Jess Visits The Castle

10/17/2026

I'll be at the Made in Iowa Festival at Hawkeye Downs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and it is a HUGE vendor show. We're talking a whole expo packed with local small businesses that could really use your support right now. Shopping small has never felt so good (or so tasty).

Here's how to find me: I'm set up right behind the famous egg roll lady. Get some egg rolls to take home, then come say hi. I will be the one pretending I'm not also in line for egg rolls. 🥢

Then tonight I'm trading the vendor tables for the Quad City Storm hockey game, puck drop at 6 p.m. 🏒 Tickets are almost sold out, so grab yours soon if you want to come cheer with me.

Egg rolls, small businesses, and hockey. It's a good day to be in Iowa. 💛

10/13/2026

Come talk travel this weekend ❤️

10/12/2026

It’s only October, but if a spring Disney trip is somewhere on your wish list, this is a really good time to start the conversation. Right now, life is still a little calm. Once Thanksgiving and December hit, planning a trip tends to slide to the bottom of the list, and then suddenly it’s January and everyone is trying to book at once.

Disney has historically adjusted ticket and package pricing around the start of the new year, so a spring trip booked later can end up costing more than the same trip booked now. Placing a deposit this fall can help lock in today’s pricing, and it gives you something to look forward to when the holiday season gets busy.

Spring in the parks is lovely: milder weather, the festivals, and a little breathing room after the winter stretch. If you’ve been daydreaming about it, I’d love to help you take the first step. 🏰

JessVisitsTheCastle.com

10/06/2026

Some resorts try to be everything to everyone. This one actually pulls it off. 🌴

Some of the Goofy Getaways advisors just stayed and explored Hilton Cancun Mar Caribe this week, and the reviews coming back have been amazing. Hearing it from people who just walked the property and tried it all themselves is my favorite kind of research.

The resort sits right on the beach in Cancun's Hotel Zone, and the all-inclusive part really is all-inclusive: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, unlimited drinks, and a mini fridge restocked daily, spread across 12 restaurants and bars. There are 13 pools to choose from, adults-only pools for the "please let me read one chapter in peace" crowd, a splash pool and kids and teens clubs for the little ones, and live entertainment every night.

Rooms have private balconies and ocean views. If you want to level up, the Enclave beachfront suites add direct beach access and extra perks, and there are honeymoon suites for the romantics.

Whether it's a family trip where everyone gets their own kind of fun, a girls' getaway, or a couple's escape where the biggest decision is beach or pool, this one makes it easy.

Curious if it's the right fit for your crew? Send me a message and we'll talk through what you're picturing. 💛

10/06/2026

Go check out this incredible podcast featuring yours truly ❤️😊

10/06/2026

I used to pack for the parks like I was preparing for a month-long expedition. Turns out my shoulders did not sign up for that. After a few trips (and a few sore evenings), this is what I finally stopped carrying. What's your can't-leave-it-behind item? I promise I won't judge.

10/05/2026

Jess packed her suitcase, unpacked it, and packed it again before her first trip to Paris. She still wasn't ready for what nobody tells you until you're standing in it.

Six months of passport validity beyond your return date. A slower first day so jet lag doesn't wreck the rest of the trip. A genuine "bonjour" before you ask for anything, which changes how you're treated as a visitor making an effort. Jess even ended up in a Parisian pharmacy after a wave of vertigo hit her at the top of the Arc de Triomphe, and she'll tell you exactly why travel insurance earned its keep that day.

Read the full post here: https://goofygetaways.com/blog/what-i-wish-someone-told-me-before-my-first-international-trip-paris-edition

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09/28/2026

🍂 Spot this “I’M A VENDOR” button in your feed? That business is joining us at the Made in Iowa Fall Market and Scarecrow Festival! Watch for it, explore their pages, and plan your shopping for Oct 17–18, 10am–3pm at Hawkeye Downs in Cedar Rapids!

09/28/2026

There's something special about a holiday week away. No one's stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is on the couch. The kids are running toward a giant Universal globe instead of arguing over the last roll. And the memory you make isn't "remember when we all sat around?" It's "remember when we rode that coaster together?"

Thanksgiving week at Universal Orlando Resort tends to book up early, and the hotels that make the trip easiest, the ones close to the parks, are usually the first to go. Getting a plan in place now means you get to breathe later.

If Thanksgiving in Orlando has been floating around in your head, send me a message and we'll start there. 🎢

09/22/2026

You spend your days showing up for everyone else: patients, students, clients, the people who need you when things go wrong. Somewhere in there, your own time off started slipping to the bottom of the list. A long weekend gets eaten by errands. A few days feels "too short" to count as a real vacation, so you don't even plan one.

Here's a gentle reminder: rest doesn't have to be earned in two-week increments. Even a few days away, done right, can leave you feeling like yourself again. If that sounds like something you've been putting off, I'd love to help you figure out what that looks like.