July Adventures

July in North Carolina is dog-breath weather, so we try to plan a trip north during the month. This year, we made our way up to upstate New York to visit family for July 4th week. The girls had a great time playing with their cousins, especially Isabella who is just about 3 years older than Rose. Rose adores her cousin and Zoe wants to be part of the action too.

As usual, we left overnight, between 1-2am. This time we decided to pop into NYC to visit with friends who were about to move to California. We made such good time that we were in Manhattan by 9-9:30am. With time to kill, Colin walked around the highline with the girls and we found a playground for the girls to stretch their legs. I'll admit it wasn't the best experience for me. Darwin wasn't allowed on the highline or in the playground, so one of us had to hang out with him. It wasn't too hot, but it was humid and we didn't want to leave him in the car.

On the Highline before Darwin and I got kicked out

Girls playing in lower Manhattan

After a somewhat chaotic lunch, we made our way upstate to the Albany area. The girls took their much-needed naps and I drove part of the way so Colin could rest. We are always pretty tired when we arrive on these 12 hour driving trips. We don't want to just drive through on the way up and often make a stop or two to stretch our legs and/or explore. 

After a good night's sleep, we were ready for the week's adventures. We started the week off with a trip to Lake George on Colin's parent's boat. The girls enjoyed it except when Isabella and Rose bumped heads. Thankfully, that was towards the end of the day. Zoe in her usual fashion took a nice nap on the boat after lunch. The day was beautiful and we enjoyed some lunch and swimming off the docks of one of the islands in the lake.

A couple days later, we were back at the lake with the whole family to enjoy July 4th. We spent a few hours at the "beach." Maybe I'm spoiled having grown up in RI, but most of the beaches I've been to on lakes are just not really my kind of beaches. I enjoy taking the boat on the lake, anchoring, and swimming in the lake. But, there is something about walking into the lake from the beach that just doesn't appeal to me. The girls had fun swimming in the lake on July 4th and I enjoyed taking a kayak out on the water.

Because the fireworks are always late and we didn't really know the set up for viewing them in person, we decided to let Rose stay up to watch them on the TV. She seemed to enjoy watching them and we didn't have to worry about traffic, parking, and how loud they might be.

Lunch spot on one of the islands in Lake George, NY

The three Miller girl cousins in their July 4th attire at Lake George

The other highlights of the week included a cousins trip to the town pool and the girl cousins having a movie night at Aunt Karen's house. The weather was very nice most of the week, but the pool was a bit too cold for me. Even the girls didn't last too long in the water. Everyone was pretty excited when the ice cream truck came. 

Zoe is our very messy eater

You can tell Rose loved her ice cream

The Miller ladies making silly faces

We all enjoyed movie night at Aunt Karen's house. The girls had a nice set up on the papasan cushion with some snacks. At one point they were all on the cushion, but I think they lost interest in the movie towards the end. I can't remember now, but I think they watched Frozen, which they've seen too many times. We decided we'd have to watch Moana the next time. I got to go "shopping" in Aunt Karen's closet and found almost a whole new wardrobe. Woohoo! Thanks Aunt Karen!!

Girls watching Frozen during movie night at Aunt Karen's

I addition to visiting family, we wated to take a family trip somewhere we've never been. We decided to head up to Quebec City for a night towards the end of the week in NY. I really wanted to go for 2 nights, but it just would have been too much. We left the house around 4am Thursday morning and arrived in Quebec City by 8am (after a stop or two). It was too early to check in to the hotel, but they did let us park the car in the garage so we didn't have to worry about meters or parking. I usually spend lots of time researching places we are going, but I hadn't had time to look into Quebec City beyond asking people for suggestions and researching a hotel. I knew a few main tourist sights to see, but figured we could just walk around and explore. 

We really struggled navigating the city on that first day. Yelp was our go-to for food and the first place we went didn't accept credit cards so we had to move on. We found another pastry shop and had our first chocolate filled danish of the two days. As we walked towards the more downtown area, we also managed to get cash from an ATM so we could be prepared for another cash-only food venue. Our biggest mistake came when I thought we should explore the touristy hotel Chateau Frontenac. Navigating narrow streets with a double stroller was a challenge and it was uphill the entire way. We also happened to be there during the start of a 10-day music festival, so some areas were blocked off. And, to top it off, there was a lot of construction. When we finally made it close to the top of the hill (the Chateau), Zoe had fallen asleep and Rose was getting pretty cranky. I can't even remember what we had for lunch - it obviously was not nearly as memorable as the hills and frustrating construction detours. As we walked from the Chateau up the hill to the Citadel, Rose also fell asleep. Poor Colin pushed both sleeping girls (think "dead weight") up the grassy hill because we couldn't find any paved paths, only to find the Citadel blocked off for construction (which we didn't realize at the time).

This was the tipping point for us both. It was after lunch at this point so we decided to make our way back to the hotel so we could check in, ditch the stroller, get some quality maps, and try exploring again. Going back to the hotel was so much easier because it was downhill and we went directly back (instead of trying to find sites to see along the way). As we arrived the girls woke up and we got checked in. While the morning had been tiring for us, it was good the girls slept because they were in much better spirits for the afternoon. 

After walking uphill for what felt like hours, we reached the top.

Rose and Zoe enjoyed riding uphill. I guess it was comfortable enough for them.

We set out again, this time with the two backpack carriers and a small bag with diapers and a few changes of clothes for the girls. We decided to take the bus to the lower downtown area. Though the bus also had issues getting us to the destination, we weren't hot, sweaty, and tired during the process. Since we were having a relatively early dinner, we made our way to Cochon Dingue Champlain, a restaurant that came highly reviewed by Yelp and a Canadian friend. The food was just okay, but perhaps we didn't order the best items on the menu. We did get to sit outside and enjoy the evening.

After dinner, we took a boat ride across the St. Lawrence River to Levis on the commuter ferry. I accidentally gave the operator my roundtrip tickets and we had to get assistance from the staff before we got off to be sure we could get back on to come back. Thankfully we did get on the return boat and arrived safely back in Quebec. From the boat we could see this elevator car that traveled from the lower part of the city to the upper part. We made our way over to the elevator, called the Funiculare, and decided to take a ride up to where whe had been earlier. 

The Chateau Frontenac and Quebec City from the St. Lawrence River

Trying to get a picture of the girls on the boat

We made our way back to the hotel from the upper city at a more leisurely pace and both girls eventually ended up in the backpacks. We came across a couple of the concert stages as we walked back and got to hear some of the music. If we had not been up since 4am, I might have considered staying out a little longer, but we were all pretty tired. 

Thankfully, both girls fell asleep pretty easily. I had requested a room with 2 beds, but they only had a room with one bed and a pack n play. I was surprised at how excited Rose was to sleep in the pack and pay we brought and it was good that each girl slept well in their respective cribs.

The second day in Quebec City was overcast and raining early in the day. With a better idea of the city's layout, we set out on foot again without the stroller after breakfast in the hotel. We made our way first to the Citadel, which we found out was completely closed for renovations. From this area we were able to walk along the extension areas of the Citadel - first to the riverview and then along the giant wall. The girls enjoyed checking out all the "tunnels," the cannons, and all the sights that interest toddlers.

Trying to get a family photo with Rose not wanting to cooperate

A sweet photo of the girls exploring Quebec City

Checking out the cannons and the wall leading to the Citdel

We left Quebec City after lunch so the girls could nap on the drive back to the US and made our way to the Vermont border to cross. We had planned to meet up with some of my college friends before we got stuck at the border for almost 2 hours. The girls woke up near the start of those two hours and I was grateful we had brought pastries from Quebec back with us. Even before we dug into the pastries, the girls were doing surprisingly well for how long they were confined in their seats. We managed to get to Burlington, Vermont much later than planned. Colin grabbed burritos at the food truck next door to the brewery where we met my friends. The girls preferred eating the popcorn at the brewery. We just had to go with the flow. When you have toddlers who are going to be out past their bedtime and are eating way later than their dinner should have been after they just had some pastries at dinner time, you do whatever you can to maintain peace including allowing the watching of electronic devices. It obviously ended up being a very quick and rushed get-together, but it was still nice to see my friends. We got the girls in their pajamas and drove the two hours back to New York, arriving after midnight. 

We basically just had one day (Saturday) to recover before driving back home, and of course I/we planned a birthday gathering for Colin on that final day. I surprised Colin by inviting his friends and was glad that a few were able to come. Colin's not a big fan of celebrating his birthday, but I know he enjoyed getting to see some friends. When we visit family, it's always difficult to fit in some time with others. We did plan the birthday early enough so we could try to get to bed at a reasonable time. Of course we can never get to bed before 10p, which makes 1am come too quickly.

Somehow we usually manage to have a good ride home. Our goal is to get south of DC before our first stop. On the ideal trip, we make it to Richmond, VA where there is a Whole Foods in a residential/commercial mixed complex. We have breakfast, change the girls out of pajamas, and go play on the playground for a little bit before getting back in the car to drive the 3 hours home. We've made it home by 1-2p before even with the stop. On the way home, the girls are so tired from all the fun that they usually will sleep most of the mid-late morning. 

Girls are passed out in their carseats during the drive home to NC

While the end of the trip was busy and hectic, the first half was relatively relaxing. Overall, we had a nice time with our friends and family and enjoyed exploring a new city. The girls did get a stamp on their passport thanks to the border patrol agent at the New York crossing going to Quebec. The Vermont agent said they don't stamp the passport for land crossings, so they only got one.

The rest of July was relatively uneventful. We spent most of our weekends going to the pool to stay cool. We also celebrated two birthdays - my mom's mid-month and Colin's towards the end of the month.

Colin gets serenaded by his ladies for his birthday

Stay tuned for August updates, which included lots more trips to the pool and going to school birthday parties. 

A week's residence in NYC

I spent several days and many hours researching hotels for my trip to NYC.  Even though I was going to be in hotel most of the week for work, I had to be mindful of spending the state's resources.  I wanted to be sure I was getting a decent hotel at a good price.  Some of the decisions I had to make included staying in a chain hotel vs a "boutique" hotel, staying near the training vs a more central location for visiting friends, and going with a refundable vs non-refundable rate.  Many of the better deals in NYC require that you pay up front and I wasn't about to do that until my flight was booked and my registration was processed.

Knowing I wanted to be on a subway line that was an easy trip to the training, I ended up monitoring the price of the Hilton in Chelsea because I had 4 subway options to choose from. Unfortunately, the prices kept fluctuating from $106-140/nt and I was simultaneously bidding on Priceline hotels daily, hoping to get less than $100/nt deal.  My over analyzing was making the booking process a challenge.

During one of my searches a new hotel popped up on Booking.com for a studio apartment hotel rental for $119/nt + tax.  The location was ideally located 1.5 miles from the training and 2 blocks from Union Square and many subway lines.  I was intrigued by the photos previous guests had taken and I loved the idea of having a small kitchen area for breakfast, snacks, and a place to store and heat up leftovers.  The site indicated there was one 1 room left, so I somewhat hastily booked it (I'm pretty sure that is a ploy because booking.com said the hotel was booked through Saturday but the front desk told me they had room if I wanted to stay another night).

While a hasty reservation is not usually my style, the search was becoming exhausting and I was running out of time.  Thankfully, the hotel turned out to be a great place to stay.  I won't say it was the best place I've ever stayed, but I think it was a good value and had a lot of great things about it. When I arrived at the hotel, I wasn't thrilled about carrying my luggage up 2 flights of stairs to the 3rd floor, but thankfully my parents were in town and helped me "move in."  I had also been warned about this and it was very clear on the website when I reserved the room.

The stairs leading up to my 3rd floor walk-up

Because the hotel isn't a chain or a typical accommodation, I had to work with the staff to get a receipt that reflected my total cost and would be reimbursable by the state.  Thankfully, they were able to do what was necessary to show my costs were paid and once I walked into my room, I was pleasantly surprised at the decor, cleanliness, and size of my "apartment."

My spacious studio apartment 

The kitchen and it's basic necessities

 The small fridge, and "closet" area

The bed

The simple Ikea furniture gave the room a modern look, while the radiators, hardwood floors, and trim reminded me that I was in an old building in NYC.  The apartment provided me with lots of coffee and tea and a coffee pot and hot water kettle to easily prepare these beverages.  I would have liked a few more decaffeinated tea options, but I didn't care so much about it to ask.  The microwave served its purpose in heating up leftovers one night, and the small refrigerator allowed me to keep the few items I wanted from spoiling.

One of the things I take great notice of is the water pressure in the shower.  I would have preferred a better showering experience, with more water pressure and instant hot water, but I was only slightly inconvenienced.  Where I had the biggest challenge was with sleeping.  The sheets were fresh and clean, but were very strongly scented.  I kept trying to "air out" the bed, but it took a few days for the fragrance to dissipate. The pillow was also a bit too soft for my liking and I wished the company took the idea from hotels to offer "soft" and "firm" pillows.  And worse of all, the building next door was under construction, so I was woken up at 7:15am every morning.  In NC I would have been fine getting up that early, but I quickly fell into the "late to bed, late to rise" NYC lifestyle.  Knowing I would be on a major road (5th ave) in NYC, I used earplugs and a mask at night.  The mask was helpful because NYC has a constant glow - especially if your room faces the street.  I don't know if the earplugs were necessary, but they would always fall out sometime during the night, so they didn't help at 7:15am.

One of the best things about the hotel was that I was "in the middle of it all."  I walked the 1.5 miles to and from the training pretty much every day, and walked to dinner in the evenings (even getting up to 46th and 9th was only 2 miles).  My commute was fun because I got to see the change in people and atmosphere from the NYC crowd in Washington Square Park, to the posh shops in Soho, and finally making my way into the more "business" area of Tribeca.  It was also cool to spend my training days in the building right next to where Colin went to law school.

I don't know if the "hotel" will go up in price once there is no longer any construction next door.  But if it remains in the low $100s/night, it is a great deal.  I will certainly look for it the next time I'm in the city and the only thing I will change will be to ask if they can use a hypoallergenic detergent for my sheets.  If you love lavender scented sheets, soft pillows, and don't mind low water pressure, a 3rd floor walkup, and only 1 stovetop burner, this place is definitely like living in a studio apartment for a little more than the cost of NYC rent (wait, you can get a studio apartment in Union Square for less than $3900/month, right?).  Some of you might need to correct me on here if I'm wrong.

Where is the best place you've ever stayed in NYC?

Back in NYC part 1

When I was offered an opportunity to go back to NYC for a work training, I was ecstatic.  Yes, NYC is cold in February and I'd have to spend most of the work week using my brain.  But, I looked forward to having dinner with friends, enjoying the weekends before and after the training, and just walking around the city.

I had one of the most amazing travel experiences getting to the city on a Saturday morning.  I literally left my house in North Carolina at 7:10am, arrived at the airport at 7:25am, walked up to the kiosk to get my ticket, walked through the process of security in a matter of minutes, got a coffee, used the bathroom and when I got to the gate, was able to board right away.  The 10-15 minutes I waited for us to take off gave me time to stow away my bags and gather the essentials for the trip, which included a pen, the sudoku puzzle in the airline magazine, and headphones.  After the smooth takeoff, we had a very smooth 50 minute flight along the eastern coast.  Sitting on the left side of the plane allowed me to see the Chesapeake Bay, Philadelphia, the Jersey Turnpike and the Manhattan Skyline.  We literally flew in a straight path along the coast, over brooklyn and queens to LaGuardia airport.  It was fun to identify Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn; the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Queensboro Bridges; McCarren Park, and all the major buildings in Manhattan as we descended.  Outside of the airport, a cab was readily available and since it was still before 10am, I reached the upper west side by 10:15am.  I was amazed at the 3 hour door-to-door service!

My friend and former teammate, Jenny, served as my hostess on Saturday and we enjoyed preparing a delicious brunch that included banana-nut muffins, a ham and cheese quiche, and a salad.  We also walked from her upper east side apartment to the Flatiron District to do some shopping and have dessert and hot chocolate at The City Bakery.  I've never had such rich hot chocolate in my life - and I choose hot chocolate that was half milk!!

After enjoying the beautiful day, we climbed the 5 flights of stairs to her 6th floor walk-up and prepared ourselves for an evening out with some of our teammates.  Galway Hooker was our destination for dinner and drinks.  It was a nice outing and felt great to catch up on the lives of my friends.  When the pub got too loud and was no longer conducive to talking in a normal voice, we decided it was time to go.

Earlier there were 7 girls, but one girl left and Steve joined us

I'm sure he enjoyed this scenario

One thing about NYC apartments is that people are good at doing more with less.  I wish I had taken some photos of my friend's apartment to show you how creative she, and many others, are in NYC.  I slept comfortably on the futon and enjoyed the warmth that radiated from the furnaces. It is going to be difficult to get back to my house in North Carolina, which we keep at 58 degrees at night!

Sunday was another enjoyable day where my parents came to visit me in the city. They took Megabus from Providence to NYC, and used the bus' free wifi to e-mail me the details of their trip as they traveled (yea - my parents are pretty hip!).

We decided to check out the World Trade Center area and were pleasantly surprised that we didn't need advance tickets to get into the Memorial (they were not busy, so we got standby tickets).  I was amazed at how much has been done - even though there is still a lot to do.  I think the Memorial fountains were tastefully done and walking around brought out mixed feelings.  There is always a deep sadness and some anger about what happened on September 11, 2001, but the Memorial offered me an opportunity to value the lives that were lost on the planes, in the buildings, and among the first responders.  I look forward to the day all those blocks of lower Manhattan are rebuilt and people can walk freely up to the Memorial lost in their own thoughts.

The Freedom Tower still under construction 

The Museum still under construction

One of the completed Memorial fountains

Overall, it was a wonderful start to my 10 days in the city.  I didn't have an opportunity to feel like I was in the city alone - not that you can ever really feel alone in this huge city!  Having friends around and my family visit allowed me to quickly reconnect to a place that was once my home.

What helps you reconnect to the places you've lived when you come back?

A Quick Road Trip North - Starting With NYC

The Millers were back "on the road" in August for a trip north to visit some family and friends.  The last time we were in NYC was New Year's Day and we hadn't been to Rhode Island since Christmas.  It was about time to introduce Darwin to our favorite people and places!

Leaving Raleigh after work on Friday has worked out for me in the past, because you get to DC after rush hour and into NYC at a somewhat reasonable time.  To our dismay however, we encountered some issues in Raleigh that had to be dealt with before we left and then hit traffic in Richmond, VA!  

 This is not what you want to experience 2 hours into an 8 hour drive!

Instead of burdening friends with a 3am arrival in NYC, we decided to find a dog-friendly hotel along the way. Our options were either the Red Roof Inn or La Quinta Inn.  We opted for a Red Roof Inn in Delaware, resulting in a poor first hotel experience with Darwin.  Not only was he clearly uncomfortable (even in his crate), but the hotel was pretty gross.  After talking with family who has stayed in a La Quinta Inn in northern Maryland, we will likely try that next time we are in a pinch.

Needless to say, we were back on the road as soon as possible Saturday morning.  With the terrible night's sleep behind us and a lovely morning, we were optimistic about the day.  We started the awesomeness 30 minutes into our drive with a stop at the awesome Amish Market in Mullica Hill, NJ for some breakfast.  They have the best breads!!

 The Amish Market breads are amazing!

Getting from Delaware into NYC on Saturday morning was a breeze.  I have never gotten into the city nor have I found a parking spot in Battery Park (lower Manhattan) so quickly! 

No traffic going into the Holland Tunnel

We got into the city by 9am and had the whole day to enjoy our favorite spots.  The first half of the day was spent in lower Manhattan.

Showing Darwin where we would take our lunchtime walk 

along the Hudson River and Battery Park

 

On our way to the World Trade Center site 

(in the distance behind Colin) 

We were amazed at how much has changed in and around the World Trade Center site since we left just  8 months ago!

 Picking up some delicious donut peaches 

from a Farmers' Market near Whole Foods 

Looking south but walking north along the Hudson River 

Taking a break from walking to enjoy the Hudson River on the newly renovated Pier 25.

While living in Jersey City, we sometimes played sand volleyball on pier 25. It had been under construction for the past 3-4 years, and now boasts mini-golf, sand volleyball courts, a small turf lawn, viewing stations to Jersey City and Hoboken, and the permanent seats you see in the photo.

Enjoying the best sustainable burgers and custard shakes from 

Shake Shack's newest location in Battery Park!

After lunch, we headed north along the West Side Highway to meet up with my friend Christina!  It was great to catch up with her and see the changes in her 2 year old daughter Layla.  Darwin also found a buddy in Christina's dog Reilly.

 Here you can see that Darwin's features are not completely that of a true Labrador.  

Darwin's eyes are much rounder.  Aren't they adorable!?

All morning we had stopped at several dog parks in lower Manhattan to allow Darwin to make friends, but he was not interested in any of them until he met Reilly.  When we let the two of them play in the dog park on the Upper West Side, he finally had some fun!

It was also Darwin's first time in elevator!

 Poor Darwin is freaking out in the elevator!

To end a wonderful day in NYC, we ate dinner at the vegetarian restaurant, Quantum Leap, in Greenwich Village with our friend Wei and our hosts for the evening, Colin's cousin Jon and his lovely girlfriend Temple.  Unfortunately, there was no outdoor seating, so dining with Darwin posed a problem.  Ordering food and eating in nearby Washington Square Park was an option, but when we noticed a table at the window we decided Darwin would be okay sitting outside if we watched him.  

The staff at the restaurant was enchanted with our little guy and accommodated his every need.  They even took this photo of him trying to get away from the open sidewalk by sitting on the flower pot.  We were able to make him comfortable by moving the pot away from the building so that he could fit in the space between the wall and the flower pot.  From that spot, he could watch people passing, but not be too close.  So many people stopped to check out his cuteness, take his photo, or even pet him.  What a guy!

Darwin trying to escape the open sidewalk 

at Quantum Leap in Greenwich Village.

The stars aligned for us on this day, allowing us to enjoy every bit of the best NYC has to offer.  We couldn't have asked for better weather, uncrowded streets, great people and delicious food.  Thanks to Veronica and Aldo for offering us a place Friday night and Temple and Jon for being great hosts on Saturday night!

What is your favorite thing to do or place to eat in NYC?

Check back soon to read about our adventures on the Islands of Long and Rhode - even though Rhode Island is not actually an island.