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 Christmas Holiday Recap

When I arrived back home from my January work trip last week, I was tired. It was late, I had a few long days with productive, but exhausting meetings, my to-do list in several areas of my life was too long, Colin kept the girls up so they could see me before they went to bed, and Zoe had a bad rash that was going to need medical attention in the morning. After a good night's sleep and recovering (to some extent) from the most recent trip, I realized that feeling so drained may have been a result of so much travel over the past 10 weeks. I'm still feeling a little drained after a 3-day weekend, but it was good to get more things checked off the to-do list.

Between November 7 and January 11, I've spent almost 6500 miles in the car. The bulk of those miles came from trips up to the northeast for both Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Years.  And while sitting or driving the car is one aspect of travel that can be difficult, I find the packing, unpacking, and recovering from the trips to be the hardest. My monthly travel for work is the easy packing since it is just me. But trips up north require thoughts about the weather, holiday outfits, activities we might do, and making sure things like clothes, diapers, snacks, food, beverages, and activities are available for the 12 hour trip. Most of that planning and packing falls to me since I get to rest in the car (or entertain in the backseat) while Colin does the bulk of the driving.

In between all these trips, which took place just about every other week, we tried enjoying some holiday events in or around home. We enjoyed a holiday potluck with Portuguese friends, gingerbread house making with our friends and neighbors, tried making Aunt June's famous cookies as a family of 4, and checked out a few holiday light displays and shows. We capped off our holiday fun with the annual Pullen Park Express, which is a fun evening of endless rides on the carousel, holiday crafts, a train ride around the park, and the girl's first (and only) time meeting Santa.

All dressed up for a holiday dinner

Girls enjoying their fancy, sparkly silver shoes

Scheduling and actually doing activities with two toddlers is no easy feat. They did surprisingly well in their holiday outfits, but we spent more time entertaining them and chasing them around the holiday dinner than talking to anyone. Colin spent a long time building gingerbread houses, only to have Zoe eat part of one and Darwin completely demolish (ie - eat) our neighbor's house. The clean up for any food activity is always a challenge and I wonder if it is worth it. But, I know it is. While Zoe is still too young to follow some of the rules, I see Rose focus and take pride in her work. And watching Zoe naively eat a gingerbread house is endearing. I sometimes catch myself all wound up in a type A personality, and it seems we all have different triggers. I am constantly grateful for a husband who is much more relaxed and doesn't seem to mind spending an entire afternoon putting together gingerbread houses that will all be demolished either during decoration, or shortly thereafter.

Gingerbread house decorating (or eating if you are Zoe)

Rose likes to organize mommy's cookies - perhaps picking up on some type A organizing skills

I've never been too eager to have the girls meet Santa. It seems cruel to force kids to sit on the lap of a stranger so we adults can take a picture. We gave Rose the option to meet him and she said she wanted to, so we went for it. She was completely into it this year, but we made the mistake of trying to have Zoe sit with Mrs. Claus for the picture, an experience that petrified her. When we got to Santa we didn't bother trying to see if Zoe wanted to sit with him. Even Rose was a little reluctant to sit on his lap, until they got to talking about the movie Frozen.

Our friend Lucas and his family joined us at the Pullen Park Express

Rose hamming it up on the carousel

Zoe enjoying her ride on the carousel with mommy

Ready for the train ride

First time meeting Santa

While traveling 12 hours is not ideal, we continue to make it bearable by leaving between 1-2am after a few hours of sleep. It helps if we can have the car packed early so we can go to bed shortly after the girls do. They typically sleep for the first 5-6 hours, and are fairly content in the car for most of the morning. We have been able to make pretty good time on our recent trips. Unfortunately, during the Christmas trip, I battled a sore lower back, which has been hurting on an off since starting the trip.

Rose alternates between sleeping and playing in the car

Zoe could sleep for most of the drive

While visiting family, we were able to engage in some new and some regular activities. There was some snow on the ground in New York, so the girls got to try sledding down Colin's parent's front lawn on Christmas Day. We also checked out a museum in Albany that has a free carousel. We rode it about 3 times. In Rhode Island, we checked out the awesome Boston Children's Museum and managed to make a trip down to the beach. It was a little too cold for me, but Rose enjoyed playing in the sand.

All smiles waiting for the carousel ride in NY

The girls loved spending time with their entire family over the Christmas-New Year's trip. Rose looks up to her 6-year-old cousin Isabella, and is exhausted after a day of playing together. Both Rose and Zoe love the attention from their aunts, uncles, and grandparents. I always feel like I've gained 10 pounds when we get back, but there is so much comfort in being surrounded by family and food during the holidays. I also like getting a quick glimpse of winter and then heading back to our warmer weather. Though Colin and Zoe managed to catch a bug during the week, it was short-lived for both of them. My back was (and continues to be) a major bummer, though I hope some rehab and massages (Merry Christmas to me!) will be the fix I need.

Opening presents in New York on Christmas Eve

Rose posing with presents on Christmas morning

Girls opening presents on Christmas morning

I'm glad we were able to enjoy some holiday fun and visit with family to celebrate the season, but I'll admit that I am very grateful to have a few weeks with minimal travel and scheduled events on my calendar. It felt good to take down the tree and Christmas decorations this year. For me, it was the promise of a less hectic schedule ahead. We've started to get back on track with our diet (except for a few lingering sweets). Now, I'm hoping the weather can cooperate so we can enjoy some walks to the park as a family on the weekends and I can get back to some regular exercise.

I hope you were all able to enjoy the comfort and joy in your family/friends this holiday season and that your New Year is off to a tremendous start.

The Coast and The Goonies

Our destination after leaving Olympic National Park was the mouth of the Columbia River.  There are several state parks in the area and we hoped to find a campsite in one of them.  We made our way to the southwestern tip of Washington State, to Cape Disappointment State Park early afternoon, only to be turned away at the campground because of no vacancy.  Being the Saturday of Labor Day weekend, we knew it would be a challenge to find a campsite, but hoped we would get lucky at one of the non-reservable parks.

Cape Disappointment State Park

From Cape Disappointment, we made our way to Astoria, Oregon via the Astoria Megler Bridge and found ourselves at 368 38th Street, more commonly known as the the Goonies house.  Colin is a huge fan of the movie and we just had to check it out.  The current owner of the house was doing some outdoor work on a ladders, so we didn't stick around too long.

Astoria Megler Bridge to Astoria

Sign at the street entrance to the Goonies house

The Goonies house 

As it was getting late in the day and we were so close to the water, but had not yet gone to the beach, we went straight to Cannon Beach in Oregon from Astoria.  Cannon Beach is also a noteworthy Goonies location, and many of you will recognize Haystack Rock in the images below.  

The day was picturesque, but the air temperature was very cool on the water.  There were a surprising number of sunbathers wearing bathing suits, and a few people braving the very cold water.  I kept my long sleeve shirt and pants on, and could only keep my feet in the water for short periods of time before they started to feel numb.  

A picture-perfect afternoon at Cannon Beach in Oregon

The tide heading out and Haystack Rock in the background

Haystack Rock

Very cold water (52 degrees) in the Pacific Northwest

Braving the cold water in the tidal pools near Haystack Rock

While sitting on the beach and enjoying the warm sun and cool air, I used my cell phone to find lodging for the night.  Knowing Portland was only an hour and a half away, we decided to look up some Airbnb rentals there and assumed we'd be able to get a hotel if all else failed.  As I made a few requests for a rental, the sun continued lowering in the sky and before long, I started to get cold.  To warm up and wait for the sunset, we opted for some hot tea and snacks at a local coffee shop.  Our meals this day were comprised of our staples (sardines and Clif Bars) since we had not found any restaurants along our drive that looked appetizing.  In addition to some warm snacks and beverages in the coffee shop, we were also able to finalize our accommodations in Portland for the evening. 

Relieved to find lodging and warmed from the coffee shop, we walked back to the beach to watch the sun set.  It was a beautiful display of varying shades of orange, pink, and blue.  What made the experience even more enjoyable were all the people that were still on the beach, many sitting around campfires in their sweatshirts and shorts.  If it wasn't for the cold water temperature in early September, I would consider living there knowing I would enjoy the laid-back culture.  But, being unable to swim is a major deal-breaker for both me and Colin.

A beautiful sunset at Cannon Beach, Oregon

It was too bad we could not have stayed on the beach, enjoying a campfire. Thankfully, the drive back to Portland wasn't too long.  The day did include more driving than we would have liked (a whopping 345 miles), but there is nothing like the beach to rejuvenate a person.  Our airbnb accommodations proved comfortable and the best (as usual) was taking a warm shower after camping the night before and being on the beach most of the afternoon.  Being in Portland also meant we could explore the Columbia River east of Portland, which I had heard was also very nice.  

Stay tuned for a recap of our adventures on the Columbia River and Mt. Hood!

Where have you enjoyed a campfire on the beach? 

What is your favorite part of the Goonies movie?

My favorite quote is "Heeeyyyyy you Guuuyyyyss!"

Fitting it all in at Thanksgiving!

Now that we are in Raleigh, NC, visiting family for the holidays is proving extremely challenging.  I think a lot of it also has to do with having a dog.  Unfortunately, he hates the car and we hate leaving him behind.

So, this year for Thanksgiving, I took the whole week off to try and see all of the family and bring Darwin along.

We started with a 12.5 hour drive from Raleigh to Rhode Island on Sunday before the holiday.  In the usual fashion, Darwin sat behind the seat, resting his head on the center console for the entire ride.  I can't imagine he's comfortable now that he's too big to really fit in that space!

His body is behind the driver's seat and then twists so he can rest his chin on the console.

We made an hour pit stop in New Jersey so Darwin and I could get out and stretch our legs.  It was dusk when we arrived at Jen's family's farm house, but the dogs still ran around chasing each other for awhile.

By the time we arrived in Rhode Island, I was exhausted and Darwin's stomach told me he was not feeling well.  We both needed a good night's sleep, but had a hard time resting that first night after a stressful day.  It took a solid 36 hours of being "home" and a more restful night's sleep before we both felt normal.

On Tuesday afternoon, I made my way up to Worcester (without Darwin) to celebrate with my dear friend, Juliamy, on her 30th birthday.  Since she works in the schools, the party started at 3pm!  Even though it started so early, we still closed the bar down at midnight!!  I'd call that a successful party.

Here is "my best friend Juli" with her birthday cake.

(Apologies for the "fuzzy" look - it was taken with my phone camera)

After a very filling breakfast a the local diner in Spencer, MA, I made my way back to Rhode Island.  I had been trying to get walks in with Darwin each day after the 12 hour drive, but I decided to up the ante and run on the eve of Thanksgiving.  My parents are so fortunate to have a greenway less than 0.5 mile from the house.  At some point it will connect from Worcester, MA to the southern beaches in RI - but for now it is an easily accessible 8-10 miles of well maintained pavement.  Most of this section travels along the Blackstone river and offers an abundance of opportunities to view, and experience, nature.

While I catch my breath after a 5 mile run, Darwin acts like it was no big deal!

 

While traveling, there are 3 main things I need to feel at my best - rest, exercise, and eating right.  Unfortunately, it's difficult to combine all 3 of these things when away from my routine at home.  I'm pretty good about getting a run or walk in on the greenway when visiting my parents.  It helps that they love to go walk/run as well.  Colin and I also frequently run in the neighborhood at his family's house.  The resting part is hit or miss.  When we try to do a lot, I don't rest much.  On this trip, I felt tired the entire week and didn't really get caught up on sleep until the weekend after I came back home.  Eating is also hit or miss.  My mom makes really delicious foods that are mostly healthy.  During the holidays, there are always a few extra desserts that I really don't need.  I always find myself choosing the less healthy options when I am away from home as well.  On this trip, I did pretty good with my eating - until we celebrated our niece's 1st birthday!

My mom's Thanksgiving spread was amazing!!

My fairy healthy portion of turkey, stuffing, corn, potatoes (white and sweet), and veggies.

I wanted to make sure I left room for dessert (which I will not show you).

From RI it was on to the Albany, NY area.  I think Darwin remembered how awful the last car trip was, so he would not get in the car.  Colin threw out his back getting him into the car (I think he just likes picking Darwin up - but this time it backfired).

In upstate NY, we celebrated Snow White's 1st birthday (our niece) 

with lots of food, desserts, and presents.

Darwin was also a big hit, especially with our nephew Brian.  

As Brian says, "I'm Darwin's best friend."

It took Darwin a little time to adjust to his new surroundings, but I think he was just so happy to be out of the car again.  We managed to get a few walks in the neighborhood, but didn't run because of Colin's back and rested only a little because we snuck in some visits with friends.

So after 3 days in Rhode Island, a day in Worcester, and 2 days in upstate New York, it was time to drive back to North Carolina.  Knowing the Sunday after Thanksgiving would be an awful driving day, we decided to leave upstate NY at 6am in the hopes of beating the traffic (although we had low expectations for south of DC).

Halfway to NYC, we saw the first signs of daylight.

Making just one pit stop in Jersey to get gas, take a bathroom break, and stretch our legs, we made it to DC in about 6.5 hours!  Unfortunately, by noon, people were on the roads heading home.  After sitting in N. Virginia traffic for an hour and only going about 20 miles, I needed to take a real break.  A consultation with Google Maps on our phones allowed us to see that we were very close to "Prince William Forest Park" - a national forest near the Quantico Marine Corp base.  Since it was about 70 degrees and sunny, we pulled off the exit, parked the car, and hiked a 2 mile trail.

It was a really pretty trail and the day was fantastic.  The hour break was just what I needed to rejuvenate for the 250 miles we still had left on the drive.

Thankfully, there was only another hour of traffic before we had 3 hours of stress-free driving again.  I could not have been more thrilled to pull into our driveway - 14 hours after leaving NY - safe and sound.  

I think this image of Darwin summarizes how we all felt.

 

It was great to visit family and friends - but oh so exhausting.  That drive up I-95 is brutal!!  I'm looking forward to having family visit us in North Carolina in a few days for Christmas!!

How do you keep your sanity when traveling long distances by car?