Tour de Northeast Part 2 - A Wedding and College Friends

After our wonderful adventures on Block Island in Rhode Island, I was looking forward to a restful night sleep before our weekend's festivities.  The reason for our trip to the northeast was to attend my college friend's wedding near Burlington, Vermont, and we planned to drive up from RI Saturday morning.  As unfortunate luck would have it, I caught Colin's cold/flu and had a really difficult time sleeping. It left me feeling really tired and generally "out of sorts" for the rest of our trip.


Regardless of my cold, I was determined to enjoy spending time with my dearest friends - those I met my first semester of my first year away from home - who went through all the college firsts with me (though my lips are sealed about what all those firsts were about).

The 4 hour drive to Burlington was pleasant thanks to no traffic, my husband the chauffeur, riding in my parent's new Fiat 500, and a beautiful summer day!

"Our" wheels for 5 days!

A beautiful, crystal clear day in Vermont!

Arriving at Lang Barn just as my friends did, I was so excited to celebrate with them. The picturesque setting on this beautiful day was everything I had hoped we would have had for our wedding almost 6 years ago!  And as I posted on the blog back in 2010, my girlfriends and I were on track to get together in 2011, based on an every 5 year event, but we ended up having to wait until 2012 for Karri to get married!  I'm so glad she gave us a reason to all take a break from the routine of our lives and take a trip down memory lane.

Now for a recap of our day in photos...

Karri's sister and her and Brian's German Shepard make their way down the aisle.

The bride, looking stunning, is escorted by her brother.

A hot, but very beautiful setting for the nuptials. 

In true Vermont fashion, a reception in a barn.

Some choreographed country line dancing (yes, we are there on the left).

And a beautiful view!

To beat the heat, catch up with each other, and enjoy the view, we spent most of the afternoon hanging out on the back deck.

Unfortunately, we didn't get a photo with the bride and groom, 

but I love the one of us from the front, taken by the photographer!

The photographer also got a up close one of our country line dancing!  As most of you know me, I would have loved to spend more time on the dance floor, but it really was unbearably hot in the barn and, with my cold, I just could not be inside.  The country dance and a few slow songs were all I could muster, but I had lots of time to catch up on the lives of my college friends.

There was lots of reminiscing, talks of mutual friends we've been in touch with, updates on jobs, and stories of kids (there are 4 babies under the age of 3 and 2 on the way among the 3 couples!). Needless to say, there was plenty to talk about!!

To continue our time together after the wedding, we decided to get together in downtown Burlington over drinks and dinner.  At 8pm on a warm, summer Saturday night on Church Street, the only restaurant where we wouldn't have to wait was Ken's Pizza.  Still being mostly full from our delicious and abundant food at the wedding, no one seemed upset about the location. I actually have very fond memories of the Italian sub (or "grinder" as I once called it with my Rhode Island background), and decided to see if it was as good as I remembered it. The sub and Colin's goat cheese salad did not disappoint.  But, the food was only memorable because it brought me back to the days of being carefree, with little responsibility.  It's hard not to miss the best parts of those days.  

After spending the whole day together, and most of the evening, my friends and I knew it was time to say our goodbyes.  We left an open plan to go on a vacation sometime in the near future (which I know will be hard until the kids get older), and decided against "goodbye" and instead left it "until next time."  Hearing everyone's stories, I know we have so much going on in our lives, but it is nice to know you can get together with friends after 5 years and pick up where you left off last time.  I hope it won't be another 5 or 6 years before we see each other again, but I'm grateful to know that if it is that long, it won't matter.

How often do you get to see your closest friends?

How do you stay in touch if you don't see them very often?

Tour de Northeast Part 1 - Rhode Island!

Growing up in Rhode Island, I frequently went to the beach during the summer.  As a young child, we'd go to the calm waters of Galilee or Sand Hill Cove Beach on Point Judith most weekends.  These beaches are known for very calm waters because of the breakwater formed by the rocks that lead out from the beach.  During many of these weekends, we'd find ourselves ordering clam cakes and red chowder chowda for lunch or dinner from George's and enjoying our meal while sitting on the rocks, watching the boats and ferries come in and out of Block Island Sound.

During our quick tour of the northeast, and with only 1 day in RI, I found myself excited to travel the 45 minutes to the coast from my parent's house to indulge in some childhood memories and create new ones.  Arriving just after noon, I knew we had to get some clam cakes and red chowda for lunch.  With the limited time we had before our next adventure, we made some time to sit on the rocks to enjoy the food and the view.  The crab cakes were just as I remembered them, but I felt the chowda was pretty weak. There was definitely too much broth and not enough potatoes or clams.  We decided to try some lobster lobsta bisque, which was not something I ever indulged in as a child. Since it didn't bring back any memories, it was not as memorable as my clam cakes or chowda.

 George's clam cakes, red chowda and lobsta bisque

Since Colin had never been to Block Island, and I have few memories of the place, we decided to spend the day exploring the Island.  

Our first adventure was the 55 minute ferry ride ($20.25 pp r/t). We could have spent $15 more per person for the high speed ferry that would have gotten us there in half the time, but decided we wanted to enjoy the ride.  Besides, I needed the time to read the Island brochure I picked up at the ticket window and plan our adventure!

Colin and I enjoying the view and planning what we wanted to do on the Island

Goodbye East Matunuk State Beach!

Once on the Island, we debated between mopeds and bicycles - a difference of about $48. We knew we would see more of the island with the faster mopeds, but opted to save some money and get a little exercise by renting the bikes.  I'll admit the first half hour of the trip was difficult with steep inclines as we made our approach to the lighthouse and the cliffs, but the views were worth the sweat!

The 2,000-ton Southeast Lighthouse with its gingerbread detail,
which was moved away from the water and to its current location in 1993

Payne Overlook, before our 150-foot descent down the steps of Mohegan Bluffs.
On a clear day you can see Montauk Point on Long Island, but we had a rather hazy day!

The beach at the base of Mohegan Bluffs, said to be where the 

local Manisses pinned down an attacking band of Mohegan Indians

Enjoying the cool water and wonderful views at the base of the Bluffs and debating a swim

After making the long trip back up the stairs, we were back on our bicycles and hoping for fewer hills. Thankfully, our wishes were granted and most of the journey along the southern and western part of the Island was flat. It was a beautiful, warm, summer day, with few clouds and a cool breeze off the water. Taking our time, I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and the views it had to offer. I was so happy we opted for bicycles instead of scooters once we were past the initial steep hills.

Cruising and relishing in our surroundings for most of the 2 hour ride.

Downtown/Old Harbor, returning our bikes and winding down before catching the ferry back to the mainland

Indulging in another RI favorite - Del's Lemonade!

I love Rhode Island in the summer!

What are some of your favorite memories of Rhode Island (if you've ever been)?

An All-American 4th of July

Stay tuned until next week for a "tour of the northeast" recap from last weekend.  For now, I leave you with our July 4th holiday.

After a lazy morning of sleeping in and catching up on e-mail and the world wide web, we found ourselves beating the heat at the Oxxford Hunt 4th of July Pool Party!

A crowded pool complete with a DJ and the "cha-cha slide!"

With friends visiting, we decided to check out the Durham Bulls minor league baseball game, which was followed by a very good fireworks display. Despite our "standing room" tickets, we were lucky to find seats near 3rd base for the first half of the game. But, as the evening came to a close, we were kicked out when everyone found their seats for the fireworks display. Thankfully, it was already the 7th inning when we moved to the outfield to enjoy the show.

 Watching the 7th and 8th innings from way back in the outfield

One of the many wonderful fireworks

It was late when we got home, and after being off for 6 days, it was definitely a struggle to get back into the mindset of returning to work.

What did you do for July 4th this year?

A Swimming Hole and Skywatching

With Saturday's temperatures in the mid 90's, we decided to beat the heat by checking out a swimming hole in Durham. Our neighbor had recently told us about Eno Quarry and it's cliff jumping and rope swing. We knew we had to check it out and figured it would be a great way to tire the dogs out. Yes, dogs, as in plural. We dog-sat Darwin's buddy, Phoenix, last week.

The drive to Durham took about 30 minutes and we were able to find parking very easily (surprisingly because the lot is very small). From the trailhead to the quarry, we hiked about 1.5 miles on a very shaded, and only slightly hilly, trail. We did a full loop around the lake, looking for an area where we could ease our way into the water, but most of the areas had cliffs that plummeted into deep waters. After testing a few spots, we found a good location.

The whole area felt much less than 90 degrees, and the water was a nice cool (not cold) temperature. We tried getting Darwin in the water with Phoenix and go get the ball, but we were unsuccessful. Phoenix had no problems and spent the entire 2 hours swimming. Our huge breakthrough with Darwin came about 15-20 minutes after we arrived, when Colin and I were able to coerce Darwin into the water with us. Once he got in on his own, he quickly figured out that he could actually swim somewhat effortlessly. There were a few times when he would freak out for a second and splash around, but for the most part, he was comfortable in the water. We were never able to get him to fetch a stick or a ball on his own, but he would go get it if we also chased it down. Thankfully, we remembered a camera and got some it on video.

Our half day adventure left us all fairly tired, and the dogs were able to take a solid nap when we got back home. Since the evening was turning out to be quite nice (clear and not too hot), we decided to grill some burgers and stuffed peppers and eat outside on the deck before heading back out to a skywatching event at a local state lake. The meal was delicious and the atmosphere was fantastic, though I could have done with less mosquitoes.

Just about sunset (8:30pm), we left the house for Jordan Lake State Park. The Morehead Planetarium was hosting an evening skywatching session with telescopes so people could view the Moon, Saturn, Mars, and Mercury. When we arrived the effects of the sun on the sky were beautiful and Planetarium staff and other amateur astronomers were setting up their telescopes.

Our first views gave us an incredible view of the Moon's craters. Once the sky darkened, we were able to see an amazing view of Saturn. Looking into the telescope literally looked like I was seeing a photograph of the planet from space. The ring around it was so distinct! Unfortunately, there were no good views of Mars or Mercury. The staff from the Planetarium and the astronomers there on their own accord were all so informative. One amateur astronomer was so excited to show us different nebulae (star clusters in one case and a star that lost it's atmosphere in another case). I was so impressed with the number of people (adults and kids) at the event. The sessions are offered once a month (usually with the new moon) and are free. According the astronomers, the colder months are better than these warmer months because there tends to be less haze. I've already made note of the meteor showers that will be viewed in August and December. I hope the weather holds out for the one in December because I bet it will be quite a sight!

Going to bed on Saturday night, I felt like I had an incredible day. From my enjoyment of nature's lakes, to astronomer's giving of their time and telescopes, I didn't have to spend any money to enjoy the natural world.

Have you ever been to a skywatching event?
What was the best thing you've seen in the sky?

I'm not sure anything can compare to the beautiful star-filled sky we saw in New Zealand when we camped in Abel Tasman National Park.

A Lunch Date at Sitti in Downtown Raleigh

We've been doing some traveling since Memorial Day, but for most of May, we stayed close to home. During that very busy month at work, Colin and I did try out more of the area's restaurants.  On a beautiful early summer day, we went to the Lebanese Restaurant, Sitti, for lunch and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

Shortly after we settled ourselves at our small, outdoor table, pita bread and an oil based dipping sauce were served.  It was amazing and one of the best bread/dip mixtures I've ever had.  Just thinking about it again makes me salivate.

Sitti's delicious bread and oil dip

We decided to try the special of the day - a lamb stew in a tomato sauce with sitti rice (described as vermicilli noodles topped with roasted almonds).  The dish was perfect for my palate, which prefers mild spices to hot.  The stew was served on another delicious pita.  I definitely had my fill of bread at this lunch!

The day's special - lamb stew

Lamb is not a meat we typically cook ourselves, but we both enjoy its tenderness.  Though we try to get a variety of dishes when we go to a restaurant, we couldn't help ordering the "Kafta Kabob Wrap," which includes ground beef and lamb.  The kabob, topped with hummus, tomato, and onion was flavorful, but was not quite as good as we expected.  It could have been because the lamb stew was so good, that it left the kabob lacking when it normally would have been just fine.

The Kafta Kabob Wrap filled with ground beef, lamb, hummus, tomato and onion

My overall impression of Sitti was very positive.  The lunch time service was good, it was nice to people watch on the sidewalk in downtown Raleigh, and the food was very satisfying.  Every time I think back to the food, my brain focuses on how delicious the appetizer was! If you can get there for a meal sometime, I definitely recommend it and be warned that you might fill up on the bread!!

Have you ever eaten lamb? 

If not, why not?

If you have, what is your impression of it's taste?

Fort Lauderdale Adventures!

Here's a recap of our trip to Ft. Lauderdale..

A few hours after arriving, which included checking into the hotel, unpacking, and relaxing, we decided to walk the mile to the beach.  As we were walked, we saw the dark clouds approaching. Since we had not enjoyed lunch, we decided to take cover at the first restaurant we encountered - a marina front bar/restaurant located adjacent to the Day's Inn.  From our seat, we watched the area become engulfed in dark clouds and remained protected from the heavy rain that came with the clouds.

Enjoying the view of the thunderstorm from the protection of a covered seat!

My fish tacos and Colin's fried grouper were easily forgettable.  When we finished our meal, we felt bad taking up seats while waiting for the storm to pass, so we opted for some dessert. I'm so glad we did because the chocolate cake we ordered was surprisingly tasty.  I definitely had lower expectations for a chocolate cake served in a beach bar!

Our delicious chocolate cake

Once the rain storm passed, we enjoyed a quiet evening on the beach - a beach that we had almost exclusively to ourselves because the rain had kept people away.

On Saturday, we decided to take the hotel shuttle to the beach so we could enjoy more time there.  I was impressed by all the free activities available at the beach.  It's rare to find basketball courts, workout stations, playgrounds, bathrooms, and a grilling area all so close to the beach.  In addition, while many of the grills were being used, the beach was not crowded on what I would consider a beautiful beach day.  One of the things I miss the most in North Carolina are the beach pavilions found in Rhode Island and Long Island.  In those pavilions, I could shower at the end of the beach day before going home.

Basketball courts and workout station on the beach

A playground and grills on the beach

Few people on a beautiful beach day

On Saturday, we decided to take a ride down to Miami, where the Miami Heat were playing the Boston Celtics in game 7 of the Eastern Conference Championship.  We knew tickets would be expensive, so we didn't bother trying to get them. Instead, we went to check out the atmosphere.

In Miami, we decided to get some Cuban food on Calle Ocho in "Little Havana."  There weren't many people around and we didn't make plans ahead of time, so we just walked around until we found a restaurant to try.  From what we heard, 7pm was too early for dinner in Little Havana, so most places were pretty empty.  We did not stick around late enough to check out the "night life."  The first reason was that we wanted to get to a sports bar to watch the game, and the second reason was that we weren't sure if the neighborhood was safe. 

Chickens let you know you are in Little Havana, Miami

A Pitbull caricature on the wall of an "art and research center"
- which looked more like a social club when we walked by

El Cristo Restaurant offered really tasty Cuban food, 

but we were very disappointed that they didn't have Cuban sandwiches!

All around downtown Miami, and especially near the basketball area, we found crowds of Miami Heat fans.  The few Boston fans that mixed among the crowds wore their green, but for the most part, everyone was dressed in white.

The scene at American Airlines arena about 30 minutes before tip-off.

We found a lively spot at a pub with an outdoor projector to watch most of the first half.  Every time the Heat scored, stole the ball, or made a good play, the fans erupted with enthusiasm.  It was difficult to not get caught up in all the excitement.  Even thought the Celtics were winning, Heat fans exhibited lots of confidence that their team would prevail.

  

Watching the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics 

on an outdoor projector at a Miami bar.

After an exciting evening watching the game in Miami, we made our way back to Ft. Lauderdale to rest up for our planned adventures on Sunday.

The first stop on our ambitious itinerary brought us to Shark Valley in the Everglades. We had never been and decided to check out the National Park Service offerings. After renewing our annual America the Beautiful National Park Pass, we opted for the guided tram tour through the park- which was the same price as renting 2 bicycles for 2 hours. With the scorching sun beating down at our noon-time arrival, we figured the shade was necessary for us to enjoy the park.

On our 2 hour trip, we saw 2 alligators, lots of birds, and were able to get a better understanding about the flora and fauna located in the area. Thankfully, we did not see any snakes, though our tour guide showed us a video of his capture of a 20 foot snake on his Ipad. It is actually sad that people have let their snakes go wild in the Everglades. With no natural predators the 10,000+ snakes that now exist in the park have drastically reduced the small mammals native to the area.

View of the Everglades from a tower in the park

After our adventures in the Everglades, we made our way down to the Florida Keys to Key Largo.  We didn't really know much about the area, but assumed we could find some areas with a beach to swim.  Unfortunately, Key Largo is more of a fishing town, with lots of canals and waterways between the streets.  Instead of driving farther into the Keys to find the beach, we decided to have an early dinner at a bar and watch the European Cup game being televised.

We eventually found a beach, which was fairly disappointing. It was in a state park, which charged $4.50 per person and the beach area was very small.  The water, surrounded by mangroves, was very warm (like a bath), and the sand was almost as hard as concrete.

Enjoying the Happy Hour specials at Sharkeys Pub & Galley in Key Largo

With all the excitement and exploration we did Saturday and Sunday, we decided to relax all morning on Monday before our 3pm flight.  It was another beautiful day, so we spent the first few hours at the beach, and the final few hours in Ft. Lauderdale by the beautiful pool.  

Arriving home around 6pm, with enough time to unpack and unwind, I felt like I had experienced the perfect balance of relaxation and exploration.  The trip was just what I needed after a very busy month of May!  As we typically do, we have already started making plans for our next trip to the area.  We are thinking a cruise to the Bahamas might be nice.

Tell me about your most memorable South Florida experiences!

What should we put on our list for the next time we visit?

Exceeding expectations and keeping costs low in Fort Lauderdale

The stars were in perfect alignment to allow Colin and I the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful 4-day weekend in Ft. Lauderdale this past weekend.  Colin's conference was scheduled to end at the same time my flight was scheduled to arrive, which came a day after I submitted a substantial grant application for the state of North Carolina.

As we always do when we travel without Darwin, we bid for a hotel on Priceline a few weeks leading up to our trip.  I knew that my chances of getting a low price were better as we got closer to the day of arrival, so I didn't stress when we hadn't won a bid a week before my scheduled arrival.  Sure enough, 4-5 days before our trip, my $72 bid was accepted by the four star Hyatt Pier 66. While I did select "beach front" properties, the Hyatt is located about a mile from the beach, so I was slightly disappointed that it was not right on the beach.  I also got very nervous when I read some of the most recent negative hotel reviews, even though the hotel was listed as 4 stars.  The only review that came back consistent was that the pool was really nice.

With low expectations, we checked in. The woman at the front desk was very nice and changed our room reservation from 2 double beds to 1 king (Priceline only asks for the number of people and you can't control the room assignment unless you work with the front desk staff).  She also asked of our preference for proximity to the pool.  When we asked for nice, quiet room, she said we would enjoy our room on the intercoastal waterway, which was also very close to the pool.

Our room was not at all disappointing and the hotel far exceeded my expectations (which, as I said, were pretty low).  I didn't take any pictures of the room, because it was pretty standard for most hotels (king size bed with lots of pillows, tv, dresser, refrigerator, closet, large bathroom). There wasn't any extraordinary furniture worth blogging about.  One of the things I enjoyed the most about the hotel was the balcony.  The boats on the intercoastal were so large, we both dreamed of a day when we could own and use one ourselves!

A relaxing breakfast our first morning

The best part of the hotel was, in fact, the pool.  There were technically 3 pools - a small jacuzzi that could easily fit 8-10 people, a large "S" shaped pool ranging from 3-6' deep, and a smaller "t" shaped pool.  We spent most of our time at the largest pool, which had a waterfall near the deeper end.  The hotel was clearly not crowded, so we did relax at the pool more than we usually do on a beach vacation. I couldn't help but be relaxed while laying in the shade and took a rather long snooze after a filling lunch one afternoon.  We didn't use the jacuzzi because the water was too warm for June in Florida.  But, we did enjoy some night swimming to cool ourselves down before bed one evening.

 Relaxing by the pool

There's the waterfall!

Ending the day with a dip in the nicely lit pool

I would say our hotel was a bargain!  Although it wasn't on the beach, they did provide a complimentary shuttle to and from the beach every hour.  There was no complimentary breakfast, be we prefer our healthier options to most continental breakfasts anyway.  Parking was the major hotel expense, since they charged $21/day.  Our first reaction was to find a place to park near the hotel overnight, but that proved too challenging. Thankfully, we got a great deal on our rental car (also on Priceline) for $26 for 2 days.  Adding $21 for 1 night that we parked in the hotel wasn't too bad.

To break down our expenses, we paid $255 for my flight (Colin's was paid for by work, and I missed an opportunity to get a sub $200 fare), $251 for the hotel (using a Priceline bid of $72/nt + taxes), $26 for a rental car for 2 days, and $21 to park 1 night.  The grand total (minus food and adventures - which will be detailed in another post) came out to $553 for a 4 day/3 night vacation. We are pretty good at keeping food costs low by mixing up buying food in a grocery store and going out too eat.  This is when it's helpful to have a car or be within walking distance of a grocery store.  The estimate of our food costs is $150 for the 10 total meals, which included four meals and a dessert in a restaurant and 4 grocery store meals.  Two of our meals included leftovers we kept in the refrigerator and these were the only meals that were duplicated.  The most outrageous food cost we incurred was the $12 for 1 small and 1 large ice cream from Marble Slab and I will be the first to admit it was not even good!!

Other than the ice cream, I'd say we were able to enjoy a wonderful vacation at minimal cost.  Stay tuned for the next post about exploring the area!

How do you save money when you travel?