Welcome back to The Backyard Tourist.

I’m a Gen X road-tripper with a Spotify playlist full of 80’s anthems. Yes, I will absolutely crank up Bon Jovi on a two-lane highway. My trunk always somehow ends up holding a museum gift shop tote bag. My camera roll is packed with courthouse domes, historic plaques, and very serious pie photography.

This blog started in 2011 because I was a workaholic. I still am. A lot of things have changed since then. For several years after the pandemic, I was too busy to write. I started writing again in January 2026. I feel the need to explain the gap, and re-launch..

I love working. I love building teams. I love preserving buildings. I love managing projects and events. I love strategy and deadlines and big ideas. Last year I realized something was missing. Somewhere between meetings and marketing plans, I lost the small, quiet magic in my life again. So I set a rule: one tank of gas, two-lane roads preferred, no interstates unless absolutely necessary.

And just like that, The Backyard Tourist was born re-born.

Here’s what you can expect when you ride shotgun with me:

• 80’s music for the open road. When “Here I Go Again” by Whitesnake comes on, I will scream/sing along. The windows are down. It’s my own personal car concert. There are no exceptions. Enjoy the performance.
• Audio books and history podcasts that match the destination – Revolutionary War stories en route to an historic battlefield? Presidential biography on the road to a presidential site? Yes, please!
• Museums. All the museums. Especially the small-town ones. This car stops at museums.
• I have a growing obsession with visiting presidential sites. These include libraries, homes, grave sites, and historic campaign stops. I’m on a mission.
• I always follow the brown signs. Brown signs (and sometimes blue signs-depending on the state.) direct travelers to a site of cultural significance, a state or national park, or a historic site. I have no choice. I have to follow the signs. This has lead me to see some really cool things!
• Gardens. Formal gardens. Cottage gardens. Courthouse square plantings. I will photograph your peonies.
• The perfect slice of pie and a strong cup of coffee. Preferably, this is enjoyed in a shop the locals think is “artsy.” Or savored in a classic diner that’s been around for years.
• Quirky shops where you can still buy a book about local history written by someone’s retired high school teacher.
• Lots and lots of photos. Light through stained glass. Peeling paint on a barn. Sunsets over cornfields and Great Lakes. Cats, pie and coffee.

I live in Illinois, and for a long time, my adventures were comfortably contained within state lines. There is so much here. Lincoln lore alone could keep me busy for years. I mean seriously! Did Lincoln Sleep in that old house in every single town, or Not? I need to know! Kentucky and Indiana also claim Lincoln, so I suspect I will spend some time there.

With this re-launch, I’ve made a new promise to myself: stretch beyond the familiar. Wisconsin back roads. Indiana courthouse squares. Iowa river towns. Michigan lighthouses. Presidential pilgrimage stops across the Midwest and beyond.

Because here’s what I’ve learned:

You don’t have to board a plane to feel changed.

Sometimes you just need:

• a two-lane road,
• a historic marker,
• a garden bench,
• a cup of coffee
• and a slice of warm pie with a flaky crust.

This blog is my reminder to slow down.
To look up.
To take the exit.
To read the plaque.
To wander through the museum gift shop.
To sit in the garden a little longer.

If you love:

• history over hype,
• depth over speed,
• character over convenience,
• and road trips with a soundtrack…

You’re in the right car.

Now tell me — where are we going first?