This past year has been an interesting one for Wendi’s Weekend Trips & Whatnot. My wife, Wendi, the founder of this blog, always sought to write a blog post every other day … roughly 182 posts a year. That was an ambitious effort. I suggested three times a week. In the busy-ness of life, our productivity slipped in the middle of the year. It really slowed in August because of our trip to New York, which was go-go-go all the time. However, after New York, the output was more consistent, roughly three times a week. As a result, visits and pageviews to the site started increasing. We also implemented some strategies to improve our visibility, and everything has come together nicely.
In looking over the past year, I (Bobby) wanted to do something differently. I wanted to see what was the most popular post for each month. To take it a step further, the post needed to be published that month. By way of example, the most-read piece Wendi published this year was about our trip to Gouda Bar & Grill in Wooster. It was the most read post in August, when it was published. However, it was also the top post in September, October and November. But, it will appear only as the most popular post in August, the month in which it was originally published, in this list. Let’s get started.
January
A post about a 40-year love affair (no, not that kind) with Bruce Springsteen by guest blogger Jeanine Kendle, was the most popular one. Incidentally, it was posted Jan. 1, 2017 — not a bad way to start the year. Read more about Jeanine and her fascination with Springsteen here.
February
I (Wendi) love being married. But honestly who wouldn’t if they could be married to Bobby Warren? (Sorry ladies, but he is all mine!) Because Bobby and I find being married such a blessing we became involved in Parkview Christian Church’s Marriage Ministry. The most popular post for February was the one that promoted the marriage conference we were hosting on February 25. You can get a sense of what you missed by reading this.
March
Helms Old Fashion Barber Shop is a popular place not only in Wooster, where it is located, but also in Northeast Ohio. Ryan Helms’ place has been named a top barber shop in Northeast Ohio, and you can find out why here.
April
A co-worker and friend, Connie Benchoff, established a quarterly “girls breakfast out.” Our first one was to visit the Hard Hat Restaurant. It was hit with our readers as well as for me. You can read about the food, history and personalities that make it a great choice for breakfast here.
May
I (Bobby) love pizza, but not just any kind of pizza. We revisited Bosco’s Pizza Kitchen in Wooster and I enjoyed it. Read my review here.
June
Our trip to the newly opened Holcomb’s Classics Gourmet Popcorn and Nuts capped off the end of my very busy and much enjoyed birthday week. I was glad to be introduced to Michigan Pot Hole ice cream. You can read about that and other flavors here.
July
My sister, Randi, and her husband, Shaun celebrated their anniversary with a trip to Holden Arborteum and the emergent tower. Always daredevils and adrenaline junkies, this might be tame for them, but thankfully they captured the view for those of us who are less likely to leave the ground. You can read Randi’s guest post here.
August
Getting the chance to try Gouda, the new restaurant in Wooster in August, turned out to be a post that generated a lot of interest. See why by reading about it here.
September
We waited all year to meet the newest member of our family. Isabella not only filled our hearts with joy, but topped September’s other posts. Read about this precious little girl here. (She is wrapping us around her little finger and she is only 3 months old! Watch out world!)
October
I am glad to know that our crazy kitten Kirby made the list. His loss still hurts. See how Owney shared the life of Kirby with his readers by clicking here.
November
We had enjoyed our trip to Bella Sera earlier in the fall, but hadn’t had a chance to write about it until November. I’m glad we did, because it had a ton of views. We left there with happy hearts and full bellies. Thanks for sharing the restaurant with us, Ron and Jan Maxwell! Check out the bounty here.
December
It’s no surprise that our December post to get the most views was the one about Digsby’s restaurant in Seville. It is just that good. Thanks to friends and family who shared the post on Facebook. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, check it out here.
Thanks for sharing 2017 with us! We hope you enjoyed reading about our weekend trips and whatnots as much as we enjoyed living them. 2018 promises to be another great year, so tell you friends and families all about us! Have a very blessed and happy new year!
