Go BIG or Go Home
What Happens When A Small-Town Family Visits The "World's Largest"... Whatever!

“Go BIG or Go Home” wins two NATJA Awards!

This blog is so much more to me and my family than a hobby. As well as a continuous source of amusement as I try to describe it to people! “I write a blog. You know, a personal website. On the internet. Our family visits world’s largests, and then I describe it on the blog. Yes, large attractions and events. Have you heard of the world’s largest ball of twine? Like that.”

So I was really satisfied – and well, proud – to find out yesterday that I won two awards – a gold and a bronze — from the North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) for two posts I wrote last year!

We earned the gold in the “Internet / Family Travel” category for this post about our visit to The Big E, or the Eastern States Exposition. It’s the state fair of Massachusetts and several other New England states, and it’s where you’ll find the world’s largest traveling amusement park, the North American Midway.

The highlight of that trip, however, was trying the Craz-E burger — a bacon cheeseburger sandwiched between two halves of a glazed doughnut. When Matt set his eyes upon it, he got a glint in his eye I haven’t seen since our first date. “Lustful” is an apt description.

Craz E Burger

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garden gnome

One of my favorites, Chomsky the Garden Gnome!

Were you to look at high school photos of me and my misinformed fashion choices, your logical – and correct – assumption would be that I was not “popular.” I came through it just fine, pride intact, but in the event that I needed a little redemption and reassurance, I got some today.

This week, many of you voted for Go BIG or Go Home to make Christopher Elliott’s “12 travel bloggers you should read in 2012” list. And while I’m THRILLED to report that we’ve come in at #5 on that list (!!), I’m also deeply touched that hundreds of people who like this blog took the time to vote.

Thank you.

If you are finding us for the first time because of this list, thanks for stopping by!  You’ll learn more than you need to know in the About Us section, but here’s the gist: We’re a small-town family of four who visit places, attractions, and events which claim the title of world’s largest, longest or tallest. We share why we went, what was cool about it, and how we would rate it on a scale of one to ten!

Sometimes, the kids complain as if they’re being dragged along the world’s longest sidewalk under a scorching sun (well, actually, they were).

Other times, I get to be the Mom Who Makes Dreams Come True.

 

legoland florida

The Brick Kid makes his pilgrimage to the world's largest LEGOLAND

Usually, my husband Matt is totally on board, and more than willing to pack up the car with enough tech to launch a rocket.

Other times, he would rather stick a red hot poker into his eye.

I always find something to enjoy in our adventures. (Except maybe for South of the Border. That place is just creepy.) I revel in the unexpected moments, like:

Watching the kids take in nature, with nothing remotely virtual, electronic, or 4-D being offered.

botanic gardens

The world’s second largest botanic garden, in Montreal, QC

Discovering that I kill at shuffleboard!

and…

Falling inappropriately in love with an oversized lawn ornament (see Chomsky, above).

Have you visited a “world’s largest?” We would love to hear about it!

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