About Us

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO LEARN MORE

---

Hi there! We are the Robinson Family and we are so happy you stopped by!

Our story started in 1996 when a handsome young man picked me up for a blind date! Yes, a blind date! I know sounds crazy, but…my sister and his brother were friends. I was just finishing an exam week for law school and my brain needed a break from reality. He picked me up for a long weekend at an amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio called Cedar Point. As it was a long distance across several miles of Michigan into Ohio, we had plenty of time to talk while traveling there to meet my sister and her husband who had invited us both for the weekend. This would turn out to be the first of many inspirational travel adventures with my husband.

Fast forward many years and two kids later and life keeps getting more adventurous! We live in beautiful Northwest Lower Peninsula Michigan. This tourist travel destination brings many diverse visitors to our region because of all the natural wonders surrounding us. Ernest Hemingway spent summers in this area growing up as a young man and later wrote of it’s beauty in a few of his works. It’s a wonderful place to raise a family. Summer water-sports take us out on these Caribbean-blue colored fresh water lakes to knee-board, water-ski, wake surf, tube, sail, swim, and fish. Golfing is another popular past-time as well with many amazing courses surrounding us. Autumn activities include fall deer hunting and chasing a Saturday College Football schedule as we follow our youngest son’s current pursuits. Winter snow-sports fill our long winter days. Our oldest son played College Football and has now graduated following his career goals with a degree in Biology. Our boys remain avid snowboarders, snow-mobilers, 4-Wheelers, and winter adventure lovers. Spring is such a pleasure here! Sprouting daffodils, crocus, and tulips are a sure sign promising summer’s heat to follow. Winters in Northwest Lower Peninsula Michigan can feel REALLY LONG! Thank goodness for spring vacations chasing the sunshine!

SERIOUSLY! The winters do feel really long here though…hence our longing for adventures out of our normal routines developed! Especially in January, February, and March when a dose of sunshine was necessary to survive mother nature’s lingering winter season in Northern Michigan.

This travel blog blossomed into reality in 2020! I realized that there are other families out there that have the travel bug too! Having grown up in a highly sought after travel destination continually filled with tourists, I do understand what people seek when traveling. Along with that and our extensive travel that we have under our belts, I am sure I have many useful insights to share, especially now as a transitioning “newly empty-nester!” My goal is to showcase and share the best snorkel inspirational travel destinations, cuisine, and resorts that we have encountered for other “newly empty-nesters” to use on their journeys. Hopefully, you will find some amazing places to explore, filled with memory-making activities, and other ways to make your vacations extra special, also!

Meet Barbara Robinson

Inspirational Travel Adventures describes my husband Galen & I perfectly. We LOVE travel adventures and look for God’s glory and inspiration in so many beautiful destinations!

Barbara is a 1993 graduate of Michigan State University. I earned a Bachelor of Science with a Major in Social Science Pre-Law. I attended Thomas Cooley Law School for four terms only to discover that being a lawyer was not for me. I am a Business Manager/HR Director for a light manufacturing company during the day. My passion is travel! Discovering new places, experiences, cuisine, cultures while enjoying temperate climates and snorkeling are a great joy! I am so excited to write about products and services that make life better and easier for travel. I am inspired by God daily. Whether small things or big things that God provides our family, He is present. Psalm 86:12 (NIV) I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever.

Example: A rainbow is a promise from God that he will never flood the earth again. God’s wonders surround us. Daily I look around to see the gifts that God provides. I stand in wonder at all His blessings. It is so easy to take these blessings for granted. I try daily to remember this and strive to be more mindful.

As you read this I am probably sipping a wonderous cup of amazingly brewed coffee. I LOVE COFFEE! It is my great comfort. I adore fresh, clean air breezes off the lake with a beautiful view out my window to inspire me!

Sunshine is my addiction. LOVE THE SUNSHINE! It invigorates me. I always wanted to write novels. I started a couple, but never fully completed one. Reading has always been a great way to get lost in a movie of my own making in my head where the hero and heroine look exactly perfect to my taste and specifications. Way better than any Hollywood casting call for-sure! Apparently, I have a vivid imagination! Through all of this though my craving for adventure and travel has evolved. My husband has been just as adventurous with me and indulgent to my whims.

Now that our boys are transitioning to the next phase of their lives, it is time for me to look for a way that I can use my skill set as a hobby to fill the additional free time that I am not used to having available to me. Having the ability to create and share our inspirational travel adventures with you will be a great highlight! I LOVE HELPING OTHERS AND I LOVE TRAVEL!

Meet Galen Robinson

As you read this, Galen is probably fixing something broken! He is great at accomplishing my “honey-do” list. In our busy active life style we have several moving parts happening at once. And…unfortunately something seems to always be breaking! He’s awesome! He works very hard to provide for our family. He is super, kind of heart, generous, and humble. When I first met him I was overwhelmed with the fact that he was a licensed minster. His eyes glowed with his genuineness. God’s love shines through him. His passion for ministry has never ceased. He shares God’s love and forgiveness as often as he can.

He also attended Michigan State University, although we attended at different times. He is older than I am. He made his career as a landscape foreman for a family business. He can create the most amazingly beautiful hard-scapes, walkways, perennial beds, and rock retaining walls that I have ever seen. The company he works for is highly skilled and very sought after in our resort community.

He is also a highly skilled wood craftsman. He built a redwood canoe when he was a teen. Since, he has crafted many beautiful wooden pieces and has his own side business ROBINSON WOODSHOP, LLC. He has mentored our boys with a love of wood craftsmanship as well. He is also a complete outdoor enthusiast. From boating to hunting and everything in between including wilderness camping, he is a fearless leader. He and our sons find lots of mischief together. He is a great Dad, head of our home, provider, and best friend. He prays daily and remembers a list of people with specific needs. Traveling is such a joy with him. He is like a little kid going through new adventures! Seeing experiences through his eyes makes me feel very happy and secure all at the same time.

MEET JOSHUA AND JACOB

MEET MY BOYS!

Jacob is the oldest. He is tall, dark and handsome. He recently graduated from HOPE COLLEGE with a degree in Biology. He played Offensive Right Guard for HOPE COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S TEAM and was a part of the 2019 & 2021 MIAA CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM! His goal is to become a DNR, Conservation Officer for the State of Michigan. He is my more conservative kiddo. He is a thinker. He looks at life through many angles before he determines what his opinion will be and how he will navigate each new situation. He is a great big brother and is a wonderful role model both athletically and academically. His hobbies include woodworking, 4-wheeling, fishing, hunting, snow-sports, water-sports, and jeeping. He LOVES travel and adventure. We have made many family-fun memories with Jacob! If you asked him his favorite destination over the years he would probably say Myrtle Beach, SC holds a very special place in his heart. We have been taking our family there for adventures since Jacob was five. Shark tooth hunting with his Dad will always be a special favorite past-time!! Here is his award winning canoe that he built while a junior in high school. He has made many fabulous woodworking projects and remains hooked on this gorgeous art-form.

CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE ROBINSON’S WOODSHOP!

Joshua is the youngest! He is my blonde hair, blue eyed, sweet freckled charmer! He is a student at HOPE COLLEGE studying Electrical Engineering and plays DEFENSE for HOPE COLLEGE FOOTBALL. He is a super confident, athletic, academic wonder. He was very involved with student council, NHS, and visual imaging in high school. If electronics give us fits, Josh is the man to solve the problem! He enjoys busting a move on the dance floor and is everyone’s friend. He is not afraid to try new things or put himself in awkward situations. He has the ability to laugh at himself and finds the zest in life at every turn! He is super adventurous just like his mother. He is quick to help anyone at anytime with anything. I always say, “Everyone needs a Josh in their life!” He is GREAT! I love traveling with him. He is super helpful and always brings the FUN! If you asked Josh where his favorite travel destination was, I bet he would say Grand Cayman…he LOVED diving for conch, Stingray City and snorkeling with the stingrays! Josh’s hobbies are very similar to Jacob’s as they do many thing together. Not only are they brothers, but they enjoy hanging out with each other! Here are some cool woodworking projects that Josh built. He is also a water lover and spends a lot of time playing on the water in the summer.

Our family REALLY enjoys summer! 5 WAYS TO ENJOY SUMMER!

Meet our family