A Quick Trip to Boone, NC

In early April, right around the time Zoe turned 7 months, I had to travel for work. Since Zoe still wasn't that big of a fan of solid foods, and I'd been trying not to give her too much pumped milk from the fall, I ended up bringing the whole Miller family on my trip. My destination, Boone, NC, is only about 3 hours from Raleigh and is in the mountains of western NC. We decided to head out two days early to explore the area and get settled before I had to work. Unfortunately for us, we happened to go just as the weather turned very cold in North Carolina. We took our time heading west and decided to leave after lunch (during nap time) so the girls would sleep. They did and by the time we checked into the hotel, got dinner at Our Daily Bread, and settled in to the room, we didn't have time for much else. Colin and Rose squeezed in a trip to the hotel pool as I unpacked and got Zoe ready for bed, but that just meant that Rose went to bed close to 10pm.

Rose loves the pool

The girls both managed to sleep fairly well despite all of us being in the same room (including Darwin). I never sleep very well in a hotel...I really dislike the recycled air. And both girls did make some noises throughout the night. I kept checking on Rose, who slept on the pull out couch with pillows all around her, to make sure she wasn't going to fall out of the bed. The girl moves around like crazy throughout the course of the night, so it made me nervous.

On our first full day in Boone, we took our time getting up and dressed for the day. The hotel had breakfast available, but I'll admit the selections were pretty awful. The biscuits were not fresh tasting, the sausage, bacon, and eggs were fairly rubbery. Thankfully, they did have plain oatmeal and we could add the raisins we had on hand from traveling the day before. We let Rose indulge in whatever she wanted. She ate some of the oatmeal and a few bites of muffins, waffles, and yogurt. 

After breakfast, we spent some time at the pool, allowing both girls to have some play time before getting lunch and driving to the mountains. Once everyone dried off and dressed, and we were packed for the day, we set off to grab lunch at Black Cat Burrito. I'm glad we got there a little on the early side because it filled up fairly quickly. The highlight of our lunch was not the food, but rather Zoe having a poop explosion that required a massive clean up in the back of the car (no changing table in the bathroom at Black Cat), and getting ourselves cleaned off.

With bellies full, we assumed the girls would nap on our drive into the mountains. Zoe can't stay awake when we get in the car, so she was out fairly quickly, but Rose stayed awake during the 45 minute drive to Grandfather Mountain. Both Colin and I had been there before, and we knew it was a good place to go with the girls on a cold day. You can drive up the mountain, there is a general store at the top, and a "zoo"/museum about halfway up. By the time we got up the mountain is was late afternoon and still fairly cold. The sun was out, but it didn't provide enough heat to warm us up, so we make a quick trek across the mile high swinging bridge. Surprisingly, Rose had no problems crossing it, and maneuvering the rocks on the other side. The view was nice, but not so nice that we wanted to freeze our butts off admiring it. Zoe was awake for most of our adventures at Grandfather Mountain, but I doubt she saw much because she was so bundled up.

Walking across the Mile High Bridge at Grandfather Mountain

On the way back down the mountain, we stopped at the zoo and the museum. Colin and Rose got to spend time exploring the wildlife while I fed Zoe. Once we joined them, they showed us the highlights. We missed the cougars, but got to experience the bears up close. There were also deer and otters. The museum closed at 5pm, not giving us much time to explore the indoor exhibits. Staff were practically kicking us out as we got everyone changed in the bathrooms before we left.

Seeing bears up close at the wildlife exhibit (ie zoo)

The Miller clan at Grandfather Mountain's wildlife exhibit on a cold April day

On the topic of bathrooms, the trip to Boone was the turning point in potty-training Rose. Up until then, she had been wearing underwear, but having accidents regularly. We'd have to remind her to go all the time and practically force her to try to go before leaving the house. In Boone, she continued wearing underwear and we just brought lots of changes of clothes. Rose did not have a single accident during the two days, and asked to go to the bathroom each time she felt the need. While most kids have problems pooping on toilets that are not in their house, she had no problem doing that one our trip. The potty training was another reason why Grandfather Mountain was a nice place to go for the afternoon.

From Grandfather Mountain, we headed back to Boone. This time, both girls fell asleep so we decided to pick up some burgers at Come Back Shack, which came highly reviewed on Yelp, and eat them back at the hotel. Colin is always looking for burger joints comparable to his favorite Shake Shack in NYC (which as a side note seems to have gone down hill since we left the city). To me, most of these places are similar. I wasn't overly impressed with Come Back Shack, but we did enjoy our meals.

Rose managed to get in the pool one last time before bed. Over the course of the two days she became a fairly confident swimmer with her flotation device. She's now ready for the neighborhood pool this summer! Thankfully, we got the girls to bed much early the second night and they both slept well once again.

Though I had to work the second morning, we were still able to have a fairly leisure time at wake up and breakfast. While I complain about the food, it was nice to have breakfast available in the hotel so we didn't have to pack up a diaper bag and other things to get in the car to drive somewhere. Unfortunately, I had to stay at a hotel that accepts the state rate, and the one we found was not withing walking distance to many restaurants or things to do. 

Colin, the girls, and Darwin all dropped me off at work and went to story time at the library in Boone. Thankfully, my colleagues were well organized and had sent me lots of materials to prepare for my visit, which allowed me to take an hour for lunch to eat, pack the car, and check out of the hotel. Colin picked up Melanie's Food Fantasy, which came highly reviewed on Yelp and through the locals. We had wanted to eat there instead of Black Cat Burrito, but the line was way too long the day before. Melanie's was my absolute favorite food of the trip. They were just sandwiches, but they were very meaty and flavorful.

After lunch, I had a few hours of work to complete, so Colin took a recommendation from my colleague to check out a nice park/playground in the area. The weather finally felt like spring again, so Colin, the girls, and Darwin were able to enjoy a nice afternoon (along with short naps in the car). Late afternoon, they picked me up, and after feeding Zoe we were back on the road heading home. 

Overall, the trip went much better than I had anticipated. I was nervous about how Colin would be able to handle both girls plus Darwin while I worked, but they seemed to be just fine. I was grateful they could come with me and I didn't have to deal with pumping while away, and storing/transporting milk. Traveling away from a baby the first year when you breastfeed is really hard. Maybe others are not like me, but in my experience with both girls, I have not been able to cover what they drink by pumping when going back to work. With Zoe, I pumped as much as I could months 2-4, but I still might run out before her first birthday. Avoiding formula and providing breastmilk exclusively is important to me. I certainly will not deny my daughter milk if I run out, but I will do whatever I can to give her my milk for her first year. 

Stay tuned for more updates on our spring adventures!

Lots of Upcoming Travels!!

Happy almost long weekend to all!!

It's going to be in the upper 80's this weekend so Colin and I are headed to the outer banks this evening!!  The plan is to stay with our friend's parents tonight and then head down the coast to find a campground with room for Saturday and Sunday night reservations.  I know that I always look forward to camping, but never sleep well in a tent.  But, I am just so happy to have a long weekend ahead of me and we haven't really spent a lot of time of the beach since....gosh I can't even remember.  I'm guessing some time last summer, or maybe even before that.  No wonder I can't wait!

We've also been planning other fun summer adventures the past few weeks. Colin's got a work trip to Fort Lauderdale in early June (yes, right around the corner!) and his conference finishes up on a Friday.  I'm very excited to go and spend a long weekend at the beach (3 full days).  And that trip will be even better than the outer banks because 1.) we will be more comfortable in a hotel and 2.) it will come at the end of a very busy time at work (which I am in the middle of now!!).

At the end of June and into early July, my dear friend from college is getting married in Burlington, Vermont.  So, we've got a whirlwind of a trip planned to fly into and out of Boston, visit friends in the area, spend some time in RI and be in Burlington for the weekend.  All of that is planned in just 5 days!!  I wish I could go longer to visit with more friends in the area, especially since there are so many babies I haven't met (and some are already 2).  But alas, we're trying to save up some vacation time for a big trip in the fall (I won't disclose until we are sure we are going).  Thankfully, many of my college gal pals will be with me at the wedding (though none are bringing their babies) and they all live fairly close to each other in Boston. To make things easier, I'm trying to plan a day (or night) with each set of friends along the route between RI and VT.  New York friends will have to wait until a visit in that direction.

And if these three trips were not exciting enough, I had a meeting today at work regarding a conference in Asheville in September.  I love that town because the vibe brings me back to Burlington and always get excited to spend some time there.  The best part about the conference is not that it is in Asheville, but that we are all staying in The Grove Park Inn!  My friends in the area will need no explanation, but for those of you unfamiliar with the resort, it is a large antique resort spa that boasts a "bed and breakfast" feel and is located in the middle of the mountains with amazing views all around.  The spa is supposedly a-m-a-z-i-n-g and September is usually a fantastic time of year in the mountains of North Carolina.  Though I do have to present at this conference on Sunday, I'm getting excited at the prospect of going up early to enjoy the area, especially since all rooms are discounted for conference attendees.  I hope I can convince Colin that it is an opportunity he does not want to miss.

I'm sure that by now you know that I love planning trips and getaways.  With the beautiful weather we've been having in Raleigh, we've been enjoying "staycations."  Now that the weather is getting a bit too warm, it's time to escape to places that offer more comfortable temperatures (like the mountains) or places to cool off from the heat (like the beach).

I'll keep you posted on how Darwin does with his second attempt at camping.  We will definitely be taking the "chew-proof" tie out cable and stake to prevent him from chasing night time critters in case he's still scared of the tent.  And we are taking our big tent in case it rains and he needs to sleep with us.


What are you up to this long weekend? 
Any summer vacation plans being made?

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?

Work Travels in May

In addition to getting a puppy and buying our home, the month of May also had me taking a few work trips.  In just over four weeks, I made trips to four of North Carolina's counties to observe "my program."  As a dietitian doing community work for the university, I manage an older adult nutrition education program administered in 19 counties throughout the state.  One of the best parts of my job is getting out into the counties to meet the people that receive the lessons I have created for them.  It's also interesting to watch the county extension agents teach the program and put their own spin on each of the lesson.

As part of the program, older adults participate in activities about food, nutrition, and budgeting.  They receive items, called "extenders," which help them remember and practice what they've learned.  And they get to try foods and recipes that are tasty and inexpensive!

A sample sales flier from the grocery store for the week's activity and vegetable scrub brushes to help older adult clean veggies, but keep the skin on for added nutrients

This week's taste test used varieties of hummus as a dip for raw vegetables

 Another session provides older adults with a sample of roasted vegetables

The nutrition program is usually conducted at a congregate nutrition site, a place where older adults gather for a lunch-time meal.  This year's curriculum focuses on eating fruits and vegetables, so all the food samples include tasty fruits and veggies.  One of the most common things I have heard at each of the sites is rich flavor of the vegetables.  It's great to hear that older adults love the easy and inexpensive vegetables that are a part of the program.  I also credit the county extension agents who prepare these taste tests.

During May, I was able to visit Johnston County, Greene County, Duplin County and Pasquotank County.  Johnston was the closest visit, being less than 30 minutes away and Pasquotank was my overnight trip to the northeast corner of the state (3 hours away).  Both Greene and Duplin were day trips about 1.5 hours from the Raleigh area.

A few notable things occurred during these trips:

1. Upon meeting the county extension agent in Duplin County, I was greeted by a newspaper photographer.  Apparently my visit coincided with the mayor's visit to the site.  The newspaper was there to document the big event in this small town.  So, we all had our photos taken with the mayor and an article should be written in the local newspaper soon. If I hear anything about being famous in southeastern North Carolina, I will certainly share it with you all!

 

The county extension agent with the mayor and site director

2. The following week, in Greene County, I was shaken by the destruction that tornadoes left in this area of North Carolina.  You may recall that in mid-April (2011) much of North Carolina was in a state of emergency due to severe tornadoes.  Well, almost a month later, this was still the scene off the main road leading into the town I visited.

If you look closely, you can see an SUV sitting sideways inside the building closest to my car.  The entire stretch of road showed many homes with a tarp serving as a temporary roof.  You could clearly see the tornadoes destructive path through the area.

While some people in the Raleigh area experienced serious damage, I was lucky to have only lost power for a few hours.  But many of the counties east of Raleigh were not so fortunate.  Much of eastern North Carolina is flat and many people live in mobile homes, a doubly whammy for tornadoes.


I am grateful for the opportunity to travel with my job because I meet so many wonderful people and get to learn about the different areas of the state.  In addition, it is extremely helpful to see how I can improve how we provide nutrition education to low-income residents of North Carolina.  Every positive or negative experience provides me with an opportunity to learn something when I take the time to reflect on it.