovered.  Her illness got worse and she eventually died and was buried atop Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas .  Besides the legend of Petit Jean the park is absolutely stunning with its cascading waterfalls, cliff side trails and native scenery.   The park...

During a recent road trip my family and I made a pit stop at the Tina Turner Museum. I’ve traveled this stretch of Interstate 40 several times and have never stopped thinking that it’s one of those pit stops that looks close and once you exit the interstate you see the attraction is hundreds of miles away. Our usual stops on our road trip between is Memphis and Nashville is a pit stop in Jackson, Tennessee, home of Casey Jones. You know the story of the legendary Casey Jones, the railroad engineer who is the subject of legends and stories of lore. It was early, no one was hungry, no one had to pee so instead of pit stopping at our usual spot we just kept on riding towards our destination. As we neared Memphis, my kid noticed a sign touting a Tina Turner Museum, Welcome Center complete with aquariums and a gift shop. Hmmmm… Interesting. We laughed a little thinking of Nutbush City Limits, the town made famous in a song Turner sung back in the day and after a few giggles dec...

*guest post courtesy of Jennifer @ Box of Style* Traveling alone might just be one of the most exciting and empowering things you can ever do as a woman. Exploring the world on your own schedule is as challenging as it is rewarding, and as scary as it might initially sound, there couldn’t be a better opportunity out there. Below are some top recommendations of where to go if you want to embark on a solo traveling adventure this summer: Canada Let’s start off small. Canada is certainly far enough to be classed as an adventure, but not far enough to be scary. And thanks to its solid women's rights record, it’s no surprise that Canada attracts its fair share of solo female travelers , so you’ll be in excellent company. There is such a diverse range of scenery to take in, so you’ll never get bored of what Canada has to offer. The magical Great Bear Rainforest, the Arctic Baffin Island, and the Haida Gwaii are all top of the list for first time solo travelers. And the food, ...

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post Last night Hubby and I were talking about our annual Spring Break family road trip. Although we haven't quite narrowed down our Spring Break destination, we know the importance of planning ahead. In the past Three Boys and an Old Lady blog has shared tips to help get your vehicle ready for the family road trip and even shared tips on planning the perfect road trip but this time we are sharing our Top 5 Road Trip Essentials.  Road trips have changed so much in the last 5 years.  I remember when my kids were little we would either rent a car or drive our own, nowadays you can rent someone else's car .  Yeah, you can actually rent someone else's car.    Before you hit the road, check out our list of 5 Road Trip Essentials and see why the cell phone isn't number 1. 1.  Rand McNally Road Atlas .  There are tons of road atlases available but there's only one in the Three Boys an...

My visit to the Emmett Till Interpretive Center was informative but I knew there was more to the story.  It wa s if I was being led somewhere else. Peering through the large storefront glass of the Emmett Till Interpretive Center staring at the courthouse I noticed a large statue to the left.  I don't think I've ever noticed a confederate statue before. I'm sure I've seen them before but I don't think I ever really noticed one before.  There it was, standing tall, and the courthouse staring directly at the Emmett Till Interpretive Center and the Emmett Till Interpretive Center staring right back. The exhibits housed in the Interpretive Center told the story of the trial and the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement.  The Sumner Courthouse where Till's accusers were tried still holds court.  The bullet-riddled River Site sign sat on a cold, concrete floor.  Benjamin told us the sign had been replaced and gave us directions to the site....

There has been a lot of mention of Emmett Till in the news lately. A few months ago, a national news network ran a story on a sign marking the place where Emmett Till’s body was found. Most recently, actor and director Jesse Williams was dragged on Twitter for posting a meme of Till. Even Snoop Dogg got in the mix after the recent sentencing of 81-year old Bill Cosby saying perhaps it's time to revisit the case of Emmett Till. In 1955, Till, a 14-year old kid was beaten, shot and drowned for whistling at a woman as he his cousins were leaving a store. Till, a Chicago native, was spending a summer in Mississippi with family. His mother thought it would be a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of the busy city. One afternoon as Till and his cousins were leaving a small grocery store, Till whistled at a young lady. A few night’s later Till was abducted from his great uncle’s home and later killed. His crime, Till was Black… the young lady was White. Earlier thi...