By Brandon
There are two types of weekend travelers.
People who pack seventeen outfits for three days.
And people who arrive at the hotel and realize they didn't bring underwear.
We're aiming somewhere in the middle.
A three-day getaway should not require a giant suitcase. Pack pieces that work together, leave room for something you might find along the way, and accept the radical idea that nobody at your destination knows you wore those jeans yesterday.
Pack less. Go more.
By Brandon
Fall has a way of making us want to go somewhere.
Maybe it's the cooler weather. Maybe it's changing leaves. Maybe it's the realization that we've spent entirely too many weekends doing things that could technically be classified as errands.
Whatever the reason, we're getting out of town.
These aren't necessarily America's five most famous fall destinations.
That's intentional.
We're looking for towns with enough food, scenery, shops, personality and things to do that a three-day weekend feels like an actual trip.
Historic buildings, rolling hills, shops, restaurants and enough charm to make wandering around downtown an acceptable afternoon activity.
Galena is particularly good for the kind of weekend where the itinerary shouldn't have fifteen things on it.
Walk.
Eat.
Browse.
Have a drink.
Drive through the countryside.
Repeat as necessary.
MFG Weekend:Stay somewhere with character, spend Saturday downtown and leave enough time for the surrounding countryside.
Best for:Couples, food, shopping and an easy long weekend.
Calling Door County a single small town is admittedly cheating.
We don't care.
The peninsula gives you several small communities, Lake Michigan shoreline, orchards, restaurants, shops and some spectacular fall scenery.
The advantage is variety. You can spend part of the day outdoors and still find somewhere civilized for dinner afterward.
Exactly how we like our nature.
MFG Weekend:Pick one community as your home base and explore from there instead of changing hotels every night.
Best for:Scenic drives, food, outdoors and longer weekends.
Eureka Springs is weird.
That's a compliment.
The Victorian mountain town twists through the Ozarks with historic buildings, shops, restaurants, art, unusual architecture and streets that seem to have been designed by someone fundamentally opposed to straight lines.
It has personality in abundance.
And that's exactly what makes it interesting.
MFG Weekend:Stay close enough to the historic district to wander without constantly getting back into the car.
Best for:Something different, arts, food, architecture and an eclectic weekend.
Not that Nashville.
This one sits in Brown County, surrounded by some of Indiana's best fall scenery.
Nashville makes an easy home base for Brown County State Park, scenic drives, galleries, shops and the sort of leisurely afternoon where nobody needs to accomplish anything particularly important.
It is especially appealing if you want fall without turning the weekend into a major travel production.
MFG Weekend:Pair downtown Nashville with plenty of time in Brown County State Park.
Best for:Fall color, hiking, easy road trips and relaxed weekends.
Lake Michigan towns aren't just for summer.
Saugatuck combines galleries, restaurants, shops and waterfront scenery with the calmer atmosphere that arrives after peak summer season.
Fall gives the whole place a different personality.
Bring a jacket.
Find somewhere good for dinner.
Watch the sunset.
This isn't complicated.
MFG Weekend:Stay two nights, explore Saugatuck and nearby Douglas, and leave some unscheduled time.
Best for:Food, art, waterfront scenery and a relaxed couples weekend.
A great weekend trip shouldn't require a spreadsheet.
Choose somewhere interesting.
Book a good place to stay.
Identify two or three things you definitely want to do.
Make one dinner reservation.
Then leave some room for discovery.
Because occasionally the place you didn't plan to visit becomes the reason you want to go back.
Go somewhere worth going.
By Brandon
Pie crust has an undeserved reputation for being difficult.
It isn't.
It is, however, remarkably good at punishing people who overthink it.
The goal isn't perfection. We want a crust that's buttery, flaky, tender and strong enough to actually hold the pie. If the edges aren't geometrically perfect, nobody will care once there's a slice of warm pie sitting in front of them.
Now go make the pie.