‘Trippin’ Midwest Mama’ from Lena shares travel adventures in blog – Freeport Journal
LENA — Tabitha Engel loves a good deal, and she loves sharing them with others, too. That’s why she’s created the travel blog “Trippin’ Midwest Mama.”
On the year-old blog, Engel gives reviews of her trips and shares behind-the-scenes tips and ways to snag a deal. She typically posts twice a week and updates her Facebook page, which is where she gets the most feedback.
Her most recent post is about a trip to Milwaukee where she explored the Milwaukee Public Market.
“I would call it a hidden gem, but, judging from the crowds, it’s not. In fact, I may be the only person who’s crossed the Wisconsin state line who didn’t know about it,” Engel wrote about the market on her blog.
The Milwaukee trip was planned after Engel found a deal for a stay at the 125-year-old Pfister Hotel. It was her fourth time staying at the hotel which she describes as “enchanting.” The price for the hotel was too hard to pass up said Engel.
“If you’re on a budget, don’t cross the Pfister off your list. Instead, subscribe to their emails. Our recent visit, which included a Tower King room and club lounge access/breakfast, was only $124 as part of a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. Just watch your inbox for sale notifications,” Engel shared on her blog.
“This is a labor of love,” Engel said. “I don’t make any money. It’s my way of writing about my experiences and helping others find a way to experience things that I am able to experience.”
Most of Engel’s trips are centered around the Midwest but she has traveled to far-off destinations including Japan, Ireland, and this past November, Hawaii.
Engel and her husband, Ryan, were finally able to take their dream honeymoon vacation, nearly 20 years in the making, to Hawaii for $500, including travel and accommodations.
How’d she do it? Research.
“That is when I started looking into credit card offers. Personally, I do not recommend opening credit cards and using their introductory offers to fund travel on a constant basis, because it can get tricky (but I know some very responsible people who manage doing this with great results!),” Engel wrote.
The free loyalty rewards from the cards Engel used included free mileage and hotel points and her Hilton Gold Member status scored her a free room upgrade.
“Even though the basic, resort-view room we booked had a retail price of around $200, upon check-in we were given our choice of an ocean view junior suite or an ocean front king — rooms that carried a $400-$500/night price tag,” Engel wrote.
“I am a travel nut,” she said. “I like to look for deals and soon I began blogging about how I was able to get the trip deals and people began asking me for my advice.”
Most of Engel’s trips are planned, she said, but some are last minute to score the best deals.
“I get that the average person cannot just pick up and go. …. My blog is a tapestry of information.”
Engel mostly uses third-party travel sites like Priceline and Orbit. Many people are afraid to book travel on the internet, she said, which is where she comes in. Her tips suggest ways to navigate websites and do the research to get an affordable and memorable experience.
Engel got the travel bug when she was young. Her grandparents would load up the family in an old motor home to travel the country.
“I can remember getting in my bunk, book in hand and my Kodak camera near to capture the trip,” Engel said. “If I didn’t have those travel trips with my grandparents, I wouldn’t have cherished stories to tell my family and friends.”
Today, Engel’s family includes her son, Henry, 13, and daughter, Emily, 9. Family trips with her husband and children are her favorite. When Henry was in fifth grade they took a mother/son trip to San Francisco by train. She’s looking forward to taking Emily on a special trip when she enters fifth grade. So far, Emily wants to stay on the ocean in California.
“I believe you have to step away from routine to create memories,” Engel said.
When she’s not traveling with family, she likes to take Midwestern trips with her girlfriends, April Potter and Heather Jacobs of Lena.
Potter said she uses Engel’s blog to read about Engel’s latest adventure and get tips for her own family trips, she said
“Everything Tabitha has suggested, we have loved,” Potter said. “The tips are helpful and it has become a go-to blog for me, and Tabitha has such a unique style of writing that it captures you to want to join in the fun.”
“The read is fun and very helpful,” Jacobs added.
“My goal is to help people,” Engel said. “I just want to inspire people to get out of their comfort level.”
Jane Lethlean: jlethlean1210@gmail.com; @DOGWMN2
For more information
http://trippinmidwestmama.com
On Facebook: Trippinmidwestmama
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