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?

Recap of Memorial Day camping

I almost didn't get to write this post about camping in the outer banks because we almost didn't get a campsite! Thankfully, the people who got the last site shared it with us.  We were actually there first, but they talked to the ranger first.  And, the site was large enough that we could each be fairly far apart.  Here's a short recap of our weekend in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and camping in Frisco.

The first, and largest National Park Service campground we tried was closed due to flooding, so we knew we might have trouble finding a spot in the second campground in the area.  But, we got lucky, or at least encountered some nice people who were willing to share.

Our campsite

Darwin found his shady spot immediately!  It was hot at 11am.

On Saturday, the beach was packed with SUVs lined up next to each other.  It made the beach look so ugly with so many cars on it!  It was super windy and the sand actually hurt because it was blowing so hard against you. We didn't lay on the beach very much and ended up going for a long walk instead. We also set up our campsite, drove around the area a bit, and spent most of the evening watching wind surfers that were loving the breezy conditions.  Apparently, I forgot to use my camera on the first day, but made up for it on day 2.  Here is a picture recap of our Sunday.

Heading to the beach to enjoy breakfast during the beautiful morning (~6:30am)

Some scattered showers allowed us to experience a rainbow

Darwin loved laying on our beach towels all weekend!

He did go into the water on his own and actually played in it 

(but no swimming yet - he's still afraid of the water when it gets above his belly)

The walk from the campsite to the beach

Rushing to take down our camping gear before the rain came. We had everything packed, except the tent! I'm so glad our down (feather) sleeping bags were already packed.

Darwin hiding under the table at lunch during the start to our drive back.  The rain was heavy in Frisco, so we made our way up the coast and stopped for lunch for a little delay in the hopes the rain would pass and we'd be able to enjoy a beach day.

My fish tacos were pretty good at the Atlantic Coast Cafe in Waves, NC

Colin opted for the fried medley (fries, shrimp, grouper, crab cakes)

We seemed to be driving away from the rain as we headed up Cape Hatteras National Seashore.  When we got to the last spot before getting on the main road away from the beach, we decided to take a little nap (full bellies after a night of poor sleep in a tent leaves you feeling so tired) and it seemed we were about 20-30 minutes ahead of the rain.  There were lots of clouds, but very little rain when we arrived around 1pm, so we put up the beach umbrella and rested our eyes for a bit.  As the day progressed, the clouds diminished and we slowly brought more of our things out to the beach.  By 3pm, we experienced more sun than clouds.  And with the threat of rain most of the day, we had the beach mostly to ourselves.


What started off as a day with scattered storms, turned into a day with heavy rain,
and later into a pleasant afternoon/evening.  

 Nags Head around 5pm - perfect!

It was a difficult 3 hour ride home from the beach, but after a nice, long shower, it felt amazing to sleep in my own bed.  My bed always feels amazing after sleeping on the ground and it was especially wonderful after experiencing two days of salt water and ocean air.  The best part was that we could sleep in on Monday since it was Memorial Day!

What did you do Memorial Day weekend?

Where is your favorite place to go in the Outer Banks?

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?